Articles that dig deep into where we are going, why, and how, what is expected of us, our fears, hopes, failures, successes.
This is a quick heads up for my readers, a mention of another website you might like to take a look at.
Chris Dryden’s website
There are a multitude of websites out there, often on very specific topics, so many that there’s something for absolutely everyone. So many that it can be hard to find what you need. My online friend DaManCD (aka Chris Dryden) runs one of them, and I run another. We’ve been aware of one another since we both contributed a chapter in a collaborative book, and we’ve interacted from time to time over the years, especially recently (though we’ve never actually met).
Chris’s website is called Life with CD and it’s well worth a visit. Chris draws on his life experience as a follower of Jesus to produce articles that dig deep into where we are going, why, and how, what is expected of us, our fears, hopes, failures, successes. His focus is always on the King who leads us. Why not take a look at a recent article starting a great series on the theme of 40 days?
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My name is Patricius, I’m a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers; I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius, a deacon.
Patrick, or Saint Patrick as we normally think of him, had an interesting background and history. Of course, we know very little about him, but far more than we know about most other people who lived at that time.
What does the name, Patrick, mean? It comes from the Latin patricius, meaning “nobleman”, “of noble origin” or “patrician”. Patricians were the noble families in ancient Rome, a ruling class, and Patrick can be viewed as a Roman or perhaps a Romanised Briton. By 409 CE when all remaining Roman forces in Britannia were recalled to protect the Western empire against uncontrolled immigration across the Rhine, the distinction between Roman and Romano-Briton had pretty much vanished. Archaeological evidence makes it clear that Roman life continued well after the troops left, particularly in the west of Britain.
Patrick’s life
Patrick’s family lived in Roman style somewhere near the west coast in what is now northern England or southern Scotland (also possibly Wales). They would have been little affected by Angle and Saxon incursions into the far eastern regions of the British Isles, but raids from Ireland and northern Scotland were sometimes a problem. Farming life and indeed villa life and Roman town life would have carried on; no longer governed by the empire, but governed locally like a Roman province. Patrick was born around the time the Roman forces departed.
When he was sixteen he was captured by Irish pirates raiding the area where his parents lived. And he was sold in Ireland as a slave and had a hard life, outside in all weathers, herding sheep or pigs. He had been exposed to Christian ways as a child but had not believed in Jesus or made any attempt to follow him, but during his time in captivity he developed a faith. Spending times of great hardship as a herdsman slave, and living in the open air in all seasons, he must often have been wet and very cold. But spiritually it was a time of great growth and depth for him. He prayed incessantly and felt very close to his heavenly Father.
He made a dash for freedom when the opportunity arose, hearing a voice in his sleep telling him that a ship was waiting to return him home. He was recaptured, but escaped again and made it home successfully.
Later, sensing that his responsibility was to return to Ireland to share his faith with the pagan people there, he travelled back and began to share everything he knew of Jesus. People listened to what he told them and he started many local communities of believers. Later again, Patrick travelled back to northern Britain and spread his teaching about Jesus to the Irish and Welsh speaking Britons and also to the Saxons in the areas he visited. The Celtic church in Ireland and in Great Britain spread far and wide, even back into northern Europe. Celtic Christian monks journeyed singly or in small groups, spreading the good news and founding further communities and groups of believers.
His writings
At some point in his later life, Patrick authored books and letters, two have survived, and one of these is autobiographical in nature, telling the story of who he was and the events of his life. And that book (The Confessio) is why we know as much as we do about Patrick and the world he lived in. Here are his opening words:
My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius. He was a deacon; his father was Potitus, a priest, who lived at Bannavem Taburniae. His home was near there, and that is where I was taken prisoner. I was about sixteen at the time. At that time, I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity in Ireland, along with thousands of others. We deserved this, because we had gone away from God, and did not keep his commandments. We would not listen to our priests, who advised us about how we could be saved. The Lord brought his strong anger upon us, and scattered us among many nations even to the ends of the earth. It was among foreigners that it was seen how little I was.
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We are often overwhelmed by the complications and demands of modern life; our focus on the essential is lost and we are distracted by so many side issues.
This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. This article opens a deeper look at the first forgotten way.
Introduction
It’s extremely important that Jesus is at the heart of our lives, both individually and in church life too. If we don’t get this foundation right we cannot be built into what he wants us to be. What would happen if you built a house of heavy stones but didn’t have proper foundations?
