Group Spiritual Direction – Part 2

This week Rev. Barbara Crafton, continues her discussion of group spiritual direction. In Part 1, a didactic on various tools – journaling, prayer, life rules – preceded group discussion. To view Part 1, click on Archives for Issue #1,” Spiritual Development.”

The second part is: the directees are paired, each time with a different partner; they practice peer direction with each other. I deploy them around the building's nooks and corners, so they have some privacy. This one-on-one direction lasts about 45 minutes. One participant will talk for 10 minutes or so, as uninterrupted as possible (even by sympathetic uh-huhs, no easy task) about what G-d is doing in his or her life. What are the challenges and the satisfactions, etc? Then the partner responds to that material -- not as an expert, but as a colleague. Then the roles are reversed. We meet together again for a final time of silence and a closing prayer.

Each of us has our own way of bringing G-d into our daily lives. For many, coming together in community strengthens G-d’s presence and enriches the spiritual gifts available to us each day. This group exchanges e-mails and I invited each of them to join the Morning Prayer community on The Geranium Farm – an-e-community of shared daily meditations and prayer. (Visit The Geranium Farm's website, www.geraniumfarm.org, to learn more.). Most members of the group use the "Let Us Bless the Lord!" moment to check in with me briefly.

It is too soon to say for certain how Group Spiritual Direction is doing, but so far directee feedback is very positive. I look forward to the end of the trial period, when we will decide whether or not to continue. I rather think that most people will want to, or perhaps enough from each of the two groups to form one viable group. We shall see.

In any case, it is a novel way of responding to a need for spiritual support and guidance.