Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Spirit in Practice: An Adult Program for Developing A Regular Practice of the Spirit

Taking It Home: Spiritual Partnerships

Continue to explore some of the questions brought up by the workshop, either on your own or with a friend. These questions include:

  • How and when do I experience the sacred?
  • What mindsets and practices help me experience the sacred?
  • What else would help me at this point in my spiritual development?
  • What has been my greatest challenge on my spiritual journey?
  • What am I wrestling with right now in my spiritual life?

If you are interested in having a "spiritual friend," think about what qualities you might want in that person. For example, you probably want the person to be a good listener and an ethical person. You might want someone who is a peer—perhaps someone who's already a friend, or someone in your congregation whom you're just getting to know. Or you might want someone with special training who could be a mentor and guide, such as a minister, therapist, spiritual director, or meditation teacher. (Note that most ministers serving Unitarian Universalist congregations won't have time in their schedules to meet with an individual member more than a few times about the same issue; therefore, someone other than your congregation's minister is more likely to be available for spiritual guidance on an ongoing basis.) If you approach someone about being a spiritual friend to you, make sure that the relationship is clearly defined, with each party having precise expectations of the other, and that the relationship as a whole has a specific intent.