The fact is, this forgotten way is fundamental; everything else depends on it and results from it. We need Jesus to be in the right place because he is the only foundation we can trust (Matthew 16:15-20, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11). Has this way been truly forgotten? Not completely, perhaps, but we have sometimes been half-hearted in following it.
Discuss or consider – Do you follow Jesus in everything? List some parts of your life where you follow him. List some parts where you don’t. Is he the foundation of your daily living, truly?
The One
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 makes it very clear; Yahweh is One and we are to love him with everything we have and are. What a dramatic change from earlier times when offerings and worship had to be made to many gods, perhaps repeatedly during the day. For us, today, ‘Jesus is Lord’ in exactly the same way (1 Corinthians 8:6). No other loyalties are acceptable in our lives, just Jesus.
There are at least three helpful habits we can develop; these are keeping Jesus at the centre, following Jesus alone, and putting the gospels way, way ahead of anything else.
Discuss or consider – Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and think about the difference between one and many where gods are concerned (most people 2000 years ago had to make offerings to many gods). In John 10:30 what does Jesus mean when he says, ‘I and the Father are one’? And in John 17:20-23, what does he mean when he prays for all his followers – including you and me?
Jesus at the centre
We need a fresh understanding of who Jesus really is, every explosive church growth movement throughout history has had this focus. Many of these movements were persecuted and this seems to have given them a fresh and urgent vision. They let go of everything that would hold them back and clung to the core of their faith.
We need to know how Jesus lived and worked because he intends to live and work in these same ways through us. We can so easily block him, that’s part of having the privilege and responsibility of free will. And we are often overwhelmed by the complications and demands of modern life; our focus on the essential is lost and we are distracted by so many side issues.
To get away from everything that hinders us we need to focus on Jesus much more. The Bible calls him King, Shepherd, the One and Only, the Son, Master, Teacher, Lord, the Almighty with us (Immanuel), Prince of Peace, the Word and more. Jesus himself said, ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’. (John 14:9) By reading books about him, watching films about his life, and going through the gospels repeatedly we will begin to notice for ourselves what he is like, what he says, what he does and who he is.
Discuss or consider – Carefully think about where you are spiritually. How do your lives (individually and together) compare with that of Jesus? What changes would he want to see? When you meet, remember that you are meeting, as in all things, in Jesus’ name. (Colossians 3:17)
This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 13 and 14. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk
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This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. This completes the first chapter entitled Working together in six ways.
5 – A living organism
This session looks at some important differences between organisations and organisms, particularly as they involve movements, networks and growth. As the body of Christ we are an embodiment of Jesus’ life and resurrection.
Is the church alive or is it an institution? How can we even begin to answer a question like this? Does the Bible contain anything to help us? As a clue, does Jesus speak more positively about organisations (Matthew 12:5-8, Matthew 23:1-12) or about living things (Matthew 13:18-23, Matthew 13:31-33)? This is another long forgotten road we need to travel together, a forgotten way.
Discuss – Talk about the differences between organisms (animals, plants, people) and organisations (businesses, governments, schools). Who creates plants? Who creates schools? Who creates church?
6 – More than community
Strong and vibrant communities develop where there is a shared ordeal. We need to be on a risky journey together; we need to be drawn out of our comfort zones. It’s not necessary to be persecuted, but it is necessary to be stretched in significant ways in our lives together.
This is the sixth forgotten way, something we are inclined to stop doing when we are comfortable and unchallenged. Read Acts 4:1-7, Acts 5:17-20 and Acts 8:1-3 for some examples of how the early church lived a risky journey. Even better, read the whole of Acts and note how the early church lived and behaved.
Discuss – Is it natural for people to go beyond a place of comfort and safety? So why do we go on roller coasters? Where would you expect the strongest bonds to form, in an army detachment under fire or at a tea party? Why?
Six parts of a connected whole
The six forgotten ways are utterly dependent on one another. Think about a tree. Trees have four principle parts – roots, trunks, branches and leaves. But if any part is missing the rest of the tree will die. Without roots the tree has no supply of water. Without the trunk the root won’t receive food from the leaves, the branches would have no support and the leaves would lack water and wither. Without branches the leaves would not spread wide in the sunlight. Without leaves there would be no food supply and the tree would starve.
