Spiritual Director - By Popular Demand

Essentially, a spiritual director is a person who acts as a mentor and companion to someone who wants to deepen and grow his or her spiritual life. The role of a spiritual director is different from that of a pastor or a therapist, but has aspects in common with each. For those of you new to my journal, it is what I am studying to become.

( A Bit of Background )

I have a spiritual director for a couple of reasons. Since I am by nature an introvert and my own spiritual path crosses so many boundaries of tradition, community life can be problematic for me. Having a spiritual director gives me someone I come to regularly for companionship, encouragement, and teaching. What prompted me to actually go out and find one (after wanting one for years but never actually doing it) is that my seminary requires all students to have one. Tom has a background in Celtic Christianity, and when we had our initial consultation we found out we speak a similar symbolic language, which helps a lot.

My visits with Tom (90 minutes, once a month, although I wish it was every two weeks) help provide me with perspective, give me someone who listens and asks good questions about my spiritual life and challenges, who encourages me, and who suggests questions and things to do which can help me deepen my spiritual life when it would be all too easy for it to get lost in the day to day bustle and fatigue of home, work, and school. We pray together, and he prays for me, which is something that feels more wonderful than I can say.

I believe the Divine is constantly in-flowing into all of us, but that the path of that stream can be blocked with the debris of inattention, ego, and etc. One of the basic tasks of the spiritual life is to keep that channel open and "come to the water" on a regular, consistent basis. Tom helps me keep my streambed clear and helps me deepen it. Which is also as good a definition of a spiritual companion as any.

I found Tom because my school gives us all a 12-page list of directors, complete with background, denominational affiliation, and specialties. (I contacted several who seemed good matches, spoke with two, and selected Tom.) Other places to find them are the yellow pages, spiritual centers or bookstores, retreat centers, churches and denominational offices, spiritual/religious magazines.

Copped from Coop

1) What personality trait in others makes you absolutely mental?

Social insanity. Someone who keeps complaining about the way other people treat them, but doesn't do anything him- or herself to either seek out different kinds of companions and/or adjust their own behavior to stop provoking that response from other people.

2) What personality trait or characteristic in yourself would you eliminate if you could?

Lazy perfectionism. Not being able to do it exactly right is too often my excuse for not doing anything at all.

3) What about your personality is your secret pride and joy?

It's in my LJ title: From the Sublime to the Ridiculous. I revel in a wide range of interests, activities, and entertainments. I take great pleasure in discussing the fine points of esoteric doctrines and their implications for an individual's life of faith, or acting as Clan Mediator for my group of friends. I also can become completely swept away in a roleplaying game, in writing fanfic, or watching Desperado for the umpteenth time. I can appreciate a fine production of Shakespeare, discuss the production critically from several perspectives, and/or revel in the silliness of a parody.

4) Is there a trait or characteristic you admire in others that you wish you owned?

I've known people who practically glowed with warmth and openness toward others, without being sweetness-and-light irritating. I would like to have the quality.

5) Fast forward to you as a very senior citizen. What sort of character are you?

It could go either way: either a dreamy, semi-withdrawn person who has delightful stories and comments to make when I feel like it, or going to the other end of the scale and finally being as bold and outrageous and as I've never yet dared to be.

September 11 -- Enough Day

queenofhalves has a friend named trochee who posted a link to an entry by vyoma naming September 11 Enough Day

I highly recommend it.