Spiritual Direction

One of the opportunities offered through the Office of Campus Ministry is
Spiritual Direction.

Spiritual Direction is also known as Spiritual Friendship, Spiritual Companioning, Spiritual Guidance and Holy Listening.

Spiritual Direction has been part of the practice of the Christian church in some form since the early centuries of the church's existence. In the early desert communities of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th centuries, the abbas and ammas (those known as the Desert Fathers and the Desert Mothers) who were spiritual leaders of the monasteries provided spiritual guidance to members of the community. Later, spiritual direction and guidance became part of monastic life in other places than the desert and eventually was available not only to members of the monastic community but also to people in the wider church community. Today, there is a growing interest in spiritual direction and guidance as a part of the journey of spiritual formation and development. This interest is both ecumenical and interfaith as more and more people are seeking a deeper relationship with God, the Sacred Mystery and Companioning Presence of Life.

In a spiritual direction relationship, the "director" and the "directee" listen together for the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual mentor or companion is not understood to be the real director in the relationship. The Holy Spirit is the real "director," the guide for deepening the life of the spirit in the directee.

Spiritual direction is a companioning relationship in which we listen for God's voice in the midst of life. A primary question asked in the spiritual direction relationship is "Where is God in the midst of this….?" Where is God in the midst of my relationship with a spouse or a child? Where is God in the midst of my work and professional life?
Where is God in the midst of my schoolwork and study? Where is God in the misdt of my vocational questions? Where is God in the midst of the decisions I make daily about how I use my money, how I treat other people, how I make decisions about everything I do?

Spiritual direction may focus on the life of prayer as it asks these questions. It may focus on our ongoing relationship with God in and through prayer. It may invite us to go ever more deeply into what God may be inviting us to see about ourselves, our relationships to others, and our relationship with the world.

Spiritual direction offers us the focused opportunity to make a deeper commitment to our ongoing spiritual formation, to being shaped and formed in the image of God, to being shaped and formed in the way of life and love, justice, joy, compassion and community, hope and peace.

Spiritual direction usually is scheduled as a monthly conversation for about an hour. If you are interested in learning more about spiritual direction, please contact either Jane Steinhauser or Barbara Battin in the Office of Campus Ministry. Call ext. 2768.