Discerning the Mind of Christ Together Chip Hardwick New Castle Presbytery 5/21/16
When people who love God and want to do God s will face choices between options all of which are good and that they are free to choose, how can they discern God s will?
Individual vs. Group Discernment
5 Kinds of Listening discrimination
5 Kinds of Listening discrimination comprehension
5 Kinds of Listening discrimination comprehension therapeutic
5 Kinds of Listening discrimination comprehension therapeutic appreciative
5 Kinds of Listening discrimination comprehension therapeutic appreciative critical
A New Category discrimination comprehension Listening for Discernment therapeutic appreciative critical
Westminster Larger Catechism [When listening to sermons, listeners must not only] receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God, but also examine what they hear by Scriptures.
Listening for Discernment obedience criticism
Listening for Discernment obedience criticism
Obedience to Christ We obey Christ by seeking spiritual freedom.
Obedience to Christ We obey Christ by seeking spiritual freedom. Ignatian tradition speaks of indifference as a disposition of willingness to hold God above any other created thing.
Obedience to Christ We obey Christ by seeking spiritual freedom. Ignatian tradition speaks of indifference as a disposition of willingness to hold God above any other created thing. Spiritual freedom is a willingness to follow God s call above any other call or commitment.
Obedience to Christ Luke 9:59-60 To another Jesus said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, first let me go and bury my father. 60 But Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.
Obedience to Christ Spiritual freedom is the willingness to put God s desires over our own desires
Obedience to Christ Spiritual freedom is the willingness to put God s desires over our own desires Sometimes another elder s committee deserves more funding than our own.
Obeying Christ through Councils
Obeying Christ through Councils
F-1.04 By the power of the Spirit, Jesus Christ draws worshiping communities and individual believers into the sovereign activity of the triune God at all times and places.
Historic Principles, Conscience, and Church Govt (1983) Obeying Christ through Councils The covenant between God and the church is expressed by the corporate bodies far more effectively than by any individual. The debate of issues within these bodies is more likely to discern and express the will of God than is any private decision made by an individual. The more representative the body (the more inclusive) the more likely it will be able to express God s will.
Listening for Discernment obedience criticism
Ignatius St. Ignatius (1491-1556) Modes of Discernment
Mode #1: Clarity beyond Doubting If God chooses to give this gift of clarity, our part is to accept and act upon it. --Timothy Gallagher
Mode #2: Attraction of the Heart Consolations (spiritual joy, love, hope, tears) vs. Desolations (sadness, lack of confidence, lack of love, dryness)
Mode #3: Preponderance of Reason Psalm 32:8-9 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Mode #3: Preponderance of Reason Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
Mode #3: Preponderance of Reason
Mode #3: Qns on Concrete Factors What advantages and disadvantages result from the decision in bringing about God s glory?
Mode #3: Qns on a Stranger I desire what is best for the spiritual growth for a person I have never seen or known. What option would I counsel her to choose?
Mode #3: Qns on End of Life On our death beds, when all lesser motivations lose their force, what choice will we wish to have made today?
Mode #3: Qns in the Light of Eternity I see myself on the day of judgment and consider how, at that time, I will wish to have chosen in the present discernment. Then I will make the same choice now. --Ignatius
Listening for Discernment obedience criticism
Contact Information Chip.hardwick@pcusa.org Facebook: Chip Hardwick Twitter: @ChipHardwick Blog: www.pcusa.org/blogs/comi ngs-and-goings
Social Discernment Process Noticing/ Describing Implementation/ Evaluation Social Analysis Decision/Con firmation Theo Refl/Prayer