Spiritual Practice of the Month

The spiritual practice for July is discernment. Discernment is about more than understanding or decision-making. It is about the holy process of listening for God in a way that seeks to understand God's will and align one's self with it.

Practicing discernment requires a yoking with Christ ... a walking alongside in order to learn from him. This week's passage promises that Jesus' yoke is easy, and the burden light. That doesn't mean doing God's will is easy. It means that learning the law of love is easy if we open our hearts to it.

This week, practice reading scripture for understanding instead of affirmation of your previous beliefs, and then applying this new understanding to your actions. Engage in this practice with others who can offer different insights and ideas about what the passage might mean. What new revelations do you find when prayerfully approaching scripture in this way? If you're willing, share your experiences in the comments below.