Spiritual Direction in Context

Spiritual Direction in Context

Author: Nick Wagner

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2006-03

Total Pages: 195

ISBN-13: 0819222097

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"God created us to be lovers," writes Nick Wagner in his introduction to Spiritual Direction in Context. "When we love, we are in right relationship. We are acting for justice. The ministry of every spiritual director, in any context, is to serve as a guide into the depths of that love relationship." Here, in this provocative collection of essays, respected leaders in the field of spiritual direction explore the myriad of contexts in which this relationship takes place and offers practical ways to respond to them. As the popularity of spiritual direction grows, directors are facing situations that monks and nuns - for centuries the exclusive practitioners of this profession - never had to face. The essays in this book, drawn from Presence, the journal of Spiritual Directors International, look deeply at spiritual direction in a number of contexts, including the workplace, with the aging, in hospitals, with women's groups, with youth, with the homeless, and with those in mourning. Spiritual Direction in Context is the third in the SDI series.


Spiritual Direction

Spiritual Direction

Author: Henri J. M. Nouwen

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2006-05-23

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 0060754737

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Spiritual Direction gives us the unique and unrivaled experience of having Henri Nouwen as our personal spiritual director, answering our questions about the spiritual life in his wise, comfortable, and engaging style. With Nouwen's guidance, we can reorient our lives and open the door to true spiritual transformation. Henri Nouwen, the world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor, understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community, and relationships. Though he counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of spiritual direction were never written down. Now two of his longtime students, Michael Christensen and Rebecca Laird, have taken his famous course in spiritual direction and supplemented it with his unpublished writings to create the definitive work on Nouwen's thoughts on the Christian life. Stories, readings, and thematically organized questions for reflection and guided journal writing provide an unparalleled resource for spiritual direction, both for individuals and for small groups.


Seeking Spiritual Direction

Seeking Spiritual Direction

Author: Thomas Dubay

Publisher:

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780892838103

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A guide for Christians who are considering spiritual direction or who are already engaged in the process. It explains what spiritual direction is, the qualities to look for in a director, the process of finding a director and ways to develop a deeper prayer life.


Still Listening

Still Listening

Author: Norvene Vest

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2000-10

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0819218146

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Cutting-edge essays, written by seasoned spiritual directors, which examine a variety of new frontiers in spiritual direction in the 21st century.


Awakening the Creative Spirit

Awakening the Creative Spirit

Author: Christine Valters Paintner

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2010-02

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 0819223719

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The resource is designed to help spiritual directors and others use expressive arts in the context of spiritual direction. It is the latest book in the unique SDI series, designed for professional spiritual directors, but also useful for clergy, therapists, and Christian formation specialists. The Spiritual Directors International Series – This book is part of a special series produced by Morehouse Publishing in cooperation with Spiritual Directors International (SDI), a global network of some 6,000 spiritual directors and members.


Discerning Life Transitions

Discerning Life Transitions

Author: Dwight H. Judy

Publisher: Church Publishing, Inc.

Published: 2010-10

Total Pages: 175

ISBN-13: 0819224073

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Every one of us will experience several major life changes over the course of adulthood. Each of these transitions will be marked by external changes, such as change of location, career changes, promotions, or job losses, plus changes in family circumstances, including births, marriage, and death. These transitions are also marked by inner change, since most of us readily examine our faith life and relationship with God during such periods. This book helps people examine both the outward and the inward dimensions of major life changes. This blend of interior examination and attention to practical issues is shown in the questions that set the stage for the discernment process: - What theme or themes do you bring to this process of discernment? - What details would be necessary to know in order to discern an outcome? - What are the financial implications? - What are the implications for family members or others close to you? - What information do you need to start gathering?


Invitation to Retreat

Invitation to Retreat

Author: Ruth Haley Barton

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2018-09-18

Total Pages: 165

ISBN-13: 0830873937

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When we choose retreat we make a generous investment in our friendship with Christ. Seasoned spiritual director Ruth Haley Barton gently and eloquently leads us into an exploration of retreat as a key practice that opens us to God, guiding us through seven invitations to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.


Short Term Spiritual Guidance

Short Term Spiritual Guidance

Author: Duane R. Bidwell

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published:

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 9781451407327

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This book represents a significant departure from most contemporary writing about spiritual direction. While most writers focus on long-term relationships of guidance, specifically envisioning long listening sessions, Bidwell changes focus. Spiritual direction, he insists, typically requires intervention in a specific crisis or situation or question, is not formal, lasts fewer than five sessions, and must be actively and intentionally focused on the person's growth. Bidwell's work shows what spiritual directors can learn from the short-term therapy model, especially about enabling people briefly but effectively to ''learn to listen on their own and with others for God's presence.'' Focusing on how God is already active in the directee's life allows the participants to identify God's action and respond in ways that collaborate with that identified movement of the Spirit.


Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls

Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls

Author: Gary W. Moon

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2009-09-20

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 0830876960

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In recent years, many Christian clergy, laity and mental health professionals have rediscovered the ancient practices of spiritual direction. Seen as a refreshing alternative to the techniques and limitations of modern psychology, such practices offer new insights for pastoral care. But many remain unclear on what spiritual direction is and whether its methods are applicable to their own clients and parishioners. Spiritual direction is a practice of Christian soul care that is found most notably in the Catholic, Orthodox and Episcopal traditions but is also present in Wesleyan/Holiness, Pentecostal/charismatic, social justice and Reformed communities. Predating modern counseling and psychotherapy movements but sharing key principles and insights for spiritual formation, spiritual direction offers significant resources for today s pastors, counselors, therapists, chaplains and other caregivers attuned to the work of God in people s lives. In this landmark volume, editors Gary W. Moon and David G. Benner, along with a team of expert contributors, provide a comprehensive survey of spiritual direction in its myriad Christian forms. Specific chapters offer careful historical perspective and contemporary analysis of how Christians from various backgrounds have practiced spiritual direction, with particular attention to each tradition s definition of spiritual direction, the process of authentic transformation, the role of the spiritual director, indicators of mature spirituality and other aspects of the spiritual direction process. Chapters also provide psychological and clinical insight into how spiritual direction is similar to, different from and can be integrated with psychotherapy and pastoral counseling to help others experience spiritual transformation and union with God.