Communal Discernment Part II: Notes on Methodology and Capacities to Cultivate Mary Pellegrino, CSJ Transformation of Religious Life in North America: An Action-Oriented Initiative

A Working Definition Communal Discernment: Process undertaken by a community as a community to discover God’s desire/direction within a particular set of circumstances leading to some sort of action by the discerning community. Shared work Seeking God Here and now Expressed in action

Notable nuance A discerning community Members are attentive and intentionally cultivating their capacities for discernment (noticing, naming and making meaning of the movement of the Spirit and call of God within and among them). A community discerning A community actively and intentionally engaged in a group process intended to discover for themselves God’s desires/direction within a particular set of circumstances.

Matters for communal discernment Matters that involve the expression of mission/purpose/communal vocation for and in a particular time Matters for which it is important that all group members be engaged and responsible, i.e. direction setting, disposition of corporate resources... Matters that are worthy of the time, energy, discipline and rigor of communal discernment

Some Characteristics of A Discerning Community Prayerful/Praying Community Continually seeking God, God’s desires and the freedom to act on those desires Contemplative prayer intended for listening for God/Spirit Sense of Identity and Relationship Growing in shared understanding of itself, its history, comprehension of its spheres of influence Growing in comprehension of how it is influenced and how it influences

Learning Community Open to change, transformation and the broadening of perspectives (personal and communal) Names what is real; is honest toward reality (Sobrino) Leaders and members growing in capacities to acknowledge, invite and consider diverse and new thinking

Capable of holding tension, tolerating ambiguity, chaos, unfinishedness Recognizes itself, its members, the world as being in process Encourages and cultivates imagination, creativity, personal initiative in service to the community

A Community Discerning Engaged in deciding a matter of significance for the group Believes that God has a desire/intent/purpose for them AND intends to follow God’s desire/intent/purpose Devotes personal and communal time and resources to the discernment process

A Framework for Discernment: Preparation and Process Seek interior freedom – personally and communally Gather information Prayerful consideration of the matter: alternatives, pros/cons, rational and affective experience These elements may be serial through the process Move toward consensus/decision Make decision Act on decision Seek confirmation of decision: what are the fruits?

Fruitfulness relies on personal preparation/capacity Personal capacities effect the quality of the community’s discernment Personal is in service to the communal Personal narrative, story, reality is read in service to larger social/communal narrative, story, reality Order our personal preference for the greater, common good

Skills/capacities to cultivate for communal discernment Self-Awareness Know/claim your personal and communal stories Personal and communal patterns of grace given/received Identity and mission are inseparable Learn to read our personal and communal narratives in service to the larger social reality

Appropriate self-disclosure Allow ourselves to be known by others Builds trust and confidence in self and others Learn to speak about what is important and appropriate to matter at hand Practice non-violent communication

Broaden thinking, expand consciousness, deepen understanding Expose self/community to diverse thoughts and perspectives Engage in social analysis, theological reflection, contemplative conversations

Notice interior movements Personal and communal What’s going on inside of me/among us? What meaning might it have? Be honest toward reality Speak the truth... even if your voice shakes.

Befriend resistances Personal and communal Resistance is valuable – has something to teach us Learn to stay with resistance – without judgment – long enough to learn from them

Cultivate curiosity Personal and communal Curiosity and fear biochemically the same – differ only in degree Wondering about something, asking questions can dispel fear Learn to ask good questions

Learn to take the long, broad view The world, our communities, ourselves are unfinished Perspective matters Get comfortable with chaos

Cultivate patience, humility and openness to surprise “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor Roosevelt Cultivate a sense of humor The only thing we should take more seriously than we already do is God’s love... for us, for others, for all of creation Learn to laugh at yourself and with others