Spiritual Direction

Practiced by the early Desert Fathers and Mothers of the third century CE, Spiritual Direction has experienced a resurgence in the contemporary setting. Unlike Stephen Ministry, Spiritual Direction is an ecumenical model of spiritual intervention that encompasses both Western and Eastern religious practices. Spiritual Direction is a practice of listening together to how the Holy Spirit—however conceptualized by the spiritual director and directee—might be moving in the directee's life in the present moment. The process often includes periods of meditation in which participants sometimes sit in silence, gently letting go of their mental states such as thoughts, feelings, beliefs, intentions, and ideas in anticipation of hearing the Holy Spirit's still small voice within. At other times, the spiritual director and directee pray aloud, using a shared language for the Holy Spirit. Through this process, the spiritual directee seeks to discern and carry out the Holy Spirit's will in their daily life. Together, the spiritual director and directee cultivate the directee's greater attentiveness to this still small voice, which often inspires a sense of awe, serenity, and connection to the universe. Spiritual Direction's strengths and limitations in the context of attachment theory are discussed. A case illustration is offered.