A Rant on Discipleship

Kingdom discipleship is often overcomplicated.

From step-by-step discipleship books to yearlong internship programs, the word disciple has begun to evolve into something Jesus most likely did not intend. In the church, a disciple or apprentice often refers to someone who means to graduate high school, attend a Bible college, participate in a church internship, serve as a youth leader for a few years, then possibly take over a youth ministry, eventually retiring as a lead pastor. Unfortunately, many churches, especially youth ministries, communicate this message without realizing what they are saying. “Maybe God is calling some of you to a life of full-time vocational ministry…” These subtle seeds are often planted by youth pastors into the minds and hearts of their students, and for the majority of the most “dedicated” students, these words are adopted as their one and only calling.

Don’t get me wrong: the church obviously needs dedicated young people to step into roles of pastoral ministry…BADLY. But the question must be asked: is this really what Jesus is asking of every single believer?

By suggesting that the most dedicated disciples will one day become pastors, we alienate the vast majority of churchgoers who, in their genuine love for Jesus, have absolutely no desire to work for a church. Though Jesus may genuinely call some into vocational ministry, he will likely call most to something else. In The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard gives a summary statement of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus:

“To be a disciple of Jesus is, crucially, to be learning from Jesus how to do your job as Jesus himself would do it…‘in the name’ of Jesus” (Willard 285).

For the average churchgoer, this definition may be of a bit more use. With an understanding that discipleship is less about specific vocation and more about bringing honor to Christ in almost any vocation (excluding explicitly anti-Christian vocations), the possibilities of sincere, effective ministry are endless. A lawyer, doctor, chef, or dump truck driver can all extend the love of Christ throughout their everyday lives, so long as their frame of living is to do everything “as working for the Lord” (NIV Colossians 3:23).

Still, it ain’t always easy.

Many might conclude that under this definition for discipleship, following Jesus is quite easy. While a truly transformed heart that longs to serve God may emerge easily, the willingness to leave behind the luxuries of the world is often quite difficult. When Jesus encountered a man who desired to follow him but had unfinished business at home, Jesus replied “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (NIV Luke 9:60). Jesus is not some heartless, anti-family dictator, but he does make a strong point with this response. Many desire to hold on to the cares of the world while equally following Jesus, somehow thinking that the two can coexist without every interfering with one another.

This simply does not work.

While Jesus may not specifically call every disciple to give up all of their personal rights, families, etc., he does require that all willingly place the Kingdom of God above those things. There are obvious, Biblical standards for how many of those things are governed (i.e. the family unit), but they should first and foremost be subject to the authority and obedience of Christ. This cost should come as no surprise to those who have been genuinely changed and are pursuing Jesus and the establishment of his Kingdom here on earth.

May we find what it truly means to follow Jesus, no matter what we set our hands to. 

Our country clubs aren’t working, but neither are the megaphones.

“Churches are called to be bodies of people sent on a mission rather than storefronts for vendors of religious services and goods in North American culture” (Guder, 1998).

My hunch is that Jesus would agree with this statement (considering the fact that he flipped the tables of actual vendors in the temple). It’s difficult to approach the idea of church as simply a country club if you simply open the Bible and take a peek at what it says. We are called to so much more than that.

In Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, Darrell Guder speaks much about a paradigm shift that is taking place; the idea that we (the church) are a sent people and participating in the missio dei (mission/ministry of God). The mission of God is about restoration, both now and evermore. In a conversation hosted by The Gospel Coalition, John Piper states, “We exist to relieve all suffering, especially eternal suffering.” I admire his holistic approach to redemption of mankind. We are not just addressing the bodily issues of the world, but also the souls of each and every individual. This truly is the missio dei from an eternal perspective.

What does it take for both the local church and the individual Christian to engage with culture, present the gospel, and actually be effective? I believe it takes much discernment, humility, and a close relationship with the truth of scripture. Many find it easy to neglect the “country club” mentality, but then pick up their megaphone, fully prepared to blast non-believers in the face with “the gospel.” The problem with “megaphone evangelism” is that it often lacks scriptural context and relational application. If we examine the ministry of Jesus, we never see him screaming at sinners, nor proclaiming their eternal damnation unless they “shape up.” We also never see him sitting around with his friends who “accept” him without ever engaging to anyone else. We see him meeting the needs of the broken, defending the sinner, and revealing truth to the blind. But it didn’t end there…he then revealed the good news of the gospel and said follow me. The people he demonstrated most frustration with were the religious people! They had missed the point, and were simply concerned with their own agendas and reputations. Jesus lived in the tension, and he was effective.

