Christian Discipleship Weekends: Conferences and Retreats
THE BIG QUESTION: DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
Those who do not read have no advantage
over those who can not read.
The believer who does not follow has no advantage over the unbeliever.
The big question about Christianity is not whether we think it's true. The big question is whether we think it really matters.
Do we trust Jesus enough actually to follow him?
Has following Christ become conscious and intentional?
Jesus calls us to become and to make disciples, yet some people spend their entire lives as church members while never becoming disciples.
The Church is neither a group of volunteers;
nor a community association; nor a social organization. The Church is the body of Christ.
The Church is the communion of saints, the visible, physical presence of God on earth, a living organization made of those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and who invite others into that same relationship.
nothing less than the body of Christ.
The Christian community is to be centered in Jesus Christ, and focused on discipleship.
The church's business, it's only business, is the business of making disciples.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed, "In the Synoptic Gospels the relationship between the disciples and their Lord is
expressed almost entirely in terms of following him." This is in contrast to religion in America, which is
largely a consumer enterprise. Americans who think of themselves as Christians often describe their search for
a more exciting sermon, more inspiring music, and more convenient church -- but seldom describe themselves as following Jesus in any intentional, organized way. In fact "organized religion" has become associated with
dry, irrelevant, impersonal institutionalism, rather than with intentional discipleship.
For those who express an interest in a more intense struggle to live a life of ultimate fulfillment, there
is no match for a life of serious commitment to Jesus Christ. It is impossible to overestimate the profound
transformation and deep satisfaction that is available to one who abandons all in order to become a
fully-committed follower of Jesus Christ.
Make no mistake about Christian discipleship being easy. On the contrary, the Scriptures and the whole Christian
tradition insist that the life of following Jesus begins with God's infinite, unbounded grace, but the would-be
disciple's response to that grace requires enormous courage and tenacity. It is often a shock to us to discover that Christian discipleship is intentional, disciplined, and just plain hard work -- assuming it doesn't kill us!
Yet the resounding and unanimous testimony of disciples of Jesus for thousands of years, from every culture and
from every flavor of Christianity (Anglican, Orthodox, Roman or Protestant) is that the intentional and disciplined
life of following Jesus is not only worth it -- but there are no competing alternatives. There is no Plan B.
