Silence Is where god is
What is Spiritual Direction?
“Spiritual direction is a relationship between a person seeking a more Christ-like life and another who serves as a guide to the process. Spiritual direction is fundamentally the art of listening to the soul journey of another.” – MaryKate Morse
“Spiritual direction is the name given to a particular kind of helping relationship whose primary objective is to discern how God is inviting someone to be, to live, to appreciate, and to act in the midst of life” – Jeannette Bakke
Spiritual direction is different from other listening professions. Spiritual direction is not psychotherapy, though it can look like it. I am not looking for pathology, diagnosing, or treating it, nor am I attempting to assist you in problem-solving. All those activities help us in one way or another. Spiritual direction is not counselling, discipling and mentoring. The focus of spiritual direction is a person’s relationship to God. The focus of counseling or therapy is a person’s relationship to herself or himself and to others. The focus of discipling is on a person’s relationship to God in the context of a faith’s theology and spiritual traditions. Spiritual direction helps us pay attention to the ways God is already reaching out to us in our prayer or life experiences.
Spiritual Direction is contemplating and noticing God’s presence, absence, or callings in the ordinary. As a spiritual director I journey alongside you to listen for the movement of God in your life and encourage you to connect with God.
I would not give instructions or ‘life direction’. My aim is not to problem-solve or tell you what to do in your relationship with God or how to make life choices. Instead, my role is more of a spiritual companion. My purpose is to create a safe listening space for you to connect to your inner life and call attention to what is already happening in your relationship with God.
Who Needs Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual direction is for everyone, at whichever stage of life’s journey – beginning, middle, or end. It is for those looking for accompaniment in their spiritual journey. People come to spiritual direction for many reasons and from all walks of life and, as all of life is sacred, any aspect can be discussed. Having said that, I will not insist that spiritual direction is a must for everyone. That would be legalism! The key question to ask is, “Is spiritual direction right for me?”. Ask God and wait for His invitation.
What Do We Talk About?
Often, spiritual direction conversation can be anything! Literally, we start with anything you want to talk about. You can share about your relationships, challenges, frustrations or a dream you recently had. Or you can simply share about the ordinary events of your day-to-day life. I may ask you a few questions to get you started. My deeply held conviction is that God is deeply present and active in every part of our lives. Since God is present in every aspect of our lives, you can share just about anything! As a spiritual director, I am there for you, meeting you where you are at with God. I will not be ‘directive’ because my role is to listen to how God is at work in your life. I might suggest a Scripture, a poem, or something to pray about. The aim is to create a listening space for grace so that in the experience of sharing, you will discover sacred moments in your everyday life. I will listen to your story, ask questions to help you discern and connect with what is happening for you. Sometimes we may use creative art-making processes to help us connect with our deeper self and with God. The relationship involves confidentiality, is non-judgement and is, paradoxically, non-directive.
Cost
A contribution of S$30 to S$50 per session, according to your means.
Connect
Email me at cclisteningspace@gmail.com to begin a conversation. I offer an initial one-time, no-fee, no-commitment hour of conversation. You can decide to continue meeting with me or not after the first meeting.