To Be with Jesus

Jesus "appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons" (Mark 3:13, NRSV). As we seek to follow Jesus today, how often do we attempt to proclaim the Gospel and wield spiritual authority without beginning in the presence of Jesus? Peter and John, two of those included in this charge to discipleship, apparently learned well, for when the Jewish leaders observed their powerful public witness to Christ, "they took note that these men had been with Jesus" (Ac. 4:13, NIV). In our busy age, we would do well to practice Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Instead of running into hectic activity, we ought to linger in the presence of Jesus, responding to his invitation to simply spend time with him.

We have heard this message on a regular basis (though we still find it difficult to put into practice). Less frequently, however, have we considered this as a model for our own ministry of discipleship. We are pretty good at coming up with new programs, new methods, and new materials, but are less astute at following our Master's example of inviting people to simply be with us.

I had lunch today with a friend from college. In the 30 years since we roomed together, our lives have wandered in diffferent directions, only occasionally connecting with one another, yet we are still good friends. My friend is a highly successful small business owner, who now owns and oversees a number of companies within his holding company. As he described for me his interactions with his presidents and vice-presidents who run his companies, I began to calculate how this new perspective could yield insight for the church. "Do you have a set of leadership principles that you use with these people," I asked, expecting that he would give me a list of 3 or 4 or 5 key ideas that I could quickly write down.

"No," he responded, "They are each so different, and their situations are so unlike, that it's hard to come up with things that they would all hold in common. I just spend time with them and see how they're doing personally - their health, their family, their work patterns. I don't tell them much; I do more asking of questions and they eventually tell themselves what they need to hear. My role is just to let them be with me, to let them draw from my experience in order to avoid repeating my mistakes."

There was a lot more to our conversation, but at the end of our lunch I walked away with a reminder that this is really the role to which I should aspire in my discipling relationships - to be a coach, to ask the right questions, to invite people to spend time with me as we seek together to follow Jesus. As my friend trusts those who spend time with him to operate his companies, so I need to learn to trust those who spend time with me to multiply our relationship with others.

Time

This weekend I was reading Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson.  In the chapter I was reading, he was reflecting on Genesis 1 and began writing about the rhythm of time in the creation story.  "And there was evening and morning the first day."

Time for me these last few years has been about trying to steal time, save time, find time, and catch up on lost time.  Time seems to slip away like the proverbial sand in our hands as we flurry and flutter around, too often neither in rest or intentionality but in mere activity.  

But God in creation orders time and creates rhythm.  Much of the story of Scripture deals with knowing how to respond to God and to the world in a particular time and a particular way.  Os Guinness speaks about this in his book The Call.  He says, "Doing the right thing at the right moment multiplies its effects incalculably." [p. 230]  Meaning is often measured in moments pregnant with possibility.  Jesus knew when it was "not his time" and "when the hour had come."  We read in Acts that God has ordained the exact times and places in which we live.  The men of Issachar were men who paid attention to the times. 

We are not only shaped by time and are present in time, but we find meaning when we act appropriately when the time is right.  Discipleship must include some schooling in the deep prayers that listen to God for our activity in this time and in this place.  Alert to God in this pregnant moment, we find life has more meaning than by filling time with a flurry of activity.  But this requires being disciples in the moment, following Jesus in what we say, think, and do because we have been listening and responding to the time that has been given us.

Discipleship and Personality

I have kept bumping into so many different approaches to discipleship that involve strong reactions. I have been wondering how does our unique personality affect discipleship and our reactions to others discipleship styles? If we each have different personality types and uniquely individual blends of those personalities, then I think we really need to get up to speed on how we approach various models of building disciples.

I started looking around and came upon a good resource in this area that is worth checking out. Uniquely You Resources has long been working in the area of the integration of spiritual gifts and personality. One of their tools is, Uniquely You, Discover My Personal Mission. This tool is designed to integrate personality, mission and discipleship. It's really worth checking out at www.myuy.com.

Don Hammond

Church of the Savior

In lieu of our upcoming discipleship meeting in Washington D.C. at Church of the Savior, I thought this post would be interesting for our team to read.
Kirsty

Dear Colleagues,

You probably heard me talk about the Church of the Saviour in Washington, D.C., and its pastor, Gordon Cosby. I was a member there in the 1970’s, and Gordon was my spiritual mentor; he also was the pastor at our marriage. Karin co-founded Columbia Road Health Services, one of its many ministries. Recently, at the age of 91, he preached his last sermon. Yesterday, the Washington Post featured a front page article about him and the remarkable ministry of this church. Here’s the link to that article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/05/AR2009010503341.html?hpid=topnews

I thought you might simply be interested in reading it, especially as we continue to explore what it means to be a missional church.

