Spiritual Direction for Christians

In a sea of voices, how do Christians discern and find guidance that is genuine, seasoned, and responsibly formed?

The question isn’t just “Who should I trust?” but also “What is spiritual direction?”, “Who is this for” and “What does this look like?”.

What is spiritual direction?

Our lives unfold in both ordinary and extraordinary ways, and Christians encounter God as both known and mysterious. Spiritual direction is the conversational practice of becoming aware of, and responding to, God’s presence throughout it all. Christian spiritual directors help people discern God’s active presence and call in their lives, because the reality of our lives and our relationship with God come to life not by being explained, but by being gently drawn out through deep listening in normal conversations.

Spiritual direction means the direction of the Spirit in our lives. Spiritual directors are qualified, having undertaken training to accompany other believers. Be wary of the use of the term spiritual direction when used by individuals without understanding and experience.

Who is spiritual direction for?

Everyone! Spiritual direction is for both new and seasoned Christians, for anyone who wants to ask for themselves - what is the Spirit up to in my life right now?

In my experience, a desire for that question is rarely voiced so nakedly. Instead, it takes many forms in our lives, surfacing in conversations, relationships, and the situations we’re actually living through, at home, at work, and in the decisions we face. Some of these life experiences are tidy, others may not be. So the recognition of a need for spiritual direction emerges because the Spirit’s direction in our lives is not primarily instructional, but relational.

Within the ministry of Christian spiritual direction there are many forms of practice, my own is outlined here along with my own experiences. If you’re interested in spiritual direction I would suggest asking for an introductory conversation to see how you relate with that spiritual director and their particular practice.

What is your spiritual direction practice?

If you’re searching for accompaniment, hello I’m Andy Maitland, my own principle formation and training was in 2002/3/6 with Dr. Larry Crabb. Two links on Larry: Christianity Today and Wikipedia. My practice is simple and accountable: I offer spiritual direction on a non-profit basis, adhere to an established code of practice that includes safeguarding, and remain under guidance myself through accompaniment with my own spiritual director. I’m also a practicing artist in the UK who has worked with companies such as Apple, the London Symphony Orchestra and the V&A.

I’m a member of the London Centre for Spiritual Direction in the UK where I offer 1:1 spiritual direction online (non profit). For our informal conversations we meet on Zoom or Teams. Spiritual direction conversations usually last about an hour. To start with I offer a no obligation introductory conversation for £25/$35 to explore your needs - it’s an opportunity to meet one another and for us to decide if I’m the right spiritual director for you (there are many good people in this ministry). There are no time commitments. Perhaps one or two conversations could be what you want, or a number of short / long term conversations might suit you. You’re always in control of the frequency of our meetings.

What does spiritual direction look like?

My own practice of spiritual direction starts with curiosity. We ask how do we join the Spirit’s direction in your life? This begins in normal, informal, conversations, with discerning His movement in your life, over time becoming attentive, while also growing in awareness of yourselve. The conversation is around you, how you are, what’s your experience of yourself, life and God at this moment? And what’s emerging as we talk? Our conversational relationship is both observational and reflective, mutually respectful, and non hierarchical.