I love discernment process. Ever since I first encountered Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak, and later went through my own rich community discernment process for ordination, I geek out over thoughtful spiritual processes for understanding the next faithful thing.
One thing that’s become clear to me, though, is that we (especially in the Episcopal Church, don’t necessarily want to speak to others’ traditions) have robbed our communities of these tools by setting them aside only for people considering ordained ministry or perhaps a monastic vocation, when the practices of discernment should be bread and butter for decisions all of us make and paths we consider, both large and small, lay and ordained.
During covid-19, so many familiar roles, practices, forms of ministry, decision making around church ministries and programs, and even my habits have gone completely sideways or pushed to transform. The world grows more chaotic and changing in other regards, with election season in full swing, the movement for black lives continuing to gather public support in new ways, and environmental changes that make our planet’s future more uncertain. I’ve found myself craving clear discernment but also untethered from the forms that have served well in the past.
But two new things have come my way in the last several weeks that have surprised me with spiritual nourishment and clarity around wellness, listening to God’s big and small calls. These have helped me navigate new time commitments and structure my daily habits for more health and flourishing. Maybe you’ll find that they serve you, too.
The first is a super accessible daily planner or journal (up to you!) that I have had my eye on for years but was actually gifted by another young clergy woman. It’s called Sacred Ordinary Days. This book follows the season of the church year with the daily office readings, but most importantly to me, walks you through creating a rule of life, and provides reflection practices to encourage living into those goals. It explores health in spirit, body, mind, relationships, work, home, and resources. It’s thorough, and there might come a time when I skip a section or two of the weekly reflection, but for now it’s been such a good tool. Especially partnered with….
Decision Making from the Soul. This is a decision making practice created by Sarah Moore and was introduced to me from my friend Kelsey Davis. This process looks at four centers: being, intellect, body, and emotions. I clicked these into the spirit, mind, body, categories of the planner and it has been a game changer. The process focuses on understanding how you in particular receive messages or knowing with your being (spirit), intellect, body, and emotions, and how to then distinguish between them and see how these parts of self are an interconnected whole. The process of sitting down and describing how the deeper knowledge of my spirit looks like or feels, based on past experience, is startlingly simple and profound.
If we check in with ourselves frequently and know what we are looking for, it’s more straightforward to see what instincts or desires are actually unhealthy ego and what is the more whole and healed parts of ourselves. It helps us see what is important information about old stories we’ve believed or self-preservation offering the clue that something is off, and when we can let those go. It helps us envision flourishing and meaningful engagement in good soul and justice work, and take the next small faithful step.
If you’ve used either of these tools and practices, what was your experience like? What other places of wisdom do you turn to that help you more clearly know God’s voice and know yourself?