A spirit of decision.

As I sit here writing this article, we are celebrating the Feast of the Ascension — a capstone finish to Jesus’s work here among us. His disciples had been through an quite a lot with Him — His Baptism, Transformation, Crucifixion, and now, Resurrection.

What do they do after He passes this 5th milestone of His ministry? They go back to town and head for the Upper Room. They shut the door. And there they sit, until the promised Advocate arrives (10 days later at Pentecost). That Advocate (the Holy Spirit) blows them out of their safe haven and into the the streets — first Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria… and then, well, that breeze is still blowing. It won’t stop until it’s reached the ends of the Earth.

I’m realizing that all of us can retreat, at one time or another in our lives, to that Upper Room. My head is my Upper Room, and, for much of my time, it is my residential address of choice. Getting stuck in that room is a problem. When I get stuck, eventually I figure I have to make a change. Deciding what that change could be and figuring out what to do next is the hard work of discernment. 

The Latin root of discern means to sift or to sort. Options must be generated. Outcomes weighed. Risks assessed. Opportunities recognized. And choices made. 

Choosing means deciding between: what will I give up in this choice? — and, what will I hang on to? I am finding this framework to not be all that helpful. It immobilizes me. 

I’ve discovered a key to help me unlock this conundrum. There is a hint of desperation contained in the phrase “hang on to.” Actually, it reeks of reluctance. A better, more helpful way to put it is: what do I want to give myself to freely? That freedom is a call to fidelity — being faithful in identifying one’s gifts, and being faithful in joining those gifts to the needs of the world.

Where can you find the safe space to find out what you are really thinking, feeling, struggling with? Get out of your head, and into community. A program like the Vocare School here at Richmond Hill is an excellent option — it equips you with time, tools, and a safe, supportive community to do the hard work of deciding what might come next in your life.

Remember, the call is not to remain in some safe, enclosed space. The call is to move out — into your circles of connection, virtual and real. It’s the Spirit’s call to renew the face of the earth. 

And that’s a kingdom call.

Richard Rumble
June 2014