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In "Focus on the Family," Rolf Zettersten wrote, "A good friend in North Carolina bought a new car with a voice-warning system ... At first Edwin was amused to hear the soft female voice gently remind him that his seat belt wasn't fastened... Edwin affectionately called this voice the 'little woman.'
"He soon discovered his little woman was programed to warn him about his gasoline. 'Your fuel level is low,' she said one time in her sweet voice. Edwin nodded his head and thanked her. He figured he still had enough gas to go another 50 miles, so he kept on driving. But a few minutes later, her voice interrupted again with the same warning. And so it went over and over. Although he knew it was the same recording, Edwin thought her voice sounded harsher each time.
"Finally, he stopped his car and crawled under the dashboard. After a quick search, he found the appropriate wires and gave them a good yank. So much for the 'little woman.'
"He was still smiling to himself a few miles later when his car began sputtering and coughing. He ran out of gas! Somewhere inside the dashboard, Edwin was sure he could hear the little woman laughing."
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We live in a society filled with choices. We can become confused among this variety, accelerated by the speed of technology, even to the point of paralysis of action, when we are pulled indecisively in two or more directions. Then, of course, we can have the voices of friends and family informing us of the "right" choice, and our loyalties to them can have a pull emotionally upon us. This can all be disconcerting.
The New Testament word for "discernment" is diakrisis. The United Methodist spiritual leader Cynthia I. Zirlott writes of the meaning of diakrisis: "The Greek word ... most simply means the capacity to separate or distinguish." She notes, "It is generally understood as the capacity to see, know, or understand the essence of a matter or inner nature of a person or object by immediate and direct insight."
In the Old Testament era, discernment was primarily linked with community and came to be chiefly through the written Scripture - the Law, or Torah. Hyper-focus on individual discernment, so true in our times, would have been foreign to such a tribal mentality.
In the early Church, the Church, again principally within a communal context, sought to discern among different "voices." "In this context," remarks Zirlott, "what is being discerned is the spirit or energies at work that influence human motivations and actions." The needed environment, she remarks, included an ability to discern among the "mere human illusion," "demonic illusion," and "true promptings of the Holy Spirit." This gave rise to the Councils that helped define orthodox Christianity. The Creeds were meant to be a tool of proclamation and discernment for the Church universal.
In time, especially with the rise of individualistic consciousness in the West, spiritual discernment has become inclusive of communal and individual varieties. Yet, inevitably, the individual has become paramount, even in much of the Church. As a pastor, this I find a marked challenge, for many persons in churches demonstrate little spiritual sensitivity to discerning the good for the whole, but, rather, moan, groan, and often leave, when they do not get the "I, Me, My, Mine" way.
St. Benedict of Nursia, in the 500s, provided his Rule with a fine attempt to integrate obedience to community and superiors with respect for the individual. This kind of effort at balance is much needed in the Church.
Today, much is being written on spiritual discernment. We can find materials providing directions for both individual and group discernment, including how to experience individual discernment within a group process.
This movement comes along with an emergence in a spiritual focus, away from the modernistic over-emphasis on dogma. While Scripture is sufficient as a guide to our relationship with Christ, Scripture does not provide specifics on all the choices we have to make. So, as with in classical Judaism and early Christianity, we need Scripture, as the Book of the People, to provide general principles for discernment. Then, we need each other to help move from there to the specifics of decision-making.
Once, I was looking into a job. I called a man to speak about the job. Just before the call and during it, I felt an uncomfortable feeling, a negative energy shift, in my body. That inner alert, comparable to the material one in the opening story, provided a spiritual discernment that I was not looking in the right direction. Sometimes, discernment is just that immediate and clear. But, often it is not.
Christ called followers around him, and this evidences the strongly communal nature of the Body of Christ. I cannot be a Body alone, only within the other members of the Body. Therefore, while, yes, we need to honor the individual responsibility for personal discernment, we need to honor the Body and seek members of the Body to help in discernment along the Way - however, be wise in your choice of whom to help in your discernment. Many Christians are not prepared to assist in spiritual discernment.
