Bethlehem Lutheran Church

One of the classical disciplines of the Christian faith journey is spiritual direction. Along with prayer, worship, solitude and study, spiritual direction has been used by people of faith as a way of developing a more intimate relationship with God.

What is Spiritual Direction?

Spiritual direction or guidance is an ongoing, one-on-one relationship for the purpose of becoming more attuned to God’s presence and responding to that presence in all of life. If we believe that God is actively involved in our lives, spiritual direction can help us discern that activity and respond to it.

Is God inviting, challenging, forgiving, healing me? Is God calling me to do something different with my life? Is that really God speaking to me through a dream, a passage of Scripture, a surprising occasion or another’s comments? How can I deepen my prayer life?

The questions you bring to a spiritual director may be limitless, but there is always a central question, How is God present and what is God saying to me? Spiritual direction is not direction in the sense of one person telling another what to do or how to live, nor is it therapy where one seeks a cure for psychic ills. Spiritual direction is more of a companioning where one person walks with another, listens to the ordinary and exceptional events of your life and assists in discovering insights that will deepen your relationship with God.

Who Seeks Spiritual Direction?

Those who seek spiritual direction will have the desire within them to grow spiritually and will want to spend time with God in silence, prayer, worship, study and service. When you start noticing new insights, raising new questions and wondering new thoughts, you may benefit from talking with a spiritual director. Spiritual direction is not for everybody. If you feel a tug in your soul to become more deeply connected with God and sense that God is inviting you to a new level of spiritual growth, a spiritual direction relationship can be very helpful.

How Does Spiritual Direction Work?

 In a typical spiritual direction relationship, you would meet for about an hour once a month. Those seeking direction will not come to solve their problems and then leave. Rather, insights, questions and issues will be shared for prayer and conversation. It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is the true director for all of us. The human director is there to listen, question and guide. Periodic evaluations will be done to look honestly at how things are going and to decide whether to continue. Bethlehem Health Ministries is pleased to introduce Catherine Duncan, a certified spiritual director. Catherine received her Masters of Arts in Theology and spiritual direction certification at The College of St. Catherine’s.

For more information or an appointment, call Catherine at 612.925.1027.