Focus on what Christ is doing in our lives
Lionel at “A Better Covenant” has written a great admonition to all bloggers (and all Christians) in his post called “I am Looking at the Man in the Mirror!” He begins by pointing out a weakness in his own life – a weakness that I think plagues all of us from time to time:
To be honest this is a huge struggle and what has been convicting me a lot as of late. I started to reflect of all the things I have said about other Christians young and old, mature and immature, carnal and spiritual and how I have always saw myself in the upper echelon and others, well….. not so much.
This is how Lionel concludes:
I think as bloggers and believers, as we write and especially as we talk, lets focus on what Christ is doing in our lives and what we are doing for others in light of what Christ is doing in our lives. If we can find any room to talk about others, then I promised you the mirror is too far from our faces. If we look more attractive to ourselves while being critical of the appearance of others either the mirror is too far from our face or we are in denial. Our goal is to stay in our lane and to be honest with others about our struggles and shortcomings while HELPING others walk this great faith out until death or until our Lord returns. I hope to assist my brothers and sisters in the pursuit of our great prize, our great mark and the fellowship that Paul longs for.
What a great goal! I also want to seek to walk with Lord and see him grow me toward maturity in Christ. At the same time, I recognize that he often uses others – like you, my readers – to help me grow toward maturity. In the same way, he often uses me to help other grow in maturity. But, if my focus is on criticizing others more than becoming like Christ myself, then I’m like the man who stopped looking in the mirror. I can only help others grow in Christ as I myself am growing in Christ.
Jesus’s Yoke: Listening to different perspectives
When we get together with the church at our weekly meeting (meaning we meet with the church at other times, too), someone is scheduled to teach. This person usually teaches for 30 – 45 minutes. After this teaching, we have a time when others can teach or encourage the body, or ask for prayer.
Yesterday, Maël, my friend and fellow-elder from “The Adventures of Maël & Cindy“, taught from Matthew 11:25-30. This is part of that passage:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
Maël did a great job explaining the meaning of this passage and its significance for us today. He talked about different types of yokes: both animal yokes and human yokes. He talked about how the primary purpose for a yoke was to make a burden easier to bear. He explained that Jesus does give us a burden, but that his burden is easy and light.
After Maël finished teaching, several brothers and sisters encouraged the church from the same passage with their own perspective on burdens. For example, one brother said that when he begins to take his eyes off of God, he starts to focus on himself. He does not think about God and he does not think about other people. Many times, he begins to feel a heavy burden which is caused by his own self-centeredness.
Another brother said that he often bears the burden of hypocrisy. He says one thing, but often lives in a completely different way. He realizes that his hypocrisy has a negative affect on the people around him, especially those who are not believers.
A sister said that she has been studying the Book of Revelation. When she begins to leave her first love (Jesus), life becomes a heavy burden. She no longer wants to draw near to God nor does she want to love other people.
A brother shared that he had problems at work. He wanted to please his boss, but his boss asked him to do some things that did not seem ethical. He said he was burdened by the tension between pleasing his boss and pleasing God.
As I was thinking about these different perspectives, I realized that a heavy burden should be a warning to us. Jesus has said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. But, if we feel that we are under a hard yoke and pulling against a heavy burden, then perhaps its because we are not under only Jesus’s yoke and pulling only Jesus’s burden. Or, perhaps we are bearing a yoke or pulling a burden that we should be sharing with others. Whatever the reason, when we feel the yoke get hard or the burden become heavy, we should recognize that something is wrong.
I’m glad that Maël taught us from this passage. But, I’m also glad that other brothers and sisters had a chance to teach and exhort the church as well, and that they took advantage of that opportunity. We need to listen to and learn from one another. We also need to give everyone the opportunity to edify the whole church.
Fall Festivals and Scary Masks
I wrote this past (“Fall Festivals and Scary Masks“) last year (2007) as part of a synchroblog leading up to Halloween. As we prepare for Halloween, and before you begin to condemn other Christians who take part in Trick-or-Treat. Perhaps we can offer brothers and sisters more grace, and even think seriously about what some churches do in response to Halloween.
