Discipleship...read and then jump in!

I think we have gotten discipleship wrong and it is time to regain and then unleash the forgotten ways of what it means to follow Jesus. When some people talk about discipleship, they define it in primarily "privatistic" terms...as if being a disciple of Jesus is epitomized in a person's life as "private territory". Some describe discipleship as something that exclusively emerges out of a person's belief system, or that which is seen solely in an individual's devotional life (prayer, bible reading, quiet times, etc.)...for others it has to do with what a person "learns" about Jesus via doctrinal, apologetic, or theological exploration as if the more knowledge one has about God the more of a disciple they become. There is a problem with that though - cognition, mental assent, and doctrinal sophistication where never meant to be measurements of discipleship. Trust me...there is nothing wrong with knowing more about God and knowing God more. That should be one of the prime passions of every Christ follower. Rather what did (at least biblically) define discipleship was how the follower of Jesus responded in and through their lifestyle to the invitation to participate in the movement of God’s life in the world. Make no mistake about it - there is a difference between being a "believer" and a "disciple"...they are not synonymous. Belief does not necessarily mean action...belief can lead and should lead to action. Discipleship assumes belief but primarily means action. Because of that, discipleship is best clarified in our lives by how much of the life and passions of Jesus are imitated in our daily experience. Jesus defines the disciple’s existence as we share in his divine nature and lifestyle. In many respects, it is the role of the Holy Spirit to call, choose, empower, "bless with every spiritual blessing" and then UNLEASH the disciple that exists within each follower of Jesus.

Below are some "ideas" of what discipleship can "live like" in someone who claims Jesus as Lord:

"So then, you will know them by their fruits" (Jesus in Matthew 7)

* Disciples don't necessarily just have principles that they are willing to die for...they also have a list of practices that mark their lives.
* Disciples see each moment as one with an opportunity to be filled by Jesus - they sacramentalize each moment.
* Disciples receive with a thankful heart and know what it means to worship God by giving things away.
* Disciples are gripped by the things that are gripped by grace.
* Disciples live out the significance Jesus placed on the gathering/community of His people, what is called the Body of Christ, as being the hope of the world.
* Disciples know the difference between a "please, God" and "please God" prayer.
* Disciples approach living for the Kingdom of God not as obligation but as an adventure.
* Disciples know the difference between their effort, knowledge, experience, and energy and the potential that fills them when they are able to tap into the ultimate power-source, gift-releaser - the Holy Spirit.
* Disciples are not into volunteerism because they know that Jesus calls them into servant leadership and dedicated, humble service to God.
* Disciples understand the mystery of God and knowing that only by living the mystery will they understand what life is all about.
* Disciples know that having "eyes to see and ears to hear" has to do with being on the lookout for the movement of God in every moment of life.
* Disciples know that Jesus calls them to be the Church more than He does to go to church.
* Disciples know that God is not through with them yet and that their life would be best lived with a sign around their neck, "under construction".
* Disciples know that listening and loving is just as powerful, if not more powerful, than sharing their faith.
* Disciples realize that prayer has more to do with their transformation than it does with getting God to do something.
* Disciples know that when they are in the presence of one or more other disciples that the power of God is waiting in the wings.
* Disciples know that there is a difference between being hearers and doers of the Word.
* Disciples know that in the midst of every human contact there is the potential of a Divine appointment.
* Disciples live out the reality that discipleship for them means discipling others who will in turn disciple others who will in turn... In other words, Disciples understand that every person they come in contact with is "fair game" for discipling.
* Disciples love expressions of worship but understand that true worship is embodied in the phrase, "living sacrifice".
* Disciples know in their heart the cost of discipleship and that discipleship continues to cost.

How about you? You have any additions? How about some phrases that YOU can add to the list? Post a comment and we'll continue to build on what it means for us to be Disciples/Followers of Jesus.

Something that can capture your heart...

In the course of my journey as a leader over the past year, I have produced a number of videos that have been "executive summaries" of key texts that have shaped my thinking and heart. The video below is one that is based on Henri Nouwen's classic book, In the Name of Jesus. May this spark your imagination and capture your heart today...if you haven't read the book, get it and read it!

