{"id":55104,"date":"2022-06-22T15:23:18","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T15:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/?p=55104"},"modified":"2022-06-27T18:37:11","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T18:37:11","slug":"the-artform-of-discernment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/2022\/06\/22\/the-artform-of-discernment\/","title":{"rendered":"The Artform of Discernment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cycle<\/a><\/b><\/h2>\n

In Discernment, the third artform of the <\/span>Public Church Framework<\/span><\/a>, we move into the space between our neighbors\u2019 stories, God\u2019s story, and our story. In this movement we learn how to listen for who God is calling us to be and what God is calling us to do in light of the present reality and God\u2019s promises.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it important?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Discernment is important because our neighbors\u2019 realities matter, our realities matter, and because we believe God has something to say about all of this. God is actively and continually trying to teach us how to live an abundant life together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The opportunities to practice discernment are abundant, ongoing, and mundane. Without intentionally, the moments of discernment might appear as simple decision making.\u00a0 Many people desire to live their lives with more intentionality: to make informed decisions about how they show up in community, how they steward their resources, how they participate in their families, neighborhoods, and societies. etc. We believe God calls us into a thriving, abundant life together and we believe God has uniquely gifted us and called each of us to participate in bringing that abundance into a lived reality for our neighbors. Discernment teaches us to be attentive to and responsive to that call and that good work.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Discernment is a communal process of listening to God\u2019s spirit for the next most faithful step forward.\u00a0<\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is a prayerful, communal practice of critically seeking to determine how to respond to opportunities God has placed before us. It is different from decision making. It involves an intentional process that includes listening to three threads: God\u2019s Spirit, the neighbors\u2019 reality, or demands, and your reality. These three threads have been the stories and themes that have emerged from practicing Accompaniment and Interpretation. Discernment is the movement where we take stock of what\u2019s emerged and what we\u2019re being called towards. Which must include a realistic assessment of our own realities. What gifts do we bring? What limitations do we have?<\/span><\/p>\n

How does it fit with the other artforms?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

It may be helpful to think about it in a metaphorical way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine that there are a variety of stories tangled into a web of thread. Accompaniment, the first artform, is the movement into the web, and then we tug on the thread that is the neighbors\u2019 story. For this artform, we pay particular attention to our neighbors\u2019 story. What is bringing life? What gets in the way of abundant life?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"a<\/a><\/p>\n

Then, in the next artform, interpretation, we tug on a different thread, God\u2019s story, we spend time reflecting on the things we believe about who God is, what God does, and what God hopes for. We look at the two threads we\u2019ve tugged on in relationship with one another. How does our neighbor\u2019s story influence who we believe about who God is? And how does God\u2019s story influence the way we hear our neighbor\u2019s story?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jumble<\/a><\/p>\n

Then discernment is returning our attention to the jumble of threads, looking for the places that the threads intersect. In returning to the jumble of threads, we also pay attention to the \u201cOur Story\u201d thread. What are our unique gifts and limitations? What are we good at? What is outside of our capacity right now? What might need to die in order for us to be a part of new life?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is happening at the jumble of threads, and what is our unique call in that intersecting place?<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do we do it?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The answer the the \u201cHow\u201d question is entirely dependent on the strands of the stories, meaning it\u2019s unique to you and your context. Like all of the artforms of the Public Church framework, it isn\u2019t prescriptive, there is no formula. And this might be frustrating because it\u2019s squishy, and there\u2019s no checklist to mark things off. However, we can offer some resources to help guide your discernment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Resources<\/h3>\n

Liturgy for Discernment:<\/h4>\n

an outline to guide an gathering time, from Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus<\/em> by Mark Yaconelli<\/p>\n

Liturgy For Discernment<\/a><\/p>\n

Reflection Questions:<\/h4>\n