Rethinking Discipleship

Whilst reading Alan Hirsch’s book, “The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church” I found this quote:

“If you want to build a ship, don’t summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs, and organize the work, rather teach people the yearning for the wide, boundless ocean.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I have been thinking about discipleship a lot lately.  Many people who I had thought were going strong, who loved God and who were committed disciples have decided to walk away from Christ.  I have got to wondering whether we need to rethink our concept of discipleship.  More on that later (my thoughts are still brewing on those issues…)

When I read that quote I realized that often we teach people that to be a Christian/follow Jesus we have to

(a) read our Bible,

(b) go to church and home group,

(c) get involved in some kind of ministry around the church, and

(d) tell others about Jesus – evangelism.

Are we guilty of buying wood, preparing tools, distributing jobs, and organizing the work?

What if our focus in discipleship became less about things to do, our processes and more about the majesty, the wonder, the awe-inspiring glory of God?

What if we spend more time getting people to meditate on the wonder, the splendour, the unbelievable majesty of the cross, than on whether they had their quiet time today?

What if spent more time fueling the passion of the converted for the miracle of grace and less time making them guilty about not doing the bridge illustration?

I am rethinking discipleship…

~ by John on November 4, 2008.