Category: Reflection
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Concluding — drawing the spiritual direction to a close
Some spiritual direction relationships last a few months and others many years. However long the relationship, there will come a time when it does feel right to draw things to a close. These endings and changes are normal and expected and are appropriate for a variety of reasons. You might be entering a new season…
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Reviewing — how is the spiritual direction going?
From time to time it can be helpful consider these questions as you review how the spiritual direction relationship is serving you. If you find it helpful, you can bring any of these as a reflection point to spiritual direction conversation. How do I feel before, during and after the meeting for spiritual direction? What…
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Preparing for spiritual direction
To make the most of spiritual direction sessions the following suggestions are recommended: Think of the session as a sacred time to meet with God (that will be your directors desire also). So it’s advisable tofind a quiet, comfortable undisturbed place to meet, and eliminate distractions. The ability to give your full attention to the…
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Our vocation hidden in the ‘where’ and ‘who’ of our lives
Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly with others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as generous, or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty,…
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Autumn light—Slowing down and noticing
The earth revolves around the sun, and every day the light from the sun hits the earth at a different angle. Auggie, Smoke (by Paul Auster, 1995) I’ve been enjoying the way the warm autumn light illuminates the world test last couple of weeks. The way the colour of the leaves is given luminance by…
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Annunciation
She wasn’t ready for this.She may have been sleeping,Or just waking up. Me? She asksBut I’m still young,No one notices me much. You are seen,Declares the light.Seen and trustedTo carry and to bring to birthThe Light of Creation. Then may it be soShe quietly respondsWondering what her yes will mean. If she looked around She would…
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Breath prayer, after Psalm 34 (lectionary, All Saints)
I live and breathe God…My lungs expand with praise” from Psalm 34.1&2 (MSG) I take a deep breath now.Every moment a gift from you.Every expansion of my frame honours you.Every inhale a thanksgiving.I breathe out in grateful-trust. I continue,I breathe in, “I thank you”And exhale, “I trust you (to provide)” Each inhale a gift.Each exhale…
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Grace, commissioning and ‘not-ok’ (Lectionary, Pentecost)
I tend to loop through the Sunday lectionary for my daily reading. This week we’re approaching Pentecost, and John 20.19-23 was my reading this morning. I noticed Jesus coming to the disciples hidden behind locked doors in fear. He’s not waiting for them to be ok, or to get sorted. His presence with them is…
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Psalm 127, a meditation (Lectionary, Lent 4)
This week as I settled into prayer I returned to the words of this Psalm. As you gaze and meditate on the words, which words stand out to you? This week it was the words “unless the Lord…” which seemed to have the most resonance for me. I allowed them to come into sync with…
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Songs of Lament (hold me now)
One of the many gifts of the Hebrew Scriptures are the expressions of lament which are given voice throughout. The Psalms record many of these — with cries of of “how long O Lord?”, “Why Lord?” … “when Lord?” Note these words from Psalm 6: Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal…