Many religions have a tradition around discernment - some do discernment of gifts, for others it is discernment of leadings (of the spirit) or callings. This is a discernment of what God wants us to do in a given situation or with our life. Generally, the distinction is made between an intellectual decision making process or a "worldy" one. Both are seen as coming out of individual will or secular values.
When people come out of traditions that do not put forth a discernment process it can be confusing to know how to do spiritual discernment. Some traditions suggest that people turn to clergy or gurus for this sort of discernment. All traditions that I am aware of suggest that people test their leadings with their faith community to make sure that they are not simply engaging in delusion, fantasy or personal ego.
I write here about the discernment process of Quakers (or Friends) as it a process easily duplicated by anyone. Quakers form a "clearness committee" of those considered wise or experienced in the spirit when trying to make important decisions like whether to marry, to join the church, to make a significant career decision, or if lead to some sort of "witness" or leading on behalf of social justice. The group enters into prayerful silence out of which the person with a leading or calling speaks about the leading as they understand it. The group considers this prayerfully and asks questions. The questions are not leading questions or oratorical questions, but are simply intended to help the person look more deeply. They also share reflections or "light" as it is available to them. It is NOT an advice giving forum. The group acts to confirm or deny (I am aware of at least two incidents where the clearness committee did not find the person "clear".) that what the person is feeling seems true and rightly lead to the clearness committee as well.
Thomas Kelly, a famous Quaker theologians writing in the 40's, wrote a whole chapter on discernment in his book A Testament of Devotion. Parker Palmer a modern day Quaker theolgian wrote a short book entitled: Let your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation. More recently Quaker Nancy Bieber wrote a whole book on discernment: Decision Making and Spiritual Discernment: the Sacred Art of Finding your Way.
Here are Kelly's much quoted words about how God particularizes a concern is us:
"I dare note urge you to your Cross. But God, more powerfully, speaks within you and me, to our truest selves, in our truest moments, and disquiets us with the world's needs. By inner persuasions God draws us to a few very definite tasks, our tasks, God's burdened heart particularizes His burdens in us....
In my deepest heart I know that some of us have to face our comfortable, self-oriented lives all over again. The times are too tragic, God's sorrow is too great, man's night is too dark, the Cross is too glorious for us to live as we have lived, in anything short of holy obedience. It maybe or it may not mean change in geography, in profession, in wealth, in earthly security." (Amazingly he was writing this during WWII because it is a timely now as it was then.) He goes on to say:
" Little groups of such utterly dedicated souls, knowing one another in Divine Fellowship, must take an irrevocable vow to live in this world yet not of this world, kindle again the embers of faith in the midst of a secular world. Our churches were meant to be such groups, but now too many of them are dulled and cooled and flooded by the secular."
I first read these words when I was in my early 20's and I think reading it saved me. Like many people of faith that have strong social justice traditions I absolutely could have died on too many crosses! If I had tried to act on every issue or cause that I could see was unjust or important I would have run around in a frenzy or burned myself out in short order. Or I would have simply given up like so many people do, deciding that I am only one person to small and insignificant to change the world and thus decided to sit at home or take up tennis and leave the worlds problems to "leaders"...(whoever those people are! ;-) Instead I experienced the incredible relief of realizing I had only to listen for what God had tenderized my heart to and given me the gifts to respond to. I took great comfort in the phrase: "God draws us to a few very definite tasks, our tasks." I understood this to mean I could pay attention to just one issue (or the closely related/ intersectional ones.) And as the world has become more complicated and more at risk it has been even more of a blessing to focus on just what is given to me.
It was such a relief to have this "permission" to not do everything! It has meant over the years that I could simply be grateful for the work of my comrades (some known some not) who work on other issues that I care about but am not called to. I celebrate their victories fought for all of us, and I know that they rely on me as well to do my part on the issues I work on and they do not. Singer song writer Libby Roderick expressed this very beautifully in the song Cradle of Dawn. "Sunset in my country, Sunrise in mine...forces facing us are terrible in deed...in the morning I will plant another seed and while you sleep it will take light. ... I feel you there in the dark...I will hold the light up while you
sleep."
Nancy Bieber in her book first identifies ways the world asks us to think about decisions and then offers faith based ways to test discernment.
