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The first session of my Spiritual Direction course has just finished, and I'm feeling very good about it indeed. If I try to describe the content, it might feel on a superficial level as though there was very little of it, but the emotional effect and sense of the Spirit working is profound.
The tutors gave us an overview of what to expect each evening, and everyone in the group (fifteen students, three tutors, one teaching assistant and two admin members of staff) introduced themselves briefly by talking about our favourite food, place, and book.
After a short break we then split into small groups of one tutor and five students and were told a bit more about the course and the way we'd be learning - it's very much designed as an experiential process rather than an academic one. We then introduced ourselves in a bit more depth, talking about where we lived, what our worshiping communities were like, and what helps us to connect with God.
Then followed the most substantive bit of tonight's session, where we were all told to turn our cameras off, and faced with a blank piece of paper to draw something to represent a)what drew us to the course, b)how we were feeling about it now, c)what particular gifts and traits we had to bring to the ministry of spiritual direction, and d)what we hoped for from the course. We were then each asked to take two minutes to talk about our hopes for the course, and after each person had spoken to take a minute in silence to reflect on what had been said and hold it before God.
It feels like a completely alien approach, and I am absolutely befuddled that I didn't find it the least bit anxiety provoking; but on the contrary, I feel nourished and enriched, and even more excited than I was before.
The tutors gave us an overview of what to expect each evening, and everyone in the group (fifteen students, three tutors, one teaching assistant and two admin members of staff) introduced themselves briefly by talking about our favourite food, place, and book.
After a short break we then split into small groups of one tutor and five students and were told a bit more about the course and the way we'd be learning - it's very much designed as an experiential process rather than an academic one. We then introduced ourselves in a bit more depth, talking about where we lived, what our worshiping communities were like, and what helps us to connect with God.
Then followed the most substantive bit of tonight's session, where we were all told to turn our cameras off, and faced with a blank piece of paper to draw something to represent a)what drew us to the course, b)how we were feeling about it now, c)what particular gifts and traits we had to bring to the ministry of spiritual direction, and d)what we hoped for from the course. We were then each asked to take two minutes to talk about our hopes for the course, and after each person had spoken to take a minute in silence to reflect on what had been said and hold it before God.
It feels like a completely alien approach, and I am absolutely befuddled that I didn't find it the least bit anxiety provoking; but on the contrary, I feel nourished and enriched, and even more excited than I was before.
