Session 7

Session 7: An Invitation to Spiritual Direction

PDF of Audio – Based on chapter three of Soul Feast, pp. 113-129.

A spiritual director or guide has certain responsibilities:

1. A spiritual guide listens to us. When we need someone to hear our life story in terms of faith, a spiritual guide offers hospitable space for us to speak and be heard. Often we do not fully know our thoughts and experiences, our questions or unresolved issues. We do not know until we have had a chance to put them into words before an attentive and receptive ear. A spiritual director can “listen us into clarity” helping us articulate our thoughts, feelings, questions, and experiences in relation to God.

2. A spiritual guide helps us to notice things. God’s presence and the ways of the Spirit are not generally self-evident to us. They are subtle. It takes practice to see the grace of God in everyday life. While a spiritual practice like the Examen can help us here, four eyes can sometimes be better than two.

3. A spiritual guide helps us to respond to God with greater freedom. When we begin to notice God’s movement in our daily lives, we are faced with choices. How shall we respond? The choice is not always easy and it is hard to let go of old habits and ways of being. Out of these encounters, God calls us to renewal, and greater purpose. A spiritual director can encourage us toward fuller freedom to our response to God’s initiative.

4. A spiritual guide points us to practical disciplines of spiritual growth. Without the help of particular practices it is difficult to become more aware of, and responsive to, God’s activity in our lives. We may need suggestions for spiritual reading, tips on keeping a journal, or reminders about authentic humility in self-examination. A spiritual guide can also keep us accountable for the disciplines we commit ourselves to.

5. A spiritual guide will love us and pray for us. This is a most important function of a companion in Christian faith.

There are a variety of styles in spiritual direction, some quite formal and others much less so, like spiritual friendships.

If it is your desire to seek out spiritual companionship, the first step is to clarify in your own mind why you want such a relationship. What do you hope will happen from such a relationship? Once you are clear about the reasons for wanting a spiritual mentor, ask yourself what kind of person you would be most comfortable working with. Does it matter if your guide is a man or woman? Are you looking for someone older than yourself? Would you be willing to travel to see this person? Would you be willing to pay this person, as formal spiritual direction with a trained guide usually requires a fee. A list of trained spiritual directors can be obtained from your parish church or diocese. Most important, what personal qualities are you looking for?—pages 119-120 of Soul Feast offer some general guidelines when considering such personal qualities for a spiritual guide, and pages 125-128 speaks to troubleshooting some potential challenges, and the value of partaking in spiritual guidance.

Even you decide that formal spiritual direction is not for you, many spiritual seekers have found great value in finding a “spiritual companion” someone with whom they can speak with about the spiritual life and encourage them along the path.