WHAT IS SPIRITUAL DIRECTION Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing spiritual issues. The director listens and asks questions to assist the directee in his or her process of reflection and spiritual growth. Spiritual Direction is the process of becoming more fully human. We are both physical and spiritual beings. Many people focus solely on the physical or the spiritual, ignoring the other. Those who do attempt to focus on both the spiritual and the physical often do so with the idea that the physical and the spiritual are distinct and separate, as if they are equal and opposite like an image reflected in a mirror. The truth is that we are spiritual and physical beings in a way that the spiritual and physical are intertwined. They may be distinct things, but they are interdependent. The stomach, the liver, the intestines may be distinct organs, but they are interdependent – the body will not live without each one of them, and the health of one affects the health of the other organs, as well as the overall health of the individual. Many people assume that going to church once a week is supposed to satisfy their spiritual needs for the week. Imagine if you only ate one meal a week. Imagine if you only had one hour a week to eat, and whatever you ate during that time would have to sustain you for the week. If you missed that hour, you do not eat that week. How healthy do you think you would be? Yet, that is exactly how most people treat their spiritual health. They go to church once a week (maybe) and they are mentally, spiritually, and emotionally absent during a lot of that time. Then they go about their very real, and very stressful lives and wonder why they are not getting anything out of church or why they are not more spiritual. So Spiritual Direction is learning how to ingest balanced, nutritional, regularly scheduled meals for your spirit. Your spiritual help affects your physical health, just as your physical health affects your spiritual health. What Spiritual Direction is NOT: It is not psychotherapy, counseling, or financial planning. It is not "Therapy"; although, it is therapeutic. Although discussions between a Spiritual Director and a Directee may touch on many subjects, Spiritual Direction IS NOT “counseling,” psychotherapy or “life coaching.” WHY SEEK SPIRITUAL DIRECTION? In essence, that has already been answered in that Spiritual Direction is learning how to develop spiritual health, and therefore, allows us all to become closer to the person we were created to be. That being said, many people seek Spiritual Direction for many reasons: Some people seek out Spiritual Direction as a means of deepening and strengthening the Spiritual Life they already experience. Some people come to Spiritual Direction seeking advice about how to provide greater structure or discipline in their Spiritual Practice. Conversely, others come to Spiritual Direction with a desire to experience a greater sense of freedom and exploration. Many individuals seeking Spiritual Direction grew up in strong communities of faith and Spiritual Practice and recognize Spiritual Direction as a natural means of fully engaging their faith. Yet many others who seek Spiritual Direction come with no experience with any kind of Spiritual Practice or connection to a Spiritual Community but seek to explore the Spiritual dimensions of Life. Some just want to feel closer to God, to their Church or tradition. There is no right or wrong reason to seek Spiritual Direction. WHAT HAPPENS IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION? Very simply, Spiritual Direction is a three-way conversation…the Seeker talks, the Director listens, God participates…and together we all discern where God is leading you in your life or how God may be speaking with you. We explore how and where God is present and most relatable with you. We explore ways to strengthen or deepen a relationship with God or with the divine. Together, we explore ways to “improve our conscious contact with God as you understand God”. Typically, Spiritual Direction sessions take place in a setting that is comfortable and safe for the directee and the director. Sometimes this is in a public place, such as a coffee shop, or restaurant, or even outside in the park. With appropriate trust, sessions can also take place in a directees home or office space. It can even take place online via Skype or Instant Messaging. Sessions usually last for an hour and can consist of dialogue, listening, silence, meditation, prayer, instruction, sacramental ministry or ceremony, instruction or guidance, or any combination of these things depending on the needs of the directee and the leading of the Spirit.... DO I HAVE TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF GOD TO BEGIN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION? No. So much of life is a mystery, and if we had to have it all figured out before we started anything, we’d never move forward. So the invitation of Spiritual Direction is to participate in the mystery and work with a trusted friend in a safe, supportive relationship and ask the questions about who God is for you. DO I HAVE TO BE A CHRISTIAN TO BE IN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION? No. Spiritual Direction is available to any person, regardless of their faith tradition. It’s not the job of the Spiritual Director to“convert” a seeker to any particular religious practice, but to support the seeker in cultivating a meaningful relationship with the divine according to their own understanding. HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR SPIRITUAL DIRECTION? My fee is $60 for individual one hour sessions. I will work on a sliding scale. The goal is to assert that NO ONE will denied the gift of Spiritual Direction because of an inability to pay.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 11:21:56 +0000
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