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First and foremost, spiritual direction is a relationship between two people wherein one is trained to companion the other as he/she seeks to discern where and how God is at work in his/her life. This relationship is one of deep trust because it is rooted in confidentiality and is a safe, sacred space. On their website the North Carolina Institute for Spiritual Direction and Formation describes spiritual direction in this way:
Believing that God is at work in our lives at all times, spiritual direction is the opportunity to meet regularly with a trained spiritual director to talk about how you see and experience God...[and] you will explore how God is active in your life and what God is saying to you. Spiritual Direction is also an opportunity to grow in discernment as you seek to distinguish God’s voice from many other influences.
Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality defines a spiritual director as: A spiritual director is a privileged witness in the spiritual unfolding of another person. The focus is on the relationship between the “directee” and God, rather than on the relationship between the director and directee.
A spiritual director is then one who practices the Art of Holy Listening, who listens deeply and witnesses the spiritual unfolding of another person. If you sense a call to practice the art of holy listening and to offer spiritual direction to others, please register for The Art of Holy Listening, a three-year program for spiritual direction training beginning in February 2023 and ending in October 2025, hosted by the Center for Sacred Space. For more information or to register, please contact Kaye Westmark via email atkwestmark@centerforsacredspace.org or via cell at (850) 516-7812.