When all six elements of the forgotten ways are active, explosive growth is possible. And this is the key take-home message. Improvement in any one way is useful, but only when all six are active will the full benefit become clear. Like the parts of the tree, the six ways depend on one another and work together.
Think of Jesus in the centre surrounded by and intimately involved in each of the other concepts – becoming disciples, outward and integrated, gifts for building, a living organism and more than community. Imagine all six elements at work together. Nothing will be impossible.
That is the dream; it’s an awesome revelation. Let’s watch Jesus turn that dream into reality in our lives together.
Discuss – What is the most important thing you have discovered during this part of the guide? Different things may stand out for different people; tell one another what seems important and why.
This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 11 and 12. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk
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If Jesus builds something, then he may ask us to help – but he will be in charge. He will teach us how to build, he will give us tasks he knows we can do.
What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘I will build my church’? And what are the implications for us in our attempts to follow him? Here are some thoughts on the word ‘church’ and the action of building.
Aramaic is similar to Hebrew and was probably spoken at home and in the villages in Galilee in Jesus’ day, it was a widely used language in the region and even today is still used in a few areas of, for example, Syria. Jesus would have been taught Hebrew, as all Jewish boys were; this was the language of the Old Testament and was used in the Synagogues. There were some Greek towns and villages in the region, as there were throughout the Mediterranean more generally, so Jesus likely understood Greek. He might have known some Latin as well because that would have been spoken in imperial government and military circles.
In a conversation with his follower, Peter, he may have used an Aramaic word or possibly the Greek equivalent, ekklesia (church); and that’s how it’s recorded in the New Testament (Matthew 16:13-20). As a word it seems to have its roots in daily life; the village or town elders would have gathered as a local council to discuss and manage local affairs. As people meeting together more or less regularly, groups of people following Jesus may have been been given the same label – a gathering, therefore an ekklesia.
In the conversation described by Matthew, Jesus asks his followers, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ Of all of them, Peter was the most outspoken and would offer an opinion when the more cautious held back. Peter didn’t seem to worry about the risk of giving a wrong answer and looking foolish. So several of them gave the answer to the easy question – ‘Who do people say I am?’. But it was Peter who responded to the much more tricky question – ‘Who do you say I am?’
What Jesus says next seems ambiguous, at any rate the way Matthew describes it is ambiguous. Some people think he’s saying that Peter is the rock that he’ll build his church on. Others think the rock is the truth Peter expressed, the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Most High. Personally, I take the second view.
Jesus says that he will build his ekklesia, his church.
If Jesus builds something, then he may ask us to help – but he will be in charge. He will teach us how to build, he will give us tasks he knows we can do, but he remains the top man, the boss, the giver of instructions. We can’t just build what we want in the way that we want, call it church, and expect him to approve!
So let’s start by asking Jesus to show us what he wants us to do. And then when we each do our part, let’s keep checking with him that what we’re doing or saying is in line with his design. And then, as the job progresses, we’ll be able to gasp with astonishment saying, ‘Wow! This is far more amazing than anything I’d dreamed or imagined!’
It all starts with Jesus. The next step is that we have to learn to follow, to be Disciples. That will will steer us into Mission. And out of the results of mission we will see Church appear and grow.
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This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. Now we begin the first chapter entitled Working together in six ways.
2 – Becoming disciples
This second forgotten way is about revealing Jesus to the people around us by becoming more and more like him. (John 13:34-35) It demands a lifetime of challenge and we must grapple with it every single day.
Followers of Jesus are always growing in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and encouraging one another. We learn to become more and more like him in what we say and do. The word ‘Christian’ began as a scornful nickname used by the Romans and Greeks and just means ‘Little Christ’. These ‘Christ-ians’ were obviously different from other people in society. (Acts 2:44-47) When Jesus was in a town in Galilee or Judea he was surrounded by stunned and fascinated people watching his every move. Do we have this effect in our society? We need to do more than declare good news, we need to be good news as well, touching people in practical ways.
Discuss – Are you following Jesus’ example? Take a look at Ephesians 5:8-13, or even the entire chapter. What’s the principal here? Does being a disciple mean being perfect or does it mean growing to be more like Jesus?
3 – Outward and integrated
People who follow Jesus will be driven to go out into the world and will also feel the need to be deeply present in the surrounding culture and society.
