"Go Forth and make Disciples..."

No matter how many times I try to envision the scene, I feel like my imagination and empathy always falls short in some way to bring the moment of the great commission to life. After what must have felt like days after Jesus had resurrected from the dead, Jesus departed from his disciples of three years once again. I can only imagine that this moment, right before he is about to ascent to heaven had played out in Jesus’ mind for years before it happened. I am sure that he planned the timing and emotion behind every word that he would say to his disciples before he would ascent on that faithful day. I think that is why these words must have had such a powerfully affect on the life’s and hearts of the men and women who heard them, because they is no doubt that they took every word with the utmost seriousness.

In the gospel of Matthew it this scene unfolds like this, Jesus standing with his disciples and followers realizes that the time has come, he must depart from his friends and mentorees of the past 3 years. As he walks to the prefect place he speaks, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28: 19-20). What the disciples of Jesus did next is assumed by the gospel, they went forth and made disciples just as Jesus told them to do. The command behind Jesus’ words must have been profound. In fact, what is interesting about the Greek in this text is that just looking at the English translation of the text one would assume that this passage in Greek would be littered with imperatives, yet it is not. The only imperative in the whole text is found in the world matheteusate, which translated means “make disciples!” Because of where this word falls within the text, the best way to imagine Jesus saying this is to think back to when you were a kid playing in your room with a toy. Just as you are about to cast your newest toy airborne across your room toward the window, your mom who has just been talking to you in a normal tone quickly raises her voice, “No, don’t do that!” The writer of Matthew wants a majority of our attention to be drawn to this word. He wants us to see that the most important thing that Jesus has just said is to go and make disciples. Jesus realized that without the process of making disciples the church could not grow, the gospel of the Kingdom of God would not be spread.

In the book of Acts, the follow up to the gospel of Luke, the scene unfolds a little differently. Jesus has risen from the dead and is about to ascend to heaven, but first he commands his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). While there are no imperatives in this text, the emphasis is on “you will be my witness…” There is a future expectation of what Jesus’ disciples will be. There is no vagueness, or the invitation to be a witness; it is expected. In fact, the throughout the rest of Acts, the writer shows how a small band of fishermen, merchants, a tax collector or two, and others went forth and were witness of Jesus’ gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In fact, the author puts emphasis on each point where the gospel reaches toward the next epoch as Jesus followers spread across the global and share the gospel as witness to the Kingdom of God.

The question I have to ask is why this has all changed? What has lead great spiritual thinkers like Dallas Willard to conclude, “We believe in our hearts that we should be Christlike, closely following our Lord. However, few of us, if any, can see this a real possibility for ourselves or other we know well” (Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, pg. 12). Or we think to ourselves, “Jesus could not have imposed anything that hard upon us. And beside, we’re in a period of grace—we are saved by grace, not by anything we do—so obedience to Christ is actually not necessary. And it is so hard, anyway; it cannot be expect of us, much less enjoyed by us” (Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, pg. 2-3). How did it become like this? Why are there so many in the church in the United States that have not been discipled? Why are so many failing to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the Earth?

Let me first say, I do not have all of the answers to these questions, but I hope that you will join me over the next few weeks as I hope to provide some answers to why the church in the United States is failing to create a discipleship culture in youth ministry and the church and what some steps might be to change that.

Slowing Down: A final Thought

It has always been my dream to drive the coast from Morrow Bay, California to Seattle, Washington over a two to three week period. This dream took root when I was in high school, while sitting in a car on the open road with my closet friends. Starting my junior year, two of my closest friends and I would take off from somewhere in Southern California and just drive up the coast for a long weekend, surfing were we decided the surf was good enough to stop. While we spent most of our time driving from surf spot to surf spot, these are still some of the most pleasurable times in my life to this day. I have thought about why these trips where so enjoyable many times, and over the last three weeks, ten years after these trips started, I came to a conclusion.

Three weeks ago, while sitting in my office before submitting myself to the craziness that comes with Junior High Youth Group, I was reading one of my new favorite magazines, Good. The quarterly winter 2010 issue is entitled “The Slow Issue.” Throughout the issue writers from all walks of life discuss the beauty of slowing down. It was this issue that first inspired my idea to slow down and as I read through the magazine over the last three weeks, the piece that stood out the most in this issue was an art piece. In left center of the page, multiple images of the coast of California were displayed, with a small paragraph below stating,

There was a time, not that long ago, when traveling through the United States meant pleasant days on the blue highways, smelling the air, seeing the scenery, and stopping at the nearest watering hole for a freshly cooked meal of the local specialty. Then came the interstate highways, and many-horse powered engines, and an ever-increasing speed limit. Now, we get places much faster. But what if you took a slowed-down version of a trip, at a pleasant crusing speed, with rest stops that offered more choice than simply McDonald’s or Burger King? We took just such a journey by meandering north from Los Angels along the coast. What we found can be seen over the next few pages. (Good Magazine The Slow Issue, Winter 2010, pg. 54)

As I started to look over the many pictures that littered the page, my mind drifted back to my high school years on “Highway 1”. I realized the reason why I enjoyed that time in my life so much was because during those long weekends I allowed myself to hang out, relax, and just slow down.

