The mission statement of the United Methodist Church “to make disciples of Jesus Christ” gives us guidance in how to organize our work as a church, in understanding the many difficult statements Jesus teaches, such as the one I preached yesterday, Luke 17:1-10, and in making strategic plans for the church. However, there are many questions raised about discipleship such as “What is a disciple?”, “How long does it take to become one?”, “Who makes them?” and more… These are important questions that some are comfortable to articulate while others are not. To get to an answer one either engages in discussions and interactions with other Christians in Bible study, or in one’s quiet time reading, praying, and reflecting. Today, I’d like to give a quick overview of discipleship as basic understanding and we will learn more together in worship and in study in the months and years to come.
Disciples are learners, often designated as people who learn and adhere to the teaching of a person, a religious figure, or a state. In the Church, disciples are understood as disciples of Jesus Christ. The New Testament tells how Jesus made disciples. Jesus called twelve people to follow him, live with him, learn from him. They followed him where he went and grew in faith through being with him. Studying and following Jesus, however, was not the end in itself. The first disciples were charged with the mission to extend Christ’s ministry into the world (Mark 6:7-13, 30; Matthew 9:35-11:1; Luke 9:1-10) and to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).
While the early disciples displayed a total commitment of their person by relinquishing his or her destiny to the point of abandoning home, wealth, and even life itself, not all people who met Jesus including those who listened to his teaching committed to following him and his destiny. As we read in the story of the rich ruler, Nicodemus, and the crowd that followed Jesus, some might later change from their unbelief into believing, some might never change.
In our time, discipleship continues to be an identity and a way of living. One does not become a disciple of Christ because one has successfully completed the training, been certified, and granted the status or title of “Disciple”. Rather, disciples are learners who, in practice, live what they have been taught and continue learning all matters concerning the Gospel teaching. In Wesleyan belief, disciples continue to learn, discern, and practice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to go on to perfection to be like Christ.
In our time, discipleship continues to be an identity and a way of living. One does not become a disciple of Christ because one has successfully completed the training, been certified, and granted the status or title of “Disciple”. Rather, disciples are learners who, in practice, live what they have been taught and continue learning all matters concerning the Gospel teaching. In Wesleyan belief, disciples continue to learn, discern, and practice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to go on to perfection to be like Christ.
At Chapel Hill, we are blessed to have a loving church family, ready to support one another and the community through the various ministries. As the Nominations Committee is in the process of forming 2014 ministry teams, I hope you prayerfully consider joining others and me in one of these teams for the service of the church and the world.
~ Mai
Comments are closed.