thediscerninglife

My name is Anna Horen and I am a priest in the Episcopal Church. IOver the years, I have ministered as a rector (pastor), associate rector, spiritual director, hospital chaplain, facilitator, presenter, teacher, and writer who is deeply passionate about matters of spirit and heart. Although I have been shaped by and identify with the Christian faith tradition, I have pursued a life-long interest in the truths of other faith traditions and spiritualities. In this blog, I hope to explore what it means to inhabit a life deeply committed to living out God’s dream for each of us: the discerning life. In my experience, most folks see “discernment” as applying only to priests, ministers or those in religious life. My purpose for this site is to demystify this word, because it is vital to us all, regardless of beliefs or views on God or religion. Discernment is about distinguishing what is deeply real from what is transitory or illusory. When we are able to do that, we can freely choose to move toward those people and situations that lead us to the freedom and joy for which we were created. I’ll be posting content, some of it mine, some of it links to others, to help us all grow together in living a discerning life.