L. Roger Owens is co-pastor with his wife Ginger Thomas, of Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham, North Carolina. There have been plenty of books on the use of spiritual direction by the desert fathers and by the Celtic Christians who called the process as something holy that happens when one listens to the wise counsel of a "soul friend."
This unusual book maps the experiences Owens has as a 34 year old receiving spiritual direction from Larry, a retired Baptist preacher. The reason? Owens had "a longing for God and for someone who could show me how to love God."
The author describes Larry's method of spiritual direction as a blend of gentle strength and strong gentleness. He quotes Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove who observed: "Like woodworking or plumbing, the craft of life with God is learned by practicing it in apprenticeship to others who know the way better than ourselves."
Owens singles out the importance of listening to the wise counsel of his spiritual director who in every session models attentive presence with the directee's questions and comments. Owens also probes his need for silence, his quest to see the grace of God in all things, and his learning to trust Larry.
