“Real Play” of a Clearness Committee

Instructions

Instructions: 

This activity is call a ”real play,” rather than a “role play,” because it is real:  A “focus” person brings forth a real issue, and a few others (3 to 4) sit with him/her and have a clearness committee. Others sit in a circle around them, holding the committee in prayer and listening in silence. Because this kind of exercise should be limited in time (an hour works well), it is helpful to have a specific issue that the focus person will bring.

The exercise works best within a group where trust in sharing has already been established. One person volunteers to be the focus person; others, preferably with some experience in clearness committees, volunteer to be on the committee. (It is important that the person convening the committee be experienced.)

The convener should explain the process of asking open, gentle questions.

After the “real play “concludes, it is helpful if the convener makes clear that the clearness committee is over, and that if anyone wants to speak more with the focus person about the issue under discussion, this should happen in a private conversation. Then the group, including the clearness committee, reflects together on the experience.

Questions to address in the post-“real play” discussion could include:

• Where did participants sense Spirit’s presence during the session?
• What insights rose in the discussion?
• How was the listening of the clearness committee expressed?
• What was it like for the observers to be listening prayerfully?

What “graces” (gifts of the Spirit) were received by all present —-observers, clearness committee, focus person?