In the heat of a summer day, the sun rules. But depending on where you live, cool breezes stir through the trees as day gives way to night. For Adam and Eve, the cool of the day was the backdrop for their first post-sin encounter with God. (see Genesis 3:1-9)

Their bites of forbidden fruit led to a moment of truth. He approached the first couple to lead them into accountability and faith formation. But they chose fear instead.

“When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.” Genesis 3:8 NLT

Our “among the trees” moments may happen in the busyness of life or in our being preoccupied with a problem. But thankfully, God pursues us. His Spirit corrects and guides us. (John 16:13-14)

He also uses others to teach us His ways and how to care for our souls.

Meet Dr. Barbara Peacock, a spiritual director, teacher, preacher and author of Soul Care in African American Practice. If you’re not familiar with the role of a spiritual director, you’re in the right place. If you’re not African American, you’re in a learning place.  I’m grateful Dr. Peacock is sharing her wisdom with us this week.

JOY:  Dr. Peacock, as a spiritual director, how do you help others to recognize God’s direction?

BARBARA: Joy, it is a blessing to be with you. I am thankful to God for you and how He is using you in the faith community and beyond. As we look at the word spiritual, we see the root of the word is Spirit. It is by the Spirit that I seek to serve others with the discipline of spiritual direction. The Holy Spirit is the director who orchestrates the time between the director and directee. All sessions begin with prayer as we honor God’s presence and the humble desire to follow His holy directives. Such yielding must be intentional and with a desire to hear from Him.

JOY: Your book explores the benefits of soul care. It is a discipline anyone can practice, regardless of their ethnicity. What is the most important factor in caring for our souls?

BARBARA: The most important factor in caring for a soul is the acknowledgement that every soul belongs to the Lord. He has gifted His body with the responsibility and calling to care for each other. As I care for a soul, I am mindful of God’s sacred trust. This soul caring is a call to stewardship and accountability. It is an attentiveness to the voice and direction of God in your everyday life, as well as those that God divinely connects you with.  

Ultimately, a spiritual director must answer to God. We seek to please Him and to be an instrument that He uses on the earth.

JOY: Several chapters in your book highlight a prominent African American and links them to a specific spiritual discipline. What is the significance of this approach?

BARBARA: The overall goal of my book, Soul Care in African American Practice is to identity a point of inception for the discipline of spiritual direction and soul care  (please note I use these terms synonymously) in the African American community.

For this spiritual initiation, I identify the Middle Passage for slavery. It was on slave ships in the middle of the transatlantic ocean, traveling between African and America; that slaves were attentive toward each others weary souls. In addition to this seashore benchmark, I have identified ten spiritual leaders in the African American community. Each one demonstrates a discipline of the faith. They are the same disciplines we see in mainstream Euro-American Christendom.

JOY:  In the conclusion of your book, you write, “Do prayer and spiritual direction in the African American faith community look different from prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care in any other faith context?”  If so, what does that mean in the body of Christ?

BARBARA: Often in the body of Christ we are prone to look at our differences. And truly there is a place for that. As a people of color, we have uniqueness in our style of worship due to our experiences, lifestyles and personal journeys.

However, as we view the wide horizon of Christianity, we find that even though individual ethnicities and denominations may differ, the Holy Spirit is the same regardless of our cultural experiences. He operates in us all; bearing fruit that is designed to be an imprint of God here on earth. We are more alike than different because we drink from the fountain of the same Spirit.

My practice as a spiritual director is not just limited to African Americans. I’ve worked with people of many ethnicities.

JOY: What should we remember in “the cool of the day” (or any time of day) if we’re tempted to avoid a God encounter?

BARBARA: It’s not worth the chance. Be very sure that your anchor holds and grips the solid Rock. This Rock is Jesus!

Thank you Dr. Peacock! You gave us a lot to think about. In caring for my soul, studying the Scriptures, maintaining my prayer life and receiving encouragement from wise and caring people is essential. Whether we’re in the cool of the day or any other time of day, we are blessed as we receive God’s care for our souls.

We’d love to hear from you… Comment on this week’s post and ENTER A DRAWING TO WIN ONE OF THREE GIVEWAYS! (1) A free copy OF Soul Care in African American Practice. OR (2) One free registration for Dr. Peacock’s Spiritual Autobiography Seminar (a $50.00 value) OR (3) One free admission to her Soul Care class (a $150.00 value) All classes or sessions are held “virtually,” on-line and not in-person.

(To indicate your preferred choice for entry, at the end of your comment, type #1, #2 or #3 to correspond with the choices above).

*The drawing is limited to entries in the continental United States.

The winner of last week’s drawing for a copy of Shift is Lucille!

To read more posts in the “Joy to the Soul Summer” series click here.