I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve many pastors and Christian leaders in person and over the phone as a spiritual direction. I love how this ministry of listening often enables another to discern God’s voice of loving guidance in their lives and leadership. David Benner provides a very helpful description of spiritual direction in his book Sacred Companions:
“Spiritual direction is an ancient form of Christian soul care that goes back to the earliest days of the church. It has never really gone away. It is just that large sectors of the Christian church have forgotten their own heritage.
In its classical form, spiritual direction is a one-on-one relationship organized around prayer and conversation directed toward deepening intimacy with God. As we shall see, spiritual directors are not experts, nor do they direct. They do not follow a standardized curriculum or implement a prepackaged program. Rather, they journey with others who, like themselves, are committed to the process of spiritual transformation in Christ. And most important, they seek to help those with whom they journey discern the presence and leading of the Spirit of God-the One Jesus sent as our true Spiritual Director.” (David G. Benner. Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship and Direction. Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002, p. 17.)
Reflection questions:
- Who has served as a spiritual director in your journey with Christ, whether or not they would call themselves one?
- With whom do you have regular conversations about your conversational relationship with God?
(A repost from April 2010)
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