Purgation, Illumination and Union are three stages of spiritual development outlined by St. John of the Cross.
Purgation is a phase representing love for pleasure sake. It is time of exploration, into spiritual disciplines. The best description of this time is described in Luke 9:23. This is a period marked by turning away from things of this world and setting your eyes on the Lord. This stage is about being filled with love in spending time with God through meditation, prayer, worship, and other spiritual disciplines.
Purgation often is a time of recognition and repentance of sin. As a Christian Coach, it would be my role in this phase to help you recognize sin and walk with you through the act of repentance. In addition, this stage it is a time to experiment in the different spiritual disciplines to find union with Trinity. In Matthew 22: 37-40, describes this as a process to love God with all your heart, mind and soul. It would my pleasure to walk beside you and coach you to discover way(s) to connect with God as an instrument to growing. I would get to walk beside you in entering the next phase of Illumination.
The Illumination stage can often feel like a dry season after the intense nature of the love felt during Purgation. This is a time of growth. As your coach, I would encourage you and help you discover how God wants you to continue to grow. This is time to look for God’s face, to sit with Him as friend and companion.
The final stage is union stage, and this is a time when you have confidence and faith that God is with you. The security of just knowing that He is God. This is the time to sit in what I call the “I AM” understanding. This is a time of gratitude, marked by unselfish nature. As your coach, this is the phase to explore your confidence of being God's hands and feet here on earth. This is a time of movement and being called to His purpose. It is also a time discuss the ongoing movement between these different phases. This stage is not an end destination but a relationship builder that allows each cycle to be stronger and a level of confidence of leaning into God.
