Spiritual direction is, in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director - the Holy Spirit hidden in the depths of our soul. (Thomas Merton, Trappist monk)

        Spiritual direction, an ancient ministry of the church, is a relationship in which one person assists another, or others, in attending to God's presence and call. Spiritual direction has been, and remains, particularly strong within Roman Catholic and Orthodox religious orders, and over the past twenty years Anglican and Protestant traditions have begun to recover it more fully. There is also growing interest in spiritual direction among other faith traditions, such as Judaism and Buddhism. Throughout Christian history, spiritual direction has traditionally been practiced by ordained clergy alone. In recent years, however, this practice has widened to embrace the spiritual gifts of non-ordained persons as well. Today, spiritual direction is regarded as a ministry open to all, not an order or office reserved for the few.

        Spiritual direction is the process of accompanying people on a spiritual journey. Spiritual direction exists in a context that emphasizes growing closer to God and explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. We define Christian spiritual direction as help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God's personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship. Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories everyday. Spiritual direction is the contemplative practice of helping another person or group to awaken to the mystery called God in all of life, and to respond to that discovery in a growing relationship of freedom and commitment.

        Most people would agree that spiritual direction means companionship with another person or group through which the Holy One shines with wisdom, encouragement and discernment. Formal spiritual direction includes relationships that are explicitly defined as spiritual direction with a clear separation of roles between director and directee. Meetings are usually scheduled in advance on a regular basis, and a directee normally has only one formal director.

 

A distinction must be made between those who seek spiritual direction and those who are ready for it. You need to ask yourself two key questions: just what are your expectations in seeking a spiritual director, and what precisely do you want to gain from spiritual direction?

        How can you know if you're ready for a program of spiritual direction? Here are four criteria for making that decision. If you have the will and desire, plus the time and the means to fulfill these four requirements, you are a candidate for spiritual direction.

        Desire. The first necessary disposition is an honest and sincere desire to establish a deeper, more personal relationship with God. We develop our relationship with the Lord by striving to know God with a heart knowledge, by wanting to experience God in our daily living, and by trying to relate and respond to God. If we honestly seek a deeper level of life and a more satisfying fulfillment in God, spiritual direction can be not only a great help but even a necessity at times. God does not coerce us to listen; God gently invites us. God waits for us to be receptive. When we have a desire to learn, to listen, and to respond to the Lord, we are ready for spiritual direction. This desire is the first requisite.

        Consistent prayer. Another requirement for effective spiritual direction is the resolve to spend time regularly, ideally every day, alone in prayer. When we meet God regularly and consistently in prayer, we will begin to experience more and more God's presence and love in our lives. As we make an effort to pray regularly, God will enkindle within us a desire to be in a listening posture. Listening is not easy. Listening is a wordless prayer, the prayer of the heart.To be a good listener we need big ears and a closed mouth. Under the guidance of a spiritual director, we can become more adept at listening.

        Journal. A valuable adjunct to spiritual direction is keeping a journal as a record of our prayer and our experiences of God in our lives. The process of writing helps us understand what is happening to us. The permanence of the journal lets us go back and see where we have been in our relationship with God.

        Interviews.In order to reap much fruit from spiritual direction, we must be willing to meet on a regular basis with a spiritual director. These regular weekly, biweekly, or monthly interviews will make us accountable to ourselves and to God. How easily we deceive ourselves. We readily rationalize various excuses for not spending time in prayer, such as being too busy, too tired, or too unfocused. We can easily become discouraged if we do not assess any progress in our spiritual growth and development. Without some objective observations on the part of a director, we find it difficult to set realistic goals for ourselves and to choose reasonable means to achieve them. Here, too, the regular interviews will serve our needs.

 

Pastor Stutz is a graduate of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas school for spiritual directors (Forward IN Direction or FIND), a three year program that leads to commissioning for this ministry.  If you would like to explore spiritual direction with Pr. Stutz, please take a moment to respond to these questions via email to gslc@sbcglobal.net

 

1)        Contact information: name, address, phone, etc.

2)        Age and occupation

3)        Current life situation: married, single, divorced, kids at home, etc.

4)        Where do you go to church?

5)        Briefly describe your relationship with God.  How do you experience God in your everyday life?

6)        What are you currently using as a basis for your prayer?  How often do you take time for personal prayer?  How long are your times of prayer?

7)        What do you hope to gain from spiritual direction?

8)        What led you to seek spiritual direction at this time?

9)        What day/times are more convenient for meeting?