Here's another 'classic,' which I forgot to include in my original "Underpinnings," post. When I first stumbled across Katymagdalene of Vocation Blog's account of her early attempts to find a spiritual director - I first a) Laughed so hard I nearly spat my coffee out over my keyboard, b) Thought guiltily about my own oh-so- carefully crafted 'bio,' on our local network list and blushed*, c) Remembered my own frustration as a seeker trying to make sense - (any sense!) of the seemingly labyrinthine communications systems of the Good Old C of E, (emails not replied to, phone calls not returned) and d) thought - this piece should be compulsory reading for every director and would-be director, discouraged seeker and ecclesiastical communications person. It deserves a wider audience.
* In my defence - no animals were mentioned at least...
Oh wonderful. Thanks for the link! I agree it deserves a wider audience and I may well include it in our teaching materials. In my defence, I do encourage people to see a couple of prospective directors before choosing one - the "click" does matter. This kind of matchmaking is a special art!
ReplyDeleteI agree. That's the thinking with us, too. People are encouraged to "shop around." (in the nicest possible way, of course!)
ReplyDeleteOn of the important points K makes in her blog IMO - is that communications that are less than ideal can be discouraging, more - positively off putting for what may be a very nervous seeker. It takes a lot of courage to take that first step, especially if you're not certain of what you're looking for - or even if you're 'worth' listening to.
Yes, I do agree on that; and many seekers are uncertain (e.g. those who've been told they "need" an SD without much information about what that is) - and then find themselves communicating with someone who doesn't seem to know either. I think, and hope, things are changing but there's still work to be done.
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