What is 40 Days of Discernment?
The current crisis in The Episcopal Church (TEC, formerly referred to as the Episcopal Church USA or ECUSA) demands a response. Parishes and missions need a prayerful and reasoned way for choosing a way forward. The 40 Days of Discernment™ program and this guidebook are an attempt to help congregations do just that.
This guidebook provides guidance on prayer and fasting, weekly readings on topical subjects, questions for small group discussion, and a devotional with inductive Bible study questions on 1 Corinthians. The guidebook, though, is but one part of the over-all discernment process.
As with any church program, each parish and mission must shape 40 Days of Discernment™ to fit its local needs and context. The 40 Days of Discernment™ is intended to include the following components:
- solemn assemblies at the beginning and end of 40 Days prayer meetings
- fasting, perhaps weekly on designated days
- individuals working through the guidebook
- small group discussions
- newsletter articles
- possible vestry resolution on what course of action the parish ought to take
- congregational meeting and any necessary vote on any vestry resolution
The nature and timing of any vestry resolution and congregational meeting may vary greatly from congregation to congregation. For some, a resolution may be an affir-mation of the congregation's desire to remain in its current diocese; for others there may be a proposal that the congregation apply to affiliate with a particular part of the Anglican Communion. For some, the timing of such actions may be done within the 40 days, and for others it may be scheduled after the 40 days.
To begin your journey through the 40 Days of Discernment™ read the entry for Week One: Understanding the Crisis or follow the guide as listed on the left