Discipleship 101

So we have been called into ministry, great, so what now? If I am to minister to God's people what precisely am I meant to do? What drove those that Christ called to become followers and disciples of this unknown man? We know that ministry can be small and simple but sometimes it becomes so big that we are challenged by the enormity of the task. At other times the very fact that we have a ministry goes to our heads and we believe that ours is the most important or that ours should have precedence or ours is the thing that will save the church. (Reminder: Our call is not only one of ministry it is one of following and being discipled by Christ). No matter what position we find ourselves in or at what stage in our call into ministry we are at we need to remind ourselves some core facts when it comes to being a disciple particularly a disciple of Christ.

Perhaps the first thing, which is of most importance, is honesty. We no longer appreciate honesty within our lives. We create stories for ourselves of our lives and live them out within the bands of social media or our own little cliques. We need firstly to be honest with ourselves in terms of our call. If we are not struggling with being called into ministry and being a disciple then we have inevitably got something wrong. If we are unable to express our own doubts in an honest manner either to ourselves or to others then we are deceiving ourselves and are not true disciples. Just look at the stories of the disciples as they move and follow the Christ. From the first call we read in Matthew (4.15-ff) to the final scenes after the resurrection with Thomas.

Secondly, we have to be open to change. It is apparent from the first call of the disciples that eventually become Christ's apostolic messengers that they are expected to change their whole lives. They are asked to give up the occupations that they have and take on a significantly more challenging and different way of life. This automatically means a total upheaval in their domestic situation. Can you see Peter or John coming back from a day's fishing and saying to their wives and extended families "We can no longer support you. We have decided to follow this itinerant preacher through the lands of the Israelites." What sort of response do you think that got? Even if our call into ministry appears to be small...taking over as secretary...filling the role of treasurer...becoming a warden... it still means some form of change within your lives however small and however disruptive. Yet if we are true disciples of Christ, we must be prepared for change as the whole of Christ's message to us is a call to change from tradition into newness of life.

True discipleship changes our lives through honesty and commitment

Thirdly, there is a commitment that is made before God as we become disciples. I am not talking solely about our baptismal commitment but our commitment to God and to our community. If we cannot commit to being a disciple and to the ministry that we are called to then their is no point in answering the call. We may as well bury our heads in the sand and become rooted in place. Commitment means that we are prepared to sacrifice, we are prepared to ensure that there is no division within our community as a result of receiving a different call or a different understanding (1 Cor. 1.10- ff.). We are all called by God into discipleship and ministry on answering that call we should commit ourselves to Christ's presence in our hearts and lives. We cannot create division within our extended communities and say we are Christian and followers of Christ. Christ's call and our ministry is towards reconciliation between ourselves and between ourselves and God. It is a call towards a community that is built on diversity of skills and people who each are committed as disciples of Christ. This is the call that makes a community and a nation functional in looking after its people from the first to the last.

Only when we are prepared to change and be honest in our commitments towards God's people can we truly call ourselves disciples of Christ. Our issue is often a failure in one of these three areas.

Called or volunteered

It is a strange feeling sometimes when you find yourself in an unusual place or a different country or away from your usual situation or even in a new work situation. You may feel somewhat overawed to find yourself doing a new thing or perhaps you cannot really relate to what has occurred. In times like this it is possible that we come to reflect on the path that has led us into the situation or the place where we find ourselves. Simon must have felt odd when Christ told him his name was Cephas, a new name for new circmstances he was not expecting (John 1.42). What were his thoughts when this person re-named him? We forget reading scripture as we do, that our knowledge is not the same as the participants. We say of course he should be well pleased or what  privelage he must have felt.
But was it for Peter?

In being asked into new ministry we are also often stunned or perhaps like Peter left wondering what it all means. Surely I just volunteered and was not actually called into a position of authority, mission, ministry, etc. Whilst the distinction in the Gospel story appears to be clear it is not always true. We find ourselves putting our hands up to volunteer for something and all of a sudden we are no longer a volunteer but are actually amongst the called. It does not matter whether this is over something that appears to be trivial or whether it is some grand plan working out within the community the strangeness of the situation hits us. I am certain that we need to reflect more often on what it means to be called by God and not just think of ourselves as volunteers within the community.

Unlike Isaiah (49.1-7) our understanding of a call from God into ministry is not quite so clear cut. We may find ourselves just helping out a mate who requires assistance with a mob of sheep or a call has gone out to bring food for a special occasion, it does not really matter, if we find ourselves doing this on a consistent basis then perhaps this is a call by God into a ministry that builds community. It involves a sacrifice within our normal lives, we have to give up a game of golf or perhaps we miss out on an occasion with others but we see it as a voluntary contribution to the community. Could it instead be God calling us into a ministry?

