living through a period of transitionAbout Spiritual Direction
In Spiritual Direction, one reflects deeply on daily life experiences and the role of God in your life and the world. It is sacred time to draw closer to God and become attentive to the movement of the spirit. Or as Thomas Merton said, "spiritual direction is in reality, nothing more than a way of leading us to see and obey the real Director -- the Holy Spirit -- hidden in the depths of our soul."
There are many reasons why you might seek spiritual direction. You may be
living through a period of transition
questioning your faith
grieving a loss
experiencing a time of desert dryness in your faith life
needing to discern a direction or path
struggling with an illness, physical or mental
wanting to draw closer to God.
Spiritual direction is done in both individual and group formats. Some people are looking for individual sessions with a spiritual guide in which they can reflect on their own faith life. Others are looking for a group experience of sharing and reflection.
Typically, individual spiritual direction is sought on a monthly basis and appointments are scheduled in advance. Fees range from $30-$50/hour, depending on the ability to pay. For group spiritual direction and retreats, the format and fees are discussed with the sponsoring organization in advance.
Judy's small group leadership has included recent group discussions on books such as The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and facilitating small groups using the Companions in Christ Series: The Way of Prayer and the Way of Blessedness and The Way of Grace. She has led retreats for the South-Central Synod of the ELCA Lay School Ministry Program on the topic of discernment. She has led Sunday Adult Educational Programs on spirituality for area congregations, including a Lenten series using "Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton." She has also given Lenten and Advent presentations at Holy Wisdom Monastery on compassion, Thomas Merton and Social Activism, and Holiness in Ourselves.
Judy leads small groups using a group spiritual direction format on a variety of topics. Most recently, the topic was "discerning your life's purpose." She also leads meditation groups.
Discover and Explore the Sacred
