The Hunger for Discernment

Blogging will re-commence later today.

It is fascinating to see who watches EWTN: disillusioned Episcopal priests on the west coast. Independent evangelical pastors on the verge of entering the Church on the east coast. And innumerable others. We've heard from a lay woman who wants to start a L'Arche community, from frustrated converts who are passionate about evangelism, from lay people who feel they have received a particular vision or message from the Church, from pastors who want Called & Gifted workshops, etc. People who want desperately to talk to someone in detail about their dilemmas and the choices they face.

And the theme is always discernment. How do I know what God wants? What God is doing in and through this experience? What should I do? How do I help my parishioners or friends or family discern?

Discernment: the single most critical life skill for lay apostles in a secular and often hostile culture. Discernment - a critical part of governance for the ordained.

And the resources to facilitate discernment are relatively few, hard to find, and harder to evaluate.

More on this later.