Dialogues in Discernment: Exploring Practices and Pathways for Navigating a Noisy World (Online Program)

In a noisy world, how can we quiet ourselves to listen deeply? In a world that offers many paths forward, how can we know which is ours to take? In a world of deep divisions, how can we contribute to greater unity?

Discernment is the spiritual art of deep listening and presence – of learning to notice what rings true, what brings peace, and what leads us toward love. It’s less about quick decisions and more about wise alignment – tuning in to the movement of Spirit, our values, and the quiet knowing within.

Our religious and spiritual practices provide wisdom pathways for this kind of listening and living. How can we engage these practices in this time of great need, and also learn from other traditions that may offer new perspectives for us?

We invite you to lean into a series of conversations with three of the Well’s beloved facilitators and wisdom seekers who will share their spiritual practices of discernment and create space for sharing our own practices and experiences in both individual and group discernment. What can we learn with and from one another to strengthen our contributions to a world of greater unity?

Amy Schmaljohn will reflect on the practices that grew within and from the Quaker tradition. She’ll describe such practices as listening for the inward guide, spiritual companioning, clearness groups, holding in the Light, and a mode of group discernment called sense-of-the-meeting decision making. She came to Quakerism in her early 20s and has journeyed actively in a local Quaker Meeting and taught at a local Quaker school.

Eric Clayton will reflect on discernment practices inspired by the Ignatian tradition. Ignatian spirituality comes out of the lived experience and prayer life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a soldier-turned-Catholic-saint. In addition to founding the Jesuits, St. Ignatius is best known for writing the Spiritual Exercises, a four-week retreat in which a retreatant discovers more about themselves and who they are called to be in the world through careful reflection and decision-making. Through a series of imaginative meditations, a deepening understanding of desires and discernment practices, individuals are able to test the “spirits” and make good choices. The Ignatian tradition and its treasure trove of spiritual wisdom is open and available to all. Eric is an award-winning writer who has penned several books on the intersection of Ignatian spirituality and everyday life, and he works in communications for the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

Lisa Beacham will reflect on discernment as a spiritual practice that belongs to everyone — not just those within a faith tradition. She’ll explore how discernment offers a way of listening and living with greater intention, beyond ordinary decision-making. She’ll share a simple three-part process that helps us quiet the noise, notice the movement of Spirit, and take the next aligned, courageous action with clarity and trust. Lisa is a certified spiritual director, coach, and workshop leader who helps accomplished, spiritually minded professionals in mid-late career reconnect with purpose, listen for inner wisdom, and create meaningful and impactful next chapters in life and work.

All three of these sessions form a powerful and insightful series, but we recognize that schedules can sometimes be challenging. Please feel free to join one, two, or all three sessions.

DATE: Wednesdays, 1/28, 2/4, and 2/11/26

TIME: 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET

COST: $125 for the Series or $45 per session

LOCATION: ZOOM

REGISTRATION is required; please register here.

IMPORTANT: You will receive an email from programming@wellforthejourney.org at least 24 hours in advance of the start of your program. If you are unable to find the email, please check your SPAM or JUNK email folders. This email will include details to help you prepare for your program including any pertinent handouts, location information, and the ZOOM link for online programs. Please be sure you have received and read this email a minimum of 24 hours in advance of the start of the program. Thank you!

FACILITATORS: Amy Schmaljohn, Eric Clayton, & Lisa Beacham

FACILITATOR BIOS:
Amy Schmaljohn
Amy enjoyed a 35 year career as a leader and teacher in both higher education and at Friends School of Baltimore (Quaker). Her classrooms offered students opportunities to explore world literature and art, movements for nonviolent social transformation, and the human experience of religion across global traditions. A member of Gunpowder Friends Meeting (Quaker), she leads contemplative spiritual retreats in the tradition of the Religious Society of Friends and offers spiritual deepening programs for seekers in the Baltimore region. She is enlivened by the sharing of our stories, by the mystery and power of the written word, and by her daily encounters with the natural world just outside her doorstep. Amy and her husband Alan, a retired virologist, live in northwestern Baltimore County, where they steward seventeen acres of woodland, meadow and streams that have been placed in the Maryland Environmental Trust and serve as a gathering space for those seeking immersive experiences in nature.

Eric A. Clayton
Eric is the award-winning author of three books on Ignatian spirituality: Finding Peace Here and Now: How Ignatian Spirituality Leads Us to Healing and Wholeness, My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars and Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith. He is also the deputy director for communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. Learn more at ericclaytonwrites.com and sign up for his Substack at ericclayton.substack.com.

Lisa Beacham
Lisa works with accomplished, spiritually minded men and women in their mid to late career who are feeling empty, burned out, and know they cannot continue doing what they’re doing. She helps them to create a fulfilling and impactful career and life path that will carry them through to retirement. Even after making bold moves and big transitions multiple times in her life, the decision at age 51 to leave a stable job, volunteer for a year in Haiti, and return to carve out a new career and life path was a challenging one. Listening for guidance, practicing discernment, and learning to embrace the support available for each step of the way has been transformative. Lisa creates a personalized approach for each of her clients based on their particular needs and goals. She draws upon an extensive set of practices and tools from her training and experience as a coach, spiritual director, Enneagram guide, and lifelong seeker and learner. In addition, she leads workshops and retreats.