Pursuing God's Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups

One of the courses I'm taking this semester is an Independent Study course in which I'm focusing on discernment.  I have a reading list, but I can read other books that capture my attention along the way.  This is one such book. 

Barton, Ruth Haley.  Pursuing God's Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups (IVP: 2012).

I was first introduced to Ruth Haley Barton my first year in seminary when we read Sacred Rhythms in the class and as part of our assignment we were to invite several others along with us for the journey.  That was a great adventure for me.  Since then, I have checked out most of her other books and have found them to be insightful and challenging for my journey.

This book is no exception.  However, I had other emotions reading it as well.  At times I was frustrated and disturbed, maybe even regretful.  For the most part, however, I found myself being encouraged as I read about the possibilities of living into a group setting that practiced discernment for its decision making AND became a community of transformed kingdom people along the way. 

If this book is encouraging and hopeful, then why would you feel otherwise you might ask?  That's a good question.  And, I will first say that toward the end of the book I read someone else's account that made me feel a little better about how I felt.  Barton share's "One Leader's Story" at the end of the book with his permission.  He had attended one of the training sessions.  He mentions that the teachings "excited", "scared", and "depressed" him. (229).  I could relate to that.  He refers to the retreat as a "soul-stretching retreat about discernment as the heart of spiritual leadership." (230)  That's what this book is all about.  It takes the retreats and puts them into book form, for the rest of us.

My feelings of being frustrated, disturbed, and even depressed came from thinking back through times in which the discernment model could have been so much more life-giving and kingdom-affirming, and community-building than what ended up happening.  Though I attempted to lead well as Staff Parish Chair, I made my mistakes as well.   But, I cannot (nor can any of us) focus on the past.  I must (as you) take what I'm learning and apply it in the here and now (and in the future).   I think I have applied some of these things some of the time in groups and on boards that I'm on that don't fully live by a discernment model.  And, I've seen other folks lead with some of these things as well.  But, I haven't really been part of a group that primarily employs a discernment model in their leadership until recently when I joined the board for Hearts on Fire (or FUMSDRL= Fellowship of United Methodist Spiritual Directors and Retreat Leaders).

Though I haven't been to a board meeting in person just yet, I have joined in over the phone.  That's how many of the meetings take place anyway, except for the yearly or every other year retreat one.  Anyway, the time begins with a Scripture reading, usually done in the lectio divina method so that we can listen to what God might be saying.  Then, there is silence time.  A bit awkward over the phone, but still necessary.  Then, there is time to share what came to mind.  This is the beginning of the time together.  From what I've observed, there is discernment going on and folks are free to share as we move through the meetings. I consider this opportunity a joy, honor, and privilege and know that I will grow as I continue to serve alongside them.

I am encouraged and hopeful that I might be able to lead one day from this discernment point of view, where the focus is on God leading the group.  I recognize that this isn't always easy when you come into a situation where that hasn't been cultivated.  But, I hope that wherever God plants me in the future, I will be able to cultivate an environment where spiritual transformation in community is the culture for the leaders as well as for all people in that community. 

This book helps anyone wanting to learn how to get there to do so.  Barton shares from their experiences at the Transforming Center as a board.  This can be applied to boards, to Staff Parish Committees, to Leadership Councils, etc.  Anywhere there is a group seeking God's will, it can be done in a way that brings about transformation individually and in community.

There is quote toward the end of the book, in Appendix 2, that caught my attention: “The journey of transformation requires willingness to relinquish control and give ourselves over to a process that we cannot fully understand or of which we can predict the outcome.  We know we will be more like Christ, but we cannot predict exactly what this will look like or where it will take us.” (243)  This sums up what the journey of transformation is about, both individually and in community.  It's exciting and a little scary.  But, it's an adventure!

The discernment process requires listening, lots of it.  In community, it requires putting aside our egos, our personal agendas, and all kinds of other stuff.  It requires that we come to a place of indifference, where we are open to what God has for us. 

What if you're not practicing discernment at all in your group?  Barton suggests: "Do something before you do everything." (232)  "Try introducing one or two aspects of discernment into the process of making the decisions you are facing." (232)

I recommend this book.  I could type up all my underlined notes, but then this would be a much longer post.  Instead, I'll outline the book chapters as I've done in the past.  There are quotes at the beginning of each chapter, prayer resources, step by step guidelines throughout, etc. 

The book:

Introduction: The Heart of Spiritual Leadership

PART ONE: Becoming a Community for Discernment
 1. Learning to See
 2. Beginning with Spiritual Transformation
 3. Leaders Who Are Discerning
 4. Community at the Leadership Level
 5. Values That Undergird Community
 6. Practices for Opening to God Together
 7. Practices for Listening to Each Other
 8. A Covenant That Protects Community

PART TWO: Practicing Discernment Together
 9. Get Ready: Preparing for the Discernment Process
10.Get Set: From Decision Making to Discernment
11. Go!  Discerning and Doing God's Will Together
12. But Does It Work?

Gratitudes
Appendix 1: Leader's Guide
Appendix 2: A Biblical Perspective on Spiritual Transformation
Appendix 3: Lectio Divina
Notes
Resources

I will close my thoughts with the quote that was placed at the beginning of the book: "The question is deceptively simple to ask and exquisitely difficult to answer: Am I truly seeking to do Thy will... or mine?"  ~Gerald May

If you would like to know more about the Transforming Center that Ruth Haley Barton founded, you can click on their name to go to their website.

For more resources on Pursuing God's Will Together, visit their website by clicking on the book title.

Blessings on your spiritual transformation and discernment journey!

~Debra