Spirituality is about developing our awareness of God, and letting that growing awareness inform and shape our lives. In practice, this requires us to establish a pattern of prayer, and to learn about how we relate to ourselves and to the world around us, how we take our place within the Church, humanity and creation.
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction or spiritual accompaniment is a confidential relationship which creates the space for discerning the presence of God in life’s experiences and for increasing our awareness of how to live out of that presence.
There are many differing ways of describing what spiritual direction is about. The strands of
the work may include:
- Learning about our real identity: we are not simply what we have, or what we do, nor are we what others say about us. Rather we need to discover who we are in the depths of our being.
- Opening ourselves to the many ways in which we experience the Divine Presence throughout life: increasing our awareness of God, ourselves and the world around us. Thus our daily experiences in life gradually find a way of meeting and resonating with our deepest Self. Increasing our awareness in this way requires us to develop a practice of prayer or meditation that will both sustain and nourish us.
- Discovering that as we travel in the company of all humanity, this is not only ‘my journey’ but also ‘our journey’, and that we must seek to find ways of carrying ourselves in the world with compassion and to discover what that asks of us.
The relationship allows a listening both to our self and to God. It is an activity in and of the Holy Spirit, who throughout remains the true ‘director’. In recent years, spiritual direction has become much more widely known of and offered as a ministry. However, it is nothing new, but rather a profound and ancient practice that has been handed down to us from the earliest days of the Church.
Those who offer this ministry are variously known as spiritual directors, spiritual companions, or soul friends. This simply reflects the different ways in which the relationship can work. Spiritual directors are of no set gender or age and they may be either ordained or lay. They are people who have prayer at the centre of their life and have experience of speaking and thinking about life in Christ. They will have skills in listening and enabling people to reflect on their experiences, have had appropriate training and/or experience and have their ministry recognised and affirmed by the Diocese.
In practical terms, spiritual direction involves a regular meeting, usually every one to three months, the frequency being determined by the individual and their circumstances.
Fellowship of Spiritual Directors
In October 2014, the Peterborough Diocesan Fellowship of Spiritual Directors came into being. The purpose of the Fellowship is to enable spiritual direction within the diocese and to provide a coherent community in which individuals will receive mutual support and on-going development.
Fellowship implies a body; a sense of belonging; a shared journey; mutual responsibility for maintaining good practice; that accountability is a ‘horizontal’ process in which all should share and not a ‘top-down’ imposed structure. Thus the fellowship should eventually become far more than a list of names that the diocese can utilise as spiritual directors.
The Fellowship meets twice a year, for both on-going training and development as well as the forging of friendships, mutual support and nurturing within a ministry that at times can be can be isolating.
There is a basic criteria to be met by those wishing to become part of the Fellowship. These criteria are about providing for and maintaining the quality of what we do rather than proscribing literal standards. This has seemed a vital concept to keep before us during the development phase of the Fellowship, as has been the balance between ensuring competency - as far as we can – whilst trying not to over-professionalise what we are about. All members of the Fellowship receive supervision.
This is a venture full of possibilities for the diocese, which places spiritual direction within the whole diocesan structure. It should be a group that we create and mold the shape of as we move into the future together and we hope that spiritual directors already working within the diocese will join us in this venture.
If you have questions or wish to know more about the Fellowship of Spiritual Directors please click here.
Finding or being a spiritual director
Choosing a spiritual director is a very personal decision and an important decision as it can have a large impact on life. Therefore it is worth taking some time to think and pray. You may also find this leaflet helpful: Finding a spiritual director
If you feel drawn to this ministry of spiritual direction or accompaniment, or if you are finding that people seek you out to talk about their faith and life, you can find out more in this leaflet: The ministry of spiritual direction
Wish to know more?
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to be in touch with the Revd. Dr. Judy Craig Peck, Bishop’s Advisor for Spirituality at;spirituality@peterborough-diocese.org.uk