“… In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength … blessed are those who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:15, 18b NIV
What is Spiritual Direction? Spiritual direction – also known as spiritual companioning, is a one-on-one meeting with another who is prayerfully listening as you seek to notice the Holy Spirit’s movements in your life. The director isn’t taking a place of authority—he or she is listening and directing the other person to the Holy Spirit, who does the deep ministry within us.
While God moves through our worship, Scripture, circumstances, and people, in spiritual direction, we also recognize that the Spirit moves just as powerfully through the way we listen and respond. This practice offers the opportunity to regularly issue an invitation to see God at work in the ordinary and extraordinary of your life.
The meetings aren’t about having an accountability partner, a mentor, or a counselor. It’s a time when our eyes are opened to the ways God is ever-present and faithful, continually loving, inviting, and forming us into His image and drawing us into union with Him.
As Susan Currie says, “Spiritual direction is God-oriented rather than goal-oriented—giving one’s attention to God rather than to a particular problem that needs to be fixed or behavior that needs to be modified. It is responsive rather than directive, listening together to the Holy Spirit’s presence and ways rather than the director telling the directee what to do. It is about listening with—together noticing senses of God’s voice and direction—rather than talking to.”
What are the logistics of Spiritual Direction? Meetings occur regularly, usually monthly and for one hour. What is shared is confidential. Sometimes the relationship can last for less than a year or sometimes for many years. I will periodically check in to discuss how things are going and invite feedback. I commit to regularly praying for you between meetings and be available should the need arise.
What are the actual meetings like? Usually there’s a time of silent prayer to quiet the soul and begin noticing the presence of the triune God, and allow for the Spirit to set the direction of the discussion. The “directee” is free to share what is present to them in their emotional, vocational, relational, and spiritual life. The director listens prayerfully, responding with observations and questions, allowing exploration of the leading of the Holy Spirit together. The conversation can take many forms and there may be times of silence, laughter, tears, and prayer.
If you want to talk about meeting for Spiritual Direction contact me and we can arrange a time to discuss and discern if the Holy Spirit is inviting us to meet together.
welcome to 