Pastor Karl Gaston, Tracy Schmidlin, Ken Larson, and Sara Jones talked about
spiritual direction and what a spiritual director does. Spiritual direction, which began in
300 AD, is concerned with a person’s real experience of their relationship with God, the
art of contemplative listening carried out in the context of a 1 to 1 trusting relationship.
A spiritual director guides people in that journey in their lives. There are Episcopal and
Catholic options to be trained as a spiritual director, and they do not need to be
ordained, as they can be lay or clergy.
When you work with a spiritual director, they hold you accountable, help you find
the Holy Spirit’s movement in your life; as well as help you with what’s coming up. If
you’re able to sit with a spiritual director and the Holy Spirit, be in silence, it will help you
find calm, peace, wonder, and much discernment in your life. The difference between a
spiritual director and a Stephens minister is that Stephens ministers walk with someone
while they’re in crisis reflecting the love of Christ to them while praying and
acknowledging the Holy Spirit.
As a reminder, on our green card under piety, there is a section for spiritual
direction. Your green card is a tool to build your faith and get you closer to Christ.
It is for you. It is a gift. If is from our loving God.
