Sacred Companions - Review
The ministry of spiritual direction, according to Benner, is one of spiritual friendship and spiritual direction. He describes these two components in his book, Sacred Companions. His work is divided into three main parts. The first section describes the social aspects of spiritual direction. The second part provides structure to those social aspects. The third and final part of the book paints a picture of the social and structured aspects of spiritual formation in action. The stated purpose of Benner’s work is to, “ raise up an army of people ready to accompany others on the spiritual journey.”[1] He views spiritual direction as a ministry of partnership between Christ followers. His ministry model is dominated by spiritual friendships which are dominated by an intentional approach towards God.
I enjoyed Benner's humble approach to a seemingly stuffy topic. He described the ministry of spiritual direction in an approachable and inspiring way. The huge emphasis on relationship stood out to me as a halmark of Benner's work. The book has been recently published and reads in a familiar modern tone. Benner has also done a good job in structuring the book in a clear way. This structure makes it easy to follow along with as he moves from point to point.
I might recommend reading this book. Those who have an established curiosity on spiritual direction will find this book helpful. I do not, however, consider it a good first step for those who are ambivalent to spiritual growth. If spiritual direction is something you are interested in then consider checking it out.