Spiritual Direction

guidance in seeking the Lord's heart in life and in faith

Spiritual direction is one of the values of the 8th Day Community. Specifically, spiritual direction is a guided and mentored path of discovery. The spiritual director's role is as a guide and fellow traveler while the person(s) receiving direction are encouraged in prayer, listening to the Lord's voice in their lives, and growing in the disciplines of the faith. It is the discovery of the Spirit of God in the life of an individual and in a community; an invitation into God’s love and direction in prayer and spiritual friendships.

It in unlike counseling in the clinical sense, though both can be a compliment to one another. Psychologically-based counseling is problem-centered, focused on fixing issues, and concentrates on emotional distress and mental illness. Spiritual direction is primarily a pastoral role concerned with God’s movements of love and grace as individuals, couples (both married and engaged) and families grow.

William Barry and William Connolly, in their book The Practice of Spiritual Direction, describe spiritual direction as,

"…help given by one Christian to another which enables that person to pay attention to God’s personal communication to him or her, to respond to this personally communicating God, to grow in intimacy with this God, and to live out the consequences of the relationship."

Spiritual direction is learning to discern, see and listen to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives, the silent but evident work as fruit is born in the lives of the faithful. It is also a sacred tie to place and time, to the present and to the hope birthed in the desert of brokenness. Though we see "...as through a glass darkly..." we are fully known even as we will someday fully know. That is the journey of the spiritual director and of the person receiving direction; to more fully be known by God as we surrender to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. We then are increasing in the knowledge of being affirmed and loved by the Father who fully embraces all that we are both in this life and the life of unbridled joy to come.

For more information about receiving spiritual direction and/or training in spiritual direction through the 8th Day Institute contact Dr. Dale Pollard at dale@8thdaycommunity.org, or by cell at 360-201-3957.