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Published in
Membership Moments on Feb 9, 2009
Spiritual Directors International participated in the Spiritual Care Summit gathering of North American chaplains. The chair of the summit, George Grant, PhD, visited the Spiritual Directors International booth and is pictured with Lisa Irish (in the background, Bobbi Breitman and Carol Ludwig). Member Bobbi Wright, a spiritual director and a chaplain, writes about the thread that links spiritual direction and chaplaincy in the Christian tradition:
The connection between chaplaincy and spiritual direction is that of holy listening. Listening is one of the most important gifts that we can give the each other. Holy listening entails silencing all noise and interruptions around us and centering in on the other. It involves also bringing the Holy One into the moment. We listen and talk differently when someone else is listening. In our holy silence, we not only listen to ourselves, but also to the Other. As we practice this in our daily lives, we can listen this way with anyone we encounter. What a powerful message this sends. We are indeed blessed with God-given goodness and beauty of the gift of listening.
11/20,2009, at 17:53
Someone sent me this web site, and it is interesting. In 1989 - 1991 I took the Spiritual Direction Formation Programme at Queens house in Saskatoon, Sk. Canada. At the time I thought God would use my listening ear in the organised church. Instead he led me into a prion. Many times I have felt I was standing on holy ground Since 1998 I have been a volunteer at a Med. Security Prison in the City where I live. It has been very rewarding, and it is so nice when these men say that it was helpful. I'm not part of Spiritual International. But it does my heart good to connect to this web site. Tina