"Discipleship" seems to be all the rage these days. It's a popular catchword for church activity. Of course, there is good reason for this. Jesus' followers are called "disciples." And Jesus commanded disciple reduplication. It is the main command Jesus gives after his resurrection at the end of Matthew's gospel:
As you go about your lives, make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them all I have commanded you....(Matt. 28:19)
There is A LAWHT to say about how this verse has been misunderstood, poorly translated, and taken out of context. That’s another series of posts….
Back to the point…with all of the talk about “discipleship,” it can be a little concerning when discipleship gets mixed up with American consumer-Facebook-media driven-"what's in" culture. Or when it gets mixed up with our hyper-activity driven culture where the only alternative to super-busyness is “laziness.” (As if there isn’t a massive spectrum between those two options, and most likely where a more healthy and flourishing life is probably found).
Often it seems to be the case in many churches that discipleship is packaged in terms of a church program, or a system for developing leaders, or a pathway toward Christian self-improvement. Sometimes it becomes a missional thing, a task the church should be busy at – “GO! Make disciples! Get to it!” Usually this really means get more church members and more involvement in the programs of our church.
A recent article from Missio Alliance questions church use of "discipleship" as a fix to ignite more excitement and participation in church. Discipleship is not to be a church program or a catchy idea to get those people who are not quite "in" on the church thing. We should be very suspect when it begins to trend this way.
Yet, as a pastor and as someone who’s been involved in thinking and teaching about discipleship in the church for 15 years, I see how talk about "discipleship" can go sideways, even with good intentions. Things catch on and get trendy, especially if they're marketed and packaged well with slick images and simple, catchy words and ideas. People jump on the wagon, and sometimes as happens in our world, the wagon's moving fast. Before you know it, there are people jumping on, but they're not clear what it's about, whose wagon it is, or where it's going. That’s how branding and marketing work.
Now, jumping on the discipleship wagon is probably one of the better ones to jump on if you're not really paying attention. But still, as the Missio Alliance article suggests, if people think we're selling "discipleship" as something attractive for your best life now (from the perspective of cultural norms), we might just be selling a partial lie. If we're taking Jesus' words and life seriously, we can't escape the conclusion that discipleship is the path of downward mobility, not “winning.”
So. Here we are. What is discipleship all about?
Most things you hear and read will say something like, "following Jesus," or "apprenticing to Jesus, the master teacher," or "being like Jesus." All of these are not wrong. But if that's our starting point for how we think about discipleship, I'm afraid we've got the wrong lead leg in front.
I'm a running coach. One of the things I think a lot about is running (particularly sprinting) form and mechanics. When you're in the blocks or when you're hurdling, if you don't identify your "lead leg" and try to bust out of the blocks or hurdle efficiently, you're going to struggle getting going and it might just cost you valuable time. It won't disqualify you, but it will make the race a lot more of a struggle.
Same with discipleship. If our lead leg about discipleship is the task of following, apprenticing, or getting our messy, disjointed lives more in line with Jesus, discipleship may still happen, but because we're not starting with the right "lead leg," it will be a struggle.
Discipleship, above all, is an invitation from Jesus. It is NOT first (or primarily) a command or Christian task or a program or a bunch of classes to take or a mission the church is sent on. It’s always an invitation from Jesus. The invitation is in Matthew 11:28-30:
Back to the point…with all of the talk about “discipleship,” it can be a little concerning when discipleship gets mixed up with American consumer-Facebook-media driven-"what's in" culture. Or when it gets mixed up with our hyper-activity driven culture where the only alternative to super-busyness is “laziness.” (As if there isn’t a massive spectrum between those two options, and most likely where a more healthy and flourishing life is probably found).
Often it seems to be the case in many churches that discipleship is packaged in terms of a church program, or a system for developing leaders, or a pathway toward Christian self-improvement. Sometimes it becomes a missional thing, a task the church should be busy at – “GO! Make disciples! Get to it!” Usually this really means get more church members and more involvement in the programs of our church.
A recent article from Missio Alliance questions church use of "discipleship" as a fix to ignite more excitement and participation in church. Discipleship is not to be a church program or a catchy idea to get those people who are not quite "in" on the church thing. We should be very suspect when it begins to trend this way.
Yet, as a pastor and as someone who’s been involved in thinking and teaching about discipleship in the church for 15 years, I see how talk about "discipleship" can go sideways, even with good intentions. Things catch on and get trendy, especially if they're marketed and packaged well with slick images and simple, catchy words and ideas. People jump on the wagon, and sometimes as happens in our world, the wagon's moving fast. Before you know it, there are people jumping on, but they're not clear what it's about, whose wagon it is, or where it's going. That’s how branding and marketing work.