"Re-booting" to Jesus

I just had to reboot my computer...this doesn't happen too often because I'm a Mac user with a huge amount of RAM at my disposal...but it happens enough that it catches my attention. Rebooting essentially gets rid of all the stuff that is taking up your computer's usable memory. It tells the computer, "hey, I've been a bit hyper today...I've been ambitious...I tried to push you and I understand, you like things on your terms. So I'm starting out fresh..." Re-booting is wiping the slate clean; it gives you an opportunity to reexamine the reasons why you have the programs open that you do; it is in many respects an electronic cleansing of the palate so that you know you are focusing on the essentials of your work.

It shouldn't be a surprise to you when I say then that we have "way too many programs" open when it comes to how we understand faith, praxis, and life in the Church. So many things can gain our attention...so many things vie for control of our times, energy and resources. It's enough to have to our demands, visions, dreams, and emphases open on the table of our lives...but then add to them the congregation's wishes and prayers, the denomination's and District's encouragements and initiatives, and the pressures that go along with a rapidly changing culture and spiritual landscape - no wonder it is time to reboot. Truthfully, that's what we often need to do...simply stop and reboot...simply stop and reexamine what we are doing, how we are living, and rediscover a way to hold on to the essentials. That's why the following quotes caught my eye and heart this morning:

"The freedom to know God, unhindered as much as possible from religious or human discoloration, is the central joy and purpose of life. All of the rest of our journey in church-life (life with and for Jesus) is informed by our deepening friendship with God that is allowing him to be more intimately involved in our lives than ever before...The result is often a personal renewal of our own relationship with Jesus, a greater longing to understand what it is to be an uncompromising follower, to hear his voice, to respond to him, and to live out of a deep intimacy and love relationship with him that is truly center stage in our life."

Getting to the bottom line of who we are, why we do what we do, and what the purpose of life is all about is vital to the health, vitality and focus of our followership in Jesus. Disciples and leaders need rebooting often...what is it that you have lost sight of because "too many programs" are opened and you are running slow and inefficiently? How would your life and ministry change if you rebooted to Jesus?

There's been a little book that I've kept in my library for years...I read this section occassionally when I get the sense that the Spirit is calling me to reboot. See how it fits in your soul today:

"I'm only 57, and I already find myself weary of the hollow thoughts of what few accomplishments I may have mustered in my life. My failures continue to embarrass me. The inadequacies I have carried with me since my youth still frustrate me. My insecurities still trouble my soul. And the praise of others has an increasingly hollow ring I am tired of worrying about whether or not the sermon I preached was good enough or whether or not someone will pat me on the back for a job well done. I'm tired of worrying about what people think about me. I'm weary of the carnal feeling that sometimes haunts me when someone talks about his favorite preacher and it's not me. Bottom line, I just flat out get tired of me. But I never get tired of Jesus. After all these years, I still find Him more compelling, more engaging, more awesome, more surprising, more fulfilling, and more attractive than ever before. I never get tired of singing His praises or watching Him perform. I find Him to be gripping. Absorbing. Beyond comprehension. And that's why - along with Paul, my grandmother, Billy Graham, and countless others through the years - I find myself longing to know Him better. I am becoming increasingly aware that life doesn't go on forever. When we're young, we think we are bulletproof. We live like we'll never die. But when your knees protest certain movements and your eyesight and memory begin to grow fuzzy, reality sets in. I can see the day coming when there'll be another president of Moody - and a better one at that. There'll be other preachers who bless hungry hearts. And me? I'll be sitting in the corner of some nursing home waiting for them to ring the lunch bell. And if life up to that point has been all about me, that is going to be a sad and empty day - no matter what they are serving for lunch. Why? Because all I will have will be me. Which at that point won't be much. But...if my life has been about knowing Jesus and experiencing a deepening relationship with Him, as I sit in that corner of the nursing home waiting for the lunch bell to ring, He'll be there with me. The Mighty Son of God...the Bright and Morning Star...the Desire of all Nations...the Great Shepherd of the Sheep...the wondrous Creator of all...the King of Kings and Lord of Lords..." (Joe Stowell)

