What is spiritual direction?
What is spiritual direction?
My formal definition of spiritual direction borrows heavily from Thomas Merton: a collaborative relationship of prayerful listening where individuals are guided toward union with God and fulfillment of their unique paths.
Informally, I believe spiritual direction can happen anytime two people sit together with the intention of being open with one another and with God. As a mystically awakened disciple of Christ, it is my heart's desire to give people the opportunity to do just that.
Spiritual direction has been practiced for millenia in some streams of Christianity and is completely unfamiliar in others. Even the ancient name of the practice can feel misleading! If that's true for you, consider how spiritual direction can be defined in context of other therapeutic relationships.
Like psychotherapy, spiritual direction involves one-on-one appointments where directees verbally processes their experiences and seek guidance for the journey ahead. Unlike therapy, however, spiritual direction is not seeking to fix a problem or achieve therapeutic outcomes. Instead, spiritual direction seeks to facilitate an ongoing journey of healthy spiritual growth. Also, while therapy is usually terminated after therapeutic goals are reached, spiritual direction can (and should!) continue for a lifetime.
Like a pastoral counselor, a spiritual director's perspective is grounded in a theology of love and participation in spiritual practice. Unlike pastoral counseling, spiritual direction is an act of cooperative intercession: individuals and directors listen to God's voice together, receiving counsel directly from the Spirit. And while pastoral counselors often interact with their members in the course of church life, spiritual directors often move in a separate social sphere.
Finally, spiritual direction is similar to mentoring in that individuals seek the guidance, experience and expertise of the director. Unlike mentors, directors allow their guidance to flow from a posture of active prayer, collaborating with the Spirit to impart wisdom that mingles with their own study, life experience and discernment. In mentoring the goal is for the mentee to acquire a certain set of skills or habits. In spiritual direction the goal is for directees to embrace a continually growing union with God using habits that work best for their own journey.
My own experience with spiritual direction shows me that this unique relationship fosters an increased sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, helps heal damage from erroneous theology (and we all have damage, even if we love our tradition!), provides practical guidance in decision-making, and creates a safe space for discussing virtually any matter on this winding path of life.
The decision to pursue spiritual direction is a deeply personal one. If you feel this kind of relationship is calling to you, I encourage you to reach out.
Grace and peace,
Christy