Discernment
In the fall of 2011, I was enjoying lunch with a parishioner when he said, “John, I know you know what we’re going to do. Why don’t you just tell us?” To which I responded, “I have no idea what we’re going to do.” When he gave me a confused look, I explained. “First, we’re going to discern who we are as God’s people and who we believe God is calling us to be. Then we’ll decide what we’re going to do.”
A few months later — following a process of discernment — the vestry adopted a mission and purpose statement that both defined who we were and who we hoped to be. It was grounded in reality while also being aspirational. Only then did we focus more intentionally on our ministries and programs. We wanted what we did in the name of Christ to reflect who we were as God’s people.
Much has changed at St. Paul’s over the past twelve years. Many of our active members have been a part of the parish for less than a decade. A growing proportion of parishioners come from different faith traditions. Parish leaders, still dominated by Boomers in 2011, are now increasingly Gen Xers and Millennials. The majority of the members of the clergy and staff have been here for less than three years.
Over the past decade we’ve become much more attuned to systemic injustice in Central Indiana which has inspired us to think differently about outreach and community engagement. We’ve marched in the Pride parade and stood with the LGBTQ community at the statehouse. We’ve proclaimed that Black lives matter and joined protests for racial justice and equity. We’ve developed and deepened relationships with a number of organizations such as School 43 and the MLK Center.
I could list more changes — I haven’t even mentioned the impact of the pandemic — but hopefully I’ve shared enough to make the point that the St. Paul’s of 2023 is not the St. Paul’s of 2011. Which is why parish leaders have engaged in a new period of reimagining. The questions are the same, but the context is new. Who are we as God’s people in 2023? Who do we believe God is calling us to be in the future?
In our tradition, we believe the Holy Spirit speaks not through one person or group but through the voices of the entire community. I invite and encourage you to participate in one of the reimagining process listening sessions (see details here). During these sessions you will have the opportunity to tell us what you value about St. Paul’s and also what is missing that you’d like to see offered or improved.
I’ll conclude today with a prayer by Thomas Merton which has always grounded me during times of discernment.
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.
