David G. Benner - Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction

"I eagerly await every one of Dr. Benner's books. This one has not disappointed me. He has produced a thorough and practical guide on one of the most important spiritual topics of our day. A landmark book which I am delighted to recommend highly."

SELWYN HUGHES, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR, CRUSADE FOR WORL1) REVIVAL

"According to the ancient wisdom of the desert fathers, we all resemble precious stones that constitute community. David Benner offers a refreshing and refined concept of spiritual mentoring, showing us how these stones may be transformed by being softened from their raw sharpness to a constructive roundness through sacred conversation and companionship."

JOHN CHRYSSAVGIS, AUTIIOR OF SOUL MENDING: TILE ART OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

"This is one of the best evangelical books I have read on the topic. Sacred Companions is both timely-meeting a growing longing for a deeper spirituality-and helpful-explaining how vital spiritual friendships are for this deeper journey."

LEIGHTON FORD, PRESIDENT, LEIGHTON FORD MINISTRIES

"A wise and winsome guide for all who are serious about seeking and cultivating spiritual direction and its friendships on life's journey."

JAMES M. HOUSTON, BOARD OF GOVERNORS' PROFESSOR OF SPIRITUAL TIIEOLOGY, REGENT COLLEGE

"Read, apply and reflect on David Benner's book, and you could expand your spiritual understanding, strengthen your prayer life, grow in your walk with God, deepen your friendships and clarify your knowledge of spiritual direction. The book could become a classic. It continues to impact me, and I recommend it enthusiastically to you."

GARY R. COLLINS, AUTHOR OF CHRISTIAN COUNSELING: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

"Unfettered from any particular church tradition, and uncluttered from theological or psychological jargons, David Benner has written with such elegance and clarity on the deep and profound subject of spiritual friend ship and direction. I believe this book would help the church worldwide reclaim and redeem its birthright-the ministry of the care of souls."

SIMON YIU-(!HUEN LEE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AN1) DIRECTOR OF TIIE PASTORAL INSTITUTE, ALLIANCE BIBLE SEMINARY, HONG KONG

"This book-written for those who see life as a spiritual journey-seamlessly blends a wise understanding of human nature, Christian spirituality and Protestant theology into a work that will help us all in our quest to know and experience God."

MARK R. MCMINN, RECII PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, WIIEATON COLLEGE

"In an increasingly consumer-driven and materialistic world, the human longing for love and meaning in life cries out for satisfaction. David Benner's book is timely in introducing a way to fill that longing. Using his extensive experience in psychology and counseling, and the rich tradition of Christian spirituality, Benner skillfully weaves together various ways of developing spiritual friendships and using such relationships in one-to-one encounters, group settings and marriage to bring about healing, transformation and growth."

BISHOP DR. ROBERT SOLOMON, TIIE METHODIST CHURCH IN SINGAPORE

"David G. Benner is a pioneer in the movement to blend insights from psychology with the wisdom of Christian spirituality. His latest work, Sacred Companions, is further evidence for the importance of his voice for those who desire to better understand soul care and transformation."

GARY W. MOON, DIRECTOR, CHARLIE SIIEDI) INSTITUTE FOR CLINICAL THEOLOGY

"David Benner has written a very good book on spiritual friendship and spiritual direction, including how to combine the two in the context of small groups and in marriage. His extensive annotated bibliography is particularly helpful. I highly recommend Sacred Companions for your reading and spiritual blessing."

SIANG-YANG TAN, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, FULLER TIIEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

DAVID G. BENNER

Foreword by Larry Crabb

To Rev. Robert N: Harvey (1931-2000) much-loved sacred companion to so many of us

Contents

Part One SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIP

Part Two SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Part Three COMBINING SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIP & DIRECTION

Foreword

When I'm still, I sometimes can feel a gentle breeze blowing softly into my soul. Others are reporting the same experience.

I am excited. For this stubborn melancholic to sense excitement stirring, something supernatural must be going on. I believe it is.

In my nearly fifty years of living as a Christian, I have never seen the soul's thirst for God more talked about, more recognized as a vital motivation in the human personality or more strongly experienced as a consuming passion. Perhaps a revolution is under way, a revolution of the Spirit that is about to shift our core energies away from arranging life to make it as satisfying as possible to drawing near to God.

The spiritual climate is ripe. Jesus seekers across the world are being prepared to abandon the old way of the written code for the new way of the Spirit. Paul told us long ago we've been freed by the gospel to live a new way, but we've not known what it is or how to do it.

But now, living on this fallen planet in these jars of clay has disillusioned us to the point where maybe we're willing to give up trying to do what's right so that life will work. It just isn't happening, at least not reliably. No amount of effort, including good "Christian" effort, makes life always go as we want. Even when it does, when things do go our way, our souls at best are half filled. Something that was missing when blessings were absent remains missing in their presence.

More people are open as never before to letting painful hardships and empty pleasures drive us to chasing after God's own heart, to doing whatever it takes to know God and to see Christ formed in us. We're beginning to wonder what else really matters.

In my judgment nothing is more needed in advancing this revolution than making the idea of spiritual direction more biblically rooted and clearly understandable (insofar as mystery can be understood) and making the wise practice of spiritual direction more valued and common. In the past year alone I have read a couple of dozen books on this topic. I'm grateful for them all.