Coughs, tickles and Appreciative Enquiry

Paul writes – I appreciated this from Simon Carey Holt’s blog (good to have him blogging again after a little break to focus on other things). Nice to have another Baptist working with Anglican's

The question of discernment – learning to recognise God at work (in order to join in) – is a regular theme on this blog (for example, see here for a few, more recent posts). I’ve previously mentioned the wonderful book – Spirituality in the City – here, though I haven’t yet reviewed it – in summary I’d give it an “8 out of 10!”

I wonder what kind of essays, actions and initiatives would be generated from within the town I live in – “Spirituality in Cambridge” – if a group of us creatively and imaginatively listened for the “coughs and tickles”…?

"Meister Eckhart believed that 'God is like a person who clears his throat while hiding and so gives himself away.' The challenge to the churches at the moment is to unveil whether there might be a divine presence in so much contemporary darkness, and to encourage the energy that is still there in people's lives to listen out for the divine coughs and tickles."

Mark Oakley, "Reclaiming Faith," in Spirituality in the City, edited by Andrew Walker, 1-14. London: SPCK, 2005.

On a related theme check out the ever thoughtful Len Hjalmarson’s useful reflection (and summary) of Appreciative Enquiry, here. His earlier ‘introduction’ to the theme can be found here.