Rev. Erik Swanson
Spiritual Director and Pastor
M.Div., CASD
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Availability: Please contact me for office hours.
Training & Experience: I graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1998 with a Masters of Divinity and a concentration in Spiritual Formation. I received my Certificate in the Art of Spiritual Direction from the Spiritual Life Center in Bloomfield, CT. in 2004 and have been offering Direction ever since. Prior to Westhope, I was a Pastor in Colchester, CT for four and a half years and a co-founder of MICAH (Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing) in Crookston, MN for a year and a half. Denominational Affiliation: I was born and raised Presbyterian (PCUSA) and openly respect all religious backgrounds and affiliations. Specialties: I offer individual and group spiritual direction and lead spiritual retreats. I am well known for my familiarity with Taize prayer style and the labyrinth. Style of Direction: I have been described as a skilled and deep listener who tries to work with the directee to help him/her be aware of all the fingerprints of the Spirit throughout his/her life. Often I will suggest prayer practices or ways of listening between sessions when appropriate. I will seek to engage spirit, mind and body in the process of listening in a holistic approach. Personal Information: I am passionate about listening for the calling of God in people’s lives and helping them find freedom from that which binds them from relationship with God, self and others. I am the Pastor of Westhope Presbyterian Church. I love being married and spending time with my wife and three boys. I also love woodworking, flyfishing, gardening and most activities in nature. A very formative event in my life was the year I spent living in studying sacred Community in the Taize monastery in France. Clearly my focus on prayer and community stem powerfully from that experience. |