Wil Hernandez, PhD, is an active member of Spiritual Directors International. A spiritual director, he is well known for his teaching and books focusing on the spiritual legacy of Henri Nouwen, an internationally renowned priest and author, respected professor and beloved pastor.

Offering insight in his July 29, 2009 blogpost, Hernandez writes:

As if to wipe out its rhetorical mist and in the process demystifying it, Nouwen—in his characteristic simplicity—boiled down his definition of spiritual direction to that of “direction given to people in their relationship with God.” God is the ultimate focus of spiritual direction. It is not just a one-on-one but a one-with-one encounter. For Nouwen, “a spiritual director simply was someone who talks to you and prays with you about your life.” Nouwen focused on this crucial component of prayer which is the lifeblood of any true spiritual direction relationship.

Hernandez further describes Nouwen: "He filled the oftentimes indistinguishable roles of a spiritual friend, a spiritual guide, a spiritual mentor, a spiritual director effortlessly. He was able to do so because this was precisely who he was—a well-integrated soul companion on life’s sacred journey."

Read the entire post on the Henri Nouwen Legacy blog site ...

Spiritual Directors International member The Rev. Eileen Epperson, MA, MDiv, is featured in The Lakeville Journal (Salisbury, Connecticut, USA) article: “Talking, Listening and Perhaps Ending Religious Violence” by Patrick L. Sullivan. Originator of The Forgiveness Process® she explains the often misunderstood concept of forgiveness:

“It has nothing to do with the other person. … Individuals feel that by forgiving they are somehow losing or condoning something. Epperson compares a person who is stuck on what she calls “the Velcro of the past” to a hamster on a wheel, running furiously and getting nowhere. We can step out of that by declaring we are getting off the hamster wheel.”

Epperson believes that “When you listen, people feel safe enough to say what they need to say.” She will be in Melbourne, Australia 3-9 December 2009 with a similar message for the Parliament of the World’s Religions  

Read the entire article on the TCExtra Web site...

Dorothy is in need of your prayers; adrenal glands completely shut down, severe headaches, Cushing's disease & a miracle will allow her to walk again; her daughter, Leigh started new chemo pill for breast cancer; Bruce, God's favor; & Jim, a touch from God. Thank you & we will pray for you also.

I need spiritual guidance or direction to battle sloth.

 

Spiritual Directors International offers educational videos aimed at the general public to tell the story of spiritual direction, which is also known as spiritual companionship, spiritual guidance, spiritual accompaniment.

Jamal Rahman is originally from Bangladesh, and he currently serves as cominister of Interfaith Community Church, adjunct faculty of Seattle University School for Theology and Ministry and cohost of Interfaith Talk Radio in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is the author of several books, including the Spiritual Directors International book, Out of Darkness, Into Light: Spiritual Guidance in the Quran with Reflections from Jewish and Christian Sources. 

Dr. Janet Ruffing, RSM is a founding Coordinating Council member of Spiritual Directors International. She serves as professor of Spirituality and Spiritual Direction at Fordham University in New York, USA, as well as forming spiritual directors all over the world. Janet has written four books including Spiritual Direction: Beyond the Beginnings and published more than seventy articles on spirituality, spiritual direction and supervision, mysticism, and religious life.

To be the first to view new educational videos, add your name to the YouTube subscription service for sdiworld videos.

Thank you Tara Owens from Colorado, USA and Pegge Bernecker from Alaska, USA for spear-heading this educational outreach program! 

Spiritual Directors International member, Ruth Barton, describes how Protestants are benefiting from spiritual direction and contemplation:

In Protestant circles at the time, anyone talking about solitude, silence, contemplation, or centering prayer was assumed to be embracing some sort of New Age philosophy, or to be well on their way to becoming a Buddhist. But my previous methods for seeking God—Bible study, prayer journals, more and better preaching, self-help books, small group gatherings—were coming up empty. And as I said yes to the invitation to solitude and silence, as challenging as it was, I experienced powerful results in my life that I could not have experienced in any other way.

Read Ruth's entire article on the Sojourners magazine Web site.

Spiritual Directors International launched an educational series of videos aimed at the general public to tell the story of spiritual direction.

Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI is originally from Canada, and he currently serves as the President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of many books, including Holy Longing, which he mentions in this interview. Sister Mary Ann Scofield, RSM is a founding member of Spiritual Directors International and has been involved in the Mercy Center Art of Spiritual Direction internship in Burlingame, California, as well as forming spiritual directors all over the world for decades.

To be the first to view new educational videos, add your name to the YouTube subscription service for sdiworld videos.

Kudos to Tara Owens from Colorado, USA and Pegge Bernecker from Alaska, USA for spear-heading this educational outreach program! 

 

Ring. Pause. Ring. Pause. Ring. Pause. During a retreat at Thich Nhat Hahn’s Plum Village in France, I learned how to use everyday sounds to practice returning my attention to the present moment. When the telephone would ring during a community meal, everyone on retreat stopped whatever we were doing – we held our forks in mid-bite and ended conversation mid-sentence. The dining hall became silent while the telephone rang three times. On the fourth ring, a Vietnamese Buddhist nun on staff would pick up the telephone, “Bonjour,” and then everyone would start chatting and eating again. The telephone rang frequently, and randomly, so we had plenty of opportunity to learn the rhythm of being in silence together for short, sweet moments of rest.

The simple spiritual practice of using a sound to gently return focus to God’s presence in our lives has more than spiritual advantages. Our minds benefit from a discipline of taking regular breaks from thinking. My shoulders and neck relax when I intentionally practice resting for a minute before resuming whatever tasks compete for my next action.

I recently installed a FREE meditation timer for the computer that also serves as a reminder to return to restful, centered silence. The ability to set the meditation timer with a random chime allows me to spiritually, mentally, and bodily practice resting during the many hours I spend online. The random chime announces it’s time to stop typing, breathe, relax my shoulders, readjust my posture, and thank God for the present moment.

To download the meditation timer, visit the FREE Download page of the Web site in the Resource section, or simply click on the image. Follow the installation instructions based on whether you have a PC or Mac.

What sounds do you find spiritually, mentally, and bodily renewing throughout your day?