Spirituality has become an increasingly popular topic in our
culture, both in and out of the church. One challenge for the church in
exploring spirituality is to consider how spiritual resources can be used in
best determining the direction of the church. When reflecting on our tradition
of how God interacts in human history, we may raise questions. Perhaps the
central question for our movement is, Do we believe that God speaks to us today?
I pose this not as a personal question for each of us
individually to consider, but as a question for the community of faith to
consider. The belief in continuing revelation has been a “distinctive” of our
movement, but are we willing to accept that as a foundation for our future and
trust in the Spirit? I firmly believe it is essential for us to create new
processes of corporate discernment that combine the best of our Restoration
tradition, the larger Christian tradition, and our own understandings.
It is a good time for the church to ask these questions
because there is active interest and exploration of discernment in the
ecumenical church. We have much to learn from those who have been seeking to
discern longer than we have, such as the Quakers and the Jesuits. As we retrieve
the essence and depths of our own tradition of discernment, the ecumenical
resources help us to critique and strengthen our own processes.
Searching questions are key to the discernment process. We
must consider what is truly important. We must be willing to ask questions that
force us to look inward. These questions cannot be easily answered. The
startling question may be framed, “God, what are you guiding us to be or do?” Or
at important moments in the life of your congregation, you might ask, “God, what
is your will?” or in a way that I’d like to frame the question, “What is God’s
yearning for us?”
How we answer these questions can be helped by a better
understanding of what discernment is. The literal meaning of the word is “to
separate” or “to distinguish.” Discernment seeks to determine what is real
and what is phony. It is an attempt to see reality from the divine
perspective. Perhaps the phrase popular in Christian youth culture “WWJD (What
would Jesus do?)” has more value than some of us intellectuals may think it
does. Additionally, we are required to stop asking questions and start
listening. We must attempt to open ourselves to the divine perspective; to seek
to hear the “still small voice.”
Discernment is not an isolated activity of the church, but
rather reflects an essential characteristic of the faithful community. To be a
church engaged in discernment means being what God calls the church to be. It
is, to modify a Restoration ideal, to be a “true” church. A central dilemma in
this process is egocentrism, where many have claimed to know God’s will for the
church in ways that exceed all others. It is a way for some to exert power and
control and elevate their importance in the church.
As members of the Community of Christ we can learn from
Christian traditions that are more suspicious of human nature and seek greater
humility as well as those that more readily admit their sinfulness and seek the
forgiveness and guidance of God. We would be wise to accept the assertion of
Oswald and Friedrich that “Corporate discernment is, in almost every case, more
reliable than individual discernment” (1996, xi).
The approach to discernment articulated by Morris and Olsen
is compelling. On significant issues of discernment to the community, ten
elements or “stepping stones” are suggested for consideration: framing,
grounding, shedding, rooting, listening, exploring, improving, weighing,
closing, and resting (1997, 65–94). The hope is that through this process
individual agenda and prejudice can be put aside so the community can come close
to truly discerning God’s yearning for them. It is hoped that at the end of the
process the community will have a better grasp and insight than when they
started, and that the group will be able to move toward consensus.
Can the Community of Christ discover better processes that
help the faith community become more closely aligned with the yearnings of God?
Can we endeavor to be led by our best understandings of the gospel and allow
them to inform how we make decisions? Can we be sure the principles and
assumptions of the business culture and parliamentary practice do not supersede
our Christian values? Can we truly act as a prophetic church in the ways we
reflect and act? These are exciting, frightening, and challenging questions. I
hope that as a church, we are ready to discern God’s yearnings for the church at
this place and time.
