The reason I title my post "Confessions of a Slackard - Part 2" is because I haven't posted for a while. Too long, in fact. And I haven't actually been a slackard; I have been up to my elbows doing lots of things in the church and in the community. Still...bad pastor, bad pastor. No chips for you.
Anyway, I have recently been teaching the 6th graders in our church in the Confirmation class. Now, if you're like me and didn't grow up in church, you might not know what Confirmation is. In a nutshell, in United Methodism, most kids are baptized as babies and obviously don't remember their baptisms (on a side note, the subject of baptism could and should be another whole post). So when they reach the sixth grade, they are given the opportunity to learn about the church, their faith, and their beliefs. After the whole process is completed, they make professions of faith and are Confirmed into the church. Pretty cool!
But Confirmation is just the beginning; sorry about that confirmands. You thought you'd be done after the Confirmation process. But in reality...it's only a part of the process of being a disciple. As I mentioned to the confirmands this past Sunday, discipleship is more than just knowing a story or two about Jesus. To be a follower of Jesus, a disciple, we have to learn in depth about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. We must be intentional about our daily devotions, our worship times, the compassion we share, and our working toward justice for everyone.
And know that what we do as a disciple isn't easy. In fact...it's downright difficult - seemingly impossible - at times. Consider these words from Jesus (from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14):
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Now I don't know about you, but last I checked, I haven't given up (gulp) everything. These are some tough words from Jesus. Jesus is letting us know that the cost of discipleship is HIGH! These words allude to the fact that being a disciple is not easy. And I'll have to say, being a disciple isn't easy, but it is rewarding. Granted, we don't become disciples for an "attaboy or attagirl." We become disciples because God gets our attention, speaks to our spirits, and puts the desire in our hearts to reconnect with God. Discipleship allows us the chance to regain the image of God we lost. Remember - we were made in the image of God, but some of the things I think and do...I can tell you...are not reflecting God's image. But as a disciple, I look to the One who teaches me to turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, love my enemies as well as my friends, and be willing to get my hands dirty building community.
Discipleship isn't easy, but neither is life. But God does not leave us alone. God is committed to our human condition and is willing to walk with us along the journey, and teach us higher and better ways so that we can truly be called disciples.
