Called to Love: Discernment, Decision Making and Ministry

Life comprises a series of transitions: from childhood to adolescence, adulthood, senescence, death and life beyond death. Christian life is graced by transition into Christlikeness which requires us to make choices, continually, to remain faithful to Christ. At times of transition we seek the will of God as we journey through life making decisions about what to do and where to go next in the service of God and our neighbour. This experience is common to all Christians but in Called to Love the focus is on those in ordained ministry and those aspiring to ordination and explores how we discern God's will and how we make decisions about the direction of our ministry. At the heart of our ministry is love, but how is Love best served. Does the freedom which Love bestows allow us, as individuals ans the Church of God, to employ such decision making methods as seem best to us? What can organisational practices in decision making can offer us? Raymond Tomkinson considers how we articulate the stirrings of the heart to others.

Raymond Tomkinson was a nurse, a monk, a parish priest, a clergy development adviser and a spiritual director before becoming Chaplain to an Anglican theological college. He writes and teaches on Christian spirituality and prayer.