Spiritual Direction is a practice older than the Church. Spiritual direction is a relationship between a spiritual director and a spiritual directee who seeks guidance in spiritual matters or vocation. Spiritual direction is not coaching, mentoring, teaching, or therapy. It is deep listening and traditional spiritual practices that deepen the relationship with the divine. Spiritual direction is holding compassionate, loving and safe space for the other. Spiritual direction is also understood as mid-wifery in that the spiritual director aids in “giving birth” to what the spirit is doing in and through the directee. This process cannot be rushed but happens in its own time.
1 on 1 Spiritual Direction
Helen Debevoise is co-pastor of Park Lake Presbyterian Church. Helen is trained as a Spiritual Director through Audire. ….. Contact Helen at helenparklake@gmail.com.
Jean Homrighausen has a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. She is a certified spiritual director through the Haden Institute. Her practice includes use of the contemplative practices, the Enneagram, dreamwork, basic Jungian psychology, and creativity and art as a spiritual practice. Contact jean at Director@center4creativecontemplation.org.
Group Spiritual Direction
In addition to 1-on-1 spiritual direction, the CCC can train your group in a group spiritual direction process in which participants facilitate the spiritual direction of an individual in a small group setting. Contact us for more information
Contemplative Practices
Contemplative practices are practices in which we come before God with the intent of listening for God in silence and solitude. Rather than relying on human thought, discursive prayer (spoken prayer), Bible study, sermons, and theology to talk with and about God, contemplative practices cultivate a relationship with God through listening for God in the “still, small voice (I Kings 19:12).” We may engage in a practice for discernment to find God’s answer to a question we have, or it may simply be to have an experience of God beyond thought and words. While we are not supposed to evaluate our experience, we see over time how God has been working in us and answering us “in secret (Matt. 6:6 NRSV).” While there are many more contemplative practices, here are some of the most familiar practices. Click on links below to learn about different contemplative practices.
Resources
Centering Prayer Describes the process of Centering Prayer