What is Spiritual Direction?
– Psalm 18:19 ~The Message
Spiritual direction provides for the directee a wide-open space where he or she can experience their own longing for God — a spacious place where distractions are muted or paused so the still small voice of God may be heard, recognized and discerned. In direction, we gather many threads together. We bring diverse prayers, our holy nudgings, impressions and daily lived experiences into an intentional directed conversation that invites the Spirit of God to reveal themes, patterns, movements and counter movements that effect our spirit and life. Spiritual direction is not a Bible study; it is not pastoral counseling nor is it mentoring. Spiritual direction is companioning with another person and holding open a space where God can speak his divine truths.
What To Expect?
- Direction sessions are usually one hour in length, once per month, and can be held anywhere conducive to intentional conversation — online, at a coffee house, office setting or park bench.
- The director may or may not give the directee a spiritual practice to work with between sessions
- There is a place for group spiritual direction, but the classical model in mind here is the one-to-one interaction between director and directee.
Why and when do people seek spiritual direction?
Spiritual discernment is meant for those who long for something greater or have a sense of discontent with the status quo. For others, it’s guidance and discernment on how to move through a life situation. For yet others, this pining is more focused, rising from a clear understanding that a sense of God’s presence is missing from particular parts of life. Most people cannot do this on their own. Why? Because there are so many distractions. Often in conversations there is a tendency to speak more than listen. Sometimes we feel that people talk over us.
As humans, we have a tendency to feel judged by others, and this shuts us down. We may find ourselves wanting to jump in and fix problems without much discernment.
Open Spaces Spiritual Direction
- Spiritual direction involves two people who agree to give their full attention to what God is doing in the person seeking direction.
- It is more about prayerful listening than it is speaking, and more about being than doing. Simply put, it is about resting one’s soul in the sovereign care of the God who loves you.
- Discernment is a crucial gift in the work of spiritual direction.
- God has ordained that there be spiritual directors. Jesus is the ultimate spiritual director because of his divine nature and intimacy with the Father — he spoke to people’s situations in the framework of God’s faithfulness and truths and encouraged them without manipulation.
- Open Spaces is Trinitarian in its approach to prayer and spiritual guidance. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are actively drawing us into the Eternal Divine presence.
