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Spiritual Direction requires a trained, experienced guide


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 Tom Daniel
209 Pond Dr.
Divide, CO 80814
719-687-3331
road2hebron@jesusanswers.com
to focus on the presence and action of God in life and prayer.

“Life is a journey toward an unseen land along an unknown path toward destiny and home,” (Larry Crabb,  The Safest Place on Earth).
We need Christ and companions to accompany us.

 

Discernment of God’s Voice
    Ignatius wrote of 3 times of discernment: asking God to confirm what one knows; praying about options while attending to feelings; reflecting on logical ramifications of possible decisions when focusing on reason. Peace comes when one discerns with ”logical and emotional congruence” and ceases weighing the options.  Yet peace is not sufficient to signify God’s direction. He listed 5 other areas to cultivate the hearing of God’s voice: interior freedom from desires for riches, honor, and self-sufficiency; knowledge of self, one’s desires, and history of grace and temptation; imagination of new possibilities; patience with integrity while waiting on God; and courage to act when unclear of God’s intentions.
    Discernment is determined by the heart’s attitudes of love and desire for God and His ways. Listening, trusting, and depending of grace are foundational to recognizing the Spirit’s guidance. Discernment about what God desires follow no formula, but flows out of relationship and history with God. Discernment requires believing God will show himself , yet being “wary of mindless credulity toward that same experience. . . Two equally difficult and seemingly incompatible attitudes: to recognize how easily I delude myself and to trust myself and my reactions,” according to William Barry.  Discernment is finding answers to questions about God’s presence, desires, and intentions. Influenced by willingness to observe, it involves discriminating among numerous ideas, feelings, and identifying what is from God.  Practicing discernment helps recognize the true sources of attitudes, opinions, and behaviors.
    Unless otherwise noted, all preceding quotations and summaries are from Holy Invitations, Jeannette A. Bakke, Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 2000.   
    The essential life conditions for discernment, according to Dr. Howard Baker, are Self-awareness, balance, agenda, and fellowship with God, church, and men of the Word and prayer. Individuals and groups need discernment for life direction, special concerns and callings, and daily living according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
    St. Vincent de Paul’s principles helps the directee with discernment as he: measures not his choices by “human success;” avoids concentrating on his failures; seeks to be formed in Christ’s likeness; knows God acts quietly, lovingly; acts on what he hears in prayer; loves affectively and effectively (experientially and practically); puts in place the structure that enables him to do his work; does what is in front of him; distrusts grand schemes and chooses the little and ordinary; practices moderation, doing perseveringly what can be done reasonably and not trying more than one can accomplish.   
Bernard of Clairvaux
    “Bernard of Clairvaux as a Spiritual Director” (William O. Paulsell, Lexington Theological Seminary, 1988, in Cistercian Studies, 23.2,) enumerates 4 different approaches for spiritual direction by correspondence. He treated the directee as a spiritual friend, praying for him, listening to him, and lovingly giving of himself. He used spiritual intimidation by warning and scolding the directee. He also explored the directee’s interior religious experience by encouraging him to “listen to your conscience, examine your intentions, consider the facts,” and examine the emotions. And Bernard advised the directee to examine his outer life, conduct in the world, to determine his spiritual condition.
    Bernard interprets the spiritual journey as “heart’s deepening love,” in four stages:
Degree 1. Immature love (of self for self’s sake) This is purgation which becomes legalism;

Degree 2. Prudent love (of God for self’s sake) Illumination begins experience with God;

Degree 3. Unselfish love (of God for God’s sake) Illumination completed by Holy Spirit;

Degree 4. Perfect love (of self for God’s sake) Union with God after “dark night of the soul.”

Synthesis of Bible and Classical Models of Direction
Hagberg and Guelich’s The Critical Journey illustrates the 6 stage spiritual growth as a directee:
  • Stage 1. Recognizes God through conversion;
  • Stage 2. Disciplines his life by knowing, doing, and beeing;
  • Stage 3. Produces spiritual fruit on a horizontal (human) level;
The directee hits a wall that human strength cannot drill through and depends on God alone;
  • Stage 4. Journeys inward through vertical relations with God;
  • Stage 5. Journeys outward back to the active world with a new purpose and power from God;
  • Stage 6. Loves life, God, self, and others by heavenly values.   
    Spiritual direction helps the directee drill through Stage 4 wall through 6 prayer interventions, as Dr. Elizabeth Walter suggests: Inviting Jesus in to redeem memories and expectations; Receiving God’s Spirit to follow Him through a litany; Washing and cleansing from negative words that wounded; Receiving strength for renewing a weary soul; receiving the legacy of one’s heritage.       
    Studying parables following Eugene Peterson’s direction principles shows the directee: he m;ust live out truths he knows; he is not who and what he should be; he must respond quickly when God speaks; he must take others as seriously as God does;  God is eternal while he is a latecomer; God speaks to particular, personal issues as well as large answers to problems; God demands one to obey what he knows; God speaks to what exists, not what should exist; scriptural truths connect to each problem; Christ comes many times into his life.