tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406577289389534811.comments2009-10-06T12:51:24.221-07:00Denita Dycknoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406577289389534811.post-65697503382669647742009-10-06T12:51:24.381-07:002009-10-06T12:51:24.381-07:00I&#39;m still forming thoughts around Bruxy&#39;s talk on Sunday. One thing that stood out to me was the statement about anger being inappropriate in the Christian life. Hadn&#39;t heard that before. And while it made sense how he explained how even anger at injustice isn&#39;t right (the difference in being motivated by the anger of injustice and being motivated by a desire and love for justice), I had trouble reconciling the anger that comes from extremely hurtful experiences. Anger that therapists and counsellors encourage. And while I understand that one must move past this anger, most Christian professionals recognize anger as one of those healing steps. I emailed him regarding that and his response was &quot;... the energy of our anger is best redirected toward sorrow, to deeply grieving over things rather than allowing anger to dominate. Sorry is an emotion that is in tune with the reality of our world and our place in this world, and is encouraged in the New Testament. Of course, in many situations, anger is where our emotions will begin. God understands. I guess the New Testament simply encourages us not to stay there, but to move that emotional energy forward into sorrow.&quot; <br /><br />A book I&#39;ve read (&quot;The Dance of Anger&quot; by Harriet Lerner) points out how anger and guilt are antonymous- that often people will choose to feel guilty or self-blame in order to avoid feeling angry.<br /><br />Still thinking through some of the questions in the discussion guide and will comment later.Denitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14194708466937888915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3406577289389534811.post-1475497566240604772009-10-06T10:26:39.704-07:002009-10-06T10:26:39.704-07:00Good topic D. <br /><br />Anger, esp stronger expressions of it within me, cue me to pay attention to my inner life, what am I holding back, where am I not being honest. For me, anger is a flag to remind me about attending to relationships. Lots more I could say.<br /><br />What is the anger about? What is it prompting me to do? What is the right response to this &quot;stirring&quot; within me? I am learning about this - and look forward to other&#39;s comments.<br /><br />Thanks for inviting me into the pensive cafe. Why &quot;pensive&quot;? :)<br /><br />LBLisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03005107808790526400noreply@blogger.com