Sometimes in religious circles we talk about a word without fully understanding its implications. We can also throw out “churchy” words or concepts that turn off newcomers. Just think about the times that you have been in a work or social situation and it’s assumed that you know all the jargon but you feel lost. I wanted part of my growth as a pastor to be leading a class that understood discipleship more fully. We did this by reflecting on TED Talks that featured lecturers across a variety of disciplines. As we come out of Lent I want to take some time to reflect on what we learned about being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
- Little moments can be huge acts of discipleship. We may not know how a small act of kindness means the world to another person.
- Disciples today and in the Bible all experienced doubt. It’s normal!
- It takes resiliency and a strong community or team to engage in discipleship together
- Compassion and caring deeply for our neighbors is intricately woven into discipleship
If you are interested in materials from our Bible study or would like links to the TED talks that we watched email me at pastoreddie@bayviewumc.org. One other neat way to demystify “churchy” terms and other questions is through a YouTube series called “Chuck Knows Church”. They are short videos that take a fun, somewhat quirky, look at a variety of church-related topics. They’re a fun way to make church more accessible. So as plants keep popping up and we begin to enter a new season, broaden your sense of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and walk in the way that he leads.
Pastor Eddie