For today's interview, I'm honoured to introduce my friend and colleague Monica Romig Green. I "met" Monica during a supervision course that we took together—although I've never met her in person, since I Skyped into that class each week from Colorado Springs. Monica's gentle spirit and tender attention struck me immediately, and I thought, "I would like to be her friend." Over emails, instant messages and communication on Facebook, we've come to discover a mutual love for all things bacon, spiritual direction and life in general. My prayer is that I'll get to met Monica in person this side of heaven, but in the meantime I'm grateful that I get to share her wisdom, wit and loving heart with you.
Introduce yourself to the Anam Cara readers. Who are you? Where do you live? What do you do other than spiritual direction?
Hi! My name is Monica Romig Green. I have been a spiritual director for about 9 years and am a supervisor and retreat leader as well. I am the Director of the Evangelical Spiritual Directors Association, and also the Director of Community Ministries for Evangelical Center for Spiritual Wisdom, its parent ministry, where I help to write curriculum for the church in the area of spiritual formation. I hail from Southern California, but I live in Toronto, Ontario, with my husband Matthew, who is a PhD student at the Toronto School of Theology.
What brought you to the ministry of spiritual direction?
Circumstances that only God could have orchestrated! In 1999-2000, I went through a life crisis that turned my whole understanding of myself and my relationship with God upside-down. I began a journey into deep healing and practicing healthy relationships. Everything I was learning started to bring the rest of my life into question as well. I took a year-long sabbatical from my management work in the professional theatre to discover where God could be leading me through all of this. Through prayer and community, I began to sense that God had something new for me, but I wasn’t sure what. After a season of waiting, I heard about a brand new master’s degree program at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. I enrolled in the first class of the Institute for Spiritual Formation without completely understanding what spiritual formation was or that I was going to be trained in the ministry of spiritual direction. I just knew that this was the next step in the journey God had been walking me through. I was astounded to discover spiritual direction and have loved this ministry ever since.
Why do you think spiritual direction is valuable?
I once saw a poster that said “What everyone needs is a good listening to.” It’s remarkable to me how little we really relate in this day and age. Spiritual direction is a ministry that allows one to be listened to – to be deeply and truly heard. It’s a safe place to share with another whatever is on one’s heart: joys, sorrows, doubts, celebrations, fears, hopes, anxieties. If that were all that spiritual direction were, it would be a tremendous gift. But it’s even more than that. A spiritual director is not just listening to your story, but is also listening and looking for God in your story, offering back an opportunity for you to hear and see God as well. To have someone witness and affirm God’s active presence in your life is a remarkable blessing that can help bring growth, healing and freedom in unexpected ways.
What’s your favorite thing about being a spiritual director?
I tell people that I feel like the most blessed person on earth to be able to practice this ministry! I love seeing and hearing what God is doing in people’s lives. It’s like witnessing some of the most beautiful, heartfelt, touching, and remarkable art you’ve ever seen. How God loves us is so creative, personal, stretching and good. Even when I am accompanying someone through very painful and difficult seasons, it is a privilege to be with them right in the midst of the darkness – no matter how long it lasts – to share their burden and wait with them for God.
What question about spiritual direction do you get asked the most? (And/or what question do you wish you got asked?)
As the director of an association for spiritual directors, I’m not sure that there’s a question I haven’t been asked about this ministry! But because one of our missions is to help introduce spiritual direction to the evangelical church, I think the main question I get asked is simply: “What is spiritual direction?” So many people have never heard of it, and the descriptor “spiritual direction” does not offer the clearest picture in and of itself, even though the term is rich with history. My favorite question to get asked is “do you know of someone who would be a good spiritual director for me?” I love hearing that people are interested and ready to intentionally attend to their spiritual lives with the help of a director. And, by pointing them to ESDA, I can share with them a list of wonderful people who are available to help them.
You were just given a yacht. What would you name it?
A yacht? I think I’d name it “For Sale by Owner.” I have a tendency towards seasickness, so I don’t think you’d find me out on the water like that!
Give us your life story in 6 words.
God’s rewrite trumps my first draft.
Okay, you can have more than 6 words. Share your full bio.
For a full bio, you can send people to my brand new (and always under improvement) website: www.monica-romig-green.com
You can also direct them to www.esdassociation.org for my listing there.
Direct Contact info:
e-mail: monica@ecswisdom.org
phone: From the US – 214-919-4147
From Canada – 416-708-3779
Anything you’d like to add?
You rock, Tara, and I wish you lived closer. I’d love to hang out with you in person!
Ditto, Monica! You’re a joy and a gift to know, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to my friends in the Anam Cara community.