Spiritual Direction has a long history within the Christian religious traditions. For many centuries it was expressed almost exclusively within the cloistered walls of religious orders and monasteries, but in recent decades it is a practice that has exceeded those bounds and now includes people from all branches of Christian faith and practice, as well as many other faith expressions and traditions.
At its simplest, Spiritual Direction is attentive listening. It is one person paying prayerful attention to another as a means for you, the person coming for direction, to discern the myriad ways that God is present to, or absent from, your particular experience of being human.
In this way I, as a Spiritual Director, am someone who walks alongside you. I am a companion, directing your attention to your ongoing and ever-present relationship with God. In a prayerful conversation, usually lasting for around an hour, you will share something of your life and together we will delve into the experience and explore the ways in which you may be being drawn towards, or away from, a deeper level of encounter and intimacy with God. The conversation may include ways to deepen or further savour the experience, or simply notice the presence of God with us.
It will be up to you as to how often we would meet, but my suggested average would normally be every month or so. We could meet together as a once-off, a few times, or regularly for many years, knowing that all meetings would happen only by mutual agreement.
If you would like to begin a conversation to find out more, email me at mark@undertheappletree.org
Spiritual Direction
is welcoming, respectful, non-judgemental, private and confidential
Spiritual Direction
is prayerful and contemplative. It allows space to reflect on life's experiences and make sense of them in light of your relationship with God
Spiritual Direction
is intentional: whether celebrating and savouring life's highs, navigating those spaces betwixt and between, giving expression to pain, or finding glimmers of hope in life's lows
Spiritual Direction
helps you to grow to ever deeper levels of intimacy with God as you talk, pray, listen, respond and give expression to the daily realities of your life
Spiritual Direction
is helpful in decision-making and discerning future directions
Spiritual Direction
offers guidance and practices to integrate spirituality into daily living