Think about seeds, they need to be spread out far and wide but they should also be pressed in and covered over if they are to grow. Jesus went wide and deep, setting us an example. He was sent by his Father and lived among us in our world as one of us. He travelled the length and breadth of the land, and even into Greek areas like the Decapolis. And he met people in their particular circumstances, identifying with them to make his words and actions meaningful. For example, see him at work in John 2:1-11, John 4:4-26, and Luke 19:1-10.
Discuss – What did coming into the world involve for Jesus? Where did he come from? What did he leave behind? Think about the ways he embedded himself in our broken world and became like us – list as many as you can.
4 – Gifts for building
The fourth forgotten way involves the gifts of service identified by Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16. The gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher work together. Do we recognise these gifts in our brothers and sisters? The apostolic gift lays foundations and releases and stirs up the other gifts. All of them are there in every one of us, but we tend to be strongest in one or two.
This form of guiding church life is so completely forgotten that it may seem strange to most of us, yet without it we tend to go in several unhelpful directions. Our spiritual ears and eyes must be wide open even to see this, let alone walk in it.
Discuss – Think about the different ways we run church, can you list some of them? Read Acts 14:14, in what sense were Paul and Barnabas apostles? (Hint: you might need to read a big chunk of Acts to find the answer, and it may remain hidden from you even then.)
This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 10 and 11. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk
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This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. Now we begin the first chapter entitled Working together in six ways.
Chapter introduction
JDMC cover
Here’s a question to get you thinking. ‘Why doesn’t church in the West grow explosively like the church described in the book of Acts?’
Jesus told his disciples, ‘Go and make disciples of all nations … and teach them everything that I have taught you’ (Matthew 28:18-20). How many of us actually go? How many make disciples? What was this early, outgoing, discipling church really like?
The gospels are full of hints and clues in the life of Jesus, and Acts describes the early years of the church in exciting detail. Jesus’ followers were reviled and persecuted but determined to press on; they had one another and the presence of the Holy Spirit to sustain them in their constant outward movement.
The church grew from 120 people to 20 million in the first 300 years. Doesn’t that fill you with a sense of challenge? Will you rise to it?
Discuss – List some of the ways church today and church at the beginning are different. Can you think of other examples of church movements throughout history that exploded from tiny beginnings? How did they do it? Jesus rarely mentions church, but talks about the kingdom a lot – why?
Key factors
Alan Hirsch identifies six factors that he calls ‘forgotten ways’. These factors were all active in the early church and in other examples of explosive growth; think of them as the DNA of the church. Alan suggests that if you follow Jesus, you already have this DNA, but perhaps some of it is inactive. Jesus is our righteousness, but are we a ‘faithful city’? (Isaiah 1:26). Have we, like the church at Ephesus, forgotten the love we had at first? (Revelation 2:4)
In the Western church, what has been lying dormant for so long needs to be brought back into activity. The next six chapters in this guide are intended to help you start the process and begin a more exciting and fruitful journey.
This first chapter of JDMC might leave you with more questions than answers. That is the intention, to get you wondering and pondering. The remaining chapters provide more focus and detail.
Discuss – Before reading on, make some guesses about what the six factors might be. What most enables rapid, even explosive, growth?
1 – Jesus at the centre
As his followers, Jesus should be central in all we do. Few would argue with that! The alternative is to do things in our own strength and wisdom and we know this will never be enough.
The early believers kept Jesus central in their lives and went out and changed their world. Although many of us today claim (and even sing) that Jesus is at the centre, what do we really mean by that? Do our actions truly bear out our words? Have other things got in our way? To some extent this is a way that most of us have forgotten. One of the issues here is that we might not even be aware there’s a problem. (Luke 9:57-62)
If there are other things crowding out Jesus at the centre of our lives, how might we go about identifying them and rooting them out? Consider Matthew 11:28-30; might a burdensome life get in the way sometimes? Is it necessary to struggle?
Discuss – Is Jesus at the centre in your lives? Are there parts of life where he takes second place? Think about money, friends, hobbies, family life, fitness, music, TV, work and even church life. Be as honest as you can; consider in particular how you use your time.
This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 9 and 10. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk
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If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!
This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. The first article in this series explained why I wrote JDMC and set the scene. This time I’m offering advice on how to approach using it.
