Theological Reflection Approach on Practice

Theological Reflection Approach on Practice A written reflection on practice (1,500 words) Rational of the Theological Reflection Approach I have decided to use the Imagination and Spiritual Wisdom approach to this theological reflection because it allows for a deep understanding of the experience and the feelings involved. Then it progresses into creating an image from those feelings and by questioning the image we may develop an insight to what was really happening and use theology to help us to understand this insight. Thus, leading to action or an understanding of future actions in similar events.[1] Thick Description Someone in the church (A) was organising a surprise party for the vicar and his wife (VW) for their 25th wedding anniversary with permission from the rest of the family. They were organising it as a friend and not as a member of the congregation and therefore it was a non-church event. It was mentioned to people in the church as they would obviously be invited as friends of the couple. There was an element of tension between certain members of the congregation as they felt that it should have been done through church and this was expressed to the church wardens, who had also been asked to help with the party, and A. This led to a disagreement between A and another member of the congregation (B) one Sunday morning before the service. This was witnessed by a few people although they could not hear what was being said. It did however turn out that this issue was resolved quickly once tensions had calmed down. The pastoral situation came from someone (J) who had witnessed this altercation. J has been a member of the congregation for many years and has developed a close pastoral relationship with the vicar and his wife and the member of the congregation. She was concerned about how B had be treated through this situation. Over the course of the week various messages had been sent via social media between A, J and various others in the congregation about this altercation, the party in general and views about it. The messages had become somewhat hurtful and not appropriate. J had become quite upset about it and went to speak to the VW to ask if A would stop sending messages to her. J did say that she could not go into detail about the messages and why they had started in the first place as she did not want to spoil the surprise. It transpires that the messages continued to be sent with A convinced that the surprise had be spoiled and was placing the blame towards J. Due to wanting to keep the surprise J contacted myself. I met with J on a Friday evening in church with most of the meeting explaining what had transpired over the past week. J was very agitated and angry about what was happening in terms of the messages. I allowed her to speak and reassured her that I was listening to what was being said but clear that I was not agreeing with her opinion about A although was sympathetic towards her feelings about what had happened. I was also aware that J did not like A but the reason for this was unknown to me. Others had also noticed this dislike and I mentioned this to J. I also pointed out that A was a liked person and people were viewing Js actions as not very nice. J took exception to this comment and defended what she had said and done by saying that something had happened with A in a previous church that none of us were aware of. The meeting concluded with a decision that I would speak to A and ask for the messages to stop, that I would reassure A also that J had not spoiled the surprise, J agreed that she would not respond to any messages that were sent to her in regards to the party or anything else along similar lines. We finished by praying and J thanked me for listening. Feelings 2.1 Reflections on Personal Feelings of the Situation Personally, the whole situation felt a little petty and had no feelings towards this situation and felt that this could be sorted out. Yet I was aware there would need to be further reconciliation of J and A as feelings ran deep of dislike towards each other. 2.2 Reflection on Js Feelings of the Situation The feelings that were clearly visible by J in this situation were: Anger towards A because of the altercation with B Frustration asked for the messages to stop and they had continued Shock she had been challenged over her attitude towards A Power knew information that no one else knew about A When reflecting on these feelings being displayed I felt that the underlying elements to all of this was a sense of jealousy towards A and the VWs newly formed friendship and therefore an element of displacement by J in her relationship, which was ultimately a pastoral one, with VW. Image Based on the feelings mentioned above the image that comes to mind is: This image shows the child-like nature of the situation (the messages sent via social media), the exclusion or perceived exclusion of one from a group, and finally the two who have paired off not being aware of the person or the feelings of the person who has been excluded. Theology 4.1 Biblical Passages The biblical passages that reflect jealousy which could speak into this situation are: Genesis 37 Joseph and his brothers being jealous of his relationship with their father. Proverbs 27.4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand against jealousy? Luke 10.38-42 Mary and Martha being with Jesus Genesis 4 Cain and Abel and the jealousy of how God favoured them Mark 10:35-45 James and John asking to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus and the reaction of the rest of the disciples Reflections on the Biblical Passage Genesis 37 The passage that I felt reflected this situation the best was of Joseph and his brothers being jealous. Joseph receiving his coat from Jacob is a sign of love towards his son to the exclusion of the other sons/brothers. The brothers reaction to this situation was one that led to Joseph being separated from his family as they sold him to be a slave. The brothers reaction could not be hidden within them but was publicly acknowledged between them and towards Joseph himself with a lack of greeting or salutation.[2] The selling of Joseph should not have happened, and was not actually planned but the opportunistic nature of the brothers, brought a situation to pass which ultimately was used by God for a greater purpose (Gen. 50.20). The hatching of a plan to tell Jacob about the death of Joseph had wider issues for the brother as their fathers grief was great. [3] The brothers jealousy led to the pain of Joseph as a slave and then in prison. The pain of Jacob in the act of grief over Joseph, the story does not tell us of the life of the brothers and Jacob but the grief would have been a long running issue within the house hold. The brothers had to live with knowing that they had caused this grief. Parallels between the Thick Description and Biblical Passage If the people in the thick description were the biblical characters it would be: A was Joseph, J was the brothers, VW was Jacob and to an extent I was the caravan of Ishmaelites. Js jealousy of A was great and in effect trying to sell A to me as someone who was of no value and a trouble maker. Reflecting on this now I could see that if this was to carry on then there could be great pain for VW in the long term and then the ripple effect of this amongst the church community. New Insights and Action Reflecting on the theology of Joseph and this pastoral care situation I would have addressed it in the following way: Not challenged Js behaviour towards A in the initial instance. I should have listened to the problem that was being raised and dealt with that in the way that I did. I would have then arranged another meeting with J to discuss her behaviour and attitude towards A. In a follow up pastoral care situation I would have addressed the feelings of J towards the relationship between A and VW. I would have asked her to share how seeing the relationship form made her feel and why she felt that this might be an issue. Hopefully over time she would have seen her jealousy was not necessarily something that should have been an issue. This may have taken a few pastoral encounters to come to a conclusion. There may have also been a need for a time of reconciliation between J and A and also a session between J, A and VW to discuss the feelings between the three of them. I would have been a good person to facilitate this as I was neutral in the situation and had a relationship with the people involved where there could be honesty and openness. Word Count: 1563 Appendix 1 This situation was part of a larger situation that soon unravelled within the church community so the new actions and insights are speculative as to how I would have handled the situation if it had continued. Bibliography Killen, Patricia OConnell, and John De Beer, The Art Of Theological Reflection, 1st edn (New York: Crossroad, 2014) Longman, Tremper, How To Read Genesis, 1st edn (Downers Grove, Ill.: Authentic Media, 2005) Mounce, William D, The Crossway Comprehensive Concordance Of The Holy Bible, 1st edn (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2002) Thompson, Judith, Stephen Pattison, and Ross Thompson, SCM Studyguide To Theological Reflection, 1st edn (London: SCM Press, 2008) UpChurch, John, and Association Counselors, Genesis 37:4 Commentary John Gills Exposition Of The Bible, Bible Study Tools,2017 [accessed 17 March 2017] [1] Killen and Beer, The Art of Theological Reflection, p. 21 [2] UpChurch, Exposition of the Bible, [3] Longman, How to Read Genesis, p.151