Do we volunteer or are we truly called into ministry?

We may bitch and moan about a lack of 'volunteers' but we need actually to give thanks for the ministries that are being enabled around us within the community. There is of course a proviso attached to this. Once we begin to realise that what we are doing is indeed as a result of a call from God to embed ourselves more deeply in the community through our actions then we need to begin to bring God's presence with us as we undertake our 'voluntary' tasks. Only when we bring God's presence into the lives of those we serve do we begin to realise the true potential of our sacrifice and become a person who is given a new name. Yes, we need to recognise the Godness that is being undertaken but we also need to ensure that we bring God into our efforts. Not by preaching and trying to convert but by being Christ to those around us, accepting, loving and upholding. Peter made mistakes, but persevered. Paul writing to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1.5-7) praises God for their efforts even when they were unaware of their gifts. He does so because they are showing Christ to their neighbour in what they do building the community. We are all called by God, not just the 'pastor', we all need to fulfil that call and not sit back thinking that we are 'volunteering' our services.

When hope is not enough

At the beginning of a secular New Year following from a plethora of disasters both manufactured and natural one thinks of turning towards hope of a new start and a new beginning. What happens though when we believe that hope is not enough, when even the hope in Christ becomes a failing belief that brings with it despair and depression? If we are to believe some we need to turn to courage to make a difference and yet courage on its own will also turn to despair and depression when we fail and fail again and again to correct the course of our lives. Courage can only take us so far before it to turns to burn us with despotism and failure. Just as with all of the other marvellous things that we believe may buoy us in times of despair and trouble. Concepts that have been created to encourage and embolden so that we can overcome what ever is in front of us creating the obstacles to a satisfactory life.

In looking into the depths of the faith journey of those who are deemed great, in whatever religious or faith bound field we find ourselves aligned to, we can see one thing above all others that is congruent in their lives. The one thing that is present through out these famous peoples lives is not that they have hope or faith or courage or whatever. It is that they combine all of these traits into the lives that they live. Hope cannot be useful of itself unless t has courage to support that hope in the doing of things in the face of adversity to bring that hope to fruition. Faith cannot walk on its own without being involved in the practical details of a lived life that interacts and brings about community and love. We are fooling ourselves if we believe that only courage or only faith or only whatever will make a difference. The histories of our faiths throughout the world are littered with examples of these attributes combined together to produce that which is great and closer to God.

In the face of devastation hope, courage and faith show us the way forward

In the debates and controversies that have been had over climate change, politics, fire storms and the church we need to remind ourselves as Christians what it is that we want in the coming year. There is a need for courage. Courage to stand up for what God calls us to be and do. However, the question that is perennial is What does God want us to do? In the face of this or that emergency, calamity or situation which we are facing at this moment in time. Often it is a matter of our own interpretation of our own belief and faith set and we can blame everything else on the shoulders of others as they do not conform. This is a typical reaction. Each and every decision we make in the name of our faith bears with it the consequences of that decision on the lives of those we interact with not just ours. This is why we need courage. We also require hope. Hope along with courage lifts us up over the obstacles that are placed in our way. The decisions and the consequences of those decisions must be aligned with our hope for the betterment of our community and the drawing closer to God. Not for something that is idealistic but something that our courage can lift us to.

It is our faith that binds us into the covenant of God and God's presence in our lives as we walk that road which enables our community to live in peace and love which is God's. Only then can we truly bring all facets of our lives into the harmonious whole that is God. Not by placing one thing above another but rather in bringing our all into God, our courage, our faith, our hope, etc. In this coming secular year, the start of a new period in our lives, may we know how to bring about a wholeness of spirit and life that celebrates God's presence whilst we build God's love into our communities with compassion, faith, courage and hope.

Incarnated life

It is with out doubt one of the worst years the world has lived through for a long while. In terms of both political upheaval and the following of our own wishes rather than those around us. We need to look at America, as in the USA and the dis-United Kingdom. In terms of Australia we need look no further than the pandering of those with monetary worth and power to see that the self is paramount in this world and by the looks of it the next. Do we need to go into depth with regards the poor political and personal landscape of modern Australia and the world, I do not think so. At this time of the year we re-live in our faith communities an alternate expression which we apparently refuse to live out in the world.

This alternate has been looked at over the period of Advent with the prophesies from Scripture and the generation of hope, peace, love and joy reflected in the readings for each Sunday. It is an alternate that is incarnated in the humbleness of a small country home surrounded by animals for warmth. We need only remind ourselves of the feelings we ourselves felt (for those that are old enough) when our first, second, third child was born. These feelings are recreated at every birth no matter the squalid circumstances. They are the feelings of humanity for its continuation in humble beginnings. Yes, we now have technology and cleanliness for the happy few but there are others who are still in the same boat as Mary on the day that she birthed her son. This is the incarnation that we have awaited for years, set before us in each moment of birth and yet spoilt by our own inward selfishness in the next moment or moments.