The worlds way:
Is this safe? Will this build security for me and mine?
It is it likely to be sucessful? How are we defining success?
Does it lead to independence?
Will I gain in status or prestige?
Will it bring happiness?
Alternatively she says faith based discernment questions would be:
Is this decision sacred? Is it holy?
Is this "mine" to do?
Will this decision do the least harm?
Is this decision congruent with others we have made wisely?
Is this Love's way?
For many the path to discernment will not be as "upbeat" or clear as this sounds. In Parker Palmer's book he repeats an often repeated Quaker wisdom that some times we find direction from the doors that close behind us. He also talks about the role of depression in discernment...as well as patient waiting and the importance of knowing ourselves deeply.
Kelly identifies 4 steps to being faithful to leading:
1) The first step of obedience is the flaming vision of the wonder of such a life, a vision which comes occasionally to us all...this vision of an absolutely holy life is, I am convinced, the invading, urging, inviting, persuading work of the Eternal One.
2) Once having the vision, the second step to holy obedience is this: Begin where you are. Obey now....Walk on the streets and chat with your friends. but every moment behind the scenes be in prayer, offering yourselves in continuous obedience.
3.) If you slip and stumble and forget God for a hour, and assert your old proud self, and rely upon your own clever wisdom, don't spend too much time in anguished regrets and self-accusations but begin again, just where you are.
4) The fourth consideration: "Don't grit your teeth and clench your fists and say, "I will! I will!" Relax. Take hands off. Submit yourself to God. Learn to live in the passive voice- a hard saying for Americans - and let life be willed through you. For "I will" spells not obedience.
Many decades ago I sat with a Catholic priest who was helping me with discernment. He listened carefully to the outpouring of details about what I had been doing and what I was confused by and he asked me two simple questions:
1: Does it give you joy?
2. Is it life giving?
These two questions have steered me right over and over again for many, many years I would add one more question:
3) As best you know if the prompting from God or from some other source?
One last piece of advice from Richard Bach in his "handbook for Messiahs"
"And try not to take yourself too seriously."
Showing posts with label Thomas Kelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thomas Kelly. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Spiritual Resources
Note of apology to readers:
To those of you who subscribe to Seeking the Spiritual Life, you may have wondered what has happened to the author and the postings? My goal has always been to post once a month but even in the good years I have posted 10 a year...but this year I'm on track to post 5 - yikes! And nothing posted since June. I have actually been in a spiritual tangle (watch for future posting on that issue) and it has interfered with my ability to write for my blog. But I believe I have untangled myself and will be back in 2016 with more to say.
Spiritual Resources
Today I sat with a group of people as we shared with each other what our spiritual resources are - what the books are that we turn to every time for spiritual nurturance, inspiration or uplift. All great religions of the world have their own sacred scriptures. But why be limited to only one source of spiritual enrichment? Many of the people in the circle shared the same thing - that they had texts they had read all the way through and found inspiring, and now kept in a place of prayer. They shared that they would open them randomly - trusting that they would be lead to just the right page, and that in fact it did feel that they were lead to just the right bit of wisdom. So I share with you here the pile of books that lives on my bed stand and a little bit about why (in no particular order). If you have not read these, then here is some 2016 inspiration for sure:
Illusions by Jonathan Bach...yes this is actually a novel. But it is a novel about a man on a spiritual journey who is given the "Messiah's handbook"...the quotes in the "handbook" are as meaningful to me now as they were in 1989 when it first came out. Pages that are not the handbook still point me to the ideas the book contains.
Emmanuel's Book I (or book II) compiled by Pat Rodegast & Judith Stanton. My best-friend sent this to me as a gift, also in the 80's, with a sort of guilty note about how she did not really believe in channeling (the whole book is channeled - the authors are simply a medium and recorder of a spirit named Emmanuel.) but that she found great spiritual truth's in the book and thus found it useful to read. I would heartily agree with this. In other words I don't really understand how channeling would work, but when I hold the words in the book before my truth meter - the words ring true and consistent. Very complicated spiritual issues are addressed since the audience got to ask questions and the answers are what are recorded. I found answers in here early in life that helped ground my spiritual journey. There were things I have not worried about because these answers worked for me.
