Summer w/Discernment - 2022

A Summer with Discernment

Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God

"We have not ceased praying for you and asking

that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will

in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord"

Col 9-10 NRSV

Join us over the summer and dip your toe into...

Christian Discernment

Wednesday mornings @ 9:30am

Beginning June 1st, 2022

Many of us have not encountered the rich spiritual heritage and wisdom that our Christian tradition & the Scriptures have to offer in its teaching regarding spiritual discernment.

"Spiritual Discernment;

the process of paying prayerful attention

to one’s own life

in order to be clearer about

and more cooperative with God’s activity."

-Lois A. Lindbloom

Join us on the quest to discover and

encounter more of God and His life-giving ways!

THE LOGISTICS-

Date: Six Wednesday mornings beginning June 1st

Time: 9:30-11:30am

Where: In-Person at my home in Palatine (hopefully in my backyard when weather permits)
What: We'll come together to discuss the book, enjoy some fellowship, share from our own experiences and try out some discernment practices together.

Outline/Topic Schedule:

June 1st - Willing God's Way & Ways of Willing

June 15th - My Kingdom, Thy Kingdom

June 29th -Love and Will & Choosing God

July 13th - Will and Desire

July 27th - Choose the Cross

Aug. 10th -Developing a Discerning Heart

RESOURCE NEEDED:

Please purchase this book prior to class and read the Forward and Chapter 1 prior to the first class.

David Benner's book - Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God – (try and get the Special Edition, published in 2015 if you can, as it has the discussion questions)

Depending on your availability & time this summer- if you are looking for a daily devotional with reflective questions- I recommended this too:

Optional Book / Discernment: Practicing the Holy Spirit: A 40-Day Praxis
This booklet is a wonderful contemplative daily devotional with reflection questions, quotes & scriptures to ponder - all related to discernment. (Order early as it takes about 10-14 days to arrive) This is not needed for the class.

Suggested Offering: $60 if you are able to contribute that's great.... if not still come!
Why do I ask for an offering?

We will start at the very beginning.... it's a very good place to start - says Maria von Trapp - with the foundational question of "do I really want discernment?"

“God does not want obedience as the fruit of our willful determination.

God wants surrender as the choice of the heart. For what we long for in our heart we will pursue with the totality of our being not simply with the resolve of our will.”

― David G. Benner, Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts With The Heart Of God

We'll touch on some of the basic tenants & teachings from our Christian heritage about discernment and ponder together what it is and why it's important.

1. REGISTER BELOW

2. MAKE AN OFFERING BELOW

Offerings can be made above with PayPal, or to avoid processing fees use Venmo (cecilia-whitacre), Chase Zelle QuickPay or send a check.

"Living a spiritually mature life requires listening to God's voice within and among us. The great news of God's revelation is not simply that 'I am,' but also that God is actively present in the moments of our lives at all times and places. Our God is a God who cares, heals, guides, directs, challenges, confronts, corrects. To discern means first of all to listen to God, to pay attention to God's active presence, and to obey God's prompting, direction, leadings, and guidance."

-Henri Nouwen; Discernment: Reading the Signs of the Daily Life

an ORDINARY CHRISTIAN WOMAN aka Cecilia T. Whitacre

(Acts 4:13, 19:11)

A Summer with Discernment

Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God

Join us over the summer and dip your toe into...

Christian Discernment

Wednesday mornings @ 9:30am

Beginning June 1st, 2022

Many of us have not encountered the rich spiritual heritage and wisdom that our Christian tradition & the Scriptures have to offer in its teaching regarding spiritual discernment.

"Spiritual Discernment;

the process of paying prayerful attention

to one’s own life

in order to be clearer about

and more cooperative with God’s activity."

-Lois A. Lindbloom

Join us on the quest to discover and

encounter more of God and His life-giving ways!

THE LOGISTICS-

Date: Six Wednesday mornings beginning June 1st

Time: 9:30-11:30am

Where: In-Person at my home in Palatine (hopefully in my backyard when weather permits)
What: We'll come together to discuss the book, enjoy some fellowship, share from our own experiences and try out some discernment practices together.

