Welcome
The Most Important Thing
I am making a home inside myself. A shelter
of kindness where everything
is forgiven, everything allowed—a quiet patch
of sunlight to stretch out without hurry,
where all that has been banished
and buried is welcomed, spoken, listened to—released.
A fiercely friendly place I can claim as my very own.
I am throwing arms open
to the whole of myself—especially the fearful,
fault-finding, falling apart, unfinished parts, knowing
every seed and weed, every drop
of rain, has made the soil richer.
I will light a candle, pour a hot cup of tea, gather
around the warmth of my own blazing fire. I will howl
if I want to, knowing this flame can burn through
any perceived problem, any prescribed perfectionism,
any lying limitation, every heavy thing.
I am making a home inside myself
where grace blooms in grand and glorious
abundance, a shelter of kindness that grows
all the truest things.
I whisper hallelujah to the friendly
sky. Watch now as I burst into blossom.
Shared with Poet's Permission
About Sharon
Meet Sharon
Sharon is a Spiritual Director, Teacher, and Retreat Leader whose own faith pilgrimage has followed a strong but circuitous path. That pilgrimage began in childhood and was shaped by Christian fundamentalism where reminders of one’s sinful state were plentiful. Years of searching, learning, wandering, and interior wrestling led her to broader and more spacious places—places where a sense of belovedness became part of life's natural fabric. These spacious places became a true home—space in which to reside and thrive. The practices Sharon found most helpful in this discovery of this spacious home include regularly meeting with a Spiritual Director, self-compassion and kindness to the inner critic, and reimagining the pilgrimage of faith. It would be Sharon’s joy and privilege to hold space for you as you listen for the presence of the Holy in your own pilgrimage and seek to find your true spiritual home.
Sharon offers individual Spiritual Direction, guidance in designing personal pilgrimages, and instruction in mindfulness-based self-compassion practice through her Spiritual Direction practice.
Credentials
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Doctor of Ministry, Spiritual Direction, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, 2024.
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Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, 2022.
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SHALEM Soul of Leadership Contemplative Leadership program, 2019.
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MA in Theological Studies, Regent College, Vancouver, BC, 2004.
Offerings
Find a True Home
We live in a time and space in history riddled with complexities—stressors, family conflicts, financial pressures, political polarization, and upheaval. Our faith communities, intended to be places of restoration and peace, are often embroiled in the tensions. Where is the soul to find grounding in a world of unrest? As beautiful creatures made in the Image of God, our most authentic connection is within where we are at ease in the love of the Holy. So much, though, inhibits access to that sanctum home within. Past trauma, significant loss, a nagging inner critic, disorientation, and many other life experiences clutter the stoop outside the door to that inner space of connection. Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Pilgrimage, and Self-Compassion are all tools for returning to that inner space where we are at ease in the love of God.
“Spiritual Direction is recognizing God’s amazing work in us and among us in the ordinariness of human existence.” -Margaret Guenther.
Sharon offers:
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Individual Spiritual Direction
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Group Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Pilgrimage involves a journey to a sacred place in search of an encounter with the Holy. It may be a physical excursion to a sacred site, a retreat to a quiet and solitary space, or a pilgrimage of the heart and mind involving regular spiritual practices, reading, investigating, and reflection.
Sharon offers:
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Leadership for retreats and workshops on the Spiritual Life as a Pilgrimage
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Consultation on designing a personal spiritual pilgrimage (ideal for sabbatical, times of transition, seasons of caregiving, or exploration of personal faith ancestry).
Growing a capacity for self-compassion and treating the self with kind attention takes intentionality and practice.
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Guided mindfulness-based self-compassion practice sessions for individuals
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Guided mindfulness-based self-compassion practice sessions for small groups.
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Retreats and workshops focused on growing self-compassion.
Get To Know
More About Sharon
Sharon lives in Nashville, TN. She is a spouse, stepmother, caregiver, teacher, dog-mom, and lover of the spiritual life. Raised by missionary parents whose life and vocation were steeped in theological study and practical ministry, her roots are clearly in the Christian tradition. Her own vocational journey has included years spent in parachurch campus ministry and in the world of religious publishing. She’s been described as one who “follows her own star,” a star that regularly led her out of constricting faith environments and into broader spaces. Shaped by a belief that the Holy One will playfully guide us into places we never imagined we’d go, she is committed to holding to the good of what was while moving into the freedom of expansiveness.
Sharon’s Spiritual Direction practice is informed by biblical and theological study, somatic awareness, and spiritual practices—ancient and new. She is especially interested in how self-compassion practice and reimagining the faith journey offer healing from religious trauma and judgmental views of God. Sharon is an HSP energized by outdoor walks, cooking good food, yoga, reading, swimming, and finding perfectly scented candles.
Sharon Conley Cottignham
Contact us
Reviews
What people are Saying
"Sharon is a kind, compassionate, and skilled Spiritual Formation Group leader. She is careful to tend to our breath as well as our souls in her guidance."
-K.
"Sharon listens. She understands the challenges and joys of the spiritual journey. I’m grateful for her companionship along the way."
-L.
"Sharon’s teaching helped bring the concepts of Spiritual Direction to life for me. She included really helpful spiritual practices into her teaching that made learning more like a guided experience."
-S.