spiritual direction

Recently, I completed a two-year course of study to become trained in a centuries-old practice known as spiritual direction. In case you’ve never heard of this before, I define spiritual direction as an intentional process whereby one person helps another notice, honor, and respond freely to God’s presence and activity in their life. As a spiritual director, I seek to cooperate with God in nurturing an open space where others can come to God just as they are...to experience what it means to be the Beloved of God.

I love the simplicity and the process of spiritual direction because I see a lot of playfulness in it. Did you know I happen to be passionate about play?!

Though the phrase “spiritual direction” might not sound very playful, time and time again, I have seen the spirit of play embodied in our midst as the person seeking God’s direction experiences freedom, grace, joy, and openness in their relationship with God. In spiritual direction, we engage our imagination and become more childlike (trusting) in our faith.

Like play, spiritual direction is not a pre-planned program. Each session has an improvisational feel to it as we simply listen to what is being said and as we open ourselves to what God might want to say in the spirit of love, just love. We bring the stuff of our real life to the interaction and attune our hearts to the very heart of God, bringing Scripture to bear and applying the gentle, compassionate, and gracious way of Jesus to our lives.

In the midst of such an interaction, we cultivate the spirit of self-forgetfulness (which is also a characteristic of play) as we attend fully to God’s presence in our midst right here...right now.

I’ve become convinced that these kinds of interactions are sorely needed in a world that scarcely slows down long enough to really listen. It saddens me that in our society today we have become increasingly violent towards one another in thought, word, and deed. In that light, spiritual direction is a countercultural way of being with one another, so I am looking forward to practicing it more and more with those who may be interested in it.

I wonder if you sense that spiritual direction could be a help to you in your life? If so, I’ve prepared a sign-up form where you can find out more details about it. If you have any questions or want to talk with me more about it, feel free to reach out via a private message.

In any case: may God’s love and joy, grace and freedom flourish in your life!

listening

Listening—what a generous act! To listen is to give a gift to another and to oneself. Listening is a treasure that enriches both the giver and the receiver.

In listening, we set aside our pride. To truly listen, we cannot assume that we already know; there is more to learn, to discover. We are open.

To listen, we empty ourselves of preconditioned opinions and we see first-hand that in the emptiness there is a fullness. The empty space is filled with generous presence.

In true listening, we are happy to listen in silence to silence. It is enough just to be together. The best listening happens in person.

The world is filled with spaces where people just want to be seen and heard. It is tempting to add my voice to the mix, to say what I think needs to be said (and I often do so hastily). But if I am to offer an apt word, I must first listen to what is really being said. When I really listen, I discover that my listening helps others listen to themselves—and listening becomes our teacher. To listen is to learn and grow.

………………..

listening

reflections by troy cady

.

.

.

*Photo by Warren Wong via Unsplash. Creative Commons License.

everyone suffers loss

Everyone suffers loss:

work and health,

relationships and security,

certainty.

Loss often strips us of joy.

Sometimes loss makes us feel powerless.

It raises frustration.

Feelings of futility may surface

and seem to control.

Anger and sorrow commingle.

Something’s amiss.

Everyone suffers loss.

Most people you meet

are just trying to find their way in life

as best they know how.

Every day is a day to show mercy.

Every day is a day to offer grace.

Every day is a day to listen well.

Every day is a day to remember

there’s more than meets the eye going on.

Every day is a day to be the friend that’s gained

when someone is suffering loss.