“We have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16) “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) These scriptures establish a culture for decision making based on discerning the will of God. They point to practices that establish a sound basis for discernment:
- Two or three (confirming what is true according to the biblical standard for witnesses)
- Gathered together (assembling publicly to discern and assertively declare as a church)
- In my name (recognizing and/or acting in the authority of another)
- There I am (recognizing & maintaining awareness that the Self-Existent One is present)
- In the midst (actively orchestrating the involvement of those gathered to discern)
The diagram below illustrates the structure of Christ-in-the-Midst discernment. Each participant in the ecclesia [church] maintains an attitude of submission to Christ who reigns in the center of the gathering. The wisdom of Christ is like a many-faceted diamond. Christ reveals to each person a part of the wisdom. Each shares the perspective one hears the Lord speaking with a posture of towardness. We recognize that Christ will work with the personality, experience, intelligence, and gifting of each member to reveal different perspectives of the whole. Rather than voicing our personal opinions we submit our will to Christ to share insight that comes from Him. Any idea someone receives in prayer or discussion, we place it in the center where Christ is. Given this posture we see the discernment build in fullness to a conclusion confirmed by sharing in common the peace of God.