Now, jumping on the discipleship wagon is probably one of the better ones to jump on if you're not really paying attention. But still, as the Missio Alliance article suggests, if people think we're selling "discipleship" as something attractive for your best life now (from the perspective of cultural norms), we might just be selling a partial lie. If we're taking Jesus' words and life seriously, we can't escape the conclusion that discipleship is the path of downward mobility, not “winning.”
So. Here we are. What is discipleship all about?
Most things you hear and read will say something like, "following Jesus," or "apprenticing to Jesus, the master teacher," or "being like Jesus." All of these are not wrong. But if that's our starting point for how we think about discipleship, I'm afraid we've got the wrong lead leg in front.
I'm a running coach. One of the things I think a lot about is running (particularly sprinting) form and mechanics. When you're in the blocks or when you're hurdling, if you don't identify your "lead leg" and try to bust out of the blocks or hurdle efficiently, you're going to struggle getting going and it might just cost you valuable time. It won't disqualify you, but it will make the race a lot more of a struggle.
Same with discipleship. If our lead leg about discipleship is the task of following, apprenticing, or getting our messy, disjointed lives more in line with Jesus, discipleship may still happen, but because we're not starting with the right "lead leg," it will be a struggle.
Discipleship, above all, is an invitation from Jesus. It is NOT first (or primarily) a command or Christian task or a program or a bunch of classes to take or a mission the church is sent on. It’s always an invitation from Jesus. The invitation is in Matthew 11:28-30:
Come to me, all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon your shoulders together, and learn from me together; I am humble and gentle at the center of who I am, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is simple, good, and pleasing, and my burden is light.
This is what Jesus’ original invitation to follow him is all about. Before he gave the commission to “make disciples,” he said this first. The great commission was preceded by the great invitation.
Come to me. Unburden. Receive rest. Learn from me humility and gentleness. Yoke your life – indeed your very soul – to me. You’ll find this is what you were made for.
The invitation is refreshing, isn't it? Don't you long for a life like this?
Second, receiving Jesus’ invitation will put us all into the process of being formed into the likeness of Jesus. This is, of course, the point of discipleship, the finish line, likeness to Christ. Every step is a step in becoming more aligned with Jesus in every aspect of our lives. But Matthew 11 is the invitation, the "lead leg" that puts us on the course. And it also defines the route. If discipleship ever begins to deviate from the invitation in Matthew 11, then it's gotten off course.
There you go. That’s it. That’s discipleship.
It’s not a program, system, or pathway to your better Christian self. Not a way to get more church members involved in your church. Not another busy thing to add to your schedule. (In fact, Jesus’ invitation should result in you unbusying your life.)
Discipleship is an invitation into a way of life. It’s a way of life that you don’t try harder at, but rather it a way of life that becomes you as you are yoked to Jesus, laying down your burdens and finding rest, becoming like him. And it’s for us together. It is a way of life that can only be worked out in community. In fact it requires community and vulnerability with others. It is as we join our lives to one another as the body of Christ that we are formed to be like Christ.
Come to me. Unburden. Receive rest. Learn from me humility and gentleness. Yoke your life – indeed your very soul – to me. You’ll find this is what you were made for.
The invitation is refreshing, isn't it? Don't you long for a life like this?
Second, receiving Jesus’ invitation will put us all into the process of being formed into the likeness of Jesus. This is, of course, the point of discipleship, the finish line, likeness to Christ. Every step is a step in becoming more aligned with Jesus in every aspect of our lives. But Matthew 11 is the invitation, the "lead leg" that puts us on the course. And it also defines the route. If discipleship ever begins to deviate from the invitation in Matthew 11, then it's gotten off course.
There you go. That’s it. That’s discipleship.
It’s not a program, system, or pathway to your better Christian self. Not a way to get more church members involved in your church. Not another busy thing to add to your schedule. (In fact, Jesus’ invitation should result in you unbusying your life.)
Discipleship is an invitation into a way of life. It’s a way of life that you don’t try harder at, but rather it a way of life that becomes you as you are yoked to Jesus, laying down your burdens and finding rest, becoming like him. And it’s for us together. It is a way of life that can only be worked out in community. In fact it requires community and vulnerability with others. It is as we join our lives to one another as the body of Christ that we are formed to be like Christ.
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