Is the manger empty of response?

We have or rather we automatically remove form our hearts the stillness of expectancy, the peace following labour, the joy of new life and the love that is eternal. We immediately begin the rush of our lives all over again to ensure the we (I) do not miss out on anything that will increase my power, my success, my wealth. We have a tendency to focus on one moment and lack the imagination to see beyond that moment in time. To begin to see the start of something new. What happens when in our expectancy and silence, our waiting our acceptance that moment arrives? What are we going to do? Are we going to marvel and then move on into something else or are we going to seize the moment and allow the momentum of God's presence build into a new way, a new life for all? Sometimes we need to dwell on the minutiae but sometimes we need to allow the flow of God's impending presence to push us into the parts of life that are our own bane and anathema. Just think of the shepherds who were out in the fields. All of sudden they were confronted and challenged, how many of us today would have responded? A baby, who cares, a saviour I have my Xbox thanks.

It is this outlook that has marred the celebration of life that is present in the incarnation. A life that is filled with joy as the new I spends time with the other and forms community. A community that is at peace with itself and knows the hope of God's ever present love. This the community of the incarnate God that celebrates with Hosannas and the angelic choir.

Acceptance of faith

In the second week of Advent we light the candle that is called the Bethlehem candle or the candle of faith. A light to all the world that is lit to glorify God and show that in the midst of darkness we can hold the flame that is faith to draw others to ourselves. Faith a tenuous yet sometimes strong connection that allows us to open our hearts to the community around and show others what it means to be a Christian. Paul in writing to the Romans details out at least one of the characteristics that we need to focus on with regards our Christian journey at this time. Paul writes "In a word, accept one another as Christ accepted us" (Rom 15.7).

This above all else takes an act of faith for us as much as the idea of God or Christ or any other aspect of our life together that involves our unseen spiritual relations. This is not a tangible although it does lead to something that is tangible within the world. We need an abundance of faith to undertake this simple act of acceptance for we act between ourselves as if we are each wolves to the others sheep. There is a barrier that we automatically erect when we have or form a community. The barrier is one of fear rather than faith. We fear the other, we are unable to accept the difference between them and us. In our fear we erect a barrier that must be broken down before we can come together as a community. Before the barrier we have erected comes down we must first build trust before opening ourselves up in acceptance. It is unfortunately a natural occurrence as we feel threatened and need the comfort of knowing we will be protected by those who are like us. This is the start of tribalism or community separation.

A thin string of faith allows us to build rather then separate

God's way is so different, it is not about building barriers but about understanding that we are all given life by God;s presence. In Isaiah we read that God's  will is for those that are opposites to come together in peace and harmony (Is 11.6). In the natural world the predator and the prey are extremely unlikely to do what is foretold. Being part of the natural world is this our fate not being able to come together in peace and harmony. Yet, God has given us a hope in this passage a hope that tells us that we can overcome the enmity that is generated by opposites. For us to live as a community of Christ means that we have to overcome this enmity that naturally occurs between two unknowns. We have to take a leap in our understanding of the other; a leap that allows us to accept each other in the faith of Christ knowing that we are each children of God. Only when we can come to accept in faith that the other is ourselves seeking out friendship and love despite our difference will we become one in Christ.

In the end the it is not because we live by the rules of religion that will allow us to live in harmony (Matt 3.9). We make the rules of religion to conform to what we want not what is required of us by God. Christ asks us to form our relationship in love not by rules that govern us. We need to have an acceptance of what our faith tells us so that we can overcome the barriers that we, ourselves, have put in place. Accepting our faith is accepting Christ's call for us to live in peace and acceptance of each other, so that we can each serve as Christ served. Our service is a step in faith to those around us accepting them as they are not as we suppose them to be. It matters not whether we are part of  our own select group that believes this or that but rather that we have sufficient faith to accept the other for who they are and live in harmony that each knows Christ in their lives. Yes, we have to act that out and not act what we think out and that is perhaps the harder part.

Born of Light

At the beginning of the Church year Paul's letter to the Romans reminds us of a few of the commandments (Rom 13.9). These laws that make for a better community. They are a backbone around which our community survives and is able to become a living thing. They are also something that we do not really pay attention to unless they become broken or unless they become a part of the disease process of society at which point we moan and make protest but do not really think about healing. We allow the continued presence of the dis-ease within society learning to cope with it much like a cancer patient who knows that the disease will eventually kill them and there is no cure. This is indeed a diagnoses of our current society world wide as well as ourselves as part of a community of faith.

