James E. Woods, DMin, is a pastor within the United Methodist Church and is on the faculty for the Certification in Spiritual Direction program at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. James is also director of the Center for Transformative Prayer. He devotes up to six weeks each year living at the Cistercian-Trappist Assumption Abbey in Ava, MO, and lives with his family in McKinney, TX.