Abba, Give Me a Word: The Path of Spiritual Direction

by L. Roger Owens

“I challenge you to get through a chapter of this book without a desire for God being struck in your soul. Roger Owens wears his brilliance lightly and loves words tenderly and lavishly in these pages. He is ferociously gifted, and fast becoming one of the abbas to whom the reading church often turns for a word from the Lord.” —Jason Byassee, senior pastor of Boone United Methodist Church and Fellow in Theology & Leadership at Duke Divinity School

With a style and warmth of presentation that will remind readers of Henri Nouwen’s most popular work, Abba Give Me a Word interweaves the author’s personal stories of struggle – and transformation – with reflections on the history and purpose of spiritual direction. The result is a wise introduction to an ancient art and practice of “soul care” – directed at Christians of all backgrounds.

Genres: Christian Non Fiction, Theology, Spirituality

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Co-Pastor, Duke Memorial United Methodist Church, Durham, NC

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not see a spiritual director regularly; however I have benefited from spiritual direction at a couple of key moments in my life. I commend the practice to you and I think that this resource does a good job of talking about what spiritual direction is, what to expect from it, and what it means to receive direction. L. Roger Owens, is a pastor and has Spiritual wisdom of his own to impart; yet this book is primarily an opening up of his own journey and how his spiritual director helped him to pay attention to his own longings as he sought to discern the will of God in his life.

What is spiritual direction? Spiritual direction is a relationship between a director (a wise guide or spiritual friend) and someone receiving direction, so to aid that person in discerning God’s presence and will and to aid them in their spiritual formation. Within spiritual direction, the director is really listening with you to your life to help you discover what God is doing there and how you should respond.

In Abba, give me a word, Owens walks through seven aspects of finding and receiving direction. Along the way he shares some real gems as he opens up about his own experience with his director. He addresses Longings (paying attention to what we really want in life), Finding (a director and starting direction, Releasing (letting go of expectations), Offering (giving ourselves to God as an act of worship), Trusting ( your director and ‘obeying’ their direction), Attending (learning to pay attention to your life, including your desires, anger, joy, etc), and Going Well (leaving Spiritual Direction as someone who is whole).

While this book is primarily an introduction to spiritual direction, each of Owens points apply in general to the spiritual life. What I appreciated most about this book was the way Owens opened up his own experience, sharing the ways in which his spiritual director helped him come to realizations about himself.

So if spiritual direction is new for you, or you just like stories of spiritual growth, this is a good book for you. I have read several other books on spiritual direction which go more in-depth at various points, but I loved the conversational tone of this book. It is well written, engaging and accessible.

Thank you to Paraclete Press for providing with a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

[Margaret L Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What contentment and joy this brought!

This was a fast read and I devoured each page because I felt like I was being fed after a long starvation diet. Beautifully written and used a broad sweep of the church's historical wisdom, handed down as treasure.

[Brynn Marcum · Rating 5 out of 5]

pure, gentle, deep. This is the loveliest book I’ve read in some time. these days nothing means more to me than an author whose goal is not to “make a point”, but rather to say something true and good.

[Luke Hillier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm in Dr. Owens Spiritual Formation class at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and he assigned this as a part of the curriculum. He prefaced it saying it would be the easiest book we'd read all year, and I think he's right! He writes in a voice that ambles along smoothly, imbuing the book with a personable warmth. Owens balances personal anecdotes from his own life, historical references to some revered earlier Christians, and quotes from other Christian writers to flesh out his exploration of -receiving- spiritual direction. This struck me as a sort of funny premise at first, but I think there's merit in it, especially for those who may be more unfamiliar with the practice. It made me miss quite dearly being in a rhythm of monthly spiritual direction, which I enjoyed for about 2.5 years with an incredible spiritual director and only stopped because she became my boss. I'm grateful for the book resurfacing some memories and more so touching the dormant longing for such a relationship, and I imagine it'll lead to seeking out a new spiritual director in the coming months.

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Abba, Give Me A Word: The Path of Spiritual Direction by L Roger Owens - a short book about what spiritual direction looks like in practice. A lot of protestant Christians are unacquainted with spiritual direction. It is something that I think is missing in our tools for spiritual growth. It is sort of mentoring/counseling/friendship/accountability done on an intentional and regular basis for the purpose of growing spiritually.

Roger Owens isn't writing a book on how to be a spiritual director, but on how to receive spiritual direction. I picked it up during the Paraclete kindle book sale a couple weeks ago so it was only $3 on kindle and it was definitely worth that. Now to actually find a spiritual director.

The full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/abba-give-me-a-word/

[Mike Schutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pastor Owen's breezy style and grace-filled anecdotes won me over from the beginning. I was encouraged and challenged by his experiences, and I learned more than basic advice on seeking spiritual direction-- I caught a glimpse of the vulnerability, trust, and grace that are means to a deeper walk with God.

[Tor Voller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderfully warm journey through spiritual direction. It is peppered with humor that keeps you in good spirits all the way through. The author is really down to earth which makes the book easy to connect to. It answers a lot of questions you probably didn't realize you had when you are approaching spiritual formation. It is very insightful and honest.

[Pat Loughery · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, approachable, comfortable introduction to the practice of receiving spiritual direction. Broadly useful for many folks, and an encouraging look at spiritual growth from a directee's perspective.

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm giving it way too much with 1 star. This is sophomoric writing. Don't waste your time. Read the great spiritual writers instead.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roger Owens writes really well about life as a rural Methodist minister near Louisburg, NC, where he found a spiritual director, who helped him develop a greater awareness of God's love.