Our shared common life always involves discerning together what the Holy Spirit is doing among us. Sometimes these stirrings of the Spirit are woven into and arise from our plans and programs, and sometimes we don’t even see them coming!
For the last several years now, the ministry of spiritual direction has been quietly simmering on the side. Spiritual direction is when someone trained in this area gives sustained attention to another person’s life with God. We had one Spiritual Director in our parish and a few parishioners receiving direction occasionally from different people.
A few years later, another parishioner begins pursuing spiritual direction, and then another, and then conversations about what this ministry might look like at our Mission Abbey started bubbling to the surface. And now, as we move into the Fall semester, it seems spiritual direction is everywhere we look.
One of our Mission Abbey Pastorates this Fall will be exploring the ministry of Spiritual Direction, and it’s already maxed out with registrants! At the end of September, we will be hosting a Spiritual Direction Weekend. Fr. Jack King from Apostles’ Anglican in Knoxville will be leading a Conversations a la Carte about Spiritual Direction on Friday, September 26, and then he will offer a guided retreat the next morning.
Fr. Jack King, Rector of Apostles Anglican Church in Knoxville, TN
Currently, we are blessed to have four Spiritual Directors among us at All Saints: Chelsy Crawford, Andy Frizzell, Sally Swanson, and Dn. Nan Thomas. It is our desire to recognize their ministry and install them as Spiritual Directors in our parish during this Sunday’s service. Let’s continue to nurture this growing ministry and see how the Spirit will continue to stir.