Does America Need a National ID Card System? :: Essays Papers

Does America Need a National ID Card System? Introduction The recent terrorist attacks made it very clear that we need to do something to help make our country safe and protect our residents from those who want to bring harm and ruin. Many want to invoke a national ID card system, thinking that the ID card will provide us the security that we are looking for. But, is that really the solution? We need to understand what is wrong with the current systems that are in place now. We will examine what is required to get this system up and running and what is involved in making the system secure and safe. Lastly, in conclusion, we need to be clear on what direction we need to take to bring about a secure nation. Problems with Current Systems In Place The most notorious incident displaying where our country is lacking in security was the terrorist attack of September 11. Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Jonathan Krim of the Washington Post wrote, "five of the 19 terrorists involved in the attacks on New York and at the Pentagon were able to obtain Social Security numbers, even with false identities. The other 14 probably made up or appropriated other numbers and used them for false identification, according to Social Security officials. At least seven of the hijackers also obtained Virginia state ID cards, which would serve as identification to board a plane, even though they lived in Maryland motels." 1.1 The concern citizens of our country have is illustrated in this comment by Kimberly Warhoe posted in a forum on "National ID Cards". "The system in place now is in terrible shape. We truly need something more secure, something that can protect innocent people. Yes, we may lose some of our privacy, but we may gain a more secure nation. " 1-2.1 This terrible act of terrorism made it very clear that we need a way to know if a person is who he says he is. We need a way to be able to "verify and identity those applying for licenses and authenticating documents used to obtain licenses," as stated by William Welsh in Washington Technology. 2.1 Another important factor to consider is that any technical system that is implemented will always have human interaction, these will be the people who interact with the data and the system.