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Fall Festivals and Scary Masks
When I was growing up, I loved Halloween. I would usually spend hours and hours (the day before) deciding what kind of costume I would wear. I always made my own costumes – primarily because the stores were sold out, but also because the store ones were so bad and expensive. One year, I was a pirate and learned that mascara does not make good beard stubble. I also created an astronaut costume once, using an entire roll of aluminum foil. Once I was a zombie and had to go through several sticks of my mother’s lipstick before I found the right shade of red for blood. (Now that I look back, it seems that my costumes probably cost my mother more than a store bought costume would.)
Trick-or-Treating was always a blast! Since we lived several miles outside of the city, there were no neighborhoods around us. We would drive to all of our relatives houses, then run through at least one of the nicer neighborhoods on the way home. After trick-or-treating, my brother and I would compare bags to see who had the most candy. He usually did, because I ate mine while we were walking and riding.
I also enjoyed Halloween Carnivals. I liked the games and the candy. I liked seeing friends’ costumes and throwing pies and sack races. We would always have peanuts and cotton candy and candy apples and popcorn. It was always fun at the end of the evening to see whose costumes didn’t make it through the fun and festivities.
One year, a few friends and I decided to “haunt” one of their front yards. We all dressed up in scary costumes and waited in the bushes until someone came to knock on the door. Then we would jump out and scare them. One of my friends stuffed straw in his shirt, put on a big mask and hat, and sat very still in a rocking chair beside the door. He looked like a scarecrow. When someone walked up to the door and knocked, he would jump up. I think there were only three heart attacks that night. The funny thing is that my “scarecrow” friend would always get whacked in the head with a bagful of candy.
A few years ago, I was told that it was wrong for Christians to participate in Halloween. I trusted the people who told me, so I went along. Instead of having Halloween Carnivals, we had Fall Festivals. Instead of scary costumes, the children dressed in “nice” costumes: super heroes or princesses or cowboys or astronauts (Hey, I was an astronaut once…) or pirates (Or maybe pirates are too scary?). We would give the children candy and peanuts and cotton candy and candy apples and popcorn. You may think that this sounds surprisingly similar to a Halloween Carnival, but I assure you that this was no Halloween Carnival, it was a Fall Festival. Plus, since we were Christians, we put tracts in the goody bags that we handed out for the kids to put their candy in, because they were not trick-or-treating.
When we were planning the Fall Festival, we made sure to tell the boys and girls that were part of the church that they could dress up, but they were not supposed to dress up in scary costumes. No ghosts or witches or monsters or zombies (uh oh) or teachers… well, nice teachers may be okay. We drilled this into their heads for several weeks preceding the Fall Festival. And, they complied. They arrived at the Fall Festivals dressed as cowboys and soldiers and princesses and ballerinas.
But, there was a problem. You see, we also advertised this Fall Festival around the neighborhood. This would not just be church fun, this would be an outreach! And a few neighborhood boys and girls actually came to the Fall Festival! A success, right? Well, kinda.
You see, some of these neighborhood boys and girls wore scary costumes. There were one or two monsters and a witch. *gasp* What should we do? Should we make them take off their costumes? Maybe we could let them in, but just give them the cold shoulder. Maybe they wouldn’t stay long. Surely they would recognize that they don’t fit in here.
Of course, we didn’t have to worry about that. As soon as our “good” boys and girls in their “nice” costumes saw the neighborhood boys and girls in their scary costumes, they pointed and said in loud voices (as children always talk), “Look, Mom! Look, Dad! They’re wearing scary costumes! That’s bad, isn’t it?”
Yes, this was actually said by some children. Yes, the neighborhood boys and girls heard. Yes, the “bad” children’s parents heard as well. They also saw that that they and their children were given the “evil eye” – which, unfortunately, was not part of a “scary” mask. They noticed that the “good” boys and girls were praised for their costumes, but not the “bad” boys and girls. And, yes, it was suggested by several “good” parents that we ask the “scary” and “bad” kids to leave.