Responding to the Call of the Wild - Book Review of Alan and Deb Hirsch's book, Untamed

Book Review – Untamed-Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship, by Alan and Debra Hirsch (Published by Baker Books, 2010)

There is nothing like seeing something that is wild. Fact is, people will pay good money to see animals romp in an environment that mimics their natural setting simply because it looks wild (even though it is not, i.e. San Diego Wild Animal Park). There is something inherently exciting and dangerous about being “wild”…there is anticipation and uneasiness as well as the thrill of unpredictability. Yet, despite our fascination with the wild, we seem to be driven by our desire to cage, tame and domesticate anything that appears dangerous. Why? Because all the talk of excitement and unpredictability is so often trumped by our human and hidden need for safety, staidness, and certainty. As long as something that is wild can be caged up or fenced in we can marginalize and/or control it.

Alan and Deb Hirsch take a strong stance and make compelling arguments for regaining and remembering what it was like to be called to be “untamed” in their new book of the same title, Untamed-Reactivating a Missional form of Discipleship. When I was reading the book, it took me back to the feeling I got watching “Born Free” many years ago…now, I know that sounds absolutely childish, cliché-ish, and ridiculous…but hear me out. We were created by God, called by the Jesus Himself, empowered by the very Power of God through the Holy Spirit NOT SO THAT WE COULD BE domesticated, caged, clipped or tamed. As long as the culture can drive down streets and see churches that they assume house tamed Christians (complete with programs and activities that keep us “in” our cages, fed and satisfied) they will never know that we as followers of Jesus were not meant for domestication…and we will never realize our full potential as being inherently dangerous within our world for the Kingdom. Part of what is needed in our world from a Kingdom perspective is disciples who are invading and infiltrating the culture with the very power and presence of God. Tell you what – you get the “animals” out of the cages, convinced that being untamed is how God originally designed, saved and empowered them to be and you have a dynamic that leads to life and vibrancy. As a friend of mine has said, “unleash the disciple within”…now, that’s an adventure that many followers of Jesus really want to sign up for…many that I know, didn’t want to lay down their lives for the predictability of the cage…they don’t want to be tamed…they want to feel and experience the Kingdom thrill of being empowered by God for something that will not only change their lives, but the world!

Enough of me – the Hirsch’s take on the topic of discipleship in this new book and they do it with biblical astuteness and practical passion. Both have extensive histories in traditional and missional expressions of “Church”…so they write with a personal believability due to the fact that they have “been there, done that.” Both are committed to a historically-based, sound and orthodox Christology, as evidenced in the following:

“Jesus is the key not only because Christian discipleship is about becoming more like Jesus but also because it is only in and through Jesus that we can get the proper, truly Christ-ian understanding of God. In other words, Jesus gets defining rights in relation to life, discipleship, theology and everything in between.” (page. 35)

The Hirsch’s understand the biblical call to discipleship from a decidedly transformational perspective. They call on us to understand what it is to be “living versions of him – little Jesuses.” They warn about how easy it is to fall into lies that convince us to love, follow, and discover our identity in anything else but the true God. I loved the Hirsch’s “boldness” in discussing the Holy Spirit – taking risks of being labeled and pigeon-holed as “raving Pentecostalists”, both Alan and Deb encourage followers of Jesus in the awakening of the power of the Holy Spirit not only for life, but also for creativity, transformation, risky mission and community. This section inspired me,

“…the missional church movement in the West needs to seriously re-embrace the role of the Holy Spirit as part of the Christian experience. And if we really want to recover the lost ethos of authentic missional Christianity, we are going to have to take the risk of encountering the divine and personally experiencing god in wild and wonderful ways in order to bring the kingdom into this time and place. It’s going to take untamed disciples who, as lovers and pursuers of God, have no defenses and are willing to lay bare their hearts before him to make this happen. Amen, come Holy Spirit.” (p. 102).