Over the last three months, previous to taking three weeks to slow down, I had been held victim to running through life from here to there, from one thing to the next, not allowing myself the time to slow down. I thought to myself, how did I get here? I knew all of the right answers and the way life was suppose to be lived, but putting my knowledge into practice was another issue. After much reflection I realized that I thought I could get away with running at full speed. Over the last three weeks I have realized that I was wrong. Even Jesus, who was God on earth, took time to slow down, and I a mere man was in ministry running like I was in some marathon and I am pretty sure that there was no way this is what Paul meant when he talked about running a good race in Galatians 5:7.

After this realization I sought to try to discover ways I could apply my three-week journey into a realistic lifestyle of slowing down. Over the last three weeks, while I did not post much I sought to help a little by posting some “food-for-thought.” I encouraged you to carve out a specific time to slow down, but no I urge you to make slowing down a normal part of your life. When the art of slowing down permeates throughout your entire life, the time you spend doing mundane things, like work, become more fruitful.

After much thought I want to over you some ideas in how you might try to make slowing down a normal part of your life.

Eliminate something: Every person has stuff in his/her life that needs to be stepped away from; even if just for a short time. It is so much easier to add stuff to our life before we cut things from our life. Never add something without first cutting something first. Even if yo are not adding something new to your life, it might be helpful to think about what God might be calling you to stop to make more time for your own spirituality. You might ask yourself what is causing you more hurt than it is helping you, or if at this point in your life you might want to strongly consider taking a temporary or indefinite sabbatical from one commitment.

Unplug yourself from your gadgets: While blackberries and iphones can be a blessing, they can also be one of the biggest curses in life. Try to block out a significant amount of time where you turn off your phone, do not check your email, are not on your favorite social networking site, or do not watch television, and just be. Sometimes slowing down means not allowing your self to become slaves to your own gadgets.

Make a meal with loved ones, and then share the meal together: It is no secret that fast-food is not good for you. One, because of what makes up the usual fast-food meal, and two, because when someone grabs fast-food, they are usually rushing from one place to the next with little time to spare. Taking the time to make a meal with loved ones not only slows you down, but it allows you to spend quality time with people who love and refresh you.

Stay in bed, or at least at home, all day: At times slowing down means doing nothing, and I mean nothing. Well okay, eating, going to the bathroom, and getting up to grab the impromptu board game or deck of cards is okay. If you are married, this is even amazing to do with your loved one or family.

Clean up your living space, and rearrange if needed: While this might feel like work, cleaning can also be therapeutic for some out there. In fact, having a clean space can help reduce your anxiety, and rearranging some things might make your life easier.

Go outside and do something active: It is a fact that the sun’s rays provide much-needed vitamins to our bodies. On top of that, being active helps to reduce stress levels and makes you a lot healthier holistically.
Create a place where you feel you can escape: Everyone needs time by themselves to just be alone with their thoughts and their God, even if you are married. Find a place where you can be alone and relax in order to recover from what life brings your way.

Read a book: Turn off everything—your phone, television, computer, or whatever else might distract you—and pick up a book and get lost for a little while.

Drive until you get lost: As I stated in the being of the blog, getting away can be one of the best ways to slow down. Not only are you getting away from everything that usually causes you to run at marathon speed, but it also helps you to mentally detach from reality. (Just make sure you have enough gas before you head out and maybe a GPS.)

Sit in silence with God: Sitting in silence allows your mind to process information. In the quiet of your own minds, you might even begin to recognize some things about yourself that you never knew before. Before beginning a time of silence, ask God to guide your mind. You could also pick out a passage of scripture and spend some time meditating. (Remember this is not prayer time, this is silent time)

Pray: Even as someone in full-time ministry, I have noticed that my prayer life sometimes becomes too quick and to the point with God. Try to view your time in prayer with God more like spending time with a loved one or mentor, this might help you to see prayer as a conversation between you and your creator, rather than just voicing a list of requests to a far-off being.

Spend some time in God’s word: Everyone spends time in scripture differently; some read, study, and journal for their quiet times, while others just read and pray. To be honest, I am not sure whether one is more spiritually beneficial than another one is. Find out how you best receive from God’s word and spend some extra time doing whatever that might be. Maybe that means reading a little more? Maybe that means doing a little more reflection? Maybe it means journaling a little longer? Or just maybe that means reading a little less, and focusing your reading on just one verse? Whatever it means for you to be in scripture, just be.

To end, I truly hope you spend some time and slow down this week, the next, and for the rest of your life.

Slowing Down (A Three Week Experement)

Silence continuing till Tuesday 2/16/10 because I was away at a spiritual retreat this last week. But here is a quote that might give you a clue to where we will be going in the weeks to come.

"Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God's overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stand firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil." - Dallaw Willard, "The Spirit of The Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, pg. 261

Slowing Down (A Two Week Experement)

Rest as a part of creation.

26 Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

27 So God created human beings in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.