We were very happy with outreach, as long as we reached people who looked like us, acted like us, believed like us, and wore Halloween – I mean, Fall Festival – costumes like us. These attitudes are necessary if we are creating an isolated group. However, if it is our desire to remain in the world and if it is our desire to impact the world, then these attitudes are dangerous and contrary to the attitude of Jesus.
Yes, I know that Halloween has pagan roots. Of course, Christmas and Easter also have pagan roots. Just as Christians in the past “Christianized” Christmas and Easter, many are attempting to “Christianze” Halloween by calling it “Fall Festival” or “Harvest Carnival” or something like that. Fine. I don’t have a problem with that. If someone decides that they do not want to dress up and go door-to-door asking for candy, I do not have a problem with that either. If someone decides that they are going to turn off their front door light and not give out candy, that is their choice.
Some Christians still take part in Halloween. This does not make them pagans, nor does it mean that they are being deceived, nor does it mean that they are too worldly. Other Christians prefer to take part in Fall Festivals. This does not make them more saintly, nor does it mean that they are closer to God, nor does it mean that they are more mature in Christ. We can recognize the differences, but we should not allow the differences to separate us. We have to look deeper than the “nice” or “scary” mask that a person wears.
However, when we start isolating ourselves from the world and other Christians, we are forgetting why we are here. When we start wagging our fingers at people – even Christians – who enjoy dressing up and having fun with their friends, we forget what it means to accept and love one another. When we condemn people for being different from us, we lose the chance to interact with them and get to know them and allow God to use us to disciple them – or use them to disciple us.
We can force people to wear “nice” costumes. Our concern should not be the mask that the person is wearing – whether it is “nice” or “scary”. The mask often hides what is underneath. So, instead of trying to change people and their behavior from the outside, let’s start by getting to know them as they are – accepting them as they are – and loving them as they are. Perhaps, then, we may find a “scary” person being changed into a Christ-like person… who may still look different than us.
Lessons from the Trail 5 – Leaders
In this series, I’m writing about life lessons that I learned while hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with my son and two friends. This “Life Lesson” is about leaders and leading.
During our hike, different people led at different times. Leadership was primarily determined by willingness, fitness, and restedness. For the most part, any of us were able to lead at different points along the trail. But, I noticed something interesting about different “methods” of leadership.
When Jim or I led, we stayed only a few steps ahead of the other people in the group. We would keep an eye on the people behind us almost as much as we kept an eye on the trail ahead.
When the boys led, they tended to walk as fast as they could, often moving along so far ahead of us that those following lost sight of the one or ones leading. In reality, at those times, we were no longer hiking together as a group.
When Jim or I led, we would stop when we came to a fork in the path to make sure that each person took the correct trail.
When the boys led, they would make the turn while they were far ahead of the others, and then they would keep going. Several times Jim and I reached a fork after the boys, hoping that we were all taking the same path.
What did I learn about leadership? Leadership is as much – if not more – about the people following than the people who are leading. Good leaders will always keep others in mind and in view. When a major decision comes along, good leaders will stop and make sure that everyone is taking the same path.
What do I see in the church today? Leaders run ahead in the direction that God is pointing them with very little concern for the people following. When a major decision comes along, leaders make the decision and exhort or admonish others to follow along.
Leadership has stopped being about serving others.
What do you think? Do my experiences with leadership on the Appalachian Trail demonstrate something to us about church leadership?
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Lessons from the Trail:
1. Introduction
2. Preparation
3. Watching
4. Burdens
5. Leaders
Lessons from the Trail 4 – Burdens
In this series, I’m writing about life lessons that I learned while hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with my son and two friends. This “Life Lesson” is about bearing burdens.
At the end of the first day of our hike – after 9 miles – my legs starting hurting. The next day started fine. But after a few miles, we began hiking uphill. I found out that I could not pick my foot up to take a step up because of the pain in my thighs. I could walk on level ground, and I could walk downhill, but I could not walk well when we were going uphill. And, unfortunately, for the next several miles, we were walking uphill.
