Section 163:4c
Fresh Vision

For Further Reflections and Discussion

1. One pattern for seeking a fresh vision is offered by the Old Testament prophet Hosea, who bemoaned Israel’s lack of responsiveness for God’s pleadings. What does that prophetic counsel offer the church today?

2. The author states we “are called away from individualism and consumerism and to uphold the connectedness between all people.” In what ways is that a call to be countercultural? What are some of the underlying assumptions being challenged?

3. What are the points of connection between Section 163 and previous inspired counsel to the church (in particular, Sections 150, 154, 156, 159, and 162)?

4. How can grief and weeping be transformed into a positive pathway for carrying Christ’s peace in the world? At what point does this require a community response?

5. The author refers to a “fragile balance between piety and prosperity.” How does the concept of “abundant generosity” relate to this topic?

Discernment Process

Discernment is a holistic process involving listening, looking for, and sensing the persistent presence of the Spirit as it teaches us how to be people who carry the ethics of Christ’s peace into all arenas of our lives. We begin to detect the subtle ways God is moving us toward deeper discipleship.

President Savage’s reflections remind us of our calling to learn, prepare, and equip ourselves on many levels to be change agents and healers in the midst of the complex forces creating suffering all around us. This may involve weeping, deep listening, and the simple discipline of noticing our behaviors and choices.

1. Sit for five minutes in a quiet, comfortable location at home and prayerfully move into a space of readiness to hear and respond to words of scripture. Read Section 163:4c with an intention of hearing it as God’s word to you.

2. Let questions emerge as you apply the passage to your life, such as:

   • What in my life could be identified as “carrying the ethics of Christ’s peace into all arenas”? Is this really happening in me?

   • How well-equipped do I feel to share Christ’s ethics of peace? How well-informed am I about the “perplexing problems of poverty, disease, war, and environmental deterioration”?

   • Is there a particular problem or type of suffering on the planet that most powerfully draws my attention or breaks my heart?

   • What do I feel I want and need to learn (mentally, spiritually, emotionally) to be more responsive to “God’s will for creation”?

3. After listening for questions, get up and walk slowly and mindfully through your home. Pay attention to each room and its contents. Begin to ponder how your home reflects particular patterns and choices you are making. Walk with compassionate attention as if seeing your home for the first time. Without judgment or guilt, begin to allow new questions to come, such as:

   • Which spaces in my home feel like places of peace, hospitality, or healing? Have I used my resources to create a place of wholeness for guests and family members?

   • Which spaces in my home create feelings of tension or excess rather than beauty and peace?

   • How do the objects in my home reflect ways I am either choosing or not choosing patterns that allow me to be generous, ethical, and just in my use of the earth’s resources?

   • What possessions could be shared with others without causing undue deprivation for me or my family? How do I feel about sharing in this way? What ideas come to me about taking action to carry out this sharing?

4. Return to your initial location and offer a prayer of gratitude for a fresh vision of your abundance and blessings. Spend time listening for God’s invitation to see more clearly and to align your choices with Christ’s ethic of holistic peace.