Discernment Resources

Curated List of Vocational and Formation Resources 

Offered at Ministry Discernment Day, February 2025 

By the St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer 

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This list is by no means exhaustive, but it offers a starting point for finding resources to support vocational discernment for all. This list will be updated periodically. 

Books for Personal and Congregational Use 

• Cathy George, You Are Already Praying: Stories of God at Work. (Morehouse) 

Focusing on the prayer lives of the laity, this book includes stories of individuals seeking to connect their faith with their work in the world. 

• SSJE Monastic Wisdom series, “Vocation” www.ssje.org/monasticwisdom/vocation 

Explore the topic of vocation through Br. Jonathan Maury's reflections, suggested practices, and reflection questions. 

• Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (Jossey-Bass) 

Sharing from his own experience, Parker invites us to see that vocation comes from listening to and accepting “true self” with its limits as well as its potentials. Sharing stories of frailty and strength, of darkness and light, Palmer shows that vocation is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received. 

• Verna Dozier, The Dream of God: A Call to Return (Seabury Classics) 

Rooted in the story of God’s people in scripture, Dozier shows how we are called to follow, not merely to worship Jesus, and awakens our sense of vocation.  

• Kathleen Cahalan, The Stories We Tell: Finding God's Calling All Around Us (Eerdmans) 

Incorporating biblical texts, her own experience, and the personal stories of others, Cahalan discusses how each of us is called by God, to follow, as we are, from grief, for service, in suffering, through others, within God. Includes questions for individual or group discussion. 

• Kathleen Henderson Staudt, Shaping a Faithful Life: Discernment and Discipleship for Young Adults (Morehouse) 

This book offers gathering prayers, scripture readings, prayer practices, and discussion/reflection questions, together with additional resources that leaders can use to custom design each session if working with a particular group. Readers will learn to listen for God’s leading in the choices that they face around relationships, time, and money, and the kinds of work that awaken purpose and passion in their daily life, both in the present and for the future. 

• Edward Little, Ears to Hear: Recognizing and Responding to God’s Call (Morehouse). 

Bishop Little explores stories of figures in the Hebrew scriptures to deepen our understanding of the nature, cost, and gift of call.  

• Peter Mahan, Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Vocation and the Politics of Ambition

An excellent resource, especially for young adults, to encourage listening to our hearts and honoring paths that others did not point us towards.

• Kevin O’Brien, SJ, The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola in Daily Life

A resource for a self-guided exploration of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatious.

Classes and Communities 

• Loving the Questions, www.lovingthequestions.org   

A partnership between the Diocese of MA and the Diocese of Western MA. A community of contemplation and discernment that honors the Spirit’s unique call from God to each person. For Loving the Questions contact the Rev. Jenny Gregg and Craig Hammond

• Education for Ministry (EfM) 

A mentor-guided group program, using a churchwide curriculum designed by University of the South, Sewanee. A four-year small-group formation program based on study and practice in theological reflection. EfM forms participants to discover and nurture their call to Christian service where they live, work, and play. Our diocese has about a dozen EfM groups running. Contact diocesan coordination David Bresnahan

• Finding Faithful Work in an Evolving World (October 5-November 9, 2025)  

A short course offered by Bexley Seabury Seaminary. Participants meet online once a week and do readings and assignments between meetings. Participants will engage in classic and current texts, videos, and articles on spirituality, discernment, vocation and the ministry of the baptized as they travel with the course instructor, Jenny Puri Beaumont.   

• Circle of Trust Retreats – Through the Center for Courage and Renewal  

Growing from the wisdom of Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak, these retreats provide space and companionship for listening to one’s “inner teacher” in order to clarify the path ahead. 

Small Group and Training resources 

• Several of the books listed above would work well for a season of small group conversations. 

• Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community – A series of resources by Suzanne Farnham and others to shape conversation. Very widely used in the Episcopal Church. 

  Listening Hearts: Discerning Call in Community (also available in Spanish) 

  Listening Hearts: Manual for Discussion Leaders (also available in Spanish) 

  Listening Hearts Songbook: Hymns of Discernment and Renewal 

  Grounded in God: Listening Hearts Discernment for Group Deliberations 

• Parker Palmer, “The Clearness Committee” - PDF available at https://couragerenewal.org/  

Using Quaker experience and wisdom, a guide for creating and using a “clearness committee” to help a member of a faith community deal with a complex situation or discern a path. 

• Abigail Johnson. Shaping Spiritual Leaders: Supervision and Formation in Congregations (Rowman and Littlefield) 

Brings the tools and patterns of working with field education students to serve lay leaders growing into their ministries in congregations. 

And also... 

• Many theologians and spiritual leaders, in their writing, draw on their own vocational journeys in ways that illuminate call for others. A group study of one of their works can help clarify for participants their own sense of purpose and vocation. For example, works by Katie Cannon (Katie’s Canon), Gustavo Gutierrez (We drink from our own wells). Cole Arthur Riley (This Here Flesh)   

• Also consider using films like “The Philadelphia Eleven” (available to screen at church, and also coming to PBS next month!) and “My Name is Pauli Murray” (available on Amazon Prime)