life. The Spiritual Movement Matrix will be employed to guide this examination.^15
Spiritual directors use the Matrix for observing how God is experienced and to notice
the contemplative movements within a person’s life. Forerunners to the Spiritual
Movement Matrix include the “Grid Arenas” and “The Experience Circle.”^16 While
all of the literature has been written on the Experience Circle the Spiritual Movement
Matrix has been selected since it better illustrates the important movements in
Ambrose’s life. Elizabeth Liebert acknowledges the difficultly in capturing the
fullness of experience graphically using the Experience Circle.^17 Further, it appears
to distort this more than the Spiritual Movement Matrix. Structurally the Circle
implies that experiences work themselves from the outer edges into the center, named
the mystery or God. It is also possible for some who seek to use the Circle to assume
that one must pass through these levels progressively as steps. Liebert recognizes
these potential limitations and asserts that these are not her intentions,^18 however, that
message is not communicated visually. Additionally, the Matrix seems to enlarge the
presence of God by placing God around the entire range of experiences rather than
localizing and limiting God at the center. This conveys that a person can move from
any direction and through any level of experience to notice the presence of God.
(^15) The Spiritual Movement Matrix was developed by Andrew Dreitcer and Patricia
Bulkley in 1997 for training spiritual directors at San Francisco Theological
Seminary, San Anselmo, CA. See Appendix 1. 16
Shea, “Spiritual Direction and Social Consciousness”; Keegan, “Spiritual Direction
for Justice”; Cleary, “Societal Context for Supervision”; and Liebert, “Supervision as
Widening Horizons.” 17
18 Liebert, “Supervision as Widening Horizons,”135. Liebert, “Supervision as Widening Horizons,”135.^