Author relates what he or she learned as a member, mentor or facilitator of a spiritual direction group—a community gathered together to seek and share a desire for God in communal silence, dialogue, intercessory prayer and discernment—and adapts it to a specific setting—the family, workplace, congregation, seminary, the homeless. The result is this collection—a loving, gentle testament to the power of spiritual direction groups—that enables young and old, clergy and laity of all faiths to realize, celebrate and proclaim a commonality of greater spiritual purpose.Fluid and well-honed, The Lived Experience of Group Spiritual Direction is of great value to seminarians, graduate students, church organizations, clergy and laity of all faiths, as well as to anyone seeking guidance on the value of group spiritual direction. It features biographies of its numerous contributors.
About the Authors Rose Mary Dougherty, S.S.N.D., holds an M.A. in spiritual theology from St. Louis University, and a certificate from the Shalem-Washington Theological Union's graduate program in spiritual guidance. She is the
Author of Paulist Press title Group Spiritual Direction Community for Discernment. Monica Maxon holds a Master's degree in theological studies from Virginia Theological Seminary. She edits the Shalem News and helped edit Living with Apocalypse Spiritual Resources for Social Compassion. Lynne Smith is a member of Shalem's board of directors and is a participant, facilitator and mentor for facilitators of group spiritual direction at Shalem Institute.
| Foreword | 1 | |
| Introduction | 5 | |
| I | Choosing Between One-to-One and Group Spiritual Direction | 17 |
| Reflections on an Eight-Year Journey | 23 | |
| There Is a River ... | 38 | |
| Individual and Group Spiritual Direction: A Comparison | 45 | |
| II | Group Spiritual Direction Within Communities of Worship | 59 |
| In a Parish Setting | 65 | |
| Raising Holy Sparks | 76 | |
| App | An Invitation to Group Spiritual Direction | |
| Spiritual Discernment Groups in a Congregational Setting | 94 | |
| App. A | Spiritual Discernment Groups Begin | |
| App. B | A Spiritual Discernment Group | |
| Prayerfulness in a Parish Community | 115 | |
| III | Group Spiritual Direction with Clergy | 127 |
| Learning with a Clergy Group | 131 | |
| Group Spiritual Direction with Clergy | 145 | |
| App. A | Group Spiritual Direction Opportunity for Northfield Clergy | |
| App. B | Reflections on Group Spiritual Direction | |
| IV | Group Spiritual Direction in a Variety of Settings | 165 |
| Tending to Spirituality in the Workplace | 169 | |
| Sacred Story, Sacred Text | 184 | |
| Group Spiritual Direction with Teenagers | 198 | |
| Group Spiritual Direction in Seminary | 214 | |
| App | Class Bibliography | |
| Group Spiritual Direction on Capitol Hill | 234 | |
| V | Core Understandings in Group Spiritual Direction | 245 |
| Experiencing Spiritual Community in Different Settings | 249 | |
| Intercessory Prayer and Group Spiritual Direction | 258 | |
| Silence: Opening Space for God | 268 | |
| Conclusion: "It Would Have Been Enough" | 280 | |
| Contributors | 283 |
Overview
Author relates what he or she learned as a member, mentor or facilitator of a spiritual direction group—a community gathered together to seek and share a desire for God in communal silence, dialogue, intercessory prayer and discernment—and adapts it to a specific setting—the family, workplace, congregation, seminary, the homeless. The result is ...