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These suggestions are from Sharon Ely Pearson, Christian Formation Specialist
Church Publishing Incorporated/Morehouse Education Resources based in Norwalk, CT:
Some resources that come to my mind with this thread and conversation:
For discernment:
Renovare - a group that focuses on spiritual formation "becoming like Jesus" http://www.renovare.us/
Listening Hearts Ministries http://www.listeninghearts.org/index.htm
For reconciliation:
Episcopal Peace Fellowship - lots of prayers and resources, including litanies: http://epfnational.org/
Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation (lots of focus on world poverty and the MDGs): http://www.e4gr.org/news/prayers/index.html
I also think of the work and ministry of Parker Palmer http://www.couragerenewal.org/ and Eric Law with the Kaleidoscope Institute http://www.losangelesdiocese.org/ki/
Peace, Sharon
Showing posts with label discernment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discernment. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Practicing Discernment
Mike Woods (pastor at Prince of Peace, LaCrescent, MN) has asked some questions about ways of doing spiritual discernment in congregations. Mike notes that Diana Butler Bass writes in her book "Christianity for the Rest of Us" that next to hospitality, discernment is among the most widely spread spiritual practice in the churches Butler researched (churches that currently are thriving). Mike started a list and would like more input. Please could each of you give this some thought and add to the list?
Some ways discernment is being practiced in faith communities:
1. A church whose council uses consensus rather than Robert's Rules to govern their work
2. Same church elects council members during worship in the fall using an ecclesial ballot
3. Churches that practice group spiritual direction (do you know of any?)
4. Churches that sponsor mornings for listening (do you know of any?)
5. Churches that create meditation spaces: places to sit, read, reflect, journal, walk a labyrinth, etc. Some churches do this during Advent or Lent.
6. Churches that gather groups around a few "beautiful questions" (Mike is really good at this!) to discern what God is already doing among them and what God is calling them to be in their neighborhoods
7. Churches that begin worship with a long silence (more than 60 seconds) so that together "we create a space and an attentiveness to the God who has called us together and is present to bless us"
8. Pastoral modeling of spiritual formation is central (do you know pastors who make this a priority, have spiritual directors, etc.?)
We ask for your thoughts on this subject and please post in comments or on the site. Thanks!
Some ways discernment is being practiced in faith communities:
1. A church whose council uses consensus rather than Robert's Rules to govern their work
2. Same church elects council members during worship in the fall using an ecclesial ballot
3. Churches that practice group spiritual direction (do you know of any?)
4. Churches that sponsor mornings for listening (do you know of any?)
5. Churches that create meditation spaces: places to sit, read, reflect, journal, walk a labyrinth, etc. Some churches do this during Advent or Lent.
6. Churches that gather groups around a few "beautiful questions" (Mike is really good at this!) to discern what God is already doing among them and what God is calling them to be in their neighborhoods
7. Churches that begin worship with a long silence (more than 60 seconds) so that together "we create a space and an attentiveness to the God who has called us together and is present to bless us"
8. Pastoral modeling of spiritual formation is central (do you know pastors who make this a priority, have spiritual directors, etc.?)
We ask for your thoughts on this subject and please post in comments or on the site. Thanks!
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