[Oe List ...] Salmon: Reflections on "Discernment"

Sun Mar 30 17:47:47 EDT 2008

Colleagues on the Journey --
    I enjoyed Mark Phillips' Earthrise reflections about the discernment of God. It made me stop to reflect on similar episodes when I've been asked to help someone discover the presence of God in their life. My first question is quite existential. How do we know a cow is a cow, or a tree is a tree? Of course, it is its "IS--NESS" that is discerned.    
    The same is true for us as humane and gracious creatures working for justice and mercy -- it is as we awaken to our "is-ness" that we discover the experience, or presence, of God. Well, at least we are one manifestation of the Mystery. Um-m-m-m, it seems to me this is the similar message Moses claimed from the Great "I Am!" 
    Isn't it fun to wake up to what we already are, but to which we spend most of our time asleep or in denial? Isn't this the demonstration of the Christ Event. Mark is right, Zorba experience it in quarter-time: Ah' ! - 2 - 3 - 4, and'a 1 - 2 - 3 - 4. Thank God for Kaz. I suppose it is appropriate to thank God for Tillich as well. Once awakened, it is necessary to accept our awakenment as the gift it already is, already has been, and always will be. Isn't this The Way It Is (TWLI)?
    Come to think about it, isn't this the purpose of that damn wake up bell: "Praise the Lord, Christ is Risen." "He [or she, as the case may be] is risen indeed!" Now, if my feet can find that cold winter boards on the 3rd floor of the Brussels convent. Oh, that's cold. Yep! That'll wake up anyone. 
    Inner Peace!
    Bill Salmon

I'm finding that these Earthrise reflections are not only a way to share my thoughts with people who care about many of the things I care about, but also a discipline to help me think about some of the events in my life. This one is certainly in that vein.

A couple of months ago, our priest asked me to organize a discernment group. It's a process of discussion, prayer and meditation to discern a calling from God in one's life, and it is a part of the formal process in the Episcopal Church leading to ordination. Additionally, many churches have a discernment group process for anyone who wants help in thinking through any major turning point in their lives. In our case, the group was formed to assist a member who wants to become a deacon. 

I said yes to the assignment, even though I must admit I was completely unaware of the discernment process, and have a bit of skepticism about a structured process to understand something as personal as "how God is moving in my life." I like Carter, the main "focus" person of the group, a lot, and want to help her on this journey she wants to take. I have a fair amount of facilitation experience, and (like most of you) I've had a few brushes with God's call over the years. But it is certainly a different kind of task - designing and leading a process that will enable Carter, four other people, and me to dialogue with God about important aspects of our lives.

It turns out there are lots of resources on the subject. There is a book that the diocese recommends for these groups, Listening Hearts. It's actually pretty good in presenting a well-rounded view of the topic, and many sections serve well as jumping-off points for group discussions. However, it seems to me that the process it describes is a bit too "normative" and a bit too calm and measured. You wrestle with understanding if it's a call from God, or something less, then you reach a conclusion, or maybe not, but you move on with your life. Not much about how that wrestling may tear your life apart, or the terror that humans feel when sensing God is moving them towards something new, something unknown. I may have to pull out Kazantzakis at some point for a little different take on hearing God's call!

So what are the thinking points for me? Here are several:

It's easy to fall into a reduced understanding of the nature of God (duh!). It may seem like God calls us episodically - at certain times in our lives - but is rather silent the rest of the time, leaving us to our own devices. However, if you understand God to be a constant reality in our lives, upon which we are totally dependent for our creation and everything we experience, then discernment takes on a different meaning - a basic human activity that we are constantly doing out of a faith stance.

If discernment is something we do all the time as God's creatures, what difference does it make to consciously try to engage in discernment as part of a group? The church's insight, at least as regards a calling to ordination, is that discernment is a function of the faith community. A formal process involving others helps guard against a reduced understanding of call, and pushes us to consider life decisions in a broader context. It enables us to benefit from others' experiences with understanding how God moves.

The role of the deacon, as I've come to understand it, is to lead the external mission of the congregation. Why does Carter (or anyone) need the title, or the discernment framework in order to do that work? She has been thinking about the deacon role for several years, and in many ways she already serves that function in our parish. The simple answer is that the formal discernment process will help her solidify her decision and help ensure that it is a response to the Lord of All, rather than something she wants to do. (Would that be so bad?) On another level, it honors the Church by allowing it to claim her work as part of its vision and operations. The deaconate turns out to be a symbol of the Church's mission to the world, and requiring a formal process of discernment and study, is a way for the Church to say that mission is important.

I am Mark Phillips, living in the Seattle area, and thankful for the opportunities and challenges life continues to present.

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