The Lydian Way helps persons, congregations and faith based organizations discern and follow the lead and call of the Holy Spirit through this age of transition and uncertainty.
Lydian Practices
Strategic Posture
A strategic practice that begins with the church’s clear discernment of the gifts that God has given, an openness to ways in which the Holy Spirit is breaking out in the world, and the ability to faithfully and trustingly pivot to where the Spirit is both calling and equipping us to participate in God’s mission. Instead of putting our effort and focus into working toward a predefined future and missing the Spirit’s activity and invitation along the way, we adapt a strategic posture or stance which allows us to pivot and move whenever the Spirit invites.
Discernment Huddle
A group-based spiritual practice designed to attune both group and person to the activity of the Holy Spirit in our midst and in the world, to recognize and claim the gifts God has given us, to understand how we can use these gifts to participate in God’s work in the world, and the trust to answer God’s call to mission without delay. Lydian Huddles feature 4-6 people meeting for an hour, weekly or bi-weekly, who share in a guided group meditation that incorporates deep listening, silence, prayer, scripture, the sharing of Biblical imagery and spiritual wisdom, and honest dialogue between the participants.
Dwelling in the Word
A communal spiritual practice of not only studying, but dwelling in a specific Biblical text (often a longer text of 30-40 verses) for a long period of time – sometimes years. Each session typically involves several vocal readings of the text, separated by silence, where those involved focus on deep listening, paying particular attention to specific words, phrases, or ideas that stand out during the readings and silence. These specific words, phrases and ideas are then shared with the entire group.
Presencing
“Theory U” is a change management practice that helps persons and organizations identify and respond to the opportunities that emerge through the disruption of change. In Lydian use, practitioners are asked to identify and name the intellectual, philosophical, theological, and emotional biases which often cloud our perceptions and understandings of what is happening in the midst of transition and disruptive change. These biases are then set aside, but not abandoned, so that the person or group can more fully be present to both the challenges and opportunities that are emerging from the practice. With a clearer and unbiased view, it is easier to identify and embrace God’s emergent future and embrace it.
The Radical “Yes”
The counterpart to the Radical Welcome, which too often assumes that one controls the welcoming environment or space, and as such, creates a power differential. Radical “Yes” is the practice of unequivocally accepting and embracing the invitation of the “other” into their space, therefore taking the role of the guest and ceding power to the host. It also opens up an opportunity to think about hospitality differently. How do we, as guests, extend hospitality to our hosts?
Narrative Discernment
A form of group and personal discernment using the stories of our own encounters with God and how they tie into God’s broader story as revealed in Scripture and the history of faith. How is our story a part of God’s story? Narrative discernment can take on many forms, from large group discussions, to breakout sessions, to even on-on-one encounters. In every case, though, by re-telling our own stories of God’s activity, we can identify how they tie to God’s story in scripture, in history, in theology, and in tradition – and in doing so, see where God’s story is being written in the present, and into God’s preferred future.
Neighboring
Churches and organizations often focus on “outreach” as an essential part of mission. However, “outreach” implies that the ones reaching out have something of value to give or bring to the other, who have something lacking. The term and practice of outreach often unwittingly sets up unbalanced systems, where the powerful give to the powerless, the haves give to the have-nots, and where there is often a lack of mutuality and equality. “Neighboring,” on the other hand, is a relational term which implies that we are equals to begin with, with each of us having gifts to share and needs to be filled. Through the practice of neighboring, Lydians and Lydian Communities are more able to enter into relationships that are based on equality, grace, and humility.