Meditation from Robert
November 2007
The term “Spiritual Direction” is being used more frequently in the Protestant community. Conversations, a journal by Dallas Willard, Richard Foster and Larry Crabb dedicated an entire quarterly journal to the subject. I would like to help clarify the term “spiritual direction” in this entry.
I John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
The last month has been one of intense spiritual activity. Being involved in two weekend retreats is exciting and breath taking. To see, on these retreats, the biblical principle expressed in I John4 made visible, God drawing people closer to Himself and others, a true sense of being in the presence of God. Yet, like the summer tan, sometimes the awe, wonder and excitement fade.
I am looking forward to my visit with my spiritual director. Spiritual Direction is not a time when one person instructs another on how to live their spiritual life. My spiritual director will help bring to my awareness what God is doing and has done in my life. This will be a time to savor how God has been present, particularly in ways that I might not have noticed. Spiritual Direction is also the discussion of my spiritual adventure called life.
Spiritual Direction is like someone asking you to share a summer experience to articulate why you so enjoyed your time at the beach or hiking the mountain or visiting friends or family.
By way of example I would like to invite you to write about 1 or 2 activities that have been meaningful to you this past summer. Try to be specific and “paint” a picture of each experience. When writing, don’t be concerned about the grammar or structure, just write.
After you have written down these experiences take them to prayer. Just be with them for awhile. Don’t judge or evaluate the experience or the writing. Place them before you as you pray for a couple of days. After the 3rd day what did you notice about your prayer time when these were before you? What were some of your inner responses?
This is where spiritual direction begins, this is the grist for the mill of spiritual direction; what God has brought to your mind in life and prayer.
You are free to send your response or ask questions.
Peace,
Robert
The term “Spiritual Direction” is being used more frequently in the Protestant community. Conversations, a journal by Dallas Willard, Richard Foster and Larry Crabb dedicated an entire quarterly journal to the subject. I would like to help clarify the term “spiritual direction” in this entry.
I John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
The last month has been one of intense spiritual activity. Being involved in two weekend retreats is exciting and breath taking. To see, on these retreats, the biblical principle expressed in I John4 made visible, God drawing people closer to Himself and others, a true sense of being in the presence of God. Yet, like the summer tan, sometimes the awe, wonder and excitement fade.
I am looking forward to my visit with my spiritual director. Spiritual Direction is not a time when one person instructs another on how to live their spiritual life. My spiritual director will help bring to my awareness what God is doing and has done in my life. This will be a time to savor how God has been present, particularly in ways that I might not have noticed. Spiritual Direction is also the discussion of my spiritual adventure called life.
Spiritual Direction is like someone asking you to share a summer experience to articulate why you so enjoyed your time at the beach or hiking the mountain or visiting friends or family.
By way of example I would like to invite you to write about 1 or 2 activities that have been meaningful to you this past summer. Try to be specific and “paint” a picture of each experience. When writing, don’t be concerned about the grammar or structure, just write.
After you have written down these experiences take them to prayer. Just be with them for awhile. Don’t judge or evaluate the experience or the writing. Place them before you as you pray for a couple of days. After the 3rd day what did you notice about your prayer time when these were before you? What were some of your inner responses?
This is where spiritual direction begins, this is the grist for the mill of spiritual direction; what God has brought to your mind in life and prayer.
You are free to send your response or ask questions.
Peace,
Robert
posted by Pat | 2:50 PM
<< Home