Spiritual Direction
What is Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction involves conversations aimed at helping you listen and respond to the guidance of Holy Spirit. As David Benner says, “Discerning the presence and leading of the Holy Spirit is the central task.” The primary goal of these conversations is to lead you to a deepening relationship with God.
Spiritual direction is rooted in the belief that God is always active in a person’s life, and everything in our lives is raw material for our spiritual formation. Spiritual directors seek to help others make sense of what is happening in their everyday experience. As the directee pays attention to God in everyday life, he or she becomes more attentive to what God is doing and saying. A directee may bring any topic to the session, but the focus will always be on seeing and hearing God in what is happening.
“What, then, does a spiritual director actually do? First and foremost, the director listens. To listen to another person in a way that helps that person hear the grace and truth of God is one of the greatest gifts we can give.”
~ Alice Fryling
Cross-Cultural Spiritual Direction
SoulRoots embraces a cross-cultural approach to spiritual direction. According to Jung Eun Sophia Park, it can be described as follows: “The spiritual director and directee who come from different cultures in terms of denomination or even religion itself, as well as any one or all of the following subcultures; ethnicity, gender, age and class, sit together in front of Holy Spirit and appreciate, understand, and examine how the Spirit guides the directee’s life.”
Cross cultural spiritual direction serves as a catalyst for the directee to articulate a wide range of experiences, encompassing both personal, internal conflicts, and broader social, even structural, conflicts. As a spiritual director my goal is to grant the directee a sense of empowerment and agency in their soul formation journey.
Cross-cultural spiritual direction for me, involves establishing a space where all differences are expressed in a deep sense of security and acceptance. To cultivate such an environment, I must be willing to scrutinize my own preconceptions and beliefs about self, others, and God. In essence, every spiritual direction session becomes a cross-cultural exchange . In this sacred space, both parties should remember that the ultimate power in the relationship originates from the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then we can approach one another with open hearts, sincerity, and trust, embracing differences. This shared journey between strangers leads to mutual transformation.
Spiritual Direction is about discerning those places that God is at work in our lives. Should topics arise that a directee would benefit from seeing a counselor or therapist, I’d be happy to make a referral.
What to Expect
Spiritual direction sessions are typically monthly meetings that last an hour. Our first session would be more of an orientation aimed at getting to know you and your spiritual history.
The individual under direction (called a directee) either meets with me in person, by phone or by a digital meeting service (zoom or other).
The directee will “bring something specific” to the spiritual direction appointment. They should take some time before each session to prayerfully determine what he or she would like to process. The directee does this by reviewing their life and spiritual journey over recent weeks looking for patterns or issues that need attention.
There is no formula for the sessions. These times involve sharing, listening and processing as well as times of silence as we listen to the Spirit of God. The goal is to discover what God is saying and doing in the life of the directee.
Cost: Spiritual Direction is offered at no cost, thanks to the generosity of our donors. If you find value in this space, we invite you to participate in our “freely receive, freely give” model.
Click here to view my cancellation policy.
“If we can listen carefully while holding on to hope, honest assessments of our cultural problems can point us to discoveries of self-awareness—including the recognition of innate longings that we have been attempting to satisfy in unhealthy ways—that can in turn lead to healing.”
— Makoto Fujimura