Sessions 7 and 8

Session 7: “Soul Care” (Benner & Moon text, pp. 7-77)

1. Conversion, How does conversion relate, correspond, and differ from spiritual formation?
Spiritual formation is the expected outcome of conversion, which is a change of heart, towards God and away from the sinful self. Scott McKnight shared many models of conversion, however; conversion, in Evangelical terms, is a deliberate, individual, and personal response to our loving Savior. Conversion may be facilitated by spiritual direction, either one on one or teaching/preaching (a desired outcome). When one converts to Christianity, he or she may or may not be familiar with church regulations, responsibilities, doctrine, or etiquette. Spiritual formation will help instruct the convert in righteous living, biblical doctrine, prayer, worship, fellowship, Bible reading and devotion. It involves knowing who, what, and why we believe in Jesus Christ. Conversion, in my own tradition, is a one time occurrence, whereas spiritual formation should be a lifelong practice. Conversion and spiritual formation are two sides of the same coin, both necessary for the victorious Spirit-filled life in Christ.

2. Contrast the roles of the spiritual father (Orthodox) and spiritual director (Roman Catholic) in the life of the church?
Benner writes, “The center of the Orthodox Christian life is communion with God, and the essential characteristic of a life lived with God is prayer” (2004, 31). In the Orthodox Church, spirituality is fostered through healing which is facilitated through the church community in a sacramental-liturgical context. It does not exclude the individual, however; the individual’s spirituality is formed through the spirituality and unity found in the congregation. According to Benner & Moon, the believer’s first spiritual director in the Orthodox Church is the priest; the spiritual direction begins with baptism and continues as the other sacraments are received along with the teaching of Orthodox Church doctrine. The spiritual director is viewed as father, the one who provides spiritual nurturing, instruction, and discipline, but may be male or female (ammas). Religious directees (monks/nuns) obey and humbly submit to those who have more experience in the religious community and have advanced beyond the directees. For the lay person, Benner & Moon state that the method and objective is the same. The focal point is “prayer and transmission into the likeness of Christ” (Benner & Moon 2004, 33). The authors share that there is a hierarchical structure in Orthodox spiritual direction, where the responsibility rests on the spiritual guide to teach, counsel, instruct, and discipline, noting that the single requirement for directors is a knowledge of God.

The Spiritual director (Roman Catholic) in this tradition has, according to Benner & Moon, shifted from director-centered guidance to a directee-centered discernment. The authors write, “The director’s primary function is clarification and discernment” The director’s job is to be a listening and prayerful presence instructing and encouraging the directee to be open to discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit. This encouragement is often in the form of probing questions, listening, and prayers. The relationship is mutual, and symbiotic in nature, where the director and directee function as partners or fellow sojourners on the spiritual path rather than the instructor-student model of the past.

Calhoun, Part 4, Memorization.

I memorized the first verse of Psalm 34, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” I found this particularly appropriate with my husband’s health concerns. I was so hoping to go on retreat with the group. I was really upset by the fact that I had to miss it. I was angry and frustrated because this wilderness experience has been going on since July of last year. In the midst of all of this, I find comfort that in whatever situation that I find myself in, I can say with confidence, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be on my lips.” As I repeat this words for the next 41 days, it will remind me of the fact that God is still God and sovereign Lord over all and will deliver my family from this wilderness.

Session 8, “Soul Care,” (Benner & Moon text, pp. 78-136)

1. Contrast and compare the role of a spiritual director in the Anglican, Reformed, and Wesleyan traditions, consider their goals, procedure, and resources.

“In the Episcopal Church, spiritual direction is a purposeful, disciplined relationship between two (sometimes more) Christians. It aims to help one or both participants identify and cultivate practices that link their individual lives to God” (Benner & Moon 2004, 79). This concept differs from the Orthodox model in that it is an individual, directed relationship rather than a communal one. In this tradition, the goal of spiritual direction is to promote holiness in the life of the believer after conversion. This process requires honesty, submission, and persistence on the part of the directee. The spiritual direction process in the Episcopal Church is authoritative and vertical (“authoritatively horizontal”) in nature. In this tradition the role of director is held by the parish priest.The director teaches the directee how to listen to God rather than just talk to God. He or She may also encourage devotional Scripture reading, in light of the fact that many in this tradition do not have a strong knowledge of the Bible. The Book of Common Prayer is commonly used in spiritual direction. The Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion utilizes Roman Catholic, Pietism, and psychotherapy, as well as many diverse resources to facilitate spiritual direction, such as: Taoism, Zen, Kabbalah, Yoga, and Sufi. The standard by which spiritual direction would be measured in the Episcopal Church is the evidence of the directee’s growth into Christ’s image, which in this tradition is viewed from the Incarnation, “God with us” rather than the atonement.

In the Reformed tradition, spiritual direction is not as defined other traditions. Spirituality is rarely mentioned, in spite of the fact that it is considered an important dimension of faith. The methods of spiritual direction used in this tradition are preaching, teaching, and participation in the partaking of the sacraments. Spirituality, in this tradition, means entering into a “relationship with God as revealed in Jesus Christ through the Spirit” (Benner & Moon 2004, 97). The authors make mention of the fact that the Presbyterian Church has recently begun to embrace spiritual direction and is now offering courses in spiritual direction in conferences, seminaries, and retreats. Many pastors are learning spiritual direction from the Roman Catholic Church. The role of the director in this tradition is one of friendship and companionship. It involves listening, probing, accountability, and discernment. The director prays with and for the directee, guides the sessions, and offers suggestions/insights. Christ-centeredness, “heightened awareness” and wisdom are the traits that mark the mature individual. The qualities that mark maturity seem to be the same in each tradition, only the wording is different. The overarching theme of spiritual direction in this tradition could be summed up in this way, “Semper reformada” (Reformed and always reforming).

