FACILITATOR NOTES

What does it mean to have a personal vocation? As Frederick Buechner describes,

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

The revelation of our calling unfolds in growing attentiveness to how we are being enlivened and drawn deeper into our involvements and relationships.

This meeting creates a space for further understanding of our gifts and exploring those gifts in the context of our local and global communities. Where does our vocation lie in the greater invitation of discipleship?  How are we called to specifically take into consideration the poorest and most vulnerable in our midst?  This meeting is meant to facilitate further wresting with and exploration of these questions in the tension that they are often held.

It may be helpful to have already explore the meeting “3.03 Gifted to Serve” before sharing in this meeting.

Supplies:

• Meditation music

• Paper

• Pens

• Hard surfaces to write on

OPENING PRAYER

Ask for the grace to listen deeper to where God invites members individually and communally in integrating gifts and passions into greater commitments of justice in their local and global communities.

CHECK-IN

When this week have you felt truly joyful?

FOCUS EXERCISE

Use “Discerning God’s Will: An Exercise” from Evolutionary Spirituality to begin the discussion. Distribute paper and pens and invite people to relax as they prepare to enter into this reflection.

• Take a piece of paper and make three columns. Then, while you’re in a non-judgmental, accepting space, pay attention to your body and focus on your heart. In other words, close your eyes, put your attention on the center of your chest for a few minutes, and just notice the sensations of breathing and the gentle rhythmic beating of One Heart within you.

• After a few minutes of noticing rather than thinking, begin bringing to mind those activities, projects, passions, or interests that give you joy and pleasure and happiness in life. Not merely items like eating chocolate or lying on a tropical beach, but whatever gives you deep and lasting satisfaction — like when you’ve offered a helping hand or in some way contributed to others or to your community in a way that made you feel great- such as: tutoring at an after school program, serving at a soup kitchen, participating in immersion experiences, accompanying homeless individuals.  What do you love doing? What lights you up, gives you energy, or ignites your imagination?

• Now, title the left column “My Joys” and begin to list the words and phrases that articulate what you’ve just brought to mind: pursuits you’ve done or seen or read about others doing and that you can imagine yourself doing — anything that feeds your heart, nourishes your soul, and makes you feel fantastic about yourself. Be sure to include whatever you’re good at and what other people would say you’re good at. Periodically stop thinking and writing just to notice — notice your breathing, the sensations of your body, the beating of your heart, extraneous sounds. Then, as more possibilities come to mind, add to your list of ” My Joys”. Take your time with this; it’s very important.

• Then close you eyes again and return your attention to the center of your chest, to the region of your heart, and ask yourself this question: “Where do I hurt over what is happening to others and/or what’s happening to my community or my world? What troubles me or causes my heart to ache? Where do I get angry or frustrated or depressed? What causes my heart to open with compassion?”

• Now, title the column on the right “World’s Needs” and begin to create your new list. Don’t worry about “getting it right” or putting everything down the first time. Just keep your lists handy, and add to them as more ideas spontaneously arise over the next few days. In fact, periodically revisiting and adding to your list is a spiritual practice that can span a lifetime.

• After both lists (“My Joys” and “World’s Needs”) have been fleshed out, allow your imagination to roam while you begin to creatively mix and match. Ask yourself: “What are some possible avenues (both the practical and the outlandish) where my great joy and the world’s great need intersect? How might I contribute my time and energy in ways that would make a difference to at least one other person or creature, and that would also give me great joy?”

• Now, in the center column, begin to list these intersections, perhaps drawing diagonals to the specific items in the surrounding columns that would thus be connected. Don’t censor or judge the possibilities yet; write freely, periodically stopping to just breathe and imagine.

• Where your great joy and the world’s great need intersect will indicate the directions of your calling, your mission, your vocation — God’s will for you at this time and place. This is where you can join with the impulse of evolution, with the flow of Life, and thus participate consciously in what God is doing in the world.

• Finally, once again taking time to first bring your attention back to the middle of your chest, look over your middle column and ask your heart to guide you in completing the following sentence: “I exist in the world to serve by…” or “I exist in the world to be a blessing by…” and just jot down any words or phrases that come to mind. Then bring your attention back to the center of your chest and wait until more is revealed. Editing can come later. This is the time simply to listen and record whatever your heart leads you to say.

“Discerning God’s Will: An Exercise” from Evolutionary Spirituality

LISTENING

• What emerged in your reflection?

• Where can you identify intersection between your gifts and the world’s needs?

• Is there an area of service, justice work, or a social issue that you sense an invitation to cultivate more time and energy for?

• Share your thoughts with your group and elicit feedback on what they see and hear.

LISTENING DEEPER

• What has struck you as you have been listening to others share?  Do you notice any patterns or commonalities?

• What is remaining with you? What is striking you as one area you would like to continue to be attentive to?

• What has arisen in the sharing of group members? Are there other contemplations on justice or social issues that the group would like to continue to explore in coming weeks?

MOVING FORWARD

In going forward in the week, can you imagine a common service project, cause, or commitment that your group can consider taking on? As you imagine the possibilities, take into consideration the sharing of group members in your meeting.

CLOSING PRAYER

Pray in gratitude for the movement of the Spirit, for a deepening of awareness in each of us for the Spirit’s work in our lives, and for courage to respond whole-heartedly with our lives. Utilize the following scripture for inspiration in listening to God’s call:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3-10

IGNATIAN ROOTS

“This Spirit-inspired love respects the uniqueness of each personal vocation and enables us to be open and free, always at the disposal of God. It challenges us to see our responsibilities and constantly to seek answers to the needs of our times, to work together with the entire People of God and all people of good will to seek progress and peace, justice and charity, liberty and dignity for all.” (CLC-USA General Principles #2)

“I beg for the gift of an intimate knowledge of all the goods which God lovingly shares with me.  Filled with gratitude, I want to be empowered to respond just as totally in love and service.” (Spiritual Exercises [233])

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

“If you amend your ways… act justly with another, do not oppress the alien, the orphan and the widow, or shed innocent blood… then I will dwell with you… forever and ever.” Jeremiah 7:5-7

“Act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

“‘Do you love me?’ And Peter said to Jesus ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’  Jesus said to him ‘Feed my sheep.’” John 21:17

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