Faith formation and sacred conversations are the focus on the faith journey through spiritual direction, retreats, books, and other resources.
All in Sacred Conversation
Between death and resurrection we pause and hold a space to reflect on all that has occurred during this Holy Week.
Week Six of Lent we sit in the deathwatch, observing all that occurs on the way to the cross.
Third Week of Lent… Following at a distance from Jesus. What does it mean? Where do we keep our distance? What might draw us near?
We may stumble in the dark when death or loss take us by surprise, or weariness and demands confound us. But always Christ goes with us, prepares the way for us, and his words sing comfort into our lives.
Whether we worship communally or privately, prefer the silence or the music, in soaring cathedral or a simple country church, we all worship. It’s part of what defines the human experience. But what’s at the heart of worship?
Henri Nouwen said, “Discernment requires not only reading with the heart but being willing to put down the book we are reading to just listen to what God is saying to us through its words…” Books form us, inspire, entertain, confound, and confront us in so many ways. How have books formed your life?
Discernment is more than just figuring out the significant moments in life. Spiritual discernment is an everyday practice that can change everything.
Discernment is more than just making a good decision based on the pros and cons of the path forward. Discernment looks beyond, looks deeper into the heart of the matter. Find out what that means.
Discerning the Divine invitations in life is looking for the fingerprints of God on our souls. It invites us to listen and to be heard, to see and be seen, to touch and be touched by the Divine presence at work within us. But first, we must ask, “Do I want to be heard, seen and touched by God?”
Just as the tulip bulbs need to be replanted, and the flower bed needs weeding, and soil needs feeding, so the soul needs tending, over and over again, for always we are beginning.
Last week called us to lament as we cried out to God with unspeakable sorrow over the senseless loss of life and mourning that befalls our human condition. Lament is prayer that leads us to longing and to safe landing in the arms of the God of all Comfort.
Since the beginning of time, humans require support. Like a rose on a trellis, we thrive when the support is strong, but allows for organic growth. What does your support system look like?
Words are like a handful of seeds scattered across the field of my soul. And when my heart is prepared and fertile, like well fed soil, those few seed words send down deep roots and nurture me, grow me, turn me into a fruit-bearing being.
How do you find your purpose in life? Is there really such a thing as we live out our ordinary days? Three words give us a clue.
In this season of global change and cultural upheaval, people are re-evaluating their faith, their traditions, and what it means to be the church. And churches are asking the hard questions about how they can partner with individuals as they re-imagine the possibility of being a faith community. And spiritual direction is one way to minister to the church and individuals exploring their own faith journey. Following are six ways to open the doors for spiritual direction in the church
Is it possible to know God in the midst of the most mundane tasks of your day? To recognize the voice of God while emptying the dishwasher, baking cookies, buying new rain gutters, or repotting the houseplant?
Reimagining the church and the congregation is opening doors to new ways of expressing our journey together, and spiritual direction is playing a role in opening that door.
Half way through Lent we come to the Spring equinox - equal parts day and night. It seems an appropriate moment as we move from the ashes and look toward the light and life on the horizon just 20 days away where an unexpected resurrection awaits us.
What do you talk about to a spiritual director? Start with where you are and how you are today.
How does spiritual direction work? What happens in a session? FAQ #2 tells all.
