Growing In Discipleship
Matthew 22: 36-39 Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? Jesus said, ”‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
According to UMC.org “Theology (the study of the nature of God) is not just about God. It is also about us. We live out of our understanding of who we are in relationship to God, to one another, and to the world. The Christian faith is grounded in the love and grace of God, experienced through Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is our response to God’s love and grace.”
“The church calls our response to God Christian discipleship. Discipleship focuses on actively following in the footsteps of Jesus. As Christian disciples, we are not passive spectators but energetic participants in God’s activity in the world. Because of what God has done for us, we offer our lives back to God. We order our lives in ways that embody Christ’s ministry in our families, workplaces, communities, and the world.”
When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, his response was: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. (Matt. 22:37-38. See Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; and Luke 10:25-28)
Discipleship is about loving God. It is the deep desire to know God, to be a faithful follower of his Son Jesus and to be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We grow as disciples through a process called Spiritual Formation. “Spiritual formation is a process of being conformed to the image of Christ, a journey into becoming persons of compassion, persons who forgive, persons who care deeply for others and the world, persons who offer themselves to God to become agents of divine grace in the lives of others and their world—in brief, persons who love and serve as Jesus did.” From Invitation to a Journey by Robert Mulholland
Here is a list of some Spiritual Disciplines:
Ø Prayer: Is a conversation with God. Leave some time for silent listening. Philippians 4:6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. If you need some additional guidance for prayer check out John, Chapter 17.
Ø Fasting: "More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us" (author Richard Foster). “Technically, fasting is abstinence from food for some period of time. It is an ancient practice that is mentioned frequently in the Bible. John Wesley fasted every Friday as part of his spiritual discipline. The discipline of fasting can relate to abstaining from anything that we habitually depend upon in order to increase our dependence on God." (Peace United Methodist Church, Orlando, FL). But as Richard Foster points out, “We should give up anything that controls us and reduces our dependency on God.”
Ø Stewardship: So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11). Stewardship of the earth was the first responsibility God gave Adam in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). “Stewardship of the Garden was Adam's act of worship and gratitude for all that God had given to him. Stewardship is our act of worship and gratitude to God for all that he has given to us. We primarily think of our finances when we hear the word 'stewardship,' but this discipline applies to anything and everything that God has given us to take care of. When we think of everything we have as belonging to God (Deut. 10:14), then we make different decisions with our resources.” (Peace United Methodist Church, Orlando, FL)
Within our United Methodist Membership Vows we say: “As members of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts (tithes and offerings), your service and your witness (your faith stories and the way you live your lives)?
In relationship to our monetary giving, did you know that in the United Methodist tradition, the starting point is the 10% tithe?
Ø Worship: Jesus tells us in John 4 that we are to worship "in spirit and truth." Worship is our response to the work of God’s love in our lives. Worship is to be corporate. Worship is to be in community, together as the Body of Christ. It is giving glory and praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Ø Scripture: Studying the scriptures includes hearing, reading, and meditating on God’s Word.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2).
“Some of John Wesley’s suggestions for the most effective reading of scripture include:
1. Set apart a little time every morning and evening for that purpose;
2. At each time read a chapter out of the Old Testament and one out of the New Testament;
3. Read with a fixed resolution to know and do the whole will of God;
4. Have a constant eye for connection with the grand doctrines of the faith;
5. Pray before and following reading;
6. Pause throughout reading to examine your heart and life.” From John Wesley’s Message Today by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
Ø Solitude: "The movement from loneliness to solitude is not a movement of growing withdrawal but is instead a movement toward deepening engagement in the burning issues of our time. The movement from loneliness to solitude can make it possible to convert slowly our fearful reactions into a loving response" (Henri Nouwen).
“The greatest threat to spiritual growth is not creating enough white space in our calendars and our heads to spend listening to God. Hurry is the enemy of transformation. In unhurried silence we can see and hear things that are normally drowned out in the rush of our days. If we retreat into the desert of our minds, we allow God to reveal himself to us. He will also reveal those thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are preventing us from growing closer to him. God instituted the observance of the Sabbath as one of the critical parts of the holy life of Israel (Exodus 20:11). As God's people, we also need to observe Sabbaths in our days, weeks, and years when we dedicate time to God and pay attention to what he is doing in our lives."(Peace United Methodist Church, Orlando FL)
Growing in our own discipleship, through Spiritual Disciplines helps us to become more Christ-like and more confident in sharing our faith stories of how God’s love through Jesus Christ with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit has changed our lives.
It is my hope and prayer, as we continue our focus on Intentional Discipleship, each one of us will begin to practice one or more of the Spiritual Disciplines listed in this article, on a regular basis. Remember this is a lifelong journey. In doing so we will grow stronger in our own personal discipleship, be able to encourage others in their growth as disciples and as the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church desires: “To live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be God’s love with our neighbors in all places; making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Rejoicing in Our Risen Lord,
Suzanne