This extract is still part of the book’s introduction. In fact, this extract completes the introduction, so the next post will get into the real meat of the thing – the first real section.
Practicalities
JDMC cover
Each part of the guide recommends an online video (see ‘For more information’ at the end of each section). You might start each session by watching the video together.
(Note: some of these videos are no longer available. When I can, I’d like to update JDMC. Until then, please accept my apologies.)
If you’re reading through JDMC on your own, I suggest you consider the thoughts and ideas for group study, and adapt them as you think fit.
One way of working is for everyone to read the notes before meeting. Underline anything that seems important or stands out. Jot ideas in the margins. Mark anything you don’t understand so you can raise it in the discussion. Alternatively it may be simpler to read together as far as the first discussion point, and then repeat for the second point. For this reason, the second edition includes a discussion point for every subheading in the text. Decide what works best for your particular group; invent your own method if necessary.
It’s more important to cover everything well than it is to get to the end, but it’s also important not to get stuck; if you don’t have time for a session in one sitting, finish it next time you meet. But if you really can’t agree on something, note down the different points of view and move on. If your numbers are larger than ten, I suggest working as several groups (two groups of six will be better than a group of twelve). Everyone should engage and contribute, but in large groups there are always some who are reluctant to speak up.
The suggested things to do are just that – suggestions; see if you can come up with other creative ideas of your own. Don’t try to do everything but think things through and aim to do a few things well. Agree on some choices and work on them together. Make notes on things you want to return to later and any decisions you make. Get someone to write down the agreed points and circulate them.
If you feel a session highlights a particular weakness for your group, consider returning to it for a second time later. Or you could tackle the weak area in more depth from The Forgotten Ways Handbook.
Some final suggestions
Work through the sessions again from time to time, perhaps annually; different things will come into focus if you do. Better still, read The Forgotten Ways and consider using The Forgotten Ways Handbook to discover a great deal more.
Don’t feel you must read JDMC in sequence; it may be better to start with a topic that excites you; the parts are self-contained and will work in any order. Part 1, the overview, would also work at the end. Some groups might prefer to start with Part 3, Becoming disciples. But however you decide to do it, aim to cover everything at some point.
Encourage other groups to work through JDMC. Offer to guide them through it, but encourage them to make their own choices about what is most relevant and useful in their own situation. If you are helping another group try to listen much more than you speak.
If you do decide to act as a guide for others it would be very useful to read The Forgotten Ways first and work through The Forgotten Ways Handbook. This will provide more detail and supporting information to help you answer questions and give useful advice.
Outward and integrated
We need to reach those around us; Jesus commands it. He said, ‘I’ve been given all authority in heaven and on earth, so as you go, make disciples of all nations … and I’ll be with you.’ (Matthew 28:18-20) But as we go out into the world and seek to embed ourselves deep in the culture (as he did), we do not go alone.
Not only are we together as a community of his people, we are also together in the community of the Almighty Creator. The Son has made the way open and has sent the Spirit to fill us – Father, Son, Spirit, and us! It’s not going to heaven when we die; it’s far better than that. It’s living in their community right here, right now and forever. Jesus says he is with us right to the end (Matthew 28:20) and he says that if we have seen him we have seen the Father (John 14:9).
In our going out and going deep we remain in the Presence, for the Holy Spirit is in us and communicates with us and for us. We couldn’t be effective carriers of good news without him. There are some great examples in the New Testament; read Acts 8:26-39, Acts 10:9-21 and Acts 16:7-10.
As you go out and deep in the culture around you, how will you pay attention to the presence of the Holy Spirit with you? Consider prayer, listening, and the truth that the Spirit is alive within you and wanting to communicate with you.
This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), page 8. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk
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If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!
Good and bad habits alike result from repeated behaviour, and the sessions aim to get you behaving in ways that will form good habits as Jesus’ disciples.
This article is an extract from my short book, Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC). The bite-sized piece below is roughly two percent of the book. It’s the very first section so is a bit different from the rest: there are no questions for readers to ponder, it sets the scene and explains how JDMC might be used.
JDMC cover
This twelve-part guide will help you explore some key ideas from The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch (all of his books are available via this link). Of course, one way to grapple with the material is simply to read Alan’s book, and I highly recommend doing so. And if your church or group wants to discuss and learn together there’s The Forgotten Ways Handbook, also highly recommended, but it’s long and detailed. Another way to start is to read The Shaping of Things to Come, a book that provides a lot of useful background.
