WHAT IS DISCIPLESHIP?

Do you believe the words you are hearing, from this book, are the living Words of God?  “I chose you for the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.” (Jn 15:16)

This week we’ve already heard Luke’s characteristic emphasis on discipleship, purity of intent, and justice for the poor.  And I would say many claim faith in Jesus, but fewer are discipled.  With vocations awareness week approaching let’s explore just what is discipleship really?

Discipleship is more than getting folks to church.  It’s a process in how we mature in Christ, how Christ is formed in us—our thoughts, our actions, our life.  Discipleship is not church attendance, Bible study, canned programs, nor the weekend retreat experience.  These are good starting points but I’m convinced there are many folks who have gone to church their entire life, had retreat experiences and yet they’ve never been discipled.  

Discipleship usually happens in pairs or small groups of 12 or less (if you get my drift) wherein at least one person, having already been discipled, guides the others.  Discipleship is a relationship, it’s walking together in the way of Christ, learning to die, learning how to leave who you were, and learning who you are now because of who God has called us to be.

Here’s the challenge.  Many of the programs the Church uses like the RCIA, Beloved, and other retreat programs, when the program reaches its completion date all too often so ends the walking with relationship.  Let’s face the facts, we are all just to busy with other things or recruiting for the next group for the program to continue walking with, discipling an individual.  Did you catch the sarcasm in the last sentence?

True discipleship takes time. It’s personal, challenging, and often inconvenient.  Learning to follow Jesus, becoming his disciple, means walking alongside someone further in the Christian faith for a significant period, beyond the program. Jesus walked with his disciples for three years and over time his disciples, discipled others, and they in turn still others.  Some lived up to the challenge, others abandoned Paul and I’ve seen far to many newly receive catechumen leave the church when they discovered just how human she can be. 

As if the commitment of time wasn’t challenging enough, the work of a disciple becomes even more challenging when we have to walk the talk among the wolves of the world; in family matters, school, the work place, even our social settings.  If we, who are professed believers, won’t make the commitment to disciple family members, each other, and especially those beyond the walls of the church, then the parishes could find themselves in grave danger of extinction.

Discipleship is about taking the risk to be vulnerable with a person seeking mercy, seeking compassion in need, seeking hope for something better.  They are seeking God, will you disciple them in the way of Christ?