In her book Looking into the well (LoyolaPress, Chicago) Maureen Conroy reminds us that the process of spiritual direction is as important as the product of spiritual direction. The following extended quotation from the book, reproduced here with thanks and acknowledgement, is offered as a focus for reflection. The terminology is clearly Ignatian and from an American stable but its value repays the time to make it our own.
“The primary goal of spiritual direction is to help individuals grow in a personal relationship with God. Specific purposes are to assist people to
- Recognise, pay attention to, and respond to God’s specific self-communication in life, prayer and relationships
- Savour, re-live, and enjoy the affective touches of God and to notice differences that take place because of these experiences.
- Explore God’s seeming absence
- Recognise, explore and uncover areas of resistance, darkness and unfreedom that prevent an individual’s response to God’s presence
- Sift through interior movements
- Grow in deeper intimacy with God
- Experience greater interior freedom, deeper joy, more grace-filled decisions, a more integrated life, and healthier relationships with self, others and the world.
For these purposes to be realised, spiritual directors must develop a variety of contemplative and discernment skills that are not only verbal techniques but also inner stances of the heart and spirit.
The contemplative skills spiritual directors need to develop include the ability to
- Listen in a non-judgmental and accepting way
- Be aware of God’s presence during direction sessions
- Develop a reverent attitude so that directees can notice, savour and re-live particular experiences of God
- Help people pray in a personal, affective and relational way
- Give concrete suggestions for prayer based on the experience shared.
Spiritual directors must also develop discernment skills, that is, the ability to sift through interior movements. As people grow in a personal relationship with God, they experience interior movements towards and away from God, and they talk about these movements in spiritual direction. For instances, as a directee notices and savours God’s embrace, he or she may experience consolation or movement towards God – peace and joy in God’s embrace or a deep gratitude. On the contrary, as a directee lingers in God’s embrace, he or she may experience desolation or counter-movement – fear of intimacy with God or feelings of unworthiness that take the form of avoidance of prayer or distractions in prayer. Therefore, directors must help individuals to
- Be attentive to movement toward and away from God
- Savour and respond to those movements that are helping growth in union with God
- Explore, unpack and become freer of counter-movements.
Thus the purposes and skills of spiritual direction are rooted in contemplation and discernment.
Contemplation means noticing, absorbing and savouring God’s self-communication. Discernment involves exploring individuals’ interior movements as they respond to God’s self-revelation.”
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Thursday 10th April 2008 10.30am – 4.0pm Church House,
Using Journalling in spiritual accompaniment ministry:
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APPLICATION FORM
SPI-DIR DAY CONFERENCES and TRAINING
Thursday 10th April 2008 USING JOURNALLING
Leader: Barbara Doubtfire
Church House, 10.30am – 4.00pm. Coffee from 10.00am
Please bring your own food. Drinks will be provided.
Name: Date:
Address/e-mail: Tel:
Cheque for £15 payable to ODBF. I require directions Yes/No (please circle)
Please return to
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Dates for 2008 ….
Thursday 10th April Using Journalling in spiritual accompaniment ministry:
Thursday 19th June The Relationship between Spiritual Direction and Counselling’: Lynette Harbourne
Sat 8th November Working with the Enneagram: Brian Berry (This is likely to interest those who came to “First Steps with the Enneagram” and those who have knowledge of their number type within the Enneagram) Numbers limited to 20.
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Group Supervision Opportunities The spi-dir committee has identified supervision as a key area of development within the network. Any spiritual director in the spi-dir files should seriously consider joining a supervision group or seeking individual supervision to hone skills and to gain support. Details of group contacts may be found on the SPI-DIR Supervision Opportunities page.
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The SPI-DIR Committee:
Anne Bowker, Methodist, 35 Trees Road,
The Revd Brian Howden, Baptist, Stonecroft, Barns Lane, Burford, Oxon OX18 4NP brianhowden@macunlimited.net
Jenifer Wates, Society of Friends, Langland Farm, Finstock, Chipping Norton, 01993 868427 JenWates@tiscali.co.uk