I slowly made my way up a few hills, and climbed over some rock outcroppings. But, my legs started hurting even worse as I forced them to do something that they did not want to do. Eventually, the other three people in my group took my backpack so that it would be easier for me to walk. It was still painful, but it was not as painful.
So, for a few miles, until we turned downhill, I did not carry a backpack, and the other three (mostly Jim) took turns carrying two backpacks.
I have to admit that this was very hard for me. I like to serve others, and it is difficult for me to be served. However, it was better for me as an individual, and better for the group, for them to carry my pack while I did not carry a pack.
From that difficult afternoon, God clearly taught me about this passage:
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. (Galatians 6:2-5 ESV)
I could have refused to admit that I had leg problems – but, of course, it was obvious to everyone that I was walking slower and slower. I could have refused their help. They could have refused to help. But, because I admitted my own weaknesses, and because they helped me instead of condemning me, we were able to continue walking together.
Note that they could not relieve me of my “load” – my leg pain. My legs continued to hurt, and there was nothing that I could do about that. However, they could bear my “burdens”, so that I could walk more easily under that “load”.
I think this is one of the most important lessons that God taught me on the trail. It was a difficult and painful lesson, but an important one. Today, we often refuse to admit our problems. This is the sin of pride. Our pride tells us that we must seem to have it all together to those around us. We can’t seem weak or needy.
Since we don’t know one another, others cannot recognize our problems and weaknesses. This is also a sin, related to refusing to love one another. When we love another, we give up our own time in order to focus on others so that we can get to know them. Instead, we walk along carrying a burden alone when God has provided others to help us.
Even when we recognize someone’s problems or weaknesses, we tend to condemn or ridicule that person instead of coming along site that person and helping them to bear that burden. This is also a sin – the sin of refusing to love or refusing to accept a brother or sister. Many times, we simply don’t care about the person enough to help them. Other times, we’re afraid that if we bear someone else’s burden, then our own burden (plans, desires, goals, etc.) will not be accomplished. We put our own life and growth ahead of the life and growth of the community.
Do you know people in the church enough to recognize when they need help with a burden? Do you care enough to offer help? Are you willing to ask for help yourself?
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Lessons from the Trail:
1. Introduction
2. Preparation
3. Watching
4. Burdens
5. Leaders
Lessons from the Trail 3 – Watching
In this series, I’m writing about life lessons that I learned while hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with my son and two friends. This “Life Lesson” is about watching.
As we were walking along the Appalachian Trail, we had to watch carefully. What did we watch?
First, we watched our feet. We had to be very careful about where we placed our feet. Sometimes the path was rocky; sometimes it was slippery; sometimes there were roots. (I’ll write about this more in another “Life Lesson”.)
Second, we had to watch the trail ahead. The trail had been marked for us by previous hikers, but there were side trails as well. We had to look ahead to make sure that we were on the right trail. (I’ll write about this more in another “Life Lesson”.)
Third, we had to watch one another. We were walking together. The person in front could not get too far ahead, and the person bringing up the rear could not fall too far behind. (I’ll write about this more in another “Life Lesson”.)
Finally, we had to keep an eye on our guide book. The book told us what we could expect from the trail ahead. We knew when to stop, when to rest, and when to keep going because of the guide book. In the guide book, the authors described what they experienced as they walked the trail.
But, this is where the problem came in. Sometime the book was very helpful. At other times, the book was not as helpful. On the first day, we had planned to take a side trip down to a campground in order to replenish our water supply. The book told us to look for a certain road, then a trail marked with blue which led to the campground. We never saw the road. We’re not sure if the Appalachian Trail had been moved (which happens), or if we were looking for a blacktop road while the book was talking about an old overgrown road.
At other times, we would read the guide book, and each one of us would interpret it differently. One said that we should keep going, according to the book. Another said we should stop, according to the book. What should we do?
There were even a few times that we came to an intersection or an obstacle, and we were not sure what to do. The book did not mention that intersection or obstacle. Again, what should we do?
