What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is a specific work of friendship in Christ offered by a person (a “Director”) for the benefit of a person (a “Directee”) who is desiring greater insight into how God does friendship with him or her, according to his or her unique personality and through his or her everyday experiences.
Because God works so intimately within a person’s experience and with such quiet courtesy, persons can often miss completely God’s presence and activity in them. A director helps persons, but without intruding on God’s relationship with them, know how not to miss this, and how to become more free to respond freely and playfully.
The goal of spiritual direction is for a directee to know God, and so to grow in his or her willingness to be taught directly by God through daily experiences, through the rich and tested wisdom of our religious and spiritual traditions, and through the practice of a specific way of doing friendship with others that Christ came to teach us how to do.
How to get started with Spiritual Direction at the Faber Institute…
At the Faber Institute, there are two ways people can go about the Spiritual Direction practice: there is the traditional one-on-one practice, and a communal practice of Spiritual Direction in a retreat environment.
- In regards to the one-on-one practice: contact us to schedule a time to meet with a Director so that we can better understand what you’re looking for, and how we might be able to help.
- In regards to a communal practice: join us for a Pilgrim’s Day Retreat, which is a full day to gather and explore the practice of Spiritual Direction, alongside other Pilgrims. and engagement of the theological and spiritual underpining of the Spiritual Life explored in a retreat environment, an experience of being directed spiritually
What you might be wondering about…
- Appointments are 1-hour in length (weekdays and weekends available).
- A directee can decide with the Director whether to meet monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly.
- Spiritual Direction typically lasts from six to nine months. The ancient practice is for the sake of taking a step, one good step, in a person’s understanding of God’s relationship with them. Directees then depart Spiritual Direction to practice what they learn.
- Any holy work that the Faber Institute does is freely given in Christ. We are grateful to people who understand that to do the work we do requires support. We ask that people donate between $50-$150 per month or appointment, depending on your financial means and what you can commit to donate. Donations can easily be made online here.