The Art of Discernment and Why it is Crucial

Discern is a word most people do not use anymore. Let’s face it, the art of discernment is kind of a soft process not typically found in a boardroom, a high-tech company, or a university setting. The phrase does not lend itself to clear decisions or detailed plans. Most leaders today want a strategic plan they can execute in 1-3 years that will yield verifiable results. The difficultly is that even if executed properly they do not yield the hope-for results in our rapidly changing world.

In my work as a consultant, I find leaders who are struggling with how to make their church viable in a post-Christendom world. They long for the quick fix that a strategic plan promises. “Give us the plan,” they plead, “and we will execute it!” These plans might look good on paper but often lack the heartbeat of the community. The reality is churches can no longer fall back on what worked 50 years ago when the majority of folks in their neighborhoods went to church. Our entire way of processing information and making sense of our world has changed. Yet churches continue to offer a structure birthed hundreds of years ago. This is a common theme of many dying organizations in our world today. More of the same does not make it better. Or as Dr. Phil would ask, “How is that working for you?”

What is Discernment?

Discernment is the practice of listening for the guidance of the Spirit calling us to wise action on behalf of the world. It is contemplative in nature and, as such, counter to our corporate quick-fix culture. Instead of doing more, it asks us to simply be and trust in the pause. I realize that this is like asking an addict to stop their addiction. But it is the faithful way forward.

Church leaders might not be able to “make the church great again” by strong-arming it into their idealized version of the past, but they can listen deeply for God’s preferred future. That is where the art of discernment comes in. It is a tool you can use to experience profound healing and well-being within yourself, your relationships and your entire life. It is a way to broaden and deepen your felt sense of spirituality and connection.

Be Here Now

And we can only see this world of Grace around us by aligning our hearts with our bodies and our minds. Our intellect is wired to either live in the past or the future. But our bodies live in the present moment. Any theologian worth their salt will say that it is only in the present moment that God can make God’s-self known. “Be here now” as the new-agers say, is actually good theology. The art of discernment calls us to reacquaint ourselves to the wisdom of our bodies. Once we can access that wisdom we can ask the following questions.

• Who am I?
• What are our collective gifts and passions?
• What does this context need?
• Where do our gifts and passions meet the needs of our context?

From this grounding point of deep listening to ourselves, our neighbors and God we can lean into that next step of experimentation and innovation. It is what the Buddhists call wise action. In essence, the art of discernment is a process that requires courage born out of compassion for ourselves. We can then move into the hard places of life with resileince. The Bible is filled with stories of folks just like you and me who practiced this art and discovered Grace over and over again. I can’t think of a better practice to recover in the 21st century.

Discernment Practices

If you are interested in exploring more, I invite you to use my book entitled, “Holy Living: Discernment: Spiritual Practices for Building a Life of Faith.” This book provides a tool-box of spiritual practices to help deepen your capacity to discern the movement of the Spirit in your life. You will also learn how to incorporate the practice of discernment for accessing and implementing new ideas in the life of the any organization. Want more? I would love to guide your group through a 4-week online study using the book as a resource. Simply send me an email below for more information.

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