Customer Reviews

Holy Invitations: Exploring Spiritual Direction

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the most brilliant compiliations of solid information on the many dimensions of spiritual direction that I have ever seen. As a seminary faculty member who covers direction in a variety of ways both in formation as well as in the training of clergy, I have found the breadth of what is covered is amazing. She clearly articulates the pitfalls and discernment issues that are involved in direction as opposed to pastoral care. Her section on discerning whether or not to pray for healing for a directee is worth the price of the book! The lack of a topic index seems unforgivable in this day and age of publishing and detracts immensely from the usability of the book as the solid reference that it could be.

If I could use two words to capture the essence of this book, they would be comprehensive and inclusive--comprehansive in its purpose and inclusive in the audience it serves. Holy Invitations gently invites Christians from many faith traditions to look at spirituality and spiritual direction, and to seek completeness. Persons from mainline Protestant and Evangelical traditions, or those who direct them, would be comfortable with the text and enlightened by the content.

The author, Jeannette Bakke, a long-time spiritual director and eductor, combines theory with practical application. The book challenges Christians to pay attention to their inner movements, their journey, and their prayer. Each chapter ends with reflection questions and exercises that guide readers to take a serious look at their relationship to God. These are contemplative pauses for processing the material into one's faith life.

People who are not familiar with spiritual direction as well as veterans can gain insight from this work. The first section, "Introduction to Spiritual Direction," includes basic information: what it is, why one seeks direction, what happens in a session, how to choose a director, group spiritual direction, and a charted comparison of direction, counseling, mentoring, and discipleship.

The mid-section includes a synthesis of topics relavant to spiritual direction: experiencing God, scripture, prayer, discernment, and Christian disciplines. The scripture portion offers a unique insight into Jesus as a spiritual Director. "Jesus taught and offered direction to his disciples and others before and after the resurrection. In each case he spoke to their personal situation within the framework of God's faithfulness and invited them to recognize God's loving presence and availability to guide and bless." (p. 179) This statement is followed with examples from the gospels; the section is invaluable for directors who work with people from primarily Bible-based faith traditions.

Later in the work, Bakke presents more advanced topics such as: benefits of direction, unhealthy dependencies, director's and directee's roles, the shaping of spiritual language, use of scripture in direction, facilitating Chrisitan disciplines, use of humor, and the process of discernment.

Today with so many Protestants seeking spiritual direction, Holy Invitations is a welcome text. It invites a larger audience to consider spiritual direction as one tool that can enhance a person's journey with God.

If you are looking for a solid, rich-filled text on the essence and practice of spiritual direction this is the one book to have on your shelf....and one to pick up often! The author leads one to explore the dynamics of the direction relationship in a way that emphasizes the presence of the Holy as the central element in any direction relationship. What a total gem of a book!

Holy Invitations is a must read for anyone interested in learning how to consistently notice God's ever present love and His daily invitaions to join Him in Kingdom work. The author clarifies how "spiritual direction" differs from pastoral counseling, mentoring, and discipling. Both spiritual director and directee will gain insight from this comprehensive guide to exploring the value of spiritual direction.

Jeannette Bakke's informational and inspirational text often prompted me to pause and reflect on my own need and desire for spiritual growth. I found the chapters on spiritual disciplines and discernment extremely practical as I understood in a fresh way how to recognize the true source of my attitudes, opinions, and behaviors.

If you are searching for answers to the questions "What is Spiritual Direction?" and "How can it benefit me?" lookno further, read Holy Invitations.

Carol Travilla, Lifeplan Facilitator
Chandler, AZ

This is a very comprehensive, well written and wisdom filled book on Christian spiritual direction; a good reference for spiritual directors. It's also a very good introduction for those seeking spiritual direction though I would recommend Benner's Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction for them over this book. Holy Invitations covers a wide variety of relevant topics and offers a valuable bibliography for exploring them in more depth. It does lack an index, which detracts somewhat from the book's usefulness as a reference, but each chapter is well outlined in the headings and subheadings making it not too difficult to find material of interest.