A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly. Thomas Kelly, a Quaker, wrote this book in 1945 as WWII was ending. One would think this would make it dated, but his mysticism and ecstatic expression of God is so profound as to be timeless. (The only way it is dated is somewhat gender heavy language.) A brief book with just 5 chapters...has to be read slowly, or over and over, to take in its richness. The chapter On Holy Obedience speaks profoundly to a life of leading and faithfulness. The chapter on Simplification of Life speaks to the need to slow down and to be faithful - to strip away distracts and false idols. The chapter on The Eternal Now and Social Concern probably saved my life since I read this in my 20's. Kelly states: "I dare not urge you to your cross. But He, more powerfully, speaks within you and me, to our truest selves, in our truest moments, and disquiets us with the world's needs. By inner persuasions He draws us to a few very definite tasks, our tasks, God's burdened heart particularizing His burden in us." In this passage and throughout the book Kelly helped me to know that I did not have to fight every injustice, I had to listen for what the part God wanted me to do was and simply be faithful to that. Without his words I indeed would have died on way to many crosses that were not mine.
The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer. Over the years various Wayne Dyer books have been on my bed stand, but for me the gold standard is this one. Dyer describes Co-creation or manifesting, but in away that avoids the materialism and self-centeredness of the Secret. He also describes a helpful spiritual posture and some of the obstacles that get in our way as we try to do this.
The Prophet by Kahil Gibran This book has also been on my bed stand since my 20's. For those who came of age in the 70's or 80's this book was so commonly referenced by people as to be rather clique and therefore then disregarded. However, I have found that those currently in their 20's and 30's are not aware of this book and that is frankly a great tragedy. Again this book holds such wisdom about 27 different subjects (the key and central areas of life from love, to food, to freedom) in just 1 to 2 page chapters about each - as to inform one for a life time. My ideas about marriage and child rearing and work have all been permanently and much to the good impacted by Gibran's timeless wisdom coming to us from 1923 Syria.
Happier than God by Neale Donald Walsch. Walsch is better known for his series of books: Conversations with God (I, II and III). I have read those and several other Walsch books, but this one is my favorite. I hate its' title, and yet the book chose me. I stood in front of a shelf of books by him, closed my eyes and pointed, landing on this one. I winced and opened it to several different pages and knew that indeed I would need to purchase it. This book is also about manifesting - but mostly about manifesting a God filled life. Also Walsch, unlike all other books on manifesting that I have read, does not turn away from the fact that we live in an unjust world, or fail to mention that. The book is also supremely positive.
Previous inhabitants of the Bed stand:
I have of course over the years had to remove some to make room for others, but I thought the previous ones are worth a mention here. As noted above other titles by Dyer and Walsh.
The Bible...for obvious reasons.
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. Hoff quotes from Winnie the Pooh throughout this book while relating it to Toaist teachings. Both amusing and thought provoking.
Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard - this is an allegorical novel about a journey which takes place on many levels. Heavily Christian imagery. It has many allegories that speak profoundly to the spiritual journey. I eventually removed it because some of the "obedience to God" part seemed to describe a kind of God and a kind of discipline which is not how I now conceptualize God.
Happy Reading. I would love for readers to post a comment sharing their favorite spiritual source and why.
To those of you who subscribe to Seeking the Spiritual Life, you may have wondered what has happened to the author and the postings? My goal has always been to post once a month but even in the good years I have posted 10 a year...but this year I'm on track to post 5 - yikes! And nothing posted since June. I have actually been in a spiritual tangle (watch for future posting on that issue) and it has interfered with my ability to write for my blog. But I believe I have untangled myself and will be back in 2016 with more to say.
Spiritual Resources
Today I sat with a group of people as we shared with each other what our spiritual resources are - what the books are that we turn to every time for spiritual nurturance, inspiration or uplift. All great religions of the world have their own sacred scriptures. But why be limited to only one source of spiritual enrichment? Many of the people in the circle shared the same thing - that they had texts they had read all the way through and found inspiring, and now kept in a place of prayer. They shared that they would open them randomly - trusting that they would be lead to just the right page, and that in fact it did feel that they were lead to just the right bit of wisdom. So I share with you here the pile of books that lives on my bed stand and a little bit about why (in no particular order). If you have not read these, then here is some 2016 inspiration for sure:
Illusions by Jonathan Bach...yes this is actually a novel. But it is a novel about a man on a spiritual journey who is given the "Messiah's handbook"...the quotes in the "handbook" are as meaningful to me now as they were in 1989 when it first came out. Pages that are not the handbook still point me to the ideas the book contains.
