Spiritual Companionship (Spiritual Direction)

Spiritual companioning (SC) or Spiritual Direction (SD) has been practiced for centuries, although it remains unfamiliar and mysterious to many people.  I approach Spiritual Companionship as a space where “time is different.”  There is a slowing and an intentional process of listening to God/Spirit/Mystery/Creator/Life with you on your behalf. 

There are many resources that explain its practice and purpose; one I find particularly helpful is offered here by Rev Bill Haley from Coracle in Quicksburg, VA:   “Spiritual direction is…the process whereby one person offers a listening, prayerful presence to another while they journey together with God.  The spiritual director is one who, most simply, walks alongside another person helping them listen to what God is saying in their lives and recognize God’s action… in spiritual direction a director ‘listens to God on the person’s behalf.’  In spiritual direction, it is more listening with God together than one person listening only to the other.”

The image I resonate most is one shared here by Simon  Brown, a New Zealand pastor, spiritual director and storyteller who writes: “The task of the spiritual director is to be positioned, like a campfire in the wilderness, welcoming sojourners from all corners of life to stop, relax and yarn for a while. A place where tired bodies and spirits are warmed by the fire and refreshed. A friendly atmosphere where stories of the road are shared amongst travellers. The job of the spiritual director is to keep the fire burning because one never knows when a traveller will come to sit. It doesn’t matter where on the journey the traveller has been exploring, or how long they have been walking, if they come in peace to sit on a log by the campfire, they are welcome.”

I consider it a sacred gift to be invited to walk with another as they pay attention to where they experience of God’s presence, or seeming absence, which helps lead to greater wholeness.

Spiritual companion sessions typically last 60 minutes and can take place in person, online or by phone. I have experience in using the Enneagram, trauma-informed care, and a rich variety of spiritual practices (such as lectio divina and centering prayer, among others) which can be ways Spirit/God/Love may invite you to hear more clearly.

Eco-Spiritual Direction is a particular type of companionship that engages our time together with an intentional focus on how Spirit is present to us in and through all of the “holy wild” or living world around us.

If you would like to schedule a free introductory session to decide if SD is a right next step for you, or with further questions, please feel free to contact me at sightinglight@gmail.com.