Individual

What is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual direction is a ministry of one person accompanying another along his or her spiritual journey.  It is the opportunity to reflect on your relationship with God while another is prayerfully in the presence of God on your behalf. The spiritual director assists you along the Way by asking reflective questions, pointing out God’s movements in your life, encouraging new directions, perhaps suggesting resources and spiritual exercises that can nurture your intimacy with God, or just prayerfully listening to your spiritual story.

The Holy Spirit is the true Director. It is your prayerful openness to the Spirit that determines whatever insights are uncovered or the course of action that is to be taken. It is assumed that you have begun a journey with God long before you come into spiritual direction. Also, this intentional journey will continue long after leaving a particular director. The director is only a facilitator in the process. You must claim the journey.

Why Would I Seek Spiritual Direction?

Typically, a person who is interested in receiving spiritual direction yearns for a more intimate communion with God. This often involves a desire to grow in the ability to discern and respond to God’s presence and action in all aspects of your life.

Additionally, a spiritual director can help you cultivate an ongoing spiritual practice suited to your temperament and life circumstances. Ongoing work with a spiritual director can help develop  a sense of discernment and direction in life in order to fully embrace the wonder of life in Christ and in God’s creation.

What is the Difference between Counseling, Coaching and Spiritual Direction?

As a general rule, counseling focuses on problematic areas of a person’s life with the goal of healthy resolution to those issues.

Coaching is focused upon personal and professional development, identifying objectives and developing strategies and goals to accomplish them.

Spiritual direction focuses on responding to the presence of God in your life circumstances, whether joyful or sorrowful.

What Happens in a Spiritual Direction Session?

Sessions are normally for one hour each month, perhaps more at first as the spiritual director gets on board with your spiritual story.

There are parts of anyone’s life where God’s presence is more or less clear. A spiritual director listens with you for those “Holy moments and movements” present in any life experience so that you might recognize and cultivate it for a deeper relationship with God.

Spiritual direction sessions occur in the context of prayer. There is an implicit understanding that God is present in the prayerful engagement between you and the spiritual director. Your conversations with the spiritual director; therefore, are kept strictly confidential.

Are There Any Costs?

Fees can be determined according to your individual circumstances. The guiding principle is to strike a balance between your budget and the value received.

The Director

A spiritual director is responding to an invitation from God to participate in this ministry. The gift of spiritual direction has been called forth by others; and the director has sought to enhance the gift and sharpen skills through means appropriate to her or his particular needs.

The primary responsibilities of the director are prayer for you and openness to God for what is truly called for on your behalf during the sessions. This assumes that the director is taking seriously her or his relationship with God through intentional prayer, attention to solitude time and regular spiritual direction.

It is important that you feel at ease with your spiritual director.  It should be someone with whom you can feel free to be open, honest, and completely yourself. Your spiritual director should be able to treat with reverence and respect your individual and unique relationship with God.

How Do I Find a Spiritual Director?

Spiritual direction may occur in a conversation with a friend or a minister, but if you are seeking a more formal spiritual direction relationship, it is good to find someone who

  • has had formal education in spiritual direction
  • observes a professional code of ethics
  • receives spiritual direction and is in supervision for his or her ministry

Choosing a Spiritual Director

It is good to keep in mind that even the most excellent spiritual director is not a good match for everyone. Human specifics of age, gender, faith tradition and so forth, may assume more importance at one time in a person’s life than at another. Basically, however, it is only necessary that the two persons experience the kind of “fitness” that allows them to be free for their common purpose together without undue attention to their relationship. After an initial appointment to get acquainted, and if it seems right to continue, it is helpful to set up three meetings and then evaluate how things are going.

I would be glad to meet with you as we discern together our “fitness” for a spiritual direction relationship. If other considerations become apparent, I would be happy to offer you some referrals. Call me at 919-564-6061 or email me,  director@CompanionsAlongTheWay.com, and we can have an initial conversation and get started.