You’ll often hear spiritual directors talk about how much they love their directees. And it’s true that when we hold stories of vulnerability and pain or strength and joy, we feel a sense of love. What kind of love are we talking about?
Love, not Romance
First, let me be clear ...
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Posts tagged "spiritual direction"
2023 is going to be a great year for spiritual guidance. More and more people are learning what spiritual direction/companioning/guidance is all about, which means more work for all of us--a very good thing!
But many spiritual directors struggle to build a practice. Directors need to get the word out ...
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To get better at something we consider challenging, we have to practice. You know what's hard for me in spiritual direction? Exploring with a client ways to deepen in relationship with God when they are truly and unavoidably busy. Spiritual directors are not "fixers," yet I'm always tempted to ...
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How do we have a relationship with God that is truly consensual? I’ve been thinking a lot about this in light of all the cases of religious teachers and leaders who preyed on parishioners, abusing them sexually without a single thought to the power dynamic at play. These abusive ...
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Learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms. Apprenticing — the ancient practice of learning a trade or philosophy from one-on-one interaction with someone experienced in the subject — is on the rise.
Here’s a simple spiritual practice you can do when sitting with a choice you need to make. It’s based on the ancient practice of the Ignatian Examen—a prayer where you take a reflective look at where you are most spiritually energized and where you are least energized (and that’s ...
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Spiritual director are not preachers, missionaries or evangelists. Our primary job is to listen. With that in mind, there is no proselytizing in spiritual direction.
Our ethical standard goes even beyond the Golden Rule: Do to
others as you would have done to you. Spiritual directors are to treat our
clients ...
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Spiritual direction training programs are unlike any other school you might attend. They are a hybrid of a retreat, a spiritual formation class and intensive training.
I can’t tell you how many times people have told me if they had only known about spiritual direction they would have started it long ago. Of course, certain populations, such as clergy and members of monastic orders have known about spiritual direction for ages. But the practice of ...
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When tragedy occurs we naturally want to reach out with words of comfort. Lately, so many tragedies—some human created and others of nature—have been met with well-meaning online messages sending “thoughts and prayers” to the victims and their loved ones.
When these condolences come from elected officials who could create ...
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