“The goal of spirituality in the Wesleyan mode is to bring the converted believer into the experience of sanctifying grace whereby inner sin is cleansed, the image of God restored, and the heart so filled with divine love that the believer can love God with all the heart, mind, soul and strength and the neighbor as one’s self” (Benner & Moon 2004, 116). This seems to be the most specific and the most detailed of all of the definitions/goals we have heard thus far. It also is a very tall order for the director! Spiritual guidance in the Wesleyan-Holiness traditions is referred to as “Christian Conference” which is a mentoring group where members are paired up to encourage, edify, and nurture one another. These various groups were organized as societies and class meetings. The class meetings were mandatory classes which were comprised of 12 people who met weekly. The goal of the class meeting was to foster “an arena of koinonia, love and mutual support” (Benner & Moon 2004, 120). Wesley compiled a list of probing questions regarding the spiritual state (problems, failures, temptations, and sin) of the band member. These questions were to be asked and answered at every meeting. For those who consistently “missed the mark,” a “penitent band” was formed which met on Saturday nights (undoubtedly to help suppress temptations!). The “Select Society” was a small group, devoid of rules, procedures, or leadership. This society was reserved for the most faithful and devout leaders in Methodism, designed to improve leadership and discuss any concerns. Family devotion was also an important part of spiritual direction in this tradition. Parents were expected to worship and study Scriptures at least twice weekly, reserving Thursdays for one to one, parent to child guidance. A method was created as well as hymns, prayers, and devotions, all authored by Wesley to help facilitate direction. One to one spiritual guidance was conducted in “twin souls” and “faith mentoring.” The spiritual director’s role was to be an example, counsel, and instructor. Directors were organized and separated into various categories: guide, model, coach, advocate, sponsor, guarantor, and mediator. Maturity was indicated by the practice of certain spiritual disciplines: fasting, chastity, solitude, simplicity, and secrecy.
I am really impressed with the thoroughness of this tradition’s method of spiritual growth, hence the term Methodist! I liked the structure but I feel that it a directee could very easily become overwhelmed by the many rules, procedures, and responsibilities. I wonder how many of these groups are functioning in the Methodist Churches today.

2. Reflect on the intriguing statement from page 128, “one of the problems with evangelical spirituality is that Christians have no one to talk to.” I believe that this is a very sad but nonetheless, true statement. Evangelicalism is centered on the personal decision to accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior through acknowledgment of sin, repentance, and commitment to discipleship. All of this places emphasis on the individual without any community involvement. The previous traditions that we studied all started with a communal emphasis which encompassed the individual. Spiritual direction was centered on corporate worship, the partaking of sacraments, and submission to a spiritual authority/hierarchy. Evangelicalism really does away with all of this with the exception of the corporate worship. Even in worship, the emphasis is one the individual. Many of these churches do not have any corporate prayers, responsive readings, creeds, or hymn singing. Some have even dispensed with Holy Communion, celebrating the Lord’s Supper once a year, if at all! All of these rituals/rites place the emphasis on the whole congregation as a unit and help to foster unity and fellowship. I believe that many evangelicals feel isolated from other Christians. I also think that many Christians in this tradition are afraid to talk to anyone about their concerns, problems, fears, etc. for fear of being rebuked or ostracized by the church. Perhaps some fear that their problems, sins, etc. will be seen as a lack of faith in God or a result of backsliding. Christians in Mega churches are perhaps the loneliest of all. With so many members, it is easy for someone to get “lost in the shuffle.”
My church is very small (less than 40) so I have a hard time envisioning a team of spiritual directors, but I believe that our congregation would benefit from a few spiritual directors because my pastor lives in Youngstown, Ohio and is only here once, or twice a week. Members have to wait until Sunday if they need spiritual direction/guidance, etc. This often burdens my pastor because she has to preach and is often encumbered with congregant’s problems before she can deliver her sermon, which can often break the prayerful, discerning mood necessary for a pastor before and after a sermon. If we had an assistant pastor and some outreach ministers it would positively impact our church. My pastor would not feel stressed or overwhelmed on Sundays and members would not have to bear burdens alone because they were unable reach our pastor. My pastor handles all areas of counseling: premarital, marital, personal, as well as leads noonday prayer, Bible study, and new member’s classes. A group of ordained elders or trained lay minister could contribute to many of these areas. I believe that our church’s ministry would be more effective and successful with the implementation of such a team of directors.

Calhoun, Part 6, Humility

1. This exercise was very challenging. When someone put me first, I practice humility by turning it around. My husband asked, “What would you like to watch on television?” which I then would normally respond with the news, court tv etc. My practice of humility was relinquishing the remote, not complaining when my daughter did not do the dinner dishes, but rather I did them myself.

2. I prayed and fasted lunch all week for my husband’s healing, cleaned the kitchen for my daughter, got on the floor and played Ninja Turtles with my five year old, and shoveled the snow for our house and the neighbor’s house.