One of the greatest gifts a spiritual director brings to any leadership team, council, session or board is the gift of non-attached observation. When you participate in working groups such as these it is easy to get bogged down in the work, making it difficult to step “onto the balcony” and see what is really going on. When working groups hire a spiritual director to attend their business meeting, they will get what is sometimes called a “compassionate observer” to... Read more
For a paltry fee most any spiritually-oriented group can hire a spiritual director to lead, facilitate or organize gatherings for discernment and prayer. I recommend this even if there is a member of the group (say a pastor or church leader) with mad skills in leadership. Why? Every group has its own personality and every group is filled with individual personalities. Sometimes those individual personalities can get in the way of what the group wants and needs to get done.... Read more
No matter what I’m invited to do at churches or spirituality gatherings, I’m covertly doing group spiritual direction. That’s because spiritual direction is not just something I do for a living, it’s more the way I see and interact with the world. So I believe every time I lead a group in a prayer practice or meditation, I am also using my skills as a spiritual director to help the group process what it experienced in that prayer or meditation.... Read more
Group spiritual direction is as varied as the groups and directors involved. There are two models, though, that are popular and helpful to know about. I learned them with names that sound like a Three Musketeers’ motto, but you may hear them described differently. One–for-All This is a well-known model for introducing spiritual direction to people who want to learn about it in community. In this model, the “one” in the title is the spiritual director who spends a... Read more
You can learn things with others than you don’t learn by yourself or with just one other person. Group spiritual direction is an excellent way to explore your spiritual path with other people wanting to do the same. In group direction you discover: You are not alone in your questions, doubts, or need to articulate your faith. While your spiritual path is unique and it may parallel another person’s from time to time. God interacts with each of us... Read more
Two people sitting in a quiet, private space perhaps with a lighted candle on a table nearby, discussing whatever life experience the directee shares. That’s spiritual direction. At the first visit, the two of you will likely spend some time getting to know one another. After the initial “meet and greet,” the spiritual director will begin the session in his or her own way. I like to invite a time of silence, asking the directee to “take as much or... Read more
When you are in need of a safe place to share your spiritual questions and experiences, individual spiritual direction is a good place to start. The one-on-one approach allows for deep, confidential and slow-paced sharing. Typical one-on-one spiritual direction involves a 50-60 minute session between a spiritual director and you, the directee. The director is trained to listen and enhance your exploration with questions, reflections and times of silence. You should enter a session ready to talk because the directee... Read more
It’s great to have a friend you can talk to about your spiritual life. But that’s not the same as having a spiritual director. You may be wondering why anyone who has a good spiritual friend would want or need a spiritual director. As a person who has had both–spiritual friends and directors (over the years)–I can say with confidence that the relationships are very different. Friends care deeply about us. They may even worry about us at times. Friends... Read more
There are very real differences between spiritual direction and counseling (also known as therapy). You may be wondering which one is best for you in your current life situation. One thing we learn in spiritual direction training is that spiritual direction can be therapeutic but that doesn’t mean it is therapy! Just like therapy can be spiritually enriching without being spiritual direction. So it’s important to know the differences. One obvious difference is that counseling generally takes place once a week... Read more
A common misconception is that spiritual direction is mostly about people’s discomfort or problems. In fact, much of what spiritual directors do is help you savor, appreciate and explore wonderful places in your life–places where you feel deeply connected to the source of all life. This is an important practice because as the world seems to speed up, we can easily push right past those moments where the holy “breaks through” and touches our lives. Taking time to savor what... Read more
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