Journeying With Jesus, and Jon (the Methodist)
“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul. When he found him he brought him up to Antioch. Then for a whole year they met together with the Church and taught a large crowd. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first given the name of “Christians.” Acts 11:26 J.B.Phillips
Believe it or not, these old paws of mine were once the hands of a pipe-fitter. That’s right, I worked in the family business installing fire protection; sprinkler systems actually, like the ones you see in large buildings, i.e., warehouses, hospitals, and on occasion even a church. My roots are sunk deep in the soil of hard work, perspiration, and “a job worth doing is a job worth doing well.” But there was a season of apprenticeship. I learned the trade from others who invested themselves in me and walked with me as I learned how to do and be what was required of me. Others had walked with them before they walked with me.
I’d say that apprenticeship is actually very similar to discipleship. We may learn a number of things from books about discipleship, but following Jesus is not just an exercise of knowing. Discipleship is an adventure of seeking to know what Jesus knows, to do what Jesus does, which helps lead us to live our lives like Jesus. Discipleship requires movement, commitment, and lots of perseverance. It’s not a degree program, nor an art form, that can be mastered to perfection. We will always be apprentices to Jesus.
No matter how long we’ve been in training as Jesus’ disciples, we will still have more to discover about Jesus and much more of his life to put into practice. I read once about a young apprentice who had just received his plumber’s license. His mentor traveled with him for a celebration – a day trip to see Niagara Falls. After they arrived, the young plumber studied the Falls for a few minutes and then said to his teacher, “I think I can fix this.” A few years back, as I was driving along a winding country road – the message on a church sign made me turn the car around to snap a picture. It summed up much of what I have come to believe.
Everything Over My Head Is Still Under God’s Feet
Phil Maynard and Eddie Pipkin have been engaged in an apprenticeship with Jesus for most of their lives. As a result, they offer us this observation.
“When we want to help someone grow as a disciple, our first impulse should not be to give them a book or training guide. It is good for people to learn about God and Jesus and the Church and theology and the many related topics. It’s just not sufficient to only learn about them. This isn’t discipleship. It’s Christian Education, and while Christian Education serves a noble and valuable purpose, this approach to individual spiritual development is not creating disciples who live like Jesus. Discipleship isn’t just about information. It’s about transformation. Discipleship isn’t just about knowledge. It’s about behaviors. So, if the current models are struggling (either in concept or execution) and if what we have been doing has been less than successful in helping people actually become like Jesus, where can we turn for a better way? We suggest doing what Jesus did and developing an approach to discipline people….
4 Characteristics of Good Discipling Relationships
”Disciples were first given another name in Antioch of Syria.” There, those apprenticed to the Way of Jesus by servants like Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were nicknamed by locals as “little Christs” (Christ-ians). The disciples did not self-identify with this title. It was a label placed on them by people who observed that their words and actions were much like those of the One they claimed allegiance to: Jesus.
The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. After all, “ Discipleship isn’t just about information. It’s about transformation.” Let the transformation begin!!!
In Christ,
Jon (the Methodist)
Photography by Jon Strother