In looking forward, as we do during Advent, to the coming of Christ and the incarnation we look forward to that time of God's presence that delivers mattocks rather than swords (Isa 2.4). On other words we are looking towards a peace that is beyond all understanding in the midst of war and atrocity the only thing perhaps that we do understand to our detriment. In a society that is governed by God's presence we enter into community acknowledging each as different and yet beloved by God. We appear to be asleep at the wheel of life as we accept as natural the burdens of atrocities that plague our society and communities. We do indeed need to wake up (Rom 13.11b) to the dangers that are present in our societies and communities as a result of complacency towards the precepts of our faith.

Hope appears in the midst of darkness

Not knowing when or where the Christ light will appear dulls our senses and encourages our weakness to re-surface. The weakness of thinking that it is our own efforts that make the difference and so we aggrandise our selves rather than allowing Christ in and humbling ourselves. Once we bein to allow the attitude that we know what is right and proper we begin to fail in our portrayal and reception of Christ in our lives. It becomes an issue of our own self rather than allowing ourselves to let go and allow God's presence to flow into our communities. We do not need the commandments when we are Christlike as everything we do is a surrender to God and an acceptance of God's presence in our lives. The unending need to instill our authority, out wishes and our wants upon those around us shows how little we are accepting of God's presence.

We begin again today in our journey towards the incarnation. In beginning again we need to allow ourselves to accept that we are born of light in Christ. The darkness that we see around us is a creation of our own apathy and need to control. We cannot and do not control anything. We just need to understand this. The kudos received from society is the kudos that promotes darkness within society. We seek a place where there are no guns and other warlike instruments. We seek a place of peace within ourselves and our communities to show God's presence in the acceptance of all who are made in God's image. This is not a place of hatred and division but a place of acceptance and revelation. The presence of God shines out in the most unexpected places to show us where God is not for us to chase but for us to emulate and find God's incarnation closer to us then we think. In starting our journey again we need to re-visit the cold to find the warmth of Christ's light in the hearts of the rejected rather than in the pews of the 'saved'. We look forward in hope to become children of light who have not forgotten and are prepared to ring light into darkness.

The end of a year

Here we are talking about the end of the year but I can hear people say but we have a month plus before year's end. However, for us as Christian our year ends today as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. Next week we begin a new cycle of prayer and scripture readings as we begin our new journey towards the incarnation and its celebration at Christmas and then on into the new secular year with all its joys and promises that are celebrated in an orgiastic outburst of old paganism when we see the new year in. So if today is for us our New Year's eve let us prepare for the next year by reflecting on some of the things that God has called us to this past year to help us celebrate God's Kingdom present in the world.

In looking around the world and indeed our communities over the last 12 months we need to consider what it is that we as Christians celebrate as Christians. Perhaps the writer to the Colossians puts it well  by reminding us what Christ has given to us and been to us (Col 1.11-20). In fact the writer goes on to indicate our separation from God before we came to Christ (Col 1.21-22). These are the things that the Church and our faith group are committed to and have received as we have turned to Christ. This is what should be our goal each year for our communities and our families. Not only should we be modelling this but actually putting it into practice not for ourselves but also for those around us and our extended community connections.  So the expectation is, if we are upholding the principle that guides us, that is love, we should be expecting a decreasing level of violence and an increasing level of cooperation within not only our church communities but also in the broader community.

Only by sacrificing our intentions and egos do we recognise Christ's kingship

Indeed that community support and pulling together that love and ability to care for those around us have indeed been on show. Not by a community that is based in faith although the members of the community have great faith (see this video). This community shows ideals that the faith community need to be expressing. In recent reading of Sci Fi/Fantasy a theme that comes up is the greater strength that is found as people cooperate and communicate with each other in acceptance of each individual and not their racial grouping or otherness. Another key mark of our experience as Christians living within our own communities.

The reality for the Christian faith group is not as pictured. Our year this last 12 months has not displayed in the public domain much of the Spirit of Christ so that we can truly celebrate Christ's lordship and rulership over us this day. I am sure that there are many who have achieved these goals and dare to celebrate this day with heads high as they celebrate their contribution to God's kingdom. Unfortunately, the public face is a devastation of the Christian love in action that should be expected. We have had continuing rejection of those who are different within our own faith community (Anglican) and within a country whose leader purports to hold to Christian values. In our smaller enclaves of religious fervour we undermine each other for the expectation of personal gains in power and authority not the meekness and love expected from those who follow Christ. Christ surrenders himself upon the cross whilst those around him exhibit the behaviours often seen within the Church today (Lk 23.35-36). In the coming year as we prepare ourselves towards the incarnation let us deeply reflect on our own attitudes as Christians in today's world and how we may sacrifice ourselves for our King.