All I can say is “preach it!” Discipleship is about change…and God is too much of a lover of our souls and a God of action to leave us as we are…to know God is to change (allow ourselves to be stripped of rebellion, stripped of rebellious religion, stripped of restrictive practices that prevent us from a true experience and love of God).

In addition to its theological explorations, ecclesiology and missiology are Untamed’s true call…at the “heart” of the book (literally, the center of the paperback that I have on my lap while I write this) is the pivot section on disciple-making as mission and mission as the definition of “Church”. In these sections, those of you who are familiar with Alan and his past work (Shaping of Things to Come, The Forgotten Ways, etc.) will not be surprised. The Hirsch’s make a passionate argument of the “untamedness” of the priesthood of all believers and for a recovery of understanding of the core message of the Great Commission – Discipleship and Disciple-making. They take on sacred cows…they take on old paradigms…they take on any and all comers…

“…all of us are called to disciple others-discipling is the task of every Christian….discipleship is not just for those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior-it’s for everyone. We as believers are called to disciple everyone who comes into our orbit of influence-it’s that simple. If each believer understood discipleship in this way and then took their biblical mandate seriously, we would have lots of people growing and becoming more and more like Jesus – and hopefully at some point coming under His Lordship. It’s not our role to convert them, but to disciple them. Conversion is God’s business. How much better would the world be? And the fun thing is that in many cases those who haven’t accepted Jesus as Lord may have no idea that they are being discipled!” (p. 147)

That’s Untamed! Without a doubt and without apology, the Hirsch’s call for followers of Jesus to reclaim our disciple-making prowess and passion is at the heart of what it means to be “wild” for Christ. I could go on and on…as I already have for many of your tastes. My enthusiasm for this book is based on its readability, sound biblical exploration and praxis-orientation. It is inspiring and practical and is bound to help you think through how you are to be the Untamed follower of Jesus you have been called to be!

Is it a God-honoring Vision or a Burden?

This cartoon by Nakedpastor.com got me thinking...I've wondered many times as a leader how much people can take of visionary language. Yes, vision empowers, motivates, gives people a "taste" of a preferable future...but how often can vision be something that does not inspire but rather becomes a burden? I was the pastor of a church in Denver years ago...it had had five different pastors over a 25 year period of time...each bringing to the congregation "their" vision...by the time I got there, the people were clear with me - we don't want to hear any more talk of "vision". One man actually said, "don't burden us with your vision, pastor...you do it and tell us how it's going...we're burned out on vision". Just because a leader has a vision does not mean that that vision is owned by the people in the movement/organization. If the vision isn't owned, isn't shared, isn't one that comes out of the heart of every person, then the vision might be one that de-motivates, discourages, or disrupts what God is really up. The dynamic of leadership that is one of the most difficult to attain and experience is how to discern vision in the context of community. Leadership isn't defined by the vision that the leader imposes on the people, or by the time it takes for the leader to convince the community that the leader's vision is worth investing in...but rather is something that is experienced when the leader senses the vision that God has for the community in the context of relationships...in other words, helping people as well as ourselves to see and sense and hear the voice/vision of God that we can all grasp on to and make our own. When the community is owning and leveraging its gifts and passions to actualize a common vision, now there's power! Any further thoughts? Comment below or email me @ rdugall@apu.edu

For how many of us who are spiritual leaders...is this true of our journey?

Revelation 2:4 "but I have this against you, that you have left your first love..."

An online friend "gives it up"...what do you think?

A person I know through the community which is called "virtual" gave up his position as pastor the other day. Below is a part of the statement that he made on his blog that caught my attention. This is sad news to me...as it most likely will be for many of you. The issues in ministry today are complex...the ministry "playing field" has changed...Christianity is no longer in a culturally "favored" status...leaders of congregations are struggling with how to be relevant to the many circumstances that surround them...economic realities are making a huge impact...and the expectations of congregations are often out of synche with how a pastor feels about their own ministry calling. Add to that the immense pressure that is occurring as our congregations become more and more influenced by the cultural value of consumerism, people's obsession with superficial entertainment/voyuerism, the rise of mega-ministries, and a pop-cultural religious system that resembles more the classic definition of syncretism than an adherence to the familiar Judean- Christian ethos and you have a growing sense of desperation within local churches. I feel deeply for discouraged pastors...I've been there myself. If it wasn't for the encouragement that I feel from people close to me who also are "in the trenches" and the empowerment of the Spirit of God in my heart, it would be easy to join the ranks of the discouraged and "soon to be" resigning.

