Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction is an ancient practice in the Christian tradition that originated with people seeking wisdom and support from elders in the faith who went out into the desert to pray and seek God. Today, it is a one-on-one conversational experience offered by people trained in deep listening, discernment and reflection. ​​
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As author Paula D’Arcy says, “God comes to you disguised as your life.”
Our life circumstances, from the big ground shaking events to the small details of our regular days, are filled with God’s loving invitations to see the ways we can grow, flourish and be shaped into people who know and walk in our belovedness. Often it is hard to carve out time to pause and attend to our souls, the things we are wrestling with or want to celebrate, the niggling irritations, the deeply felt pain. Spiritual direction offers an intentional space where you can take a deep breath, slow down and spend time listening to and reflecting on your life and God’s quiet voice beckoning you to greater wholeness. And this in the company of someone who is committed to your spiritual growth and wellbeing.
People of all ages and from all walks and seasons of life seek out spiritual direction. You don’t need to be especially “spiritual” to try it (although I have a hunch everyone is spiritual in some way :). Your faith or belief system may even be falling to pieces - you may be deconstructing or trying to reconstruct your faith after it has all ‘gone to custard’.
All of you, and all of your life,
is welcome in the spiritual direction space.
It is a place to be deeply listened to, to listen deeply. To hear the voices of goodness, love, hope and courage. To be beckoned on towards discovering your belovedness and the Life that awaits you, even in the midst of the realities of your journey.
“A spiritual director is the one who helps another to recognize and to follow the inspiration of grace in their life, in order to arrive at the end to which God is leading them.”​
—Thomas Merton
"Spiritual direction is 'recognizing God’s amazing work in us and among us in the ordinariness of human existence.'”
—Margaret Guenther, Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction
