I first heard about “spiritual direction” a few years ago. After some encouragement from my brother and sister-in-law, I talked with a friend of theirs who had been a Spiritual Director for years. She gave me some materials to read, and – as my curiosity was aroused – I began to research the concept and practice of Spiritual Direction. Here is what I learned…
Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we find people seeking spiritual counsel. For example, the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon in order to benefit from his godly wisdom. During His earthly ministry, Jesus provided life-changing spiritual insights to Nicodemus, to the woman at the well, to His disciples, and to countless others. All of these conversations were designed to help people grow in the spiritual dimensions of life.
Most of us would understand this process of spiritual growth as “discipleship”, but the more commonly used term today is “spiritual formation”, because it emphasizes the process involved in growth and change. Specifically, when I allow Jesus Christ to work in my heart and life, I am involved in the process of spiritual formation. In other words, I am yielding to Jesus so that He can continually form me into a more spiritual person.
Spiritual direction is the practice of helping others move forward in their own personal journey of spiritual formation. Spiritual direction is a new concept in many parts of the church, but it actually is an ancient Christian practice.
In the early church, people sought out hermits in the desert for spiritual counsel. And across the centuries, we find examples of spiritual direction provided by an incredible array of faithful disciples: Irish monks, German Benedictine nuns, Charles de Foucault, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis de Sales, and others. Today, Spiritual Directors come from many different Christian traditions, but they all share a common desire to help men and women become more fully formed into the image and character of Christ.
As I learned more, the idea of serving God’s family as a Spiritual Director began to take root within me, and I began to see that God had started preparing me for this role many years ago. From my days of leading small groups in college, to teaching elementary-school children and praying with them, to guiding young mothers in MOPS, to serving in women’s ministry, I always have tried to draw other people closer to God. My heart yearns to help men and women…but especially women…develop a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus.
To properly prepare myself for this new ministry, I have embarked on a spiritual and academic training program to become a “certified” Spiritual Director. This program is called “The Journey” and is run by The Leadership Institute in Orange, California [http://www.tli.cc/]. I will participate in six four-day sessions, as part of a community of about two-dozen people, over 18 months. [I’ve already completed two sessions as noted in earlier posts: “The Journey” (02/12/2010) and “New Life on the Mountain" (05/02/2010)]. Between sessions, I complete homework assignments (reading and papers) and meet with my program mentor. I am learning a great deal from my studies, from the discipline of learning to spend extended time alone with God, and from the other members of the community who are working through this program along with me.
So what will happen once I am certified? I will be able to set up monthly appointments where people can meet personally with me, and my task will be to help them cultivate their personal relationship with Christ. I will provide a safe presence and a listening ear as a guide, so these “directees” can draw closer to Jesus and be able to more readily recognize where and how God is leading them.
This role can be understood in several different ways: a Spiritual Director can be viewed as a spiritual coach, or as a person who provides a specialized form of pastoral counseling. One of my leaders in The Journey describes spiritual direction as “holy listening”, where we strive to listen to the directee’s unfolding story to help discern the movement of God’s Spirit in his or her life. Spiritual direction shares some affinity with counseling, or teaching, or inner healing ministries, but its unique role is to focus on the developing relationship between a person and God.
As part of my own unfolding journey, I have been meeting monthly with a Spiritual Director for almost two years. It has been a rich experience for me, because she lovingly supports me and guides me through prayer, through listening, and gentle counsel. This relationship has been a tremendous blessing, particularly during this amazing season of transition in which I find myself. And when I complete my program and begin to serve others as a Spiritual Director, I look forward to being a conduit of God’s blessing…in the same way that my Director has been a source of God’s blessing to me.
- Julie
About Me
- Bruce and Julie
- After seasons of working in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds, God called both of us into ministry. We have two over-riding passions: (1) to communicate - via speaking, teaching, and writing - God's truth as found in the Bible, and (2) to help men and women experience a faith in Jesus Christ that meets the deepest needs within their souls. + + + + Both of us are ordained ministers in the independent Christian Churches. Bruce is the Preaching Minister at Garden Way Church in Eugene, Oregon. Julie has earned a certificate in Spiritual Direction, has been a Women's Pastor and an adjunct college professor, and oversees a non-profit women's ministry called "the unfolding soul". Together we are developing a prayer garden at our home in Springfield called The Lavender Pavilion. + + + + We have been married for more than 30 years and have three adult children.