It was during times like these that we wished we could talk to the people who wrote the guide book. We wished that we had someone along who could answer our specific questions. Unfortunately, those people were not available for us, so we had to do our best.
Of course, in life, we have Scripture that’s very similar to our guide book. Scripture is certainly not a list of rules, but it is an account of how God dealt with his children in the past. We can learn from their experiences with God. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 ESV)
But, even reading Scripture consistently, we will still run upon decisions that are not “covered” by Scripture. What do we do? We must keep our eye on our Guide. Remember that we are not left with ONLY Scripture in the same way that we only had a guide book on our hike.
God has promised to be with us and to never leave us. He has promised to never forsake us. He has promised to give us everything that we need. The author of the book is walking through life with us.
There are many things that can become obstacles in our life. But, as the author of Hebrews reminded us, we can know that we are on the right path by keeping our eyes focused on the one who has walked before us and who walks with us:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV)
While “hiking” through your life, have you found it easier to keep your eyes on Jesus, or other things?
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Lessons from the Trail:
1. Introduction
2. Preparation
3. Watching
4. Burdens
5. Leaders
The poor do not need your money
This post is part of Blog Action Day 2008 concerning the topic of poverty. For those reaching my blog through the Blog Action Day site, there is something you should know about me. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and I approach life from that perspective. The post is primarily written for other followers of Jesus Christ in an attempt to exhort and admonish others towards caring for the poor. However, I encourage others (even those who are not Christians) to interact with me in the comment concerning this topic.
If I had written this blog post a year ago, it would have been much different. Why? Because at that time I did not have any experience serving the poor. Instead, for most of my life, I had given money for others to take care of the poor. Looking back, I now see that I was blind to both the needs of those who are poor and the responsibilities that we have as children of God to take care of those who are poor.
Throughout the Old Testament prophets, God punishes his children primarily for two failures: 1) a failure to love Him, and 2) a failure to love others. They demonstrated that they did not love God by worshiping idols. They demonstrated that they did not love other people by refusing to care for the poor, the needy, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners.
When we turn to the New Testament, Jesus again reinforces these two principles in what we call “The Great Commandment”: love God and love others. In the epistles, this two-fold command (and indeed “all the law”) is often summarized as “Love your neighbor” (Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8). Similarly, John writes that we do not love God (regardless of what we SAY) if we do not demonstrate love towards other people (1 John 3:17; 4:21).
Perhaps one of the most poignant passages related to caring for other people is found in Matthew’s Gospel:
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,1 you did it to me.’
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:34-46 ESV)
We often argue about the nuanced implications of this passage without noticing (and living according to) what is obvious: those who are righteous in God’s perspective demonstrate their righteousness by caring for “the least”. In this passage, there are several examples give of those included in “the least”: the hungry, the thirsty, foreigners (strangers), those needing clothing, the sick, and those in prison. Furthermore, “the righteous” respond to the needs of “the least” with action: giving food or drink or clothing, welcoming the stranger, visiting those sick or in prison. These are not passive responses, but active responses. These are not delegated responses, but personal, intimate responses.
However, today, the church deals with “the least” in a much different way. We pool our money and pay others to deal with “the least”. We delegate our responsibilities and pat ourselves on the back for caring enough to give $5 (or even $100). The truth is, the poor do not need your money.
In his book Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development, John M. Perkins highlights the problem:
America’s best intentions, most sincere thoughts, noblest efforts – all of these are useless to the urban poor if they do no connect with our personally defined, deepest felt needs. In fact, acts of charity can be dangerous because givers can feel good about actions that actually accomplish very little, or even create dependency. The result is that their sense of satisfaction takes away any motivation to seek more creative long-range development strategies. Overcoming an attitude of charity is a difficult task because it requires givers to demand more of themselves than good will. (23)
Caring for the poor requires more than giving our money. Our God-given responsibility toward “the least” requires action – not simply giving money. If we are to care for “the least” as Scripture says “the righteous” will do, then we must start responding to “the least” in more appropriate and more personal and more intimate ways.