Outline/Topic Schedule:

June 1st - Willing God's Way & Ways of Willing

June 15th - My Kingdom, Thy Kingdom

June 29th -Love and Will & Choosing God

July 13th - Will and Desire

July 27th - Choose the Cross

Aug. 10th -Developing a Discerning Heart

RESOURCE NEEDED:

Please purchase this book prior to class and read the Forward and Chapter 1 prior to the first class.

David Benner's book - Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God – (try and get the Special Edition, published in 2015 if you can, as it has the discussion questions)

Depending on your availability & time this summer- if you are looking for a daily devotional with reflective questions- I recommended this too:

Suggested Offering: $60 if you are able to contribute that's great.... if not still come!
Why do I ask for an offering?

We will start at the very beginning.... it's a very good place to start - says Maria von Trapp - with the foundational question of "do I really want discernment?"

“God does not want obedience as the fruit of our willful determination.

God wants surrender as the choice of the heart. For what we long for in our heart we will pursue with the totality of our being not simply with the resolve of our will.”

― David G. Benner, Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts With The Heart Of God

We'll touch on some of the basic tenants & teachings from our Christian heritage about discernment and ponder together what it is and why it's important.

1. REGISTER BELOW

2. MAKE AN OFFERING BELOW

A Summer with Discernment

Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God

​

​

​

Join us over the summer and dip your toe into...

​

Christian Discernment

​

Wednesday mornings @ 9:30am

Beginning June 1st, 2022

​

​

Many of us have not encountered the rich spiritual heritage and wisdom that our Christian tradition & the Scriptures have to offer in its teaching regarding spiritual discernment.

​

​

"Spiritual Discernment;

the process of paying prayerful attention

to one’s own life

in order to be clearer about

and more cooperative with God’s activity."

-Lois A. Lindbloom

​

​

​

Join us on the quest to discover and

encounter more of God and His life-giving ways!

​

​

​

THE LOGISTICS-

Date: Six Wednesday mornings beginning June 1st

Time: 9:30-11:30am

Where: In-Person at my home in Palatine (hopefully in my backyard when weather permits) What: We'll come together to discuss the book, enjoy some fellowship, share from our own experiences and try out some discernment practices together.

​

​

Outline/Topic Schedule:

June 1st - Willing God's Way & Ways of Willing​

June 15th - My Kingdom, Thy Kingdom

June 29th -Love and Will & Choosing God

July 13th - Will and Desire

July 27th - Choose the Cross

Aug. 10th -Developing a Discerning Heart

RESOURCE NEEDED:

Please purchase this book prior to class and read the Forward and Chapter 1 prior to the first class.

David Benner's book - Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God – (try and get the Special Edition, published in 2015 if you can, as it has the discussion questions)

Depending on your availability & time this summer- if you are looking for a daily devotional with reflective questions- I recommended this too:

​

​

Suggested Offering: $60 if you are able to contribute that's great.... if not still come! Why do I ask for an offering?

​

​

​

We will start at the very beginning.... it's a very good place to start - says Maria von Trapp - with the foundational question of "do I really want discernment?"

​

​

“God does not want obedience as the fruit of our willful determination.

God wants surrender as the choice of the heart. For what we long for in our heart we will pursue with the totality of our being not simply with the resolve of our will.”

― David G. Benner, Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts With The Heart Of God

​

​

We'll touch on some of the basic tenants & teachings from our Christian heritage about discernment and ponder together what it is and why it's important.

1. REGISTER BELOW

2. MAKE AN OFFERING BELOW

Where: In-Person at my home in Palatine (hopefully in my backyard when weather permits)
What: We'll come together to discuss the book, enjoy some fellowship, share from our own experiences and try out some discernment practices together.

June 1st - Willing God's Way & Ways of Willing

Suggested Offering: $60 if you are able to contribute that's great.... if not still come!
Why do I ask for an offering?