First, I see a “disciple” as someone who is intentionally and actively learning from Jesus – not about Jesus, but from him. A disciple also seeks to embrace those teachings in the way they live and interact with God and with each other. Discipleship, then, is intentional, active, applied, and ongoing.
Second, I’m a believer in the kind of education reflected in this quote from Albert Einstein:
“I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”
So, how do we create an environment that encourages us to become disciples of Jesus? And how can we grow in that discipleship?
Is offering (or attending) weekly worship services enough? What about Sunday school classes… or posting questions for reflection on a blog? What about weekly youth group gatherings and occasional retreats and work camps?
Is reading the Bible sufficient? Daily or weekly? Alone or with a group? What about praying, meditating, practicing spiritual “disciplines,” or serving?
What about something like this?
Source: http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20080114JJ.shtml
Or this?
Source: Grace Youth Group Facebook page
The first followers of Jesus didn't become disciples by picking up a book on Jesus’ interpretations of the law or Jesus’ rules to live by. They didn't attend a Jesus lecture series and go home and try to figure out how to apply it to their lives. They didn't become disciples by reading scrolls and studying scripture for a few hours each day. Instead, they accompanied him day in and day out, watching, listening, learning, asking questions, walking, eating, drinking, assisting, and otherwise living with him. When Jesus spoke, he more often used parables that challenged them to think rather than rules to follow. Jesus showed his disciples how to live more by living than by talking about it.
How do we create that kind of environment today? The Internet Monk ran a week-long series on Spiritual Formation this past week. A few things jumped out at me:
- Discipleship “training”, spiritual formation, spiritual growth (or whatever term you want to use) is not about a program, it’s about life: “The Christian life is not Bible study, prayer, solitude, silence, fasting, giving, and so on. These are ways we walk with Jesus in secret so that we can live life differently with Jesus in the course of ordinary life. The Christian life is life lived Christianly. It is not some special, different variety of life. It is life.”
- The primary focus is on Jesus, not any particular religious doctrine: “Growth happens through walking with Jesus, living with Jesus, eating and drinking with Jesus, watching Jesus work, listening to Jesus teach, asking questions of Jesus, fulfilling the callings Jesus assigns us, and living the life with God that Jesus showed us and makes possible for us.”
- God intends growth to happen in community: “Spiritual formation is about the development of a people, not just individuals…. The growth and development of human beings is meant to happen within a community of love, support, and mutual service in which all members, at different stages of life, are being nurtured into greater health and well being, becoming wiser and more loving.”
- Spiritual growth and discipleship is not part of a one-size-fits-all program. Each of us have unique circumstances in our lives.
What kinds of things would you like to see the church do to help us become better disciples? What kinds of things are you doing now? What do you need more help and encouragement in doing?
How do we create that kind of environment today?
ReplyDeleteWell, I think the disciples who followed Jesus had a distinct advantage since they were shown many times that Jesus was indeed a deity. But, they also believed that Jesus was the Messiah that would free them from the Roman rule, which obviously didn’t happen. (At least, not right away!) Following the human form of a God (Jesus), would be much easier than following and believing the words of a human Sunday school teacher.
So what do we do about that?? Really good question! To transform a live could come in many ways. I believe to actually transform a life, one needs to get hands on like Jesus and his disciples did. It is hard to do this is a class room. Hopefully, the transformation comes to the recipient as well as the benefactor. Maybe it’s time for bold initiatives that could transform lives. Here some possibilities just to name a few.
1. Check out the prisons. See http://www.prisonfellowship.org/
2. On Sundays, go to early service and for an extended Sunday school, go downtown and minister to the homeless. See http://www.chgm.net/ and http://www.nationalcitycc.org/ministries/homeless-ministry/
3. Transforms lives at an orphanage!! See https://www.facebook.com/copticorphans/page_map
I think the first thing to do is to find strong champions for these activities and then integrate the activities into the Sunday school curriculum.
Some great ideas, Joe. Your comment about extended Sunday school reminded me when I was a freshman in high school, our Sunday school teacher would occasionally pack us into his van during the SS hour and take us to nearby nursing home. We'd visit with the folks who were there (no special program or performance, just visit) for a while, and then back to church in time for the worship service (the advantage of being a downtown church). I once asked the teacher why we did this since we really weren't doing anything to help them, except sit around. He told me, "For a lot of the people there, you're the only visitors they get. Sometimes the best thing you can do is be there."
DeleteI hadn't thought about that for a long time. Thanks, Joe.
I dunno Joe, I don’t think the disciples, with the exception of the few who were at the transfiguration ever really saw Jesus as a deity until the resurrection. I can’t recall that He ever directly told them that He was the Messiah. Also, it must have been very confusing when they expected a messiah who would destroy the Romans and then they watched Jesus never do anything to the Romans. Finally, ultimately it wasn’t easy for the disciples to follow Jesus. Their lives as recorded in the Bible don’t sound too easy to me and by tradition, I think that 11 of the 12 of them wound up dying for their faith. It is much easier to follow a Sunday School teacher, even if they’re much less perfect than Jesus. BTW, those were some great suggestions. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTo promote Discipleship at Grace, perhaps we could also look for opportunities to serve the local community through the week. I’ve posted before on doing a weekly thing like GANAS where kids in grade K thru 5 rotate through music, craft, and physical activity stations, or a “Mother’s day out” where we have a free preschool one afternoon a week, or a free carwash someplace (at a farmer’s market or another church?) where we refuse to take donations.
ReplyDelete