As I have said many times, I truly enjoy what it is I do. Each time I have done an interview or sent questions for my Point of View series, I feel like I am getting a sacred and blessed glimpse into someone’s treasured life. When I decided to speak to Pastor Steve Vanderwest, I was blown away by how honest he was about not only the importance of integrating psychology and spirituality, but he highlighted the mental health struggles of pastors.
Imagine this, a small-town boy who is a devoted dairy farmer gets called to be a pastor. Although still attached to being a farmer, he went back to school and has now been a resident pastor at his current location for ten years. When I asked him about the integration of psychology and spirituality, he first noted that he was raised in a very traditional and conservative Christian home. There was very little mention of “grace” in the sermons at the church he grew up in. Over time, he began to learn how grace has become the foundation of his Christian faith. He noted that they use to have a sign out front that read, “church is not a hotel for saints, but a hospital for sinners” and this is to indicate that Churches should welcome the broken and those in need of the truth of God’s grace.
Imagine this, a small-town boy who is a devoted dairy farmer gets called to be a pastor. Although still attached to being a farmer, he went back to school and has now been a resident pastor at his current location for ten years. When I asked him about the integration of psychology and spirituality, he first noted that he was raised in a very traditional and conservative Christian home. There was very little mention of “grace” in the sermons at the church he grew up in. Over time, he began to learn how grace has become the foundation of his Christian faith. He noted that they use to have a sign out front that read, “church is not a hotel for saints, but a hospital for sinners” and this is to indicate that Churches should welcome the broken and those in need of the truth of God’s grace.