Out the Door

Not Disciples, Friends

I'm reading Leonard Sweet's book The Gospel According to Starbucks.  Something he wrote really struck a cord with me.

Jesus didn't christen us servants.  He chose to call us friends.  Usually there is a halo effect over anyone's last words, so you'd think the church would listen especially hard to Jesus' final instructions.  He had to choose his concluding words carefully.  And he chose to say this: God wants a relationship with you, not as servants, but as friends.  "I no longer call you servants...instead I have called you friends."  John Wesley's Aldersgate experience was his transformation from being God's servant to being God's friend.

Jesus' final directive is not a work assignment: "Serve."  Jesus' final directive is a renaming embrace: "Friends."  Think of it; the Savior of the world wants me not to be his servant but to be his friend, even his child.

The motto for New Sharon UMC is "Love God.  Love others.  Make disciples."  These are based on the great commandments of Jesus and his great commission.  Maybe it would be better if it read, "Love God.  Love others.  Make friends."  I believe that Jesus expects us to make disciples.  But who are the disciples of Jesus, is it not anyone other than his friends? 

What would happen if instead of talking about evangelism in terms of making disciples, if we talked about it in terms of making friends?  Years ago I heard while attending a Cursillo (the predecessor to Walk to Emmaus),someone say something like, "Evangelism is becoming a friend, being a friend, introducing your friend to your friend Jesus."  Evangelism starts with us being friendly to someone who isn't already a friend.  Once a friendship is established then continuing to act as a friend.  Finally, pointing out your friend Jesus to your other friend.

Webster defines a disciples as, one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: a convinced adherent of a school or individual.  In other words, discipleship has to do with beliefs.  While beliefs are crucial, what Jesus is looking for is a relationship, a friend.

In our 21st century post-Christian culture where what a person believes is very much an individual choice and where seeking to persuade someone to believe what the persuader believes is viewed as immoral proselytizing; maybe we need a new way of talking about evangelism.  There is something a whole lot less threatening about introducing someone to a friend, Jesus, in comparison to trying to convince someone that Jesus is the answer to all their problems.

Many Christians say that don't know how to evangelize, thus the church spends a lot of time and energy in trying to teach them how to make disciples.  All of them, however, already know how to make friends and have introduced their friends to other friends. 

Think of it this way; when I help out a friend I don't do it because I feel obligated to serve my friend, but because I enjoy spending time with him and it makes me feel good when I can do something kind for him.  Working together strengthens the bonds of our friendship.  Thus we need to re-frame Christian service not in terms of something we must go in order to call ourselves Christians, but in terms of strengthening the bonds of friendship with Jesus.   As we deepen our friendship with Jesus, the natural outcome is that we want our other friends to know this friend.

So what do you think, which is a better motto, "Make discples" or "Make friends"?

Arguing with God

Heinrich Hoffman's famous depiction of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane shows a submissive Jesus ready and willing to do whatever the Father asks of him.  While this image has inspired millions, I'm not sure it's very accurate.  As I read the scriptures, I find Jesus reluctant and argumentative.

(Jesus) went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want."

Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, "My Father, is it possible for this cup to be taken away? But if I must drink it, may what you want be done."

Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn't keep their eyes open. So he left them and went away once more. For the third time he prayed the same thing.  Matthew 26:39,42-44 (NIRV)

Let's put ourselves in the Father's place and consider this story from a human point of view. 

Here's the scenario; you ask you son to do something that you know he doesn't want to do.  He comes to you and says, "Dad, I really don't want to do this.  Isn't there something else I can do instead?  But if you really want me to do it, I will."  He leaves and you think he's going to do what you asked him.  Instead, he comes back and says, "Dad, does this really have to be done?  You know I'll do it if that's what you want."  Again he leaves, only to return a few minutes later, "Dad, I'm not sure you understand just how much I don't want to do this.  There's got to be some other way of handling it.  But I'm willing to do it because you asked me to."

I suspect if that were my son, by the third time he tried to get out of it, I'd be losing my tempter.  That's not how God responds to Jesus' reluctance however.  Luke tells us "An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him." Luke 22:43 (NIV)   Jesus' contention that there must be some other way doesn't offend God rather it draws the spiritual presence of God nearer.

I think too often when the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is retold too much emphasis is placed on Jesus' submission to God's will and not enough on Jesus trying to change God's mind.   

Somewhere along the line, many Christians have come to believe that they are to be meek and mild, that they are simply to grin and bear it whatever comes their way.  When something happens or they're faced with having to do something they don't want to do, it's seen as "my cross to bear."  Obviously, Jesus tells us that we must daily take up our cross and follow him, but it's the silent, often times passive-aggressive submission to the cross that I think is wrong.

One of the keys to intimacy with God and to experiencing His presence is to tell God to be completely honest with God.  Tell him what you want, argue for it even.  In doing so, something miraculous happens, God sometimes changes His mind.  Or even more miraculous, we are changed and we are strengthened by God's holy angels to do His will just as Jesus was.

IA UMC the next youtube??

United Methodist Churches & individuals in Iowa no longer have to look to youtube in order to put videos on line.  The IA Conference recently added a video sharing feature to its website.  This is made possible through an arrangement with ourchurchvideos.com. 

According to the Iowa Edition of the UM Reporter:

Members of the Iowa Conference are now encouraged to upload and share their ministry-related videos on this site....Channels include worship resources, missions, youth ministry, children's ministry, sermon and sermon series, and soon General Conference and Annual Conference. 

It will be interesting to see how many congregations take advantage of this service.  We haven't started uploading videos.  I probably need to find some high schooler who could do this for us.  However, because we are a Web Empowered Church, showing FLV's is built into our web design software program.

What's your opinion, if your Conference offered this service, would your congregation put videos on line?