Spiritual Direction

One of the things I'm doing on sabbatical is meeting regularly with a Spiritual Director. Spiritual Direction is a fancy way of saying that we stop and take time to focus on paying attention to God's activity and our response to him. There are all sorts of ways to pay attention to God and responding to him, but Spiritual Direction makes this intentional. Listening to God with a Spiritual Director offers a measure of clarity and accountability that is more difficult to find alone.

I have been meeting with Steve Klassen of the Mark Center. Today we explored together the reality that God wants to give to his people. I have no trouble with that concept, especially as it relates to other people. As a minister, I am often helping people to see how God gives to them. What I tend to do less, is focus on how God is giving to me. You see, I am a doer by nature (most people are) and I'm more comfortable doing things for God and for myself. I take responsibility seriously--whether it is to people I pastor or to the classis or to my family or to some other thing. That is all well and good. But perhaps by taking responsibility so seriously, I take over some of God's responsibility. By doing all sorts of things for God, I miss sometimes what God wants to give me. Steve encouraged me to reflect on that, specifically the question: "What is God giving me in this sabbatical time?" I am looking forward to exploring that answer.

Blessings, David