Not every conversation we have is—well, spiritual. While I believe that God is everywhere, that does not mean that God is in everything I talk about in the midst of my day. “What shall we get at the grocery store? What do you want for dinner? Would you like butter on your toast or not?” See what I mean?
But in the course of life’s seasons, we need to have spiritual conversations with people who are good listeners. Let me be clear here, most people are not good listeners. They listen for facts not feelings. The listen for what they hope to hear. They listen when it may not cost them something.

A spiritual conversation is a reciprocal dialogue between two people where thoughts, opinions and feelings are share and received. It’s two-way. Not one way.

I wrote in The Jesus Life that spiritual conversations take place at the table where we eat our meals. They don’t have to talk place in offices or on the phone. It’s never an intent when you ask someone for lunch-to share protien, carbs and water with someone. No, when you ask someone for lunch, you’re really meaning, “Hey, let’s get together so we can share what’s been going on in our lives. It’s been too long. How about next Tuesday at noon at the deli?” That’s the stuff of conversations where hearts connect and souls meet and people who are lonely become spiritual companions.

Spiritual direction and soul care provide a way for people to engage in life-giving, journey altering, God-seeking and heart affirming conversations. A session might begin this way, “Where has God been in your life this week?” or “Where have you sensed God’s presence in your life this week?” It might cause some pause and stopping to consider the question-which is good. Spiritual conversation is not run on sentences which have little or no meaning. Spiritual conversations are where the heart is engaged and is free to finally speak its mind! A good question is like an ice pick that jabs around in your frozen heart, picking at this, chipping away at that until-at last-you are finally free to say what you wanted to say all along but simply couldn’t. You weren’t ready. You didn’t trust the listener yet. You didn’t know if you’d be judged or not. When you feel safe, the heart will emerge and for some us, we have waited a long, long time to speak our minds—and to share our hearts.

One pastor I have a monthly spiritual conversation with, was afraid of beginning spiritual direction. He wasn’t too sure of what he might be getting into. But one of his church members gave him a gift of 10 sessions in soul care with me and now he would say, he’s found a soul friend and a safe place he never really new existed.

Dr. Curt Thompson has taught us that neurons are finally rewired and re-fired when a person is free to talk and feels safe to do so AND when the person who is talking senses that he is being listened to—that the person actually gives a damn about what you are saying. Too often, we intuitively surmise that no one really cares at all about what I’m saying. So we shut up. We clam down our shells and go inward. Yet, spiritual conversations are what frees the heart; enlivens the soul and makes a person feel healthy and whole.

One of the new offerings at Potter’s Inn will be SKYPE sessions where you can sign up for three soul care sessions with one of our staff and engage in meaningful conversations. If this is something that interest you, please contact us at [email protected] and we’ll schedule a time to really talk. If you’ve never experienced spiritual direction or a soul care session, this could be a new beginning. It’s our way of offering the heart of our life and ministry to people who live all over the world.

Ready to talk? Give is some thought and let me know.