Inviting the Mystic, Supporting the Prophet: An Introduction to Spiritual Direction

Inviting the Mystic is a book for people who are interested in practicing Spiritual Direction. If you have read Catholic theologians then this book is an easy read. The formation piece is something that is inherent to the Catholic faith. But it's not only a Catholic book, it is a book that will help and affirm your faith walk. It encourages the reader to be open to the possibilities of being an instrument of God, through Spiritual Direction.

While this book was written to help the ordinary Christian become more of a spiritual companion to those seeking to grow in the spiritual life, it is full of wisdom for all who seek to get closer to the Lord. It focuses on underlying attitudes and key areas of focus rather than on techniques, but it also includes techniques (of prayer and discernment), and suggests some excellent criteria of good direction and prayer. The title indicates the authors' belief that true prayer will lead the mystic to social involvement and true Christian social action will lead the prophet to deeper prayer. The writers complement each other's approaches and together have a lot of experience giving spiritual direction (in the broad sense that includes all of life) and training others to do so. Their approach is contemporary, incarnational, healthy, theologically correct and unitive of many dichotomies. I highly recommend it.

Ever wonder why your spiritual life is going nowhere? Ever been in the spiritual desert? This book nicely explains what spiritual direction is and isn't. I enjoyed learning about the role of spiritual companions and how they support your prayer life. This book was worth the investment.