On Wednesday nights I have been discussing the book by Danny E. Morris and Charles M. Olsen entitled Discerning God’s Will Together: A Spiritual Practice for the Church.

In chapter one the authors establish some basic assumptions in the practice of Spiritual Discernment that should inform everything we do.  Those assumptions consist of three spiritual principles, namely presence, practices, and posture. 

Ultimately what is at stake in this discussion is our identity as the Beloved Community wherein Jesus is Lord that is committed to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.  The church deals in matters that are holy and in matters that have eternal significance, and its business is higher than that of any human organization. 

Not everyone subscribes to the belief that the church of Jesus Christ is above every organization of human origin. Some feel that while the church exists to do good things, it is no more sacred, mystical, or important than any social organization, non-profit or other community organization.  Along those same lines they say, “We simply jump in, give it our best shot, agree to disagree, win some and lose some, take our licks, and stand our ground no matter what.”  That point of view may be just fine for social organizations, but it is not okay for the church of Christ if we take seriously the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His teachings. I agree with Morris and Olsen that we should observe these three principles whenever we enter into God’s house.  They define these principles thusly:

Presence – As the church of Christ we gather in His presence, are filled with the Holy Spirit, and are given the opportunity to know the Divine will.  We should invite the Holy Spirit to be active within us and to be our Guide in helping us to make decisions as a church.  The Holy Spirit places a yearning within us to discover God’s will for the church.  All this happens in the presence of Christ. 

Practices – In spiritual discernment God’s will for the church is greater in importance than anything else.  We conform our lives, actions, and our business to God’s will for the church without feeling pressured by efficiency, expediency, egos, economics, or anything else.  We practice humility and the willingness to surrender our personal motivations in favor of God’s will.  We recognize that many different people are involved in discerning God’s will on any given issue, and we may have to yield our preferences when a majority has a different idea from our own.  We nurture these spiritual practices by immersing ourselves in prayer, Bible Study, and corporate discernment with patience, perseverance, and mutual submission.  Without spiritual practices we have no hope of becoming the kind of church where God’s will is valued above all else. 

Posture – In spiritual discernment we come before God and others with a willingness to change our hearts and minds when the conditions dictate doing so.  Once the community discovers God’s will in a particular situation, we then need to make the appropriate response without continuing to argue for our wills.   Also, we recognize that God sends leaders with gifts for the edification and well-being of the congregation.  Just as all fields of endeavor recognize gifted leaders that can help them succeed, so too the church of Christ should recognize spiritual leaders who have been graced by God to probe the depths of God’s will for the Church.  In a posture of spiritual discernment we will also ask God’s will again and again, not just in a few things, but in everything.