The Pastoral Art of Spiritual Direction

I've had the privilege of sitting with a couple of wise spiritual directors over the past couple of months. One asks excellent questions that allow me to probe my thoughts and emotions to discern what God might be up to in my life. The other offers poetry, scripture, and imaginative exercises to help me find new ways of encountering Jesus. Both directors use distinct yet helpful approaches prodding me to grow in faith and I am grateful for their assistance.

Job, the Hebrew Bible figure, had a different experience. In the midst of devastating life circumstances his counsellors attempted to help get him in touch with God but, in the end, the LORD ended up judging them saying, "you have not spoken of me what is right..." (42:7). Yikes! They were so convinced they knew Job's soul and the mind and heart of God. Yet, in the end, they were off the mark.

I wonder how many pastors are like Jobs friends. No doubt, I'm in that company. Spiritual direction, coming alongside those seeking to grow in intimacy with God, is an important but often neglected part of ministry. If practised at all, it's usually done poorly.

I know I've blogged a lot about Eugene Peterson but I'm going to turn to him again. He believes spiritual direction is one of the central aspects of the pastoral vocation. He also believes its an uncommon part of church life. In his book Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity, Peterson describes several bad examples of spiritual direction from George Fox's Journal. In the end, Peterson describes the heart of good spiritual direction by pastors saying, "...there must be a predisposition toward prayer, a readiness for prayer. Spiritual direction is then conducted with an awareness that it takes place in God's active presence, and that our conversation is therefore condition by his speaking and listening, his being there" (p. 192).

I've sensed God's being there in times when I meet with my spiritual directors. It's something I want to cultivate in my own ministry as I provide that sort of prayerful space for others to discern God's speaking and listening. It's a beautiful grace wise directors have given me and I'm hoping to pass that gift along to others.