Business Communications Essay

* Interim deadlines may be set by individual tutors * You must choose at least one of the two presentations referred to below in Tasks 2 and 6. It is expected that the presentations will take place the week beginning 21st January. A summary of the Assessment and Grading Criteria In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria for a pass grade describe the level of achievement required to pass this unit. Summary of the Edexcel Assessment and Grading Criteria| To achieve a pass grade the evidence must show that the learner is able to:| To achieve a merit the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:| To achieve a distinction grade the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:| P1 Explain different types of business information their sources and purpose.| M1 Analyse the content of P1| D1 Evaluate the appropriateness of business information used to make strategic decisions.| P2 Present complex internal business information using three different methods| M2 Expand on P5 and offer an analysis of the legal and ethical issues| D2 Evaluate the effectiveness of business information and its communication as key contributors to the success of an organisation, using examples to illustrate your points. Unit 4: Business Communications learning outcomes:- 1. Understand different types of business information 2. Be able to present business information effectively 3. Understand the issues and constraints in relation to the use of business information in organisations 4. Know how to communicate business information using appropriate methods. Assignment Task 1 Scenario – You have applied for a job in marketing communications working for Next plc (or another organisation of your choice). Prepare a paper entitled, â€Å"An explanation, analysis and evaluation of different types of information sources and purpose.† (P1, M1, D1). Please note that if you are aiming for a pass, you only need to write an explanation. If you are aiming for the merit you need to offer a detailed analysis and for a distinction you will need to demonstrate that you have evaluated your analysis e.g. look at the advantages and disadvantages of using various types of information sources. Task 2 Scenario You have been successful in your interview and you have been offered the job of assistant marketing communications advisor. Working with another member of the team, your first job is to prepare and deliver a 10 minute presentation on the subject of marketing research. This is to take place the week beginning the 21st January. Continuing to work with your partner, prepare a memorandum report for your supervisor, Jayne Koweleski, explaining the importance of competitor analysis, and design a press release for the general public, informing them of the benefits of on-line shopping with Next. (P2) Task 3 In a memorandum report to your supervisor write up an evaluation examining advantages and disadvantages of various types of business communications, in helping an organisation to improve its performance and be successful. Use a variety of examples to support your evaluation (D2). Task 4 Working with someone else in your marketing communications team, produce two different examples of corporate communications. One must be an advertisement for the press and the other a story board for a TV advertisement. This could be for NEXT plc or an organisation of your choice (P3). Task 5 Prepare an evaluation of two different types of external business communication. One could be a TV advert and another could be a press release. Examine the communication methods and assess their strengths and weaknesses. In the conclusion of your evaluation suggest ways in which the different forms of communication could be improved (P4). Task 6 Working with another member of the team, prepare and deliver a 10 minute presentation, the week beginning 21st January, entitled, â€Å"Understanding the legal, ethical and operational aspects of using business information†. In your presentation include reference to the Data Protection Act 1998, Freedom of Information Act 2000, The Computer Misuse Act 1990, backing up stored information, security of information, health and safety and organisational policies. (P5, P6). Task 7 Write an essay entitled, â€Å"An analysis of legal and ethical issues facing modern business.† (M2) Task 8 Prepare a training session for your colleagues on how to effectively communicate business information. Include in the session: understanding the audience (e.g. gender, expected attentiveness), the use of body language, verbal communication, listening, formal and informal communications (e.g. Meetings) written communication (memorandum), visual (e.g. the use of flow charts, graphs and pictures) electronic communications (e.g. e-mail) (P7).

The South after Slavery - 1659 Words

The South After Slavery It is no secret that slavery was a huge part of the southern part of the United States for a very long time. Life below the Mason-Dixon Line was forever changed because of slavery and the effects it had on Americans. It is hard for this generation to imagine the discrimination because America is such a melting pot today. There are still some people who discriminate today, however, it is nothing compared to what it was several years ago. Although slavery was a negative thing in history, it has shaped the South into what we know it is today. The culture and tradition of the South were molded both during and after slavery was in effect. The idea of the South is completely changed today and went from being viewed as nothing but slaves states, to being viewed as a place that is rich in culture and tradition. The positive turn-around the South made is something that is well-respected by many Americans. Unfortunately, even today, when people think of the history of t he southern part of the United States, they only think about the negative aspects, such as slavery. Slavery in the southern part of the United States began when the first African slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619. Slavery was practiced through the 17th and 18th centuries in America. The job of most African-American slaves during this time was to work on plantations that were owned by wealthy white landowners. Their job consisted of things such as picking cotton and other chores thatShow MoreRelatedThe War Of The American Civil War991 Words   |  4 Pagesprior to it can be to blame. Most people think that slavery was the cause of this battle, and although slavery did play a part, it was not the main cause. The biggest roles played in the American Civil War were states’ rights, unfair bills, feelings of inferiority and threats to economy. 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