Emmanuel's Book I (or book II) compiled by Pat Rodegast & Judith Stanton. My best-friend sent this to me as a gift, also in the 80's, with a sort of guilty note about how she did not really believe in channeling (the whole book is channeled - the authors are simply a medium and recorder of a spirit named Emmanuel.) but that she found great spiritual truth's in the book and thus found it useful to read. I would heartily agree with this. In other words I don't really understand how channeling would work, but when I hold the words in the book before my truth meter - the words ring true and consistent. Very complicated spiritual issues are addressed since the audience got to ask questions and the answers are what are recorded. I found answers in here early in life that helped ground my spiritual journey. There were things I have not worried about because these answers worked for me.
A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly. Thomas Kelly, a Quaker, wrote this book in 1945 as WWII was ending. One would think this would make it dated, but his mysticism and ecstatic expression of God is so profound as to be timeless. (The only way it is dated is somewhat gender heavy language.) A brief book with just 5 chapters...has to be read slowly, or over and over, to take in its richness. The chapter On Holy Obedience speaks profoundly to a life of leading and faithfulness. The chapter on Simplification of Life speaks to the need to slow down and to be faithful - to strip away distracts and false idols. The chapter on The Eternal Now and Social Concern probably saved my life since I read this in my 20's. Kelly states: "I dare not urge you to your cross. But He, more powerfully, speaks within you and me, to our truest selves, in our truest moments, and disquiets us with the world's needs. By inner persuasions He draws us to a few very definite tasks, our tasks, God's burdened heart particularizing His burden in us." In this passage and throughout the book Kelly helped me to know that I did not have to fight every injustice, I had to listen for what the part God wanted me to do was and simply be faithful to that. Without his words I indeed would have died on way to many crosses that were not mine.
The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer. Over the years various Wayne Dyer books have been on my bed stand, but for me the gold standard is this one. Dyer describes Co-creation or manifesting, but in away that avoids the materialism and self-centeredness of the Secret. He also describes a helpful spiritual posture and some of the obstacles that get in our way as we try to do this.
The Prophet by Kahil Gibran This book has also been on my bed stand since my 20's. For those who came of age in the 70's or 80's this book was so commonly referenced by people as to be rather clique and therefore then disregarded. However, I have found that those currently in their 20's and 30's are not aware of this book and that is frankly a great tragedy. Again this book holds such wisdom about 27 different subjects (the key and central areas of life from love, to food, to freedom) in just 1 to 2 page chapters about each - as to inform one for a life time. My ideas about marriage and child rearing and work have all been permanently and much to the good impacted by Gibran's timeless wisdom coming to us from 1923 Syria.
Happier than God by Neale Donald Walsch. Walsch is better known for his series of books: Conversations with God (I, II and III). I have read those and several other Walsch books, but this one is my favorite. I hate its' title, and yet the book chose me. I stood in front of a shelf of books by him, closed my eyes and pointed, landing on this one. I winced and opened it to several different pages and knew that indeed I would need to purchase it. This book is also about manifesting - but mostly about manifesting a God filled life. Also Walsch, unlike all other books on manifesting that I have read, does not turn away from the fact that we live in an unjust world, or fail to mention that. The book is also supremely positive.
Previous inhabitants of the Bed stand:
I have of course over the years had to remove some to make room for others, but I thought the previous ones are worth a mention here. As noted above other titles by Dyer and Walsh.
The Bible...for obvious reasons.
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. Hoff quotes from Winnie the Pooh throughout this book while relating it to Toaist teachings. Both amusing and thought provoking.
Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard - this is an allegorical novel about a journey which takes place on many levels. Heavily Christian imagery. It has many allegories that speak profoundly to the spiritual journey. I eventually removed it because some of the "obedience to God" part seemed to describe a kind of God and a kind of discipline which is not how I now conceptualize God.
Happy Reading. I would love for readers to post a comment sharing their favorite spiritual source and why.
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