Spiritual Discernment as a Way of Life: An Introduction to Loving the Questions

Craig Hammond, Diocesan Evangelist

Loving the Questions is a spiritual community of discernment in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, and has recently partnered with the Diocese of Massachusetts. This new and growing ministry is entering its sixth year. The Loving the Questions community serves as a gateway prerequisite for those considering ordination, but importantly has evolved into a full-fledged discernment space for the Church laity in full — not simply those considering ordination.

In his The Conferences with the desert monastics in the late fourth century, John Cassian notes that no virtue or action can be attained or fulfilled without the grace of discernment. And as Jesus teaches in the Gospel of John, he can do nothing of himself, unless it is something he discerns the Father doing. Lois Lindbloom of the Shalem Institute describes spiritual discernment as the process of prayerful attention to one’s life in order to clarify and cooperate with God’s activity.

Our yearly gatherings begin each year in September and close in March, but participants find that as our time ends in March that discernment has only just begun. Discernment is much, much more than simply figuring out what one’s role or ministry in the church is. Discernment is a way of being that leads toward greater cooperation with God’s work in our lives. Discernment is a grace, and a way of life.

What does this look like in practice? Certainly this is a question we love, and one that we are continually living into in new ways. The heartbeat of last year’s Loving the Questions cohort was rooted in small groups that gathered twice a month on Wednesday evenings to articulate our hearts to one another. Much like the framework of the Quaker Clearness Committee, we are learning to center our engagement in prayerful silence and holy listening to one another. ♦

What is Loving the Questions?

Loving the Questions is a community of discernment that honors the Spirit’s call whether you are considering lay or ordained ministry. It is open to all members of parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and the Diocese of Massachusetts.

The meeting format supports both English and Spanish speakers. Each year brings a new group of participants with their own unique wants, needs, and questions.

A core, guiding spiritual principle is that none of us know exactly where the Spirit is leading us, whether we're participants or facilitators. Thus, we are on a path of discovery together, and much of how we engage and what we include is up to what the Spirit reveals along the way. ​

Attention is given to:

• Growing into a deeper understanding of your unique calling

• Gaining clarity about your unique calling

• Identifying supports in terms of people and tools necessary for your calling

• Developing a plan of formation for your calling

Prospective participants often assume that Loving the Questions is targeted mainly to those seeking holy orders (ordination as a priest or deacon). This is far from our reality. Our discernment community serves anyone exploring their unique vocation — those considering ordained or non-ordained ministry.

​The aim is to prayerfully listen to God and support one another toward understanding one’s unique calling. God’s church body is vast, the possibilities of service are infinite, and the needs of the world require vocations that certainly surpass the roles of priest and deacons. ♦

www.LovingTheQuestions.org