Friday, October 02, 2009
Discipleship: more than a program
The... conviction was that my primary pastoral work had to do with Scripture and prayer. I was neither capable nor competent to form Christ in another person, to shape a life of discipleship in man, woman, or child. That is supernatural work, and I am not supernatural. Mine was the more modest work of Scripture and prayer—helping people listen to God speak to them from the Scriptures and then joining them in answering God as personally and honestly as we could in lives of prayer. This turned out to be slow work. From time to time, impatient with the slowness, I would try out ways of going about my work that promised quicker results. But after a while it always seemed to be more like meddling in these people’s lives than helping them attend to God.So reflects Eugene Peterson in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (the book was originally written in 1980, but the subtitle seems even more relevant now, nearly 30 years later!). I have just finished this book and found much of it very useful in regard looking at the discipleship of new believers in our ministry.
There is wisdom in Peterson’s comment that as ‘pastors’, we cannot force somebody to become christlike. I must trust that the Holy Spirit will work. This, however, does not mean that I do not have an important role in discipleship. I am not the one who makes change, but a catalyst to that change; a subtle but important distinction.
I also appreciate that Peterson emphasises the importance of patience... a spiritual discipline I often neglect (“wait for the Lord” is a common command in the Psalms, obviously so important that it’s repeated twice in the closing verse of Psalm 27!). Our culture places I high value quantifiable results, not necessarily the journey, or the act of being with. This is not to say that courses or goals are irrelevant in discipleship; they can be very useful. But if I only focus on results, I think that something of great value is lost. Being with people on the journey of discipleship is immensely important. ITeams Refugee Ministry captures this in the term presence: it’s one of the core ways in which we minister to refugees.
One small way I’m trying to do this is through starting a fortnightly Bible study and fellowship evening at our flat. We’re going to share a meal, pray for each other, then we will share from the Bible and open that to discussion. Many of the guys have been through various courses and I think that it is important that they share in fellowship with other new believers and those who have more maturity and experience in their faith.
This group is an offshoot of other aspects of the growing men’s ministry (e.g. the weekly football club). I’m also planning a retreat later in autumn for believers and seekers. I’m hoping it will be a time for the guys to get away from some of the stresses in Glasgow and find space where they can hear more clearly from God.
An exciting development in the men’s ministry!
Please pray as I start to organise the retreat and begin this new meeting on Tuesdays for fellowship and discipleship. Also, thank God for all the great volunteers from local churches who have come along to help – I couldn’t do all of this on my own.
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great thoughts... and so true. thanks for sharing! praying for you guys.
