For more information, click here: Mindful Discernment, Contemplative Community Retreat.
Macdonald G (2002) Transformative unlearning: Safety, discernment and communities of learning.
For many mainline Christians, the scriptural prohibitions against homosexuality, like those barring women from speaking in church, represent historical prejudices embedded in holy scriptures; studying the context of these passages renders them less prejudicial, and the discernment of the community guides how they are applied to the contemporary Church.
The systems that used to exist for community discernment, which traditionally would screen students for seminary and the ministry, are not as present as they once were.
I mean seriously, instead of "Pussy Riot" what would have been so wrong with a name like, "Vagina Discernment," anatomically correct and community based?
However, in this community of prayerful discernment we didn't want to baptize the kids, and make the experience feel exclusive in any way.
God has chosen to work in groups of people - the people of Israel, Christ's disciples, the church, etc - and we see different voices in Scripture as these communities recorded their discernment of God's work in their lives across time.
A mentor offers information and guidance aimed at helping their protégé develop the knowledge, skills, connections within the community, and powers of discernment to be able to take care of themselves.
If your congregation can only relate to your denomination with animosity or apathy, be blessed as a faith community to spend time in discernment about your wider church affiliations.
We want to assure you that our community was at the center of our discernment process.
