Comments on: The importance and value of a Spiritual Director http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/ unpimp and remonk Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:40:44 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Paul Fromont http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-221 Paul Fromont Fri, 13 Jul 2007 05:22:05 +0000 http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-221 Good advice Kevin. Training to be a spiritual director one of the most "pivotal" experiences in my Jesus-following journey thus far... Hope all is well with you and the family. Good advice Kevin. Training to be a spiritual director one of the most “pivotal” experiences in my Jesus-following journey thus far… Hope all is well with you and the family.

]]> By: Beth http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-164 Beth Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:27:00 +0000 http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-164 Hey Kevin, did you know this post got picked up on the blog of Spiritual Directors International, where you are identified as "an auto body shop owner and spiritual follower"? It just came across my RSS reader. http://info.sdiworld.org/archives/2007/07/05/spiritual-direction-won-t-fix-you Hey Kevin, did you know this post got picked up on the blog of Spiritual Directors International, where you are identified as “an auto body shop owner and spiritual follower”? It just came across my RSS reader.

http://info.sdiworld.org/archives/2007/07/05/spiritual-direction-won-t-fix-you

]]> By: steven hamilton http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-159 steven hamilton Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:09:11 +0000 http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-159 i have been without a spiritual director for too long...lots of sacred companions around - and i know we do provide this as a group at times, but i need to be more intentional to reach out and find a spiritual director... thanks kevin... i have been without a spiritual director for too long…lots of sacred companions around – and i know we do provide this as a group at times, but i need to be more intentional to reach out and find a spiritual director…

thanks kevin…

]]> By: Beth http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-157 Beth Wed, 04 Jul 2007 13:41:57 +0000 http://thekedge.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/the-importance-and-value-of-a-spiritual-director/#comment-157 I have a brochure I give potential directees and ask them to read it before they come to interview me, and it makes a couple more "this is NOT" type distinctions which I think are also important: it's not counseling, yes, but neither is it mentoring/discipling, nor is it shepherding. I've had an odd assortment of directors -- two Anglican parish priests (one live, one online), one nun, one group of women, and now a lay Roman Catholic woman -- and I've gone without a director for some time at various points. I do think a comfortable fit is important, maybe especially early on... but it's also true that there are functions of being in direction that work even if the person is sort of a stretch for you. And absolutely pay. It's important for the way it helps you value it, yes, but it's also a justice issue. No one goes to a masseuse or a counselor or a personal trainer and says, "I know you probably need to support yourself, but could you just give me free appointments anyway?" If someone is supported in another way (member of a monastic order, chaplain at a hospital whose hospital lets them do direction on work time, independent income) that's a different issue. In New England we have a network of evangelicals involved in spiritual direction, and our sort of parent organization is just kicking off a training program for directors: http://www.leadershiptransformations.org/selah.htm I have a brochure I give potential directees and ask them to read it before they come to interview me, and it makes a couple more “this is NOT” type distinctions which I think are also important: it’s not counseling, yes, but neither is it mentoring/discipling, nor is it shepherding.

I’ve had an odd assortment of directors — two Anglican parish priests (one live, one online), one nun, one group of women, and now a lay Roman Catholic woman — and I’ve gone without a director for some time at various points. I do think a comfortable fit is important, maybe especially early on… but it’s also true that there are functions of being in direction that work even if the person is sort of a stretch for you.

And absolutely pay. It’s important for the way it helps you value it, yes, but it’s also a justice issue. No one goes to a masseuse or a counselor or a personal trainer and says, “I know you probably need to support yourself, but could you just give me free appointments anyway?” If someone is supported in another way (member of a monastic order, chaplain at a hospital whose hospital lets them do direction on work time, independent income) that’s a different issue.

In New England we have a network of evangelicals involved in spiritual direction, and our sort of parent organization is just kicking off a training program for directors: http://www.leadershiptransformations.org/selah.htm

]]>