Spiritual direction has been an intrinsic part of the Christian tradition since the earliest days of the church when desert mothers and fathers were sought out for their wisdom and guidance. This guide aims to equip clergy and laity engaged in this task, or in training for it.

Sue Pickering

Spiritual Direction

Copyright information

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

1. What is ‘Spiritual Direction’?

1.1. A self-serving novelty or a God-inspired opportunity?

1.2. A glimpse behind the scenes – spiritual direction in the Christian tradition

1.3. The complex contemporary world

1.4. Spiritual direction and other helping relationships

1.5. Biblical examples of spiritual direction

1.6. Contemporary models of spiritual direction

1.7. What does spiritual direction look like in practice?

1.8. What makes a good spiritual director?

Suggestions for further reading

Notes

Introduction to Chapters 2 and 3: Listening and Responding to God

2. Listening to God

2.1. Who is the God we and our directees are listening to?

2.2. Why listen to God?

2.3. How does God communicate with us?

2.4. Religious experience

2.5. God in the everyday: learning to pay attention

2.6. Discernment: how do we know it is God?

3. Responding to God

3.1. Praying

3.2. Keeping a spiritual journal

3.3. Working with symbols

3.4. Making space, in solitude and silence

3.5. Growing

3.6. Living out the consequences of growing in intimacy with God

4. Listening and Responding to Ourselves

4.1. Self-knowledge and knowledge of God

4.2. Listening to our body, our soul and our spirit

4.3. Being aware of 'red flag' areas: parallel process and projection

4.4. Ministry supervision and spiritual direction

4.5. Counselling and therapy

4.6. Self acceptance and self-care

5. Listening and Responding to Others

Bringing it all together: spiritual direction in one-to-one conversations

5.1. Listening to disappointment or anger with God – Beth

5.2. Listening in places of pain, vulnerability and abuse – Tom

5.3. Listening for transitions and crises in a person's faith – Kelly

5.4. Listening for barriers, blocks and resistance – Marie

5.5. Listening to issues around sexuality – Henry

5.6. Listening for signs of isolation, low self-esteem and vulnerability – Evan

5.7. Listening for transference and counter-transference – Ted, Sally

5.8. Listening to someone from a different faith tradition – Jenny

5.9. Listening to someone who is grieving – Alex

5.10. Listening for the 'dark night' or the perceived absence of God – Derek

6. Spiritual Direction in Parish, Chaplaincy and Community Contexts 

6.1. The contemplative stance

6.2. Spiritual direction in pastoral ministry

6.3. Group spiritual direction, quiet days and longer retreats

6.4. Worship, teaching and preaching, programmes and discernment

6.5. Spiritual direction and building bridges to the community

Conclusion

Bibliography

Spiritual direction has been an intrinsic part of the Christian tradition since the earliest days of the church when desert mothers and fathers were sought out for their wisdom and guidance. Today, the popularity of retreats and renewed interest in monastic spirituality has put spiritual direction in the spotlight. It is shedding its rather exotic, mystical associations and is increasingly regarded as a core component of Christian ministry. This guide aims to equip clergy and laity engaged in this task, or in training for it. It includes, Part One: What is spiritual direction? This is an exploration of biblical, historical and contemporary models of spiritual direction. What makes a good spiritual director? Part Two covers listening and responding to God, prayer, paying attention, discernment, interpreting religious experience, recognising God in the every day, journalling, and holy leisure. Part Three covers listening and responding to others, listening to stories and experience, looking for signs of grace, pain or crises. Part Four covers listening and responding to ourselves, and Part Five covers spiritual direction in the local church.

'This is quite simply the book on spiritual direction we've been waiting on for years. Perhaps some of the book's freshness might lie in the author being a New Zealander. The sub-title of the book is 'A practical introduction' and it's almost a course in itself. There are questions for reflection, a multitude of possible exercises and sometimes the reader is invited to think about a topic before reading the relevant section of the book. There are also lots of verbatim transcripts of chunks of direction sessions. While outlining the various models of spiritual direction as well as other varieties of helping relationships, Pickering details her approach which she calls 'contemplative, incarnational spiritual direction'. -- Gordon Jeff

Sue Pickering is a priest of the Anglican Church in New Zealand and is responsible for the training of Anglican clergy in spiritual direction. A popular retreat leader, she is the author of Creative Ideas for Quiet Days

'This is quite simply the book on spiritual direction we've been waiting on for years. Perhaps some of the book's freshness might lie in the author being a New Zealander. The sub-title of the book is 'A practical introduction' and it's almost a course in itself. There are questions for reflection, a multitude of possible exercises and sometimes the reader is invited to think about a topic before reading the relevant section of the book. There are also lots of verbatim transcripts of chunks of direction sessions. While outlining the various models of spiritual direction as well as other varieties of helping relationships, Pickering details her approach which she calls 'contemplative, incarnational spiritual direction'.

\["For clergy and laity seeking spiritual guidance", "Clarifies the role and practice of spiritual direction", "You will deepen your spiritual life and discernment skills"\]

This practical guide offers insights into spiritual direction for your faith journey.

The Good Book Stall

If you are interested in learning how to be a spiritual director or mentor, then this book is packed with helpful definitions and practical ideas to help you. There is amazing depth and width here: the depth comes from the author's many years of experience and the authenticity with which she writes. The width of her writing is because she has drawn from many sources of wisdom and at the same time is Biblically based. She explains the different models of spiritual direction in the first chapter and makes it clear that the model she is using from then on is the 'contemplative, incarnational' model. The following chapters then give a comprehensive guide to spiritual direction including our listening and response to God, ourselves and others. I found the reflection questions at the end of each chapter especially helpful.

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Spiritual Direction

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Spiritual direction has been an intrinsic part of the Christian tradition since the earliest days of the church when desert mothers and fathers were sought out for their wisdom and guidance. This guide aims to equip clergy and laity engaged in this task, or in training for it.

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