Spiritual Direction: The Lost Idea?

Today I started my nine month Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL) spiritual retreat.  Part of the commitment is to meet with a spiritual director twice a month. Since SEEL is held at a Franciscan Spirituality Center, and the exercises are from St. Ignatius, I have once again embraced a few "Catholic ideas."  The Catholic idea of spiritual direction sounds like something the protestant church needs to take and run with it.

I certainly had not heard of spiritual direction until I started seminary, and today a co-participant asked how many spiritual directors I had worked with and how long I had done spiritual direction.  She was a bit shocked when I admitted none and never.  Spiritual direction involves talking with a listening director who helps formulate your thoughts, not someone who tells you want to do.  It is more of a sounding board for how God may be working in your life instead of a person who will tell you what decisions to make.

I decided that spiritual direction was something the catholic church did well as they have numerous people involved in daily spirituality (Monks, Nuns, etc).  In the protestant church, instead of celebrating singleness and finding ways to utilize singles within the church, we are pushing people to get married and have kids (see my rants on this topic elsewhere in this blog).  In the protestant churches I have attended, we celebrate small groups and mentoring, but not to the level of spiritual direction.  One to one accountability may be in fashion, but not one to one spiritual direction.

On the other hand, in the catholic church, one to one direction is par for the course.  Apparently, there are even directories to find spiritual directors.  Now, it also appears that spiritual direction is gaining protestant adherents as well.  As several of my co-participants are protestant and have taken classes on spiritual direction.

Spiritual direction could be a boon in the protestant church - in an age of counselors, consultants and advisors, I think people would embrace the idea.  Additionally, it would bolster the segments already in play in the church - giving pastors a respite, addressing issues small groups are ill-equipped to handle, help with developing a consistent, flexible and personal spiritual disciplines, and providing a confidential place to talk through sin and discouragement issues.

Let's hope the movement continues to grow.