Praying From The Depths

By Rev. Maribeth Westerfield
Assistant Vice President for Congregational Services
Church Extension

Several years ago, Dr. Harold Edwards, a retired Disciple pastor, introduced a new approach to a very old spiritual practice; namely, the practice of spiritual direction. To it, he brought the insights provided by a system of psychology known as "psychosynthesis." That system was developed by Roberto Assagioli, a contemporary of Carl Jung. Assagioli believed that every human being has a spiritual center around which he or she can bring any fragmented parts of self (from combing the heights and depths of the unconscious) to greater conscious awareness. He believed that by doing so, one could also align oneself more and more with the spiritual center which is connected to a "Higher Self." In developing the psychosynthesis approach to spiritual direction, Dr. Edwards took Assagioli's concept of the "Higher Self" and linked it to the presence of the Holy Spirit within based upon his understanding of John 14: 17, 23, and other passages describing the internal work of the Spirit. By plumbing the depths of oneself, one could bring more and more of self into relationship with God utilizing the power of that spiritual connection.

A student of Dr. Edwards, a Catholic sister from the Congregation of St. Joseph, once led a workshop on this approach to spiritual direction. In that workshop, she likened the alignment between the conscious self and the Higher Self, to the line of a radar scope sweeping around the radar screen. She then utilized Psalm 139 to illustrate how that line works in connection with the psychosynthesis approach to spiritual direction. The Holy Spirit (or "Higher Self" of Assagioli) works like a beacon from God, to seek us out, even those parts of self of which we are unaware (the unconscious). The purpose is to bring more and more of self into the healing, unifying center of God's love. This is an approach to prayer that allows one to pray from the depths.

In closing, perhaps the best prayer to offer is the prayer provided by the Psalmist in Psalm 139.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways...

Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest reaches of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me
and your right hand shall hold me fast...

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:1-3, 7-10, 23-24 (NRSV)