September 2024
Dear Friends of First,
The theme of the 2024 national youth gathering in New Orleans was “Created to Be.” Created to be brave, created to be authentic, created to be free, disruptive, and disciples. On the morning of our closing worship service, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Easton began her opening remarks with...well, “We made it! We’ve learned a lot; we met new people, we’ve been brave, authentic, free, disruptive...and now we’re going to be disciples.” Bishop Eaton shared the Good Samaritan story, reminding us that our neighbors are not just those we choose, but anyone God places in our lives. She emphasized, “We don’t get to pick and choose who those people are. Those people are whomever God sends to us in our lives...people we may never meet otherwise.”
So, we were sent home and are supposed to be disciples. What are disciples? Disciple – someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus (Matt. 4:19). Disciple making – entering relationships to help people trust and follow Jesus (Matt. 28:18–20).
In the Bible, the word “disciple” comes from the Latin word discipulus, which means “student, learner, or follower.” In the ancient world, a disciple was a follower of a teacher who actively imitated their life and teachings. This was a deliberate apprenticeship that made the disciple a living copy of the teacher. In Jesus’ time, learning was relational and holistic, so discipleship meant more than just receiving information. It involved imitating the teacher’s life, adopting their values, and reproducing their teachings.
So, we were created to be disciples and now sent into the world to be disciples of Jesus, adopting Jesus’ values and reproducing Jesus’ teachings. Being a disciple means that we must make the time to reflect upon our lives. Just as Jesus went away to pray and discern who his disciples would be, we must also discern what it means for us to be a disciple and grow in our love for Jesus. Discernment and prayer are at the heart of the disciple’s life. In recent years, the word reflection has been confused with discernment. While reflection is a part of discernment, the skill of discernment is always practiced in a relational context. It is an ancient art and practice that honors God’s will and vision for our lives. Discernment is an interior dialogue with the Holy Spirit, a dialogue that helps us understand how God is calling us to live and follow Jesus. Discernment is not shorthand for “let me think about it,” but instead means, “let me converse with God and listen for God’s voice and direction.”
Have you ever wondered what God’s will is for your life? I’d venture to guess we’ve all asked that question at some point. For most of us, the question rises to the surface at critical junctures: choosing a spouse or a job, choosing what school to attend or which house to buy, and even choosing a church to attend for worship. These are the times we tend to cry out, Lord, show me your will!
As we seek to know God’s will, we often feel tension. In a sincere desire to please God, we can sometimes walk in fear that we will make the wrong choice about the details of our lives. We spin in circles, wondering where God wants us to get coffee, how much God wants us to spend on groceries, or whether God would be happy if we went on vacation. Every choice becomes a paralyzing decision; we want to hear God speak God’s will for our personal lives, and for the church, which is the gathered body of Christ. As the body of Christ, we want to hear God speak in order to discover God’s will, and then make major adjustments to the gathering of the whole body of Christ.
So today, I want to focus on ONE aspect of what God’s will is for the church. How can the body of Christ best function? How can I be the best member of Christ’s body, not only for myself but also for the whole church, the whole body of Christ?
In Christ,
Pastor Jim