Widening the Understanding of Spiritual Discernment
Jeff Crosby speaks to Stephen Macchia about his new book...
The idea of spiritual discernment is too often applied only in times of decision-making. Stephen Macchia wants to widen our understanding.
Jeff Crosby: In The Discerning Life, I encountered repeatedly the phrase ‘practising a preference for God’. Tell us about that foundational idea.
Stephen Macchia: It comes from one of my mentors, Rueben Job, who summarised a definition for spiritual discernment as ‘practising a preference for God.’ I affirm that as the foundation for a lifestyle of discernment: noticing God in our daily lives, pointing out God to one another in community relationships, and learning how to trust God first and foremost in every aspect of our personal lives, relationships, leadership and service to others. My goal is to cease the pigeon-holing of discernment into the exclusive realm of decision-making and will-of-God searching and instead to widen our understanding of the concept and lifestyle of discernment in our daily lives.
Crosby: You seek to help leaders of all kinds to prioritise the care of their souls.
Macchia: I stress the need for us to live prayerfully and expectantly, learning how to notice God in our prayer closets as well as in our daily lives. I believe that leaders need to model such a priority so that others follow their example and practise a preference for God for the sake of their own souls and for the influence they have upon others. The first area of soul care that I cover is silence, solitude, slowness and stillness. I also talk about keeping the Scriptures central to our prayer lives, as well as various reflective practices. Additionally, I suggest that Sabbath rest is the turnkey to the deeper life and is a must-have practice for living the discerning life.
Crosby: The notion of ‘noticing God in everything’ struck me as being just a bit in the tradition of Ignatius of Loyola.
Macchia: Ignatius has had a significant influence on my reflections upon, and in the execution of, the discerning life. His thumbprint is all over chapter eight, where I present a ten question process for individual and group discernment. I love how Ignatius speaks of the three ways we make decisions: first, when it’s obvious (the building is on fire, therefore we make swift decisions: get out and make sure everyone is safe!); second, when we have options for discernment; and third, when we have to simply wait (like a sailboat out on the water and there’s no wind to carry it forward … we wait for the wind, rather than put down the oars or rev up the engine). Most of us are much more interested in making swift decisions than in taking the time to prayerfully discern God’s priorities, or even worse, having to wait in God’s waiting room for His timing. Good discerners know how to lean into all three ways of decision-making appropriately and prayerfully.
Crosby: As I read, I encountered some interesting concepts connected to the idea of discernment – things such as empathy, hospitality, and self-awareness. How are those spiritual practices connected to the idea of discernment?
Macchia: The book is designed in three segments: discerning God individually; discerning God in our daily relationships and in our wider world; and discerning God’s priorities together as a community of leaders, a small group, or a family. Self-awareness grows out of our pursuit of God-awareness, getting to know the true God as we get to know our true selves. Biblical hospitality is expressed out of one’s desire to care for the lost, the lonely, and the left behind, just as Jesus did when He walked planet Earth. Empathy for others in various cultures, ethnicities, and people groups comes out of our awareness of our own story and our desire to love and serve others without judgment. These are all intertwined in the development of a heart that longs to be known and loved, and, as a result, desires to know and love others in Jesus’ name and with Jesus’ heart. Such practices impact one’s ability to live discerningly within the wider contexts of our life and service to others. We are not created to live in isolation, but instead in community. Both the individual and the community need to practise together a preference for God. When that occurs, we experience a slice of heaven-on-earth, as we worship, relate and serve arm-in-arm for the King and His Kingdom.
Crosby: How might The Discerning Life be used corporately by leadership teams?
Macchia: Imagine if your leadership teams actually shared a common priority of living the discerning life – together! That’s a dream I long for in every ministry setting worldwide. When we encourage one another to practise a preference for God daily, we create a new culture for our teams and our organisations.
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