The overriding question this week is what does it mean to be a true disciple? The answer reveals much about how we view God. There are those who place a bunch of Old Testament style demands and expectations upon a disciple such as, have to be in church every Sunday, have to read the Bible every day, have to tithe, have to “button-hole” others about their relationship with God, have to do this and have to do that. But what does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God, to quote Micah 6:8. Everything else, I believe, grows out of that relationship.
Scripture: Psalm 18:1-19
This Psalm shares the fact that God is our strength. He is strong and to be trusted regardless how dark the world becomes and how threatening life becomes God is always there to rescue us and to support us against all. The Lord is the rock, the fortress and the deliverer.
Reflection: How easy it is to allow problems to overwhelm us. From my perspective, it simply means that we have lost our focus. When we focus on the problems instead of the solution-maker then it is rather easy to be overwhelmed. The enemy does surround us. The challenges to life do have a tendency to buildup. The reality is that our problems are more numerous than we first imagine. But the truth is stronger than our problems. The truth is that God is on our side and he will not allow us to stumble nor fall. If God is for us that what or who can stand against us. Our focus simply needs to be placed squarely on him and although it would seem that we are living inside a tornado we will survive!
Prayer: Gracious God, I seek to be a true disciple and not get caught up in all of the “trappings” of what others say about what makes up a true disciple. Help me to seek out justice in all matters, not retribution or “equaling the score”; help me to love mercy and forgiveness above all else regardless of the wrongs that I might have suffered, and help me to keep my focus on you and to walk humbly with you in all things. Help to realize it is not about me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further reflection from Picturing God by Ann Belford Ulanov
“Picturing God must precede any speaking about God, for our pictures accompany all our words and they continue long after we fall silent before God. Images – the language of the psyche – are the coin of life; they touch our emotions as well as our thoughts; they reach down into our bodies as well as toward our ideas. They arrive unbidden, startling, after our many years of effort to craft them.”
The Struggle: Wouldn’t it be great if there was some kind of celestial check list of things that we could do and accomplish that would make this discipleship living much easier? All find in scripture concerns relationship – how I relate to others, how I relate to my enemies, how I forgive those who do all sorts of evil things against us … this stuff is hard. I would much rather check off the “read-the-Bible-go-to-church” kind of stuff. Those things are easy. It is something that I can accomplish on my own. I don’t need God … opps, that’s the problem isn’t it. Discipleship requires God to be accomplished. The normal “stuff” that churches often speak about when it comes to discipleship is just the everyday kind of things that we can accomplish on our own. Therein lies the problem … we would rather live our life without God and still be a disciple, but God wants a relationship with us. Thus, the number one requirement of discipleship is to be in a relationship with him. In that relationship we can ask the harder questions about living – how do I relate to an Osama Bin Laden type people in love and mercy; how do I forgive my enemies; how do I truly seek justice for everyone; how do I relate to that smelly homeless person; how do I spend my energy, my time, my resources – that the more simple approach to a church-style discipleship allows us to avoid.
I Want a Principle Within by Charles Wesley
I want a principle within of watchful, godly fear,
a sensibility of sin, a pain to feel it near.
I want the first approach to feel of pride or wrong desire,
to catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire.
A Story from Eating Problems for Breakfast by Tim Hansel:
To: Jesus, Son of Joseph
Woodcrafter's Carpenter Shop
Nazareth 25922
From: Jordan Management Consultants
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully.
As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.
It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew had been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely, Jordan Management Consultants
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