Francis of Assisi, A Harvest of Souls
In this essay, Francis is caught in a conundrum. Should he cloister himself in perpetual prayer and devotion, or should he go out and preach the gospel to people (295)? What Francis shows me is how to go about proper discernment when I am unsure how God is directing me. Instead of relying just on my own thoughts and intuition, I need to seek wise counsel and advice from other people who are spiritually mature and able to discern God’s voice.
This is exactly what Francis does when he called upon Brother Masseo, Brother Silvester, and Sister Clare to help him discern what God was calling him to do (296). Their discernment was that Francis was not called to seclusion but to take the gospel to the world. This empowers Francis to fulfill his calling as he said to Brother Masseo, “So let’s go – in the name of the Lord” (297).
Before starting my MDiv in 2017, I consulted several brothers about what I thought God was calling me to. They all affirmed that I had a teaching gift and would benefit greatly from a more formal theological education. A different set of spiritually mature advisors affirmed that I was to pursue a DMin. As I sat before my computer, the application form completed to the King’s University DMin program, I echoed Francis’s words – “So let’s go – in the name of the Lord!” (297).
Maybe I won’t be preaching to the birds as Francis did (297), but because I submitted myself to the discernment of trusted friends and listened to what God had to say through them, I was able to hear his voice and move forward in his will.
All references with page numbers are from Richard J. Foster and James Bryan Smith, Devotional Classics: Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups, Revised and expanded (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2005).
