Desire and Discernment
Desire. Discernment. I’ve been thinking about how these two things intersect with one another. Desire and discernment. There are two opposing ways that desire comes into play where discernment is concerned. One is about what we think we want. And one is about what our Deepest, Wisest self is offering. The first way that desire […]
Sheila-na-Gig and Discernment
(I woke up at 2 am, needing to write this post. My apologies for typos, etc.) So I’ve been thinking about The Days of Discernment and why I care so much about discernment—the art of making wise decisions. I’ve been thinking about how I’ve spent the last few years working on ways to make decisions, […]
The Emergence of a Minister: Part 2
So, in case you’re not glued to my every word, I’ll remind you that it was All Souls Unitarian in Washington, DC that really sucked me into Unitarian Universalism, and ultimately into ministry. I had attended another Fellowship in the past, but it had never grabbed me as All Souls did. And it wasn’t the […]
Spiritual Direction: What, Why, and How
So this thing called “spiritual direction.” What is it? Who does the “directing,” if anyone? What is the purpose of spiritual direction? What do I mean when I say it? Spiritual direction can be a slippery concept. What is Spiritual Direction? At its base, spiritual direction/mentorship/accompaniment is as old as spiritual practice, which is to […]
Gentleness or Discipline
I’ve written a lot about gentleness and discipline, their hand-in-hand relationship, and how necessary that relationship is for practice of all kinds. This week, I have been considering not only their relationship, but the dynamic balance of that relationship. How at one time, gentleness needs our focus, and at other times, discipline does. Persistence comes […]
Want Discernment? Here’s How!
I am reading Big Magic, the creativity book by Elizabeth Gilbert. And I am reading A Spiritual Handbook, by Father James Galluzzo, the founder of the Urban Spirituality Center. Both books are leading me to think in new ways about discernment. Or perhaps I just mean deeper ways. The Galluzzo book has the following quotation […]
Discerning What’s Going Right
This post is one of gratitude. Or perhaps, as some people choose to think of it, a post about what’s going right. A thousand things go right for me every day. Though I’m having a hard time physically right now, my heart is still beating, my lungs fill with air whether I think of it […]
The Questions of Solstice
In three days, we will go into the dark. We will begin the three days leading up to the December Solstice, Midwinter, or Yule, in the Northern Hemisphere. That first day of the three, I have invited you—and I invite you now—to make a day of retreat. A day of renewal. Let it be a […]
Discernment for Hope
In the Soul Matters UU congregational curriculum, December’s theme is Expectation. When I think of expectation in December, I think of the phrase I heard over and over and over at every Mass I ever attended as a child: We wait in joyful hope… Joyful hope. In the UU congregations I know, “expectation” is turning […]
The Role of Divination in Discernment
There are many tools of discernment. Prayer—reflecting on and asking for clarity and nonattachment to outcome—is central for many forms of discernment. It is the foundation of my practice of discernment. Prayer is the fundamental tool. You cannot make a well-discerned decision if you have decided from the beginning that you know the right answer. […]