I’ve been reading Dallas Willard’s The Great Omission as I’ve been reflecting on youth ministry and discipling/mentoring. He reflects a bit on the mentality towards discipleship that seems to be the de facto heir of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship. It seems that while Bonhoeffer’s excellent study on what it costs to be a disciple is quite accurate, we somehow have forgotten to balance that in our teaching with what the cost of not being a disciple is. Rather we let discipleship sound like it is something for the “super” Christian, not for the everyday variety, when in fact, discipleship and Christian ought to be synonyms!
Willard’s assessment of what it costs if we’re not active disciples is quite good.
“Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated througout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, nondiscipleship costs you exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10). The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is after all an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul.”
See, somehow or another, we’ve been sold a false gospel in a lot of respects. Somehow the gospel has become rules, somehow the gospel has become about what not to do far more often than it is about the abundant life–life to the full!–that Jesus said was what he wanted to give to people.
Somehow or another the great commission has been read “go ye into all the world and make converts of people, baptizing them into your favorite brand of Christianity and teaching them all your favorite brand’s pet peeves about what to do and what not to do.”
This isn’t the gospel. At best, this an induction into a Christian-like society, or worse, club.
Obviously, I’m painting with harsh brush strokes at the moment, but this is born of frustration recently discovered by shopping for books on discipleship. There are very few that are focused to church leaders on how to make disciples in your church. Some of those few that are focused on that are actually doing it as a form of church growth (not that discipling won’t cause that, but they are focused exclusively on the numerical benefits, and not the actual process). Most of the books you find if you search for discipleship on Amazon are geared toward the individual, so that you personally can be a better disciple, and while these books aren’t “bad” there’s a serious lack of emphasis on community that must needs be an active part of discipleship.
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One of the best books on discipleship I’ve encountered, though I doubt it was meant as such, is Shane Claibourne’s Ordinary Radicals. While its kind of written on a personal level, the importance of finding and developing lasting community for both personal and social transformation is a constant theme. A really worthwhile read, and something young people can look at and go “I’m nearly his age, why can’t I start now”, rather than a book by someone 20 years older (not that age doesn’t give wisdom, but that it removes accessibility in these days it seems).
OK, there’s this book, I got a copy years ago, that seems to be really helpful on discipleship. It starts out as kind of a mix of documentary & street theater and finishes with some analytical and interpretive pieces set within different social contexts. It’s not a handy-dandy how-to. Contemplative reading is required. For people like me who get totally flustered with a list of instructions, it is far more beneficial since it does require reflection upon the situational application. The book is called The new Testament. For those who are still looking for that list of instructions, try that book called The Old Testament. Although I’ve seen the New Testament marketed seperately, the Old Testament is marketed together with the New Testament as a set. Wonder why?? :~> PT
Graham, Peter, welcome to both of you! I’ve seen Shane Claiborne speak, and I like what he’s up to in the inner city.
Peter, I love it! Do ministry like Jesus did? Use the Bible as a field guide? What strange notions you have
What did you think we were, the church or something?!
Interesting. I would say that the false gospel is as likely to be the neutered gospel of the I’m OK, You’re OK Jesus that can be derived from reading only those bits of the Bible that we like. I hate to see the Old Testament charactirized as a set of rules, when it is as much a love story as it is a Hoyle’s for the game of life.
But having harrumphed a bit, Peter is exactly right–the best manual for discipleship is right there in the back of the Holy Bible. Jesus is certainly the exemplar, but Paul aint too shabby either. Then old St. James will whip your butt into shape; St. Peter will knock you over the head with love and kindness, and John brings it home with the vision of the New Creation!
If you’ll settle for mentoring as a form of discipleship, there are some good books out there–I’ll have to hunt up those references later, after I’ve given my employer a fair share of my attention.
Master Plan of Evangelism and Discipleship - Robert E. Coleman
Training of the Twelve - Alexander Bruce
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