If we desire to reach anyone with the gospel, we must understand where they are coming from. Our gospel is absolutely for all people, but they don’t realize it. We can’t expect people to join the team if they don’t understand what we’re actually doing or believing. If the un-churched, un-believing person can see that we are normal people, broken like anyone else, but living with a different kind of hope, we might have a chance of having some influence with our neighbors and prove that we aren’t just participating in “country club” Christianity. If the truth of the gospel is mixed with tangible, godly service to the world, we will absolutely see the miraculous take place in the hearts of those who are lost. In other words, let’s GO!

Practical Questions:

1. What is my motivation for sharing the gospel? Am I even motivated?
2. What is the purpose of the local church? Do we exist to simply hang out and enjoy each other’s company until Jesus returns, or are we actually called to do something? (Not implying that hanging out is bad!)
3. How is the Christian faith perceived in our culture? Moreover, how is Jesus perceived? What is our contribution to the success of a holistic gospel that actually changes lives?

Finding Who We Really Are.

“Suedfeld knew from earlier studies of sensory restriction that being alone in a monotonous environment heightens a person’s sensitivity to any external or internal stimuli.”

-David G. Myers, Malcolm A. Jeeves; Psychology Through The Eyes Of Faith. (2003)

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Isn’t it interesting that in a culture so infatuated with the idea of personal independence, a man may only find himself whole in the silence, away from the distractions of culture?

There are many paradoxes of life, but this is one that puzzles me unlike any other. We strive to understand the mysteries of life and gain personal happiness all while forfeiting time alone to ponder these things. To really understand oneself, a person must retreat, address the deepest parts of the heart, and allow the stirring to overtake them until resolve is found.

In rest, the body relaxes and regains energy after a time of work. The mind finds a way to ponder, explore, and dream about things it otherwise would not have space for during a busy week. The spirit has space to stretch out, be reminded of its passions, and put a spotlight on areas of weakness. All of the most difficult and yet beautiful endeavors of life are born in a place of rest.

It is often said that who you are behind closed doors is the truest representation of who you really are. If we spend too much time in the public eye appeasing the many people we each encounter through work, school, etc., we will only reveal the parts of ourselves that we want them to see, which may be the only parts we even know of ourselves. In other words, if we neglect rest, we may be missing out on true self-discovery.

We need rest. We need silence and solitude. Without these, we will never truly understand who we really are.

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“In solitude I get rid of my scaffolding; no friends to talk with, no telephone calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, no books to distract, just me – naked, vulnerable, weak, sinful, deprived, broken – nothing. It is this nothingness that I have to face my solitude, a nothingness so dreadful that everything in me wants to run to my friends, my work, and my distractions so that I can forget my nothingness and make myself believe that I am worth something. But that is not all. As soon as I decide to stay in my solitude, confusing ideas, disturbing images, wild fantasies, and weird associations jump about in my mind like monkeys in a banana tree. Anger and greed begin to show their ugly faces…

“The task is to persevere in my solitude, to stay in my cell until all my seductive visitors get tired of pounding on my door and leave me alone.”

-Charles Swindoll; Intimacy With The Almighty: Encountering Christ in the Secret Places of Your Life. (1996)

Sherry Muchira Music

Sherry Muchira | New Album 2012 from Sherry Muchira on Vimeo.

Hey Friends!

Later this month, some friends and I will be recording a new album featuring the music of Sherry Muchira! I’m super excited about this project, not only because the songs Sherry has written are amazing, but it’s also my first legit full-length album I will have participated in creating! We are putting many hours of work into these songs, and I think it will be something we’ll all be very proud of in the end.

If you’d like to help us reach our goal of raising $9,000 for recording costs (which is a portion of what we still need), check out the Kickstarter website for donation information. We also have some sweet incentives that will make your gift a little more worthwhile!

Thanks in advance for checking this out, and maybe even supporting the album! The hope is that all who hear this music will be encouraged and reminded of the amazing love God has for us.

Thanks!
Sean