spiritual direction for pastors and other sinners, by ken wilson

One of the best investments I've made in the past couple of years is to find myself a "Spiritual Director."   Here's a simple description of "Spiritual Direction" from Rick Ganfield, a former auto executive who is also a "Spiritual Director" (and now we can stop using quotes and just refer to it as though it were normal).  

 

"Spiritual Direction is a one-on-one relationship organized around prayer and conversation directed toward deepening intimacy with God. Spiritual directors are not experts, nor do they direct.   There is no curriculum or program package they follow.   Rather, they are companions on a journey with others, who, like themselves, are committed to the process of spiritual transformation in Christ.   Most importantly, 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.   Spiritual Direction fosters prayer as a means to discover the reality of your deepest self and find the will of God."  

 

Spiritual Direction dates back to the time before counseling based on the psychological model.   It was practiced in the early monastic movement but is much more widely available today.   It has a Catholic ring to it because Catholics have done more of it than Protestants but Protestants have always had their hand in it, and there is a growing interest in Spiritual Direction among evangelicals--many evangelical seminaries talk about it in their spiritual formation programs, for example. Eugene Peterson has also recommended it along with Richard Foster and I'm guessing Dallas Willard.

 

There is no licensing process for Spiritual Directors, so it's a buyers beware market to find one.   Normally people who offer Spiritual Direction have received training either in a Seminary Spiritual Formation Program or more often, through a Catholic program designed to train Spiritual Directors. (I'm currently enrolled in one of those.) There are various disciplines of Spiritual Direction, often associated with various religious orders.   My favorite is the one founded by St. Ignatius, who founded the Jesuits (or Society of Jesus).   But to each his own.

 

Spiritual Directors trained in evangelical seminaries tend to rely heavily on the writings of Richard Foster but also include insights from a broad ecumenical menu.  

 

Typically a person meets with a Spiritual Director once a month for an hour.   Directors either provide their services free, or for a donation, or a fee. (The most I've ever heard of is $40/session and it's usually less than that.)   Each Spiritual Director handles it differently.   Some Spiritual Directors may also have training in Social Work or Psychology, but most are not trained counselors in that sense.

 

A good Spiritual Director has an active prayer life and has gained skills as an excellent listener, including an ability to listen to the Spirit as one is listening to the directee. In fact, when it's working well, Spiritual Direction can be like prayer ministry, only in the form of a conversation, if that makes any sense. 

 

The person receiving direction normally decides what to talk about and anything is fair game. Normally whatever issue is discussed will come back to one's relationship with God: what is God saying or doing and how does one engage him in the issue being the key concern.   It would be difficult to benefit from Spiritual Direction if one were not committed to growing in a life of daily prayer. This is the main thing that distinguishes Spiritual Direction from other forms of counseling.

 

I found that meeting with a Spiritual Director made me much more sensitive to what God was doing in my life, and especially to the movements of the Spirit in prayer.   One major school of Spiritual Direction, the Ignatian model, is all about what's called "discerning the spirits" which includes the movement of the Holy Spirit, the counter-movements of the Evil One and the movements of the human soul (feelings, will, etc.) The Ignatian approach is rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, which center around meditating on various events in the life and ministry of Jesus.   Some Spiritual Directors are trained to take people through the Spiritual Exercises, but this is a very specific form of Spiritual Direction, and more intensive than regular Spiritual Direction.   People who go through the Spiritual Exercises generally have very profound encounters with Jesus along the way.

 

How do you find a Spiritual Director? Begin by asking around, in the event you know anyone who has one.   Word of mouth is the best avenue for finding one. You can call a reputable seminary that has a Spiritual Formation program to see if they have referral resources. Catholic Retreat Centers also may provide Spiritual Direction or have list of referrals.   The one I am familiar with is Manresa Center (www.manresa-sj.org) north of Detroit.  Contact Lucia Dubois, who can give you some leads.

 

If you are starting from scratch, I suggest getting two or three names of candidates, and interview each one before you decide.   This is standard practice.   Ask them about their own prayer life and whether they have supervision (they should) and whether they receive Spiritual Direction themselves (again, they should).   Ask them what Spiritual Direction is and how they practice it.   Tell them about yourself.   If they are Catholic, ask whether they feel a need to convert people to Roman Catholicism.   Don't go if they do, unless you want to become Roman Catholic!   If you try it and don't like it, find a different Spiritual Director.   There is no obligation to stick with something that's no working, obviously.  

 

Within the Great Lakes Region, I know that Barry Long has benefited from receiving Spiritual Direction as has Dave Nixon, who is on Barry's staff at the Florence, Ky. Vineyard.   Dave is well informed about Spiritual Direction and would be a good person to ask about it. I believe the Lakeshore Vineyard in Michigan, led by Paul Bradford, is also well versed in Spiritual Direction.  

 

If you have any experience with Spiritual Direction or know of any referral resources in your area to find Spiritual Directors, please send me an email and we will try to build a referral list for the region from your recommendations.

 

What have you done for your soul lately?   Spiritual Direction might be a good way to tend your soul, pastor.

 

To view past sustainable faith (formerly pastor soul care) articles, click here.