Rethink Discipleship

A sacred part of the Christian faith has become fossilized and dilapidated. The practice of discipleship has all but disappeared or at minimum been buried under the pile of self-help books and personal discovery exercises. I am fearful, we have forgotten that discipleship is even a practice. I mean for most it was something you went to on a Sunday or Wednesday night. It developed into a process, a procedure if you will, and less of an actual living practice. Discipleship got relegated to a room and not lives. I suggest it's time to rethink discipleship.

1. reTHINK discipleship ..: For the longest time, we have made discipleship a personal journey, when indeed discipleship is lived and practiced with in community (aka relationships). It is both vertical (with Christ) and horizontal (with people). Discipleship was never intended to be done alone.

reTHINK where & when discipleship is done ..: move from a designated time and place to more of an organic, everyday occurrence. It can happen in a coffee shop, at the gas station, at work in the break room, in your office, at a party, get this... it can happen where ever you just so happen to be. Oh yeah, you don't have to have "arrived" if you will to disciple. Start the process, grow together. See #3.

2. reTHINK how you disciple ..: Discipleship has been a matter of forming people to act and think a prescribed Christian philosophy. Whereas this is not wrong, we should be making people disciples of Christ, not ourselves or our denominations even.

3. reTHINK who you disciple ..: First be a disciple. Learn from someone... someone who knows the ropes. Invest others as well though. Bring them along for the journey. Jesus called first-class "nobodies" to be his disciples and he entrusted them to be disciple makers. He will give you the tools, the wisdom, the people, and the resources... you need only ask. We are commanded to disciple "all nations..." not the church (this is not a mandate to abandon nor neglect the church, just give the thought proper attention).

I fully believe it is high time to get our minds around the idea of living, personal discipleship. Its not a job, its not a hassle... its a mission. Make your life a life of learning. Be a learner, who doesn't live much less learn in isolation, but actively engages the world, and more importantly makes learners in Christ out of the world.

reTHINK.

Be a friend, be a discipler... offer your discipleship story(s), tips and/or practices by leaving a comment.