Partners in Covenant: The Art of Spiritual Companionship

Partners in Covenant is a guide for the personal formation and spiritual growth of those who seek to become more effective spiritual companions. Filled with concrete experiential examples and reflection tools Barbara Sheehans resource provides a practical way for individuals or groups to enter into a peer program. Her sensitivity to a wide variety of cultures and spiritual expressions enhances the books ability to revitalize the spiritual caring ministry of Christian communities. In a world so filled with anxiety stress and confusion spiritual companionship is not a nicety--it is a necessity! Partners in Covenant takes seriously the call to help each other to listen to Gods promptings. I wish everyone in ministry would read this book as preparation for or review of what it means to be a spiritual guide for others. This book does something incredible: it reverences the delicate process of spiritual companionship while at the same time calling us to courageously take our natural spiritual role in carefully encouraging others in their search for God. --Robert J. Wicks author of Touching the Holy and Living a Gentle Passionate Life Sheehan argues that spiritual companioning is an art. Those who practice it are not professionals. Those who receive it are neither patients nor clients. Companionship is a charism to be developed by prayer practice and supervision. It is a covenantal not a contractual relationship requiring an informed commitment and integrity of conscience. Even at points of contention the reader will engage the charism of Sister Sheehans companioning. --John Weborg North Park Theological Seminary While spiritual companionship is an aspect of every Christians life-in-community this volume is the guidebook for those who hear spiritual companionship as a calling a discipline; it insightfully explores the complexity and hazards of spiritual companioning and describes the intertwining of psychological and spiritual well-being. It offers no one-size-fits-all depiction of spiritual struggle and development; rather the author examines the impact of race gender and culture on the difficult struggle toward spiritual healing and growth. --Rev. Jim Gibbons Vice President Pastoral Care and Education Advocate HealthCare Oak Brook Illinois Barbara A. Sheehan SP is the director of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools urban clinical pastoral education program a spiritual director and the founder of the Ministry of Christian Listening a spiritual companion program.