Disciple: On Discernment

A powerful tool for everyday life

By The Rev. Robert Black

“Almighty God, may you guide us to seek the Truth: come whence it may, cost what it will, lead where it might.”

That subversive and bold prayer, attributed to Phillips Brooks, has always resonated with my sense of discipleship and the holy task of discernment.

Discernment is a powerful and helpful tool to use when we are searching for such Truth. It is a deliberate process in which many voices are considered with a goal of coming to a peaceful resolution. “Discern” is from a Latin word, meaning to “separate” or “perceive.” As we all know, there are competing truths and agendas in our world. It seems our culture is filled with disagreements and battles. Civility and genuine dialogue are too often absent from our public discourse, so it should be no surprise results are also lacking. We are frequently torn apart by our divisions, entrenched in our sense of right and wrong, and restrictively defined by labels like “conservative” or “liberal.”

Few of us will ever be in complete agreement on all points of theology, and to lay claim to the fullness of Truth is to create an idol. But our divisions can offer us a glimpse into the depth and breadth of God, giving us a healthy sense of humility. Our disagreements can be the start of a rich dialogue. Or, as they often do, controversial or disparate points of view on topics can work against God’s desire that “we all be one” (John 17:21) and cause division. However, the Good News we proclaim is that what unites us is stronger than those things which seek to divide us. God’s love and mercy are more powerful than our fears and differing beliefs.

DISCERNMENT EVERY DAY

Discernment, though, is not reserved just for monumental decisions like how to handle a nuclear deal with Iran; it is a tool that can be used every day. When conflict arises, big or small, discernment can be used to help us to see that conflict not as a negative, but rather as an opportunity to engage each other in dialogue. There are no questions too big to be asked, and no topics that are off limits. Our society is in desperate need of conversations that involve true discernment – whether about balancing individual rights and the good of the community, presidential candidates, racial reconciliation or social inequality. Here in the Diocese of North Carolina, we’ll soon need some discernment as we prayerfully select our next bishop diocesan. What we all must remember is that discernment is not about reaching unanimous consensus or having “winners” and “losers,” but rather seeks to understand God’s will in a community of faith.

Throughout Scripture, discernment is a process used when God calls someone to go to a new place or do a new thing. We might think of the stories of Abraham (Genesis 17), Mary (Luke 1), Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Moses (Exodus 3) or Gideon (Judges 6). Though the specifics of these situations differ, each beckons the called to do the work of discernment. Some calls are clearer than others, but what these Biblical moments of discernment all have in common is the fact that in every instance, the text makes it clear God is present.

PART OF THE TAPESTRY

For our daily moments of discernment, whether deciding something serious like what sort of medical treatment to pursue or something less significant, such as what clothes to wear to an interview, being grounded is important. Discernment is more than simply making a decision. Discernment isn’t about lists of “pros” and “cons,” but is instead about being attuned to a larger vision. By inviting the Holy Spirit into our deliberations, choices are transformed into calls, decisions into discernments.

It is essential we frame our decisions and stories within the larger tapestry of God’s dream. As Episcopalians, we pray to the God who “caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning” that we may “so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life.” (BCP, p.184) The goal and purpose of discernment is to align our lives in such a way that the Kingdom might come more fully on earth as it is heaven. We, therefore, go to Scripture to ground ourselves in that hope. When we are called upon to make decisions, big or small, we might then be more aware of God’s hope for the situation in which we find ourselves.

The Sacraments are another way in which to ground ourselves in discernment. Sacramental living focuses our attention to the reality of God’s love and grace that surrounds us at each and every moment of life. One of my favorite poetry verses is from “Aurora Leigh” by Elizabeth Barret Browning, as it speaks to the Sacramental nature of life:

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.

Partaking of the Sacraments roots us in the knowledge that earth is crammed with heaven. Sacraments also invite us to listen more than we speak, and good discernment comes through listening to the Spirit. And so when it comes time to discern, the Sacraments will have prepared us to look at the issue not only as a temporal one, but also as an opportunity to more fully encounter the presence of God.

At the end of the day, discernment is not a Magic 8-Ball you check in with for answers. It is a process, one that offers us an alternative to the competitive nature of debates, and as such, is a part of the salvation that God offers to us. May we all discover its magic in the days ahead.