Synopsis of One Model for Discernment
Below, I give one model for spiritual discernment, and this can be applied to the individual alone, the individual in group, or the group.
Framing
State the matter for discernment.
Grounding
Voice principles, beliefs, and values that will be revisited as needed in the process.
Shedding
In silence or openly, honestly confess any desires, conclusions, ego defenses, or concerns you may need to relinquish to "listen."
Rooting Relate the subject to biblical images, passages, and stories.
Listening This can include an openness for inspirations through silent prayer, researching [especially when the process covers more than one session], putting questions to others, and sharing experiences.
Exploring Identify all possible directions possible to take, then, examine these in light of the grounding principles.
Improving Select the best options from the Exploring phase, then, flesh out these so they can be articulated as well as possible.
Weighing Select options based on choices made from the previous stage. Test these choices through reason, intuition, traditional images, ...
Closing Conclude and establish a decision.
Resting Let the decision rest. This can allow a discernment of whether the decision brings a sense of peace or otherwise.
This is a slightly revised version of the process given in Danny E. Morris, Charles M. Olsen. Discerning God's Will Together: A Spiritual Practice for the Church. I recommend you adapt it for personal or group use as you need to.
Matters to Remember
1) Sometimes the Divine Will is for you humbly to be obedient to the necessities given you at a particular time. This may not be the Divine Will for you to continue in, but sometimes loyalty to the moment is the necessary step toward where you will eventually see God lead you.
2) Sometimes the Divine Will allows us a choice among two or more options.
3) Often an evidence of the Divine Will is your resistance, for often God leads us in a direction our ego-self does not find convenient to its desires for certainty and comfort.
4) The Divine Will will always lead to peace.
Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful.
*Colossians 3.15 (CEV)
This does not mean there will be no conflict with others or within yourself in following God's Option for you. If that were true, the Gospel of Jesus would not include the struggle Christ endured and the opposition he faced. There can be always a general sense of peace, one that defines following the Divine Will even in the midst of struggle or conflict.
Likewise, loss of inner peace may not indicate you made a wrong decision, anymore than conflict indicates you did. Rather, the lack of peace may include a need to grow in trust and resignation to God in faith. Also, interpersonal conflict may arise from others or your lack of handling wisely how the Divine Will affects them and you.
5) At times a lack of clarity in discernment is a discernment in itself: "Wait."
6) The Divine Will can be "counter-reasonable"; that is, God's Will might challenge what you assume to be a way God would lead. Therefore, while reason is important in discernment, Divine Wisdom might be leading in a direction that conflicts with the supposed reason of others or you.
7) Your following the Divine Will can create misunderstandings or hurt among those who deeply care for you. So, if you need, talk with them kindly, clarifying how you have discerned the Divine Will and, then, request their support. Be sensitive to their concerns, willing to listen to them. Offer to have prayer with them. Discerning God's Will does not exclude us from being sensitive at how our decisions might bring confusion and pain to those who care deeply for us. Our choices to follow God's Leading in a specific direction inevitably shifts all our relationships.
Be prayerfully patient with those who question your choices in discernment. And, never forget that sometimes their concerns are legitimate and might be corrective to your choices. Often we fail to see as clearly as others do about us.
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in continuing his ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com . Brian is in need of more funding to purchase a desk-top computer, after his was hit by lightening and is inoperable.
*Zirlott's material derives from her article "Discernment." In The Upper Room Dictionary of Christian Spiritual Formation. Ed. Keith Beasley-Topliffe. The opening story is from William J. Gestal, Jr. The story is found at www.holwick.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers or the Cokesbury on-line store, cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist Pastor, lives in Southwest Florida. He is a vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a contemplative life and seeks to inspire others to enjoy a more intimate relationship with Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the Church through addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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