Curious About Spiritual Direction? Start here 👇
““Spiritual direction takes place when two people agree to give their full attention to what God is doing in one (or both) of their lives and seek to respond in faith … Whether planned or unplanned, three convictions underpin these meetings: (1) God is always doing something: an active grace is shaping this life into a mature salvation; (2) Responding to God is not sheer guesswork: the Christian community has acquired wisdom through the centuries that provides guidance; (3) Each soul is unique: no wisdom can simply be applied without discerning the particulars of this life, this situation.””
Simply put, Spiritual Direction is companionship. It’s not a relationship of guru and follower, mentor and mentee, teacher and pupil. Chances are, your spiritual director will be just as confused and messed up as you are. I would even venture to say, in part, they should be.
As I’ve been investing in and further committing myself to this invitation to withness, something in my studies was made known. A spiritual director should have a spiritual director. Just like a coach needs a coach, a pastor needs a pastor, a mentor needs a mentor themself. No one is nor should be immune from another calling them on their BS, pointing a better way, and keeping someone on a path they’ve committed themselves to.
This chart, taken from Jeannette A. Bakke’s book “Holy Invitations” give quick reference to the Varieties of Spiritual Companionship:
And there you have it. Nothing crazy. No mystical ceremony or shaman shit. Just two people trying to figure out what most of us wonder without asking: “Where is God in all this?”
If you want to give it a go, consider this your invitation into withness. Me. You. And the Divine.