Like I said, just one year ago, my only response to the poor was to throw a little money at the problem. This may have alleviated my guilt for a short time, but it did very little – if anything – to actually help the poor. I was not living according to my God-given responsibilities toward “the least” by giving money. In fact, as Perkins points out, my money was probably causing more problems that it was helping.
A few months ago, our family started spending time every week with poor people in a government assisted housing development. We found that those living in poverty need much more than money. Primarily, the people that we’ve met need friendship first. They are lonely. Second, they have needs that a little money will not help, but a little time will – things like tutoring, financial planning, parenting help. If we are going to care for “the least”, we must be willing to be part of their lives and invite them to be part of our lives.
Last weekend, as I was driving homes from Pennsylvania with some friends, I received a call. Tina, one of the ladies that we’ve met, needs some help. Tina has had cancer, she has emphysema, and she’s been sick for the last couple of weeks. Over the weekend, Tina’s son OD’d. Tina needs help, but a few dollars out of my wallet will not help her. Instead, Tina needs a friend, and our family has told her that we will be there for her. We can’t alleviate her grief, but we can walk beside her through it.
John wrote, “And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:21 ESV). Do you love God? Are you demonstrating that love to others? Do you care about others enough to find out what they need and how you can help?
Its time for the church to stop throwing money at poverty and delegating others to care for the poor. Its time for followers of Jesus Christ to actually follow him by demonstrating his love to “the least”.
Lessons from the Trail 2 – Preparation
In this series, I’m writing about life lessons that I learned while hiking part of the Appalachian Trail with my son and two friends. This “Life Lesson” is about preparation.
We did very little to prepare for this hike. My son and I bought new hiking boots (actually he bought hiking shoes), and we walked around in them for a few days to break them in. We also borrowed some equipment: backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, camp stoves, etc. We bought some food. Also, our wives bought us some hiking pants from REI (where another friend works), which turned out to be awesome for our hike!
My friend bought a couple of trail guide books that we used to prepare as well. We read through the introductory material about the Appalachian Trail, hiking, and camping in general, and we read through the parts of the book that detailed the trail that we planned to hike. This was the extent of our preparation.
Looking back, I would have walked several miles a day for a few days leading up to our trip. I especially would have looked for a section with steep ascents and descents to prepare my leg muscles for the upcoming ordeal. I think this would have been the most important preparation for hiking and camping.
What did this preparation – or lack of preparation – teach me about life? Well, first of all, I often prepare for life in the wrong way. As much as education is important, education does not really prepare someone for life. In the same way, neither obtaining possessions nor reading about life prepares someone to actually live life.
What’s the best preparation for living life? Actually living. I realize that this sounds simple, but its something that I need to keep in mind. If I want to learn to do something, I can read and study about it, but I won’t truly learn it until I do it. For example, last year I knew that God was leading me toward working more closely with the poor. I read a couple of books about serving the poor. But, I didn’t really learn about the joys and struggles of working with the poor until I actually started doing it.
Also, and in a secondary sense, I learned the importance of having relationships with people who had already done it – who had already lived through what I was living through. In my hiking / camping example, several friends loaned us equipment, showed us how to use the equipment, and gave us tips for the trip. Another friend who works at REI helped us with supplies, finding water, etc. Notice, these people were helpful because they had already done it! They had already been hiking and camping over several days like we were planning to do.
Experience is a very important part of preparation for life – both our own experience and the experience of those around us. If we want to prepare for life, we need to learn from those who are actually living life, and we need to learn as we live life ourselves. In other words, there’s nothing like “on-the-job-training”.
What do you think is the best preparation for life?
