Abba, Give Me a Word, by L. Roger Owens

As a young Methodist pastor, Owens had the good fortune of finding Larry, a retired Baptist pastor, who became his spiritual director. What sets this book apart from a good number of other books on the subject is its focus on how to receive spiritual direction. Making a home in the house that is God’s love is a motif running throughout the book. Owens uses the Desert Fathers and Mothers as touchstones and organizes the process of receiving spiritual direction around a series of gerunds—longing, finding, re­leasing, offering, trusting and attending. People not involved in spiritual direction can benefit from his stories and reflections, although the book may also entice them to seek out a spiritual director.