spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction is an ancient practice that has enriched the church across the centuries around the world. The purpose of spiritual direction is to accompany individuals in their lives with God for their growth, wholeness, and joy for the sake of the world.
I like to describe myself as a Spiritual Director with the phrase a Companion on the Spiritual Path.
A path is a part of the journey. First of all, I don’t know, neither will I ever know the whole of your life journey, but perhaps you will allow me to join a patch of the path you are on right now. Maybe it’s a part of the path that’s rocky, or new and has signs to all directions and you don’t know which one to take, or there seems to be a wall on the way that feels too high to climb over by yourself.
By the term spiritual I don’t only mean the ‘soulful’ part of life but rather all of life. All parts of our lives in God are spiritual: work, rest, relationships, emotions, health, and all. Paying attention to every aspect of our human experience opens up possibilities of meeting with God through and in all of it.
A companion is someone who joins the other along on the path they are traveling. The companion is not deciding what the path looks like or where it is taking you, but simply coming along with you and perhaps helping you notice something new about your path - see familiar scenes differently, have the courage to accept an invitation or receive a gift along the way, or adapt the pace you are heading.
Simply put: It is my desire to offer companionship to you on your unique spiritual path, and my prayer is that our times together will give you clarity, hope and courage to keep journeying on. God’s Spirit is our guide and His love our home.
Anyone is invited – A firm believer in God or a seeker of truth, a child or an adult, a veteran pilgrim or a new explorer of 'The Way'; we all need a companion to share our path with.
Every life is sacred and each path unique.
*In this blog entry I write a bit more about who might find Spiritual Direction especially fruitful.
How does it work?
This time is for you and God.
I ask questions and may offer a Scripture reading, prayer or some exercises to engage your imagination, emotions, body and thoughts in, but you decide what feels right and fruitful for you.
The pace of the conversation is slower than we are used to and silences are a welcomed part of the three-way-conversation between, you, me and God.
I won’t offer advice or counsel, neither am I a trained psychotherapist. I listen to you and God’s Spirit for traces of God’s work in your normal daily life. I consider our conversations as a prayer, a holy ground where God sits with us as we open up to Him.
You don’t have to come prepared with topics, questions or observations; however, some prefer to spend some time apart reflecting back their time in between our times together.
Our first session is a chance for us to get to know each other, clarify expectations and hopes for our times together, talk about practical details, and for you to get to experience a bit of what Spiritual Direction with me might look like in practice.
Fees
I always offer the first session free of charge.
Fees for the following sessions are on a sliding scale (as shown below) and are due the day of our appointment, unless otherwise agreed. Further discounts are available for students, single parents or any others who experience finances as a significant hindrance. We will agree on the fee during the free introduction session.
My hope is that finances aren't an obstacle for anyone receiving Spiritual Direction.
Adults $ 50 - $ 75 per session (60 mins)
Children $ 20 - $ 40 per session (up to 45 mins)
Frequency and Place
Each session lasts about an hour and we typically meet once a month.
Some people meet for direction only for a short season (4-6 months), some for a life time, and the rest, anything in between.
You can give me feedback whenever you want in between the sessions and we will review our work together every six months.
I offer direction in person at my home in Denver, Colorado (when it is safe), outdoors (e.g. at a prayer labyrinth), and online via Zoom etc. video call platforms.
If English is not your native language but Dutch or Finnish is, we can use either of those instead.
Please get in touch for further details and scheduling a discovery session by using the contact form below.