SUSTAINABLE FAITH GLOBAL
Spiritual Direction Training & Spiritual Formation
Blessed are those whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the valley of tears, they make it a place of springs. They go from strength to strength till each appears before God.
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SUSTAINABLE FAITH GLOBAL
We are a contemplative collective of spiritual directors, global workers, pastors and leaders that seek to provide resources for prayer, formation, spiritual direction, ongoing training and retreat in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and beyond. The aim is to help people flourish, in discerning and living out their purpose faithfully, joyfully and sustainably.
You may notice our image of a cypress tree before the background of an eclipse. The cypress tree has been depicted historically in Christian art and writing as a symbol of divine restoration, beauty, spiritual flourishing and steadfast faith—it’s rot-resistant wood and consistently evergreen nature represents God’s enduring presence within and the transformation of suffering and desolation into beauty and strength. Behind our image of the cypress tree, is an eclipse representing the experience and mystery of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. As Christ endured suffering, his divinity was eclipsed by his humanity. It didn’t disappear, but it was hidden as he made his way from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross. As Christ emerged a few days later in Resurrection and new life, his divinity was shining brightly.
Oftentimes, in this work of spiritual direction and formation we find ourselves in these varied seasons of the soul—when divinity feels hidden and the humanity of it all screams loudly around us; or conversely, when the divinity shines brightly and we feel like God loves us and can do anything among humanity.
In our collective of spiritual directors, we host retreats, nurture conversations of consequence, accompany leaders, train spiritual directors, and help people pour themselves out from a deep place. We value slow work over fast work. We prefer to be drawn rather than driven. We place greater weight on desire than on duty, knowing that it carries us farther. Working alongside others as co-learners is more helpful than working over them as experts. We’re convinced that reflection, self-awareness and discernment are more needed than ever. We were made to be together and do life together. Amen.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
One of the earliest Christocentric statements of faith comes from the apostle Peter. After Jesus asks his disciples what others are saying about him, he points the question at them: “And who do you say I am?” Peter answers simply: “You’re the Messiah”. In his understanding, he likely meant, “I believe God has singled you out to rescue us from the Romans and restore all that we as a people have lost.” Peter was mostly clueless about the nature of the rescue and restoration this Messiah would provide, but his response delighted Jesus, who said, “Blessed are you … for my Father in heaven has revealed this to you.”
We get something of the same from one of the two criminals executed with Jesus. The unnamed man hanging beside Jesus offers nothing approximating a modern statement of faith. It’s more a hope that Jesus is in fact some unrecognised king who will acquire some unnamed kingdom. And with this hope he asks for a pass, an 11th hour humble request to be remembered post-mortem by Jesus. Once again, this is enough for Jesus, who kindly says, “Today you’ll be in paradise with me.”
Paul singles out the core elements of his gospel to be that Christ died for our sins, was buried, was resurrected on the third day, and then appeared to numerous people alive at that time. (1 Corinthians 15)
From these and other simple statements of faith we move through centuries of time toward longer and more detailed creeds, the growth of which was fuelled by heterodox theologies to which the creeds were a response. Consequently, we move from Paul’s statement to the Old Roman Symbol to the Apostles’ Creed to the Nicene Creed and beyond.
If you’re looking here for a creedal statement of that nature, a list of theological propositions to which we assent so you can determine if we pass muster, we’ll disappoint you. For us it’s enough to say we love Jesus and feel we have nowhere else to turn; that he is our Saviour – the Way, Truth and Life; that he reflected to us the faithfulness and loving kindness of the Father in concrete ways; that he remains with us in and through the presence of the Holy Spirit; and that in him we have undying life. We also confess that whatever we think these things mean, we’re likely to be as clueless as Peter and the criminal were. Yet we think that honest confession pleases God, and we offer you here an excerpt from a well-known prayer of Thomas Merton:
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“I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
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Our Staff
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![Helen Hicks Operations Manager]()
Helen Hicks, Operations Administrator
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![Sara Carlisle, Charity CEO Spiritual Direction Training | Spiritual Formation & Direction | Sustainable Faith]()
Sara Carlisle, Charity CEO
