What is Spiritual Direction?
Spiritual Direction is the ancient practice of sitting with someone trained theologically and otherwise to listen with you to the events of your life to hear where the Spirit might be inviting you.
It transcends and includes pastoral counseling and what you might get over a good lunch with a close friend. Often, the director has a history of doing ministry themselves, is deeply immersed in the long and wide tradition of Christianity, and helps you get closer to the “abundant life.”
With twenty years of professional ministry, a Master of Divinity, and a Master of Theology (focused on Spiritual Direction and Developmental Theories), I hope I can be of service to you.
What Others Have Said
“I have just started to pursue spiritual direction with John. I found him to be easy to talk with and a good listener. He paces the session well and makes helpful observations and comments based on his vast knowledge of reading various Christian authors over the centuries. I plan to continue working with John and look forward to our next appointment. ” – Don Z.
“Spending time talking with John is more like spiritual therapy than anything else. I often joke that you were more of a therapist/counselor to me than my first 2 therapists.” – Josh S.
“The spiritual wisdom of a sage, the empathetic non-judgment of a therapist, the sensitivity to God’s voice of a prophet, the shame-free love of a parent, and the attentive listening of a close friend. John Chaffee is a healing balm for a hurting soul. If you want a safe space and a trustworthy guide to help you navigate your faith journey, do yourself the favor and talk with John. The love, freedom, empowerment, and hope you will experience is priceless!” – Joshua S.
A Spiritual Director is Something of a “Post-Pastor”
For some people, the conventional understanding or role of a pastor is exactly what they need. For others, though, what kind of person is needed after the conventional no longer works?
For people who have gone through a deconstruction of some sort, who have decided they might want to get off of the ministry treadmill, who have begun asking questions they know are not welcome or cannot be answered in conventional ways, they may need a spiritual director.
If any of this resonates with you, you only have to lose the chance to have someone who has been through those experiences, still anchors themselves in the Christian tradition, and can speak to walking through that particular kind of deconstruction or Dark Night of the Soul.