WHAT HAPPENS

IN THE WOMEN’S SPIRITUAL DIRECTION GROUP?

The meeting’s simple, three-part format is:

Guided Meditation

Discussion

Close-of-Day Prayer

GUIDED MEDITATION.  As shepherdess of the group I (Mary Ann) take the group through a relaxation talk, encouraging the  women to relax from their toes upward and to let go of everyday worries, concerns, and responsibilities.  I then read a brief passage of Scripture or a spiritually-themed book and lead a short, guided meditation on that reading.  I encourage the women to put themselves into the scene of that night’s story by using in their imagination all their senses of seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and even tasting.  Near the end of each meditation I suggest that each woman ask of God whatever is on her heart or mind that evening.  I leave some time for silence.

            For those of you who feel unable to meditate or uncomfortable with meditation let me stress that THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO MEDITATE!  Some people sometimes see images or hear words, some think thoughts, some go with their distractions (which are often the Holy Spirit calling us to something important), some simply sit quietly in the presence of God, and some (including myself) may fall asleep at times.  And each woman may have a different type of experience at different meetings.  I have come to trust that God brings us what we need at the time – whatever form that takes at each meeting.

DISCUSSION.  After the meditation, we share, if we want to, whatever came up in our quiet time, or about our dreams, or anything we wish to bring up about our current, everyday life.  If we speak “across the circle’ to the sharing woman, we do so gently, with open-ended questions, never pushing a view point or an interpretation on another member of our circle.  Each member is encouraged to see if others’ comments “resonate” with her inner and outer experiences or not. And, most importantly, we keep strictly confidential anything that is said in the room.  We practice what one of my teachers, Margaret Guenther, calls “Holy Forgetting.”  What is said in that room remains in that room.

CLOSE-OF-DAY PRAYER.  We use a combination of passages from both the Presbyterian and the Episcopal close-of-day prayer services, along with a lovely version of the Lord’s Prayer from the New Zealand Prayerbook.   There are beautiful words in these services which create a wonderful ending to our shared time together.  We pray for ourselves and for others, and we are reminded that our whole meeting time has been a type of prayer– the imaginative meditation, the conversation with one another in the presence of the Holy Spirit, as well as the concluding service.

MORE DETAILS.   These meetings can feel like a SPIRITUAL HOMELAND – a place where we women can truly feel that God cares about every facet of our lives, not just the ‘religious’ parts.  It is a place where we can discuss any aspects of our lives we wish to bring up, knowing that somehow it all connects back to God.  Nothing is too small or trivial to be brought to God.

RESULTS.  We rarely receive instant answers, nor do sudden changes often occur.  We also never try to ‘fix’ things for each other.  However real changes in both our inner and our outer lives can and do happen.  A new sense of peace, joy, comfort, support, compassion, justice, or empowerment can take up residence inside us.  And, most importantly to me, I have come to believe, through participating in this type of group, that God is truly present in and truly cares about our everyday lives.

LASTLY. Unlike so many other activities in our secular and church lives, spiritual direction meetings are a place of REST.   Our gatherings are not another committee meeting, with agendas, things to decide, and things to do at home before the next meeting.  We simply show up when we can and …rest.  Our gatherings can be an oasis of quiet, rest, and listening in a busy, noisy world.  Please come whenever you can and enjoy this holy refreshment.

Contact me if you have any questions or ideas.

Mary Ann Archer,

M.A. in Spiritual Direction, General Theological Seminary, New York, NY

P.O. Box 34

Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943

(434) 223-7675

mspirdir@kinex.net

photo by Elizabeth Dupree

Recent Articles

___________

 "Spaces Between"

"Still Life"

"Poor In Spirit"

"Designs"