A Disciple Follows

Whatever definition of discipleship we might use, there can be no question that to be a disciple means that Christian persons have acknowledged that Jesus is their master. We can follow because he is a leader. And while that requires firm commitment and great effort, it also assumes an element of passivity - to simply do what our Lord says, to go where he goes, to receive what he gives to us in our daily lives.

This goes against our natural inclination to find security in knowing and controlling our own lives. We like to think that planning, hard work, and careful follow-through will ensure that we have a predictable future. In contrast, Jesus declares, ". . . do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" He then concludes, "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Mt. 6:25-34). That last statement sounds very Stoic, almost fatalistic, yet it is neither of those, for the verses preceding it place the thought in the context of the providential care of a loving heavenly Father. We need not worry about tomorrow because the Master of the Universe is our Father, and the combination of his power and his love guarantee that his goodness will fill our lives.

This conviction of God's providence is the underlying foundation of my life as a disciple. Before I do or say anything, faith enables me to receive all I need from the good hand of God. Medical crises, the loss of loved ones, surviving dangerous winter weather and road conditions - all become less troublesome when we know that nothing escapes the knowledge and sovereignty of our King. Because of this reality, one might say that the "Disciples' Creed" can be found in the words of Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 1: "What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own, but belong - body and soul, in life and in death - to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ."

Discipleship Thoughts On Transformation

A couple of weeks ago I had coffee with an old friend who has been ravaged by alcoholism. This disheveled man is someone I have known for many years. While making sure he had a little food and was able to stay warm, he introduced me to some of his friends which included several men and a couple of women, all the kind of folks that are typically to be feared. Do you know what they told me? They told they called my friend, “Pastor Jimmy.” They said he always offered them a word of hope and encouragement. One of them told me that Jimmy had an extra sweatshirt and gave it to him because it was cold. One told me that Jimmy lead AA meetings and Bible studies at the local county jail when he was incarcerated. It was clear that they loved this man who seems so very far from what I think a disciple of Jesus should be like. God was using this man to touch their lives. I realized that I had been deeply touched by him as well.

I started thinking as I was heading back to write this that the people that the Lord has used to transform my life and inspire me to want to be like Jesus have been those I wasn’t expecting. Although I have had some great educators who taught me so much, it was the people who taught me, what I call, applied theology. Each taught me lessons in loving. Few had anything that could be used by the churches I was serving. All demanded time and a price from me. Eventually, I learned that it was in the poor, the disadvantaged, the sick, those with disabilities, those who have been in prison and those that I think, by the world’s standards, and simply not cool, were in reality my greatest teachers. Among my hall of fame teachers are; Robert Yerka (severe cerebral palsy); Olaf Snyder (who needed to be lifted out of bed while dying), and Benjamin Desoto (a three strikes felon from the streets of San Jose).

I realized a few years ago that God places “special people” to teach us about His ways of love and compassion. These people force us to take faith lessons from the cognitive and make them practical and real. So here is my thought for discipleship this week… What would happen if every person to whom we have a ministry was challenged to always have a “special person” in his or her life? These are people, who can give us nothing but will teach us everything about the way of Jesus.

I think that Mother Theresa understood this principle as did Henry Nouwen, who both gave their lives away to follow the Lord. If we find meaning in what many call “ministry to the least” the result is powerful life transformation. In this season of expectation of the coming of the Lord, perhaps we would do well to look for Him among the least.

Volunteerism-The Balance Between Burnout and Fruitful Service

I have included part of an article Ruth Haley Barton(sorry I didn't realize the link didn't feature the whole article) a wise servant who leads others in the issues of Sabbath, work and rest. If you haven't read any of her books/articles I just recently have come across some and have been blessed by them.

First of all, this article's name stuck out to me as what I want in my life: A steady rhythm. I want to do work for the Lord but I also want piece's of my life to exhibit rest, calmness, peace in my thoughts and a still heart. Many times my days do not hold that rhythm and I think if that is how I live how am I being an a good example to my kids, the ones that I minister and beyond.

This area of volunteering in the church has also come up a fair amount lately in my church as we struggle in leadership of how to help people find their niche of service without getting burned out. This can get tricky as some people intentionally take on too many things and that is where we as leaders need to help them discern what are the expectations and help guide them to their most fruitful place and time involved in their service. Many times I even had made the decision for volunteers thinking that they are too busy or are not interested so I don't even ask them, instead of letting them decide. These things can get tricky but are vital to even how people perceive God. What does God expect? Do I do too much because I think it will please God? Am I not being faithful in certain ministry areas that I have committed too? How does this affect my relationship with God and my witness for Him?

My prayer for Advent and beyond is that I become attuned to the sweet peace of that babe and my Savior. He offers us many opportunities to serve Him but He also wants us to sit at His feet and experience fullness of His being and His life. http://www.ctlibrary.com/le/2007/winter/11.100.html