DISCERNMENT - A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
This has been the first year using the 2004 Constitutional direction identifying through prayerful discernment the gifts of sisters and brothers, call them, gain their consent to serve, and present them to District Conference for affirmation as leaders. The prayer discipline is important for calling leaders, exploring difficult concerns in our lives or our congregations, making significant choices, and seeking the guidance of the Spirit of God.
In the prayer Jesus taught, "Thy will be done". As we finish, the dedication of those words flies out of our minds. God gives us the freedom to choose, but we don't pause long enough to discover God's will. The essence of discernment is searching for "the will of God" in our lives. The Holy Spirit guides us and calls out the gifts God has given us. The intensity of stress and speed, the addiction to immediate gratification, materialism, self-centeredness, prejudices, and other sins in our culture consume our souls. We can seek God's will through our faith individually, in our families and congregations, and in relationships with others. Today most believers don't take time for daily prayer or reflection on Scripture. We can't go where God is not. The discipline of discernment helps us, in faith and prayer, to follow God's way.
As a form of contemplative prayer, it differs from other prayers of meditation, praise & celebration, suffering and grief, or casual "quickie" prayers. Prayerful active listening, being open and aware of the issues, and standing committed to faithfully serve God in our choices and responses are facets of relating with the mystery of God in our lives. Tellhard De Chardin said, "We are spiritual beings having a human experience, not human beings having a spiritual experience." As members of Christ's body, we are on a spiritual journey together.
In his recent book, Another Way of Believing: A Brethren Theology, Dale Brown writes: "Discernment… has taken on an important function in Anabaptist circles-that of naming the gifts of brothers and sisters in the body. The community of faith discerns and calls out leaders while respecting the wishes of the one being called. Brethren believe that guidance by the Spirit shapes local and Annual Conference decisions. Our openness to this gift could lead to shaping the program of the church by discerning the gifts of members, rather than always shaping individuals into offices or slots." (p.86) Discernment was used historically by Brethren in calling elders, ministers, deacons, and others to service. The Holy Spirit is always with us, helping us to grow in prayer, to increase our discipleship, and to travel with God in our life's journey. We are blessed.
by Larry Ulrich is a member of York Center, a retired minister, and Chair of the Gifts Discernment and Call Committee.
In the prayer Jesus taught, "Thy will be done". As we finish, the dedication of those words flies out of our minds. God gives us the freedom to choose, but we don't pause long enough to discover God's will. The essence of discernment is searching for "the will of God" in our lives. The Holy Spirit guides us and calls out the gifts God has given us. The intensity of stress and speed, the addiction to immediate gratification, materialism, self-centeredness, prejudices, and other sins in our culture consume our souls. We can seek God's will through our faith individually, in our families and congregations, and in relationships with others. Today most believers don't take time for daily prayer or reflection on Scripture. We can't go where God is not. The discipline of discernment helps us, in faith and prayer, to follow God's way.
As a form of contemplative prayer, it differs from other prayers of meditation, praise & celebration, suffering and grief, or casual "quickie" prayers. Prayerful active listening, being open and aware of the issues, and standing committed to faithfully serve God in our choices and responses are facets of relating with the mystery of God in our lives. Tellhard De Chardin said, "We are spiritual beings having a human experience, not human beings having a spiritual experience." As members of Christ's body, we are on a spiritual journey together.
In his recent book, Another Way of Believing: A Brethren Theology, Dale Brown writes: "Discernment… has taken on an important function in Anabaptist circles-that of naming the gifts of brothers and sisters in the body. The community of faith discerns and calls out leaders while respecting the wishes of the one being called. Brethren believe that guidance by the Spirit shapes local and Annual Conference decisions. Our openness to this gift could lead to shaping the program of the church by discerning the gifts of members, rather than always shaping individuals into offices or slots." (p.86) Discernment was used historically by Brethren in calling elders, ministers, deacons, and others to service. The Holy Spirit is always with us, helping us to grow in prayer, to increase our discipleship, and to travel with God in our life's journey. We are blessed.
by Larry Ulrich is a member of York Center, a retired minister, and Chair of the Gifts Discernment and Call Committee.
<< Home