Walking with Souls: The Holy Art of Spiritual Guidance
Foundations of Christian Spiritual Guidance
Spiritual direction is one of the most sought-after practices within Christian spirituality and plays a vital role in the process of spiritual formation. Rooted in various streams of Christian tradition, this biblical practice helps cultivate a deeper awareness of God’s presence and a clearer discernment of His work in our daily lives. As a transformative practice of spiritual formation, its gift is profound: it invites you to listen more attentively to God’s voice and become more attuned to His real presence. This series on spiritual direction and guidance will provide a brief introduction and orientation, whether you're seeking spiritual direction for your own growth or sensing a calling to guide others into a deeper awareness of God’s presence. Previous posts in this series include:
February 14: Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Hunger
February 13: Spiritual Direction and Sabbathing/Rest
February 12: Spiritual Direction as Soul Care
February 11: Spiritual Direction as a Biblical Practice
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Today: Spiritual Direction and Deeper Awareness of the Presence of God
The 17th century in Western Europe marked a pinnacle of Christian spirituality, a time when profound discoveries and experiences ignited transformative spiritual power that began to reshape the world. Sadly, the very stewards of these revelations—the Christian church and its pastors and priests—lost sight of them, diverting their focus to other pursuits. As a result, the world shifted once more, but not for the better. However, there is still hope: the gift of spiritual direction is uncovering the treasures of that era, bringing them to spiritually hungry individuals, churches, and cultures. Who knows? Perhaps the world is on the verge of transformation once again.
A Discovery in Paris, France
In France, in the latter part of the 17th century, a man known to his family and friends as Nicholas Herman, made an earth-shattering discovery. He had been born into poverty in Lorraine, France, and received little education. He joined the French army at a young age and fought in the Thirty Years War until suffering a disabling injury. An unexceptional man by cultural standards, in the year 1666, at the age of 55, he became disillusioned with the trajectory of his life, and decided to join a monastery, hoping to be able to devote himself to prayer. Determined to be too uneducated to be welcomed into the brotherhood as a monk, he was instead invited into the monastery as a kitchen helper and given the name that the world now knows him by: Brother Lawrence. Over the next ten years, overwhelmed by demands, busyness and activity, perhaps like never before, he made little progress in his desire for richer and deeper commuion with God. Then, a decade into his life as a kitchen aid, he made a discovery that has rocked the world: the Presence of God is real, and he, a lowly kitchen helper, had become aware of the Real Presence of Living and Holy God. It astounded him. Who would believe it? As he pressed into the soulful discovery, it began to dawn on him that awareness of the Presence of God was not restricted to times in the chapel. He was just as aware of it when scrubbing pots and preparing meals in the monastery kitchen. This high water mark of Christian spirituality was captured in his words: I saw that the time of prayer was no different than the time of working in the kitchen…” It wasn’t long before the world began to wear out a path to the monastery to receive spiritual guidance, not from the abbot and monks, but from their kitchen pot scrubber. High church leaders, political elites, Parisians and village inhabitants all wanted to know the secret of how to become attentive to the Presence of God.
A Discovery in the English Midlands
A similar spiritual discovery was unfolding earlier in 1647, in the English Midlands. It was made not by a theologian, a monk, a pastor, or a priest, but by a cobbler and partner in a wool and cattle trading business named George Fox. Born in 1624 in Fenny Drayton, Fox’s discovery would push the Protestant Reformation to its fullest potential, setting the stage for a spiritual revolution.
Fox’s quest for a deeper connection with God began in 1643, when, at the age of 19, he grew frustrated with the superficial nature of church rituals and sermons. He sought help from local priests, hoping they could guide him toward a richer spiritual life. But instead, he was told that his desires were mere distractions or even physical urges. One priest suggested he join the army, while others mocked his spiritual hunger, offering no real guidance. Disillusioned, Fox turned away from the church and became part of a loose group of seekers yearning for a fresh revelation of God’s presence—just as so many do today.
Over the next five years, Fox immersed himself in scripture, becoming a keen reader. The rediscovery of scripture is often a hallmark of true Christian renewal movements, and Fox’s deepening engagement with the Bible led him to a radical realization. One day in 1647, while reading in a field, he experienced a revelation: "There is one, only Christ Jesus, who can speak to your condition. And I knew this experimentally.” This was no intellectual understanding but an experiential encounter with the Living God, one that would change his life and ignite a spiritual movement.
Mapping the Discovery of Brother Lawrence and George Fox
Let’s unpack Brother Lawrence’s and George Fox's experience. It is important to make sure we understand what we are being told about the destination of the spiritual journey. We have been handed a map of our coming journey with the destination circled on it. They have not just marked the various routes we might travel to get there. They have done something more important. They have told us where we are going.
The destination they point to is not simply a deeper intellectual comprehension of God. While theology and thoughtful study are important, they are not the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey. Similarly, while deep emotions may accompany moments of closeness to God, these are not the end goal either. Likewise, their discoveries are rooted firmly in Christianity, not in spiritual practices or ideas imported into Christian practice from outside of Christianity.
The destination circled on the map by Brother Lawrence and George Fox is a deeper, richer, and abiding awareness of the Presence of God in our everyday life. Some days we may be in a religious community. Some days we may be reading scripture. On others, we may be praying or serving with compassion. These activities are markers that we are on the way to the destination, but they are not the end goal. The destination is a growing awareness, in our deepest core, of the Presence of Living God.
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Spiritual Guidance and the Presence of God
Spiritual guidance is a gift that has come at just the right time—a gift that has its roots in the ancient practices of the Christian faith. In my own practice of spiritual direction, and in the training I offer to others, I connect spiritual guidance to the discoveries made by Brother Lawrence and George Fox. I am not seeking to revive their spirit, but to follow the map they laid out—guiding others toward the destination of Christian spirituality: a deeper, richer awareness of God’s presence in our everyday lives. This is the transformation we can experience when we open ourselves to the gift of spiritual direction.
Tomorrow: Spiritual Direction and Lectio Divina
If you have more questions about spiritual direction as a Christian spiritual formation practice, or are interested in how to become a spiritual guide, I’d love to engage in a converation with you.