Holy Invitations: Exploring Spiritual Direction (Paperback)

~ Jeannette Bakke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Deeply rooted in prayer, Scripture, and classic Christian tradition, this welcome work integrates information and experience in a refreshingly holistic way." -- Marjorie Thompson, director, Pathways Center for Christian Spirituality, Upper Room; author, Soul Feast: An Invitation to Christian Spiritual Life

"Her work ... is not just a trusted guide to spiritual direction but is a trustworthy guide for spiritual living." -- Rueben P. Job, spirituality author and retired United Methodist bishop

"In a warm and encouraging manner, she reminds us of God's invitation to an intimate relationship..." -- Wilkie Au, Ph.D., Spiritual Development Services

"This book is an unusually thorough, practical, well-informed, and wise introduction to the ancient practice of spiritual companionship." -- Tilden Edwards and Gerald May, Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation

Product Description

For those who are actively seeking to grow in their Christian walk, it can be fruitful to have a special friendship with someone who can help them explore their relationship with God. This distinctive friendship forms the basis for spiritual direction, which is dedicated to listening for God's ways, desires, and invitations.

Holy Invitations is a comprehensive introduction to spiritual direction written for both directors and directees. Jeannette Bakke, an accredited spiritual director who has been practicing and teaching this material for over fifteen years, is one of the first evangelicals to write on the subject.

Bakke incorporates sample dialogue and reflective questions to acquaint readers with the unique practice of spiritual direction. Holy Invitations can be used by individuals exploring new approaches in their relationship with God, for spiritual direction training programs, or as a church or small group study guide. It answers questions such as:

€ What is spiritual direction? € How does it compare with pastoral counseling, mentoring, and discipleship? € How do you select a spiritual director? € How does group spiritual direction work? € What are the benefits and potential difficulties of spiritual direction? € What do spiritual directors and directees talk about?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801063272
• ISBN-13: 978-0801063275
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #189,299 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why ruin an excellent book by leaving out an index???, October 19, 2000

By A Customer

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.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy Invitations: Exploring Spiritual Direction, October 29, 2001

By	Pat Hendricks (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly grace-filled!, May 16, 2003

By A Customer

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!