Honoring the Inward Altars

Last updated on: December 28, 2023 at 8:55 am by Teresa Blythe

Honoring the Inward Altars 2023-12-05T14:34:39-08:00 Teresa Blythe

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Guest blogger Dr. Amber H. Jones — Some think of spiritual direction as a vocational calling, and this description fits. It’s not a job in which one clocks in at nine and out at five. Often, it requires irregular hours and creative scheduling. For most spiritual directors, it’s not a salaried position, if it pays monetarily at all. Spiritual directors invest in training, supervision, and continued education because they feel a sacred inner call to companion others in their spiritual journeys, certainly not for money or job security.

The art of spiritual direction

Some consider spiritual direction an art, and this description works too. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this work. Though there is a certain amount of craft involved, spiritual direction is more of an improvisational dance between the director, the directee, and God. Fluidity, adaptability, grace, creativity, and risk are critical components in co-creating an environment where the presence and activity of the Divine can be experienced.

“There is in every person an inward sea, and in that sea there is an island and on that island there is an altar and standing guard before that altar is the ‘angel with the flaming sword.’ Nothing can get by that angel to be placed upon that altar unless it has the mark of your inner authority.” – Howard Thurman, (1900-1981) Meditations of the Heart

The privilege of spiritual direction

Yet, spiritual direction is also a holy privilege, and this should not be overlooked. As the wise spiritual guide Howard Thurman, reminds us, every person has an inner altar upon which nothing is placed without consent. When a directee invites us into their inner sanctuary, past the ‘angel with the flaming sword,’ we are drawing close to a one-of-a-kind soul and all the divine glory held within. The invitation-within-the-invitation for us, then, is to enter this sacred space prayerfully, thoughtfully, and soberly. Though it may be tempting to book back-to-back appointments, enjoy small talk with our clients, or allow our minds to wander in our sessions, this vocational calling, this art, this craft, this privilege requires us to recall the gravity of the holy ground upon which we stand when we are present with our directees and to offer ourselves fully and authentically for the short time we are standing at their inner altars.

Standing at our altars

Perhaps the best way to prepare for this work, then, is to spend time at our own inner altars, examining what we’ve consented to be placed upon them. In soberly attending to our souls in prayer, reflection, and bodily care, we learn a way to be confidently present with the holy in others.

Dr. Amber Hogan Jones is a pastor, soul care practitioner, writer, and podcaster. She is a graduate of the Apprentice Training Program for spiritual directors, studying with Teresa Blythe. You can find Amber at www.amberhjones.com

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