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Lessons from the Trail:
1. Introduction
2. Preparation
3. Watching
4. Burdens
5. Leaders
Lessons from the Trail 1 – Introduction
From Thursday, October 9, through Saturday, October 11, my son, Jeremy, and I joined my friend, Jim, and his son, Jason, on a hiking and camping trip through a very small portion (21 miles) of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. If you are not familiar with the Appalachian Trail, it winds its way through the Appalachian Mountains for over 2100 miles from Maine to Georgia. We started in Pennsylvania where the trail ran near the home of Jim’s father, who dropped us off at our starting point, picked us up at our destination, and offered wonderful hospitality before and after our trip.
Our hike started in Pine Grove Furnace State Park and ended just over 21 trail miles and just over 50 hours later in picturesque Boiling Springs, PA. During the hike, we saw many beautiful sites, almost ran out of water, battled very sore muscles, and learned alot about ourselves. In fact, this series is not going to be about the hike, per se. I am not going to share my trip diary, although I did keep one. Instead, I want to share some “life lessons” that I learned on this trip.
Now, I recognize that 21 miles is not a long way to hike for many people. In fact, we passed some hikers who were walking the entire length of the AT over several months. One man who passed us was running our route in less than one day. However, for two 40 (+) year old men and two teenage boys, it was a long hike.
I was surprised at how much I learned about life during this hike. Some of these lessons I learned through my own quiet meditation (well, mostly quiet… there was some grunting and groaning) during the hike. Other lessons I learned while talking with Jim or the boys. It seemed like every turn in the trail, every ascent or descent, every rocky ridge, every ache and pain offered more lessons, if I was willing to learn. I tried to learn. Perhaps you can help me.
As I share these various life lessons, I encourage you to help me and others learn about life together. Perhaps you have a story to share; then please share it. Perhaps you have another perspective; then share that. Please use my hiking and camping trip as an opportunity to “exhort one another”.
(By the way, if you’re interested, I’ve posted pictures from our trip on our family blog in a post called “Appalachian Trail Hiking/Camping Pictures“. I’ll probably post more about the trip there in a few days.)
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Lessons from the Trail:
1. Introduction
2. Preparation
3. Watching
4. Burdens
5. Leaders
What is discipleship?
Chris, at “LeakeSpeak“, wrote a very important blog post recently called “What discipleship is not?“. He gives us this list:
It is not a class.
It is not control.
It is not a 12-week program.
It is not an activity to be performed by an elite few.
I agree with Chris’ description of what discipleship is not, and could probably add a few. I think lists like this are very important because they help us to orient – or re-orient – our thinking. I also think that this is a good turning point. Let’s move from what discipleship is not, to what discipleship is.
I once sat through an intensive summer course in which the professor taught about the “ministry” of the pastor. He began by exhorting us to do everything according to or to based everything on Scripture. He then taught us how to marry someone, how to baptize someone, how to serve the Lord’s Supper, how to run a deacon’s meeting. Somehow Scripture rarely, if ever, came up in those lessons.
At the very end of the class, he asked the class what they thought was the pastor’s most important responsibility. Several people offered suggestions. He finally said that the most important responsibility of any pastor – and in fact the most important responsibility of any Christian – was to make disciples. Then, he stopped.
I have heard this throughout my seminary career. We are to make disciples. But very few people actually discuss what it means to make disciples.
What is discipleship? What role does God play in discipleship? What role does the disciple-maker play in discipleship? What role does the one being discipled play in discipleship? Can there be a blurring between the disciple-maker and the discipler? Is that type of blurring good or bad?
What is the goal of discipleship? Do certain activities lead to that goal? Are certain settings more conducive to reaching that goal? Is discipleship only one-on-one or can someone disciple a small group or a large group? What role does teaching play in discipleship? How is education related to discipleship? What about other spiritual gifts?
I’ve thought through many of these questions, and I’ve found that a person’s ecclesiology greatly affects his or her understanding of discipleship. I write about discipleship often on this blog, and if you browse through the posts with the label “discipleship”, you’ll find that many of the posts simply deal with sharing life with other believers. This is primarily how I make disciples.
Perhaps you agree or disagree with my understanding of discipleship. Either way, share your concept of discipleship with us. Then, answer this question – either in a comment or to yourself – regardless of your concept of discipleship, are you making disciples?