Mindy Caliguire, who is known in all spiritual formation circles as a result of her “soul care” ministries, public speaking, and national leadership, has just written two small books designed for concentrated retreats — whether at home over a week or more leisurely over a month — and I’d like to commend them to the readers of Jesus Creed.
These books are designed either for the individual or a group; they are succinct, discussion-oriented, and effective. Mindy has worked her way through the works of Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, and John Ortberg and packages her notion of soul care in practicable and wise ways. If your small group is looking for something or if you are looking for a personal retreat, these books are a good place to start.
The first one, Discovering Soul Care, is about four experiences. (“Experience” is understood as deepening the inner spirit.) They are soul health, soul becoming, soul care, and soul decisions. Each section has five topics — hence one for each weekday in a month — and there are regular periodic pauses for questions, discussion, and thoughts to consider.
The second one, Spiritual Friendship, leads us in four more experiences: friendship as a source of spiritual power, barriers to soul friendship, forging a soul friendship, and going deeper. Again, each section has five separate studies and exercises.