This past weekend I began spiritual director training led by David Nixon through Sustainable Faith. I have looked for this training for a few years now but location always seemed to be a barrier. This is in Norwood which means that I can easily drive back and forth. The location and timing are a blessing.
I have always been intrigued by the process of spiritual direction because, unlike counseling, the goal is to help a person discern the answers that lie between God and that person. A spiritual director is there to listen, notice, and guide with tools such as prayer and spiritual disciplines. I have always resonated with the Quaker notion of “inner teacher” described by Parker Palmer in his book, Hidden Wholeness. Your path is something that only God and you can pave together. Some may call this inner voice the Holy Spirit.
I chose this design by Jeff Nabors because it is a striking visualization of spiritual direction. The cross represents the truth of the matter. The designs around the cross represent the many barriers we have to wade through to get to that truth whether those barriers are spiritual, physical or emotional. A spiritual director focuses on the spiritual, encourages physical care (which I’m much in need of myself) and will direct a person toward counseling if they detect that a person is stuck in an emotional area. We come alongside to help another person maneuver through the barriers in order to move toward a more authentic version of their life. It’s a safe place where one listens and the other is truly heard which moves both toward the center/cross.
I love the honesty of this role because I can’t even pretend to have any answers for someone else. But I can walk with another seeker and together we can search for those answers. The title “spiritual director” bothers me a bit. I think the directee’s inner teacher/Holy Spirit is much more in the role of director than I.
It will be interesting to see if my thoughts change over the course of this training….
I have always been intrigued by the process of spiritual direction because, unlike counseling, the goal is to help a person discern the answers that lie between God and that person. A spiritual director is there to listen, notice, and guide with tools such as prayer and spiritual disciplines. I have always resonated with the Quaker notion of “inner teacher” described by Parker Palmer in his book, Hidden Wholeness. Your path is something that only God and you can pave together. Some may call this inner voice the Holy Spirit.
I chose this design by Jeff Nabors because it is a striking visualization of spiritual direction. The cross represents the truth of the matter. The designs around the cross represent the many barriers we have to wade through to get to that truth whether those barriers are spiritual, physical or emotional. A spiritual director focuses on the spiritual, encourages physical care (which I’m much in need of myself) and will direct a person toward counseling if they detect that a person is stuck in an emotional area. We come alongside to help another person maneuver through the barriers in order to move toward a more authentic version of their life. It’s a safe place where one listens and the other is truly heard which moves both toward the center/cross.
I love the honesty of this role because I can’t even pretend to have any answers for someone else. But I can walk with another seeker and together we can search for those answers. The title “spiritual director” bothers me a bit. I think the directee’s inner teacher/Holy Spirit is much more in the role of director than I.
It will be interesting to see if my thoughts change over the course of this training….
1 comment:
Thanks for the post! Enjoyed reading this. Was instantly taken by the image and loved your take on it as a metaphor for the journey.
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