Read the following remarks if you have a few minutes...how would you respond to a "friend" in ministry who feels this way? What do you do to battle discouragement and fear? How do we enter into a leadership community in such a way that we become "more than conquerors" and not one more addition to a growing statistic? Let me know your thoughts...rdugall@apu.edu.

"I’ve left the professional ministry. I was ordained 25 years ago. I was a student minister before that. It has been a long hard haul. But I’ve gradually come to the realization that I can no longer work inside of the system. I no longer seem to fit within the institution. This is not to say that I don’t believe in the church. I absolutely do. But my relationship to the organization has definitely changed…I believe in the right and the importance of Christians to gather…but it’s the bad stuff that creeps in and clings to the gathering that I’ve always been critical of. One of the most deadly influences on a community is agenda. In my opinion, it should be enough to gather together to study the bible, pray, worship and fellowship. It’s when people desire more that things to go awry. To come without an agenda, without a goal, without a dream, without a vision for the church is most difficult. But this is the only way a church will live in a healthy manner. Visionary thinking, fantasizing, kills the church. Even the slightest bit of fantasizing for the church, like a little leaven, will affect the whole lump. It must be renounced entirely."

Enabling Flight or Intentionally Caging those God created to fly!

Parable of the Skylark and Worms

One day long ago, over the hot sands of a Middle Eastern country, a white skylark flew in joyous loops about the sky. As she swooped near the earth, she heard a merchant cry out, “Worms! Worms! Worms for feathers! Delicious Worms!” The skylark circled about the merchant, hungry at the mention of worms, but puzzled about what the merchant meant. Little did the skylark know that the merchant was the devil. And seeing the skylark was interested, the devil motioned her nearer. “Come here, my little friend. Come! See the lovely worms I have!”

Cautiously, the skylark landed and cocked her head to the merchant. “Come! Taste the juicy worms!” The skylark became aware that she was, indeed, quite hungry. And these worms looked bigger and tastier than any she had ever dug for herself out of the hardscrabble ground of the desert. The skylark hopped closer and put her beak close to the worm. “Two worms for a feather, my friend. Two worms for merely one!”

The skylark was unable to resist. And she had, after all, so many feathers. So, with the swift motion she pulled out a feather – just a small one – from beneath her wing and gave it to the merchant. “Take your pick, my little friend…any two, your heart’s desire!” The skylark quickly snatched up two of the plumpest worms and swallowed her meal with delight. Never before had she tasted such wonderful worms. With a loud chirp, she leapt into the air and resumed her joyful flight.

Day after day the skylark returned. And always the merchant had wonderful worms to offer: black ones and blue ones, red ones and green one, all fat and shiny and iridescent. But one day, after eating her fill, the skylark leapt again into the air – and to her horror, she fell to the ground with a thud. She was unable to fly!

All at once with a shock she realized what had happened. From eating the delicious worms she had grown fatter and fatter; and she had plucked her feathers one by one, first her body, then her tail, and finally her very wings had grown balder and balder. Horrified, she remembered how slowly, imperceptibly, day by day, it had been getting harder and harder to fly, and how she had told herself it was no matter. She could always stop before it was too late. Now suddenly, here she was, trapped on the ground. She looked up and saw the merchant looking at her. Was that a small, sly grin spreading across his face? He grabbed the now helpless bird, put her in a cage, and walked away laughing.

Followers of Jesus were meant to “fly”…to let the winds of the Spirit lead them to where they can love, serve and glorify God with their very lives. To “cage” a Christ-follower by keeping them “well fed” especially within the confines of church is to rob them of their created purpose and identity in Jesus. What is our intention in discipling those whom Jesus loved and empowered through His Spirit? To keep them pump and flightless or to enable them to be follow the Spirit on a spiritual quest that embodies the very dream of God?