Pursuing Christian Discipleship

Christian discipleship is such a foreign concept to so many people, even among well-established believers. I recently taught on this very subject within our Marriage Matters community at church. We talked about a number of areas, such as repentance, a long obedience in the same direction (thanks to Eugene Peterson), weighing the cost of being a disciple, etc. And I believe that individuals, in general, acknowledged the need for these things. But what was revealed through our discussions is that many of these couples do not truly have a framework or foundation of discipleship. There is little intentionality in being a pupil of Jesus, or a sense of purposeful "following" after Jesus.

It became apparent that most of these couples were more interested in Christian "experiences" that transform their lives - that give them a sort of leap or boost towards Jesus, towards becoming more like him. It is as if some metaphysical experience has been elevated beyond the centrality of Jesus and being a disciplined follower of him. And it makes sense; having an "experience" is the easiest route to expedient transformation. It also has the added bonus of providing an emotional euphoria that is difficult to replicate, and having such an experience requires little effort beyond showing up.

Where is the sweat and work in engaging God's Word? Where is the effort to worship individually, to fast and pray, to confess and repent before the Lord, to be mentored and to mentor others (especially within the family), to read and engage great biblical leaders/scholars? Where are the basic spiritual disciplines that lead us down a path of being spiritual "self-feeders?"

I suppose I am looking for a particular culture, an environment or community that seeks to move beyond the worship of Christian experience. I am looking for those who truly want to learn and grow, and who are willing to engage discipleship with a renewed intensity.

Missing the Mountains

You never quite realize how much you miss having something scenic to gaze at and captivate your attention (like mountains and all things green) until you live in a place that has absolutely nothing scenic about it. I know God calls us to contentment, but I am praying for the mountains to move (it is a biblical concept - all is needed is a little faith).

Being a Bachelor

Adina and the boys have headed to fish, swim, and hang at her parents' ranch just south of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. So I am officially a bachelor for a couple of days. I thought the joy of being free of significant family responsibilities would last longer than it has - I miss them already. I do have some solid guy time lined up though, which will be a good distraction.

I suppose my routine gets all disrupted when Adina and the boys are gone, and I am one of those that finds immense comfort in consistency. I end up staying up too late, eating horribly, and generally feeling out of sorts. I have to resort to my coping mechanism: a hazelnut latte and blogging.

Geocaching Status Bar

So I am proud of myself (which is allowed on occasion). I figured out how to put my geocaching status bar on my blog, which required learning how to cut and paste HTML coding. I originally saw a status bar on a friend's blog and thought that it was a great detail to add. The downside is that I have been inconsistent in logging when I have actually found various geocaches in the Abilene area, so my "found" status is almost embarrassing.

But my enthusiasm for geocaching has been renewed after I recently discovered that a number of new finds had been placed in the region. I have yet to identify a geocaching buddy, but I am actively looking.

Why Are Friendships So Hard

Why are friendships so hard? You would think, especially in Christian circles, that relationships and friendships would come more naturally or with greater ease. We are instructed to love another as Christ has loved us, to be prime examples of acceptance, warmth, encouragement, to show no partiality. But my own experience, as of late, has been that relationships are a ton of work, and even then there is no guarantee the friendship with gain momentum and progress.

Part of the struggle is that I have encountered so many differing views of what a "social life" for believers should entail. I wish there was some biblical manual on social relationships. I suppose Adina and I have a particular idea of how we should balance time for each other, time with our boys individually, time as a whole family, and time with friends. And that view, as I am learning, is not necessarily a popular one - we are not so inclined to whimsically and spontaneously stay up late watching movies and drinking beer multiple nights of the week with friends (which seems to be the pervasive norm among many younger couples).

We want great friendships - I am sure of that. But we want friendships that have a particular tenor or nature, that possess a specific quality to them. That quality is becoming harder and harder to find. Lord, give us wisdom in how to relate to one another!