But if you need an introductory guide you have come to the right place. JDMC is suitable for individual use, but better for up to six to ten people working together. The guide explains the main points to get you thinking and exploring; if you find it interesting you’ll want to go further so I’ll point out the main sources as we go along. For more information visit Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church.
I became aware of The Forgotten Ways when Alan spoke at a conference. I read some of his books, began working through the Handbook on my own, and then tried it with others. I wrote JDMC because I sensed the need for something short and simple, and I’m using it very effectively with groups of people I know.
Where might you use this guide?
It works well for groups of interested friends, it could be used by a Christian Union at a workplace or college, or it might suit a home group or small group forming part of a local church. Also, it might serve to inject fresh thinking into any church or denomination, perhaps being worked through by a group of church leaders. But please remember that JDMC only skims the surface. If you like what you find here, please consider going deeper and further using the sources mentioned above and throughout the guide.
What it contains
JDMC consists of the introduction you’re reading right now, a first section to outline the thinking behind The Forgotten Ways, six further parts (one for each forgotten way), three supplements to answer questions readers have asked (not based on Alan Hirsch’s work), and a conclusion. The sessions contain simple, introductory material with questions to get you thinking for yourself. The six forgotten ways can be seen as distinct, but also have a way of weaving themselves together in practice. You may notice this as you work through the guide; take it as evidence that the six ways are inextricably linked and interdependent.
We learn by doing. Good and bad habits alike result from repeated behaviour, and the sessions aim to get you behaving in ways that will form good habits as Jesus’ disciples. Over time, I hope and expect that you will behave yourselves into habits and thinking that will take you further in the journey with Jesus than you may have thought possible or necessary.
Don’t skip the questions, they’re an essential part of the discovery process. Take time to process the material and come up with your own ideas and conclusions. It’s not possible to offer exhaustive Bible references in a short guide. The Bible references I’ve included are merely starting points for exploration. As you read your Bible (and especially the gospels) you are likely to find that other relevant verses and paragraphs leap off the page.
The sessions include related online material including text, audio and video. You can click through to these resources in the version of the discussion guide at jdmc.scilla.org.uk. The guide is free to use so download it, print it, modify it, or give it away; all I ask is that if you distribute it you provide attribution by including the link GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk and apply the same copyright conditions that I do.
This was extracted from Jesus, Disciple, Mission, Church (JDMC), pages 7 and 8. Download the whole thing or read it online – GetJDMC.scilla.org.uk
Useful? Interesting?
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There is a synergy, a sparking of abundant life that comes from the interdependence of the parts.
A page from the book
This is a slightly modified copy of an article I wrote in 2014. I’m republishing it because I think it is still useful and deserves another airing. Perhaps it hints at some things we are liable to forget.
The book, Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity, contains twenty-four chapters. Each one discusses a positive aspect of church, something that is an essential part of the whole. Reading from the book I was deeply impacted by Chapter 22 from Kathy Escobar; the chapter is entitled A church that restores dignity where it’s been lost.
She writes:
Jesus calls [Lazarus] out of the tomb, but then he looks to the people around him – his community, friends, and advocates – and says to them ‘unbind him’. Unbind him. Unwrap him. Take off his graveclothes.
I think God calls us to participate in this uncovering-unwrapping-unbinding with each other through healing community.
And it struck me that although church is much more than the sum of its parts, all of the parts need to be actively present. There is a synergy, a sparking of abundant life that comes from the interdependence of the parts. Church is a person, the Bride of Christ.
Like all people, you and I are much more than the sum of hands, ears, spleen, heart, lungs and all the rest. But if any of these were missing we would either die or be unable to fully function. And it’s just the same with the church.
Just consider some of the other chapter themes. The church cherishes Jesus Christ, exhibits personal holiness, counts every member as key, assembles for mutual edification, and knows eternal life is free. Imagine all of those being true in a church that fails to restore dignity where it’s been lost. It would be a church without the active compassion necessary to unbind those who so desperately need it.
Or consider a church that clings to scriptural truth, is most notable for its love and is united in Christ but doesn’t follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. This would be a church that failed to hear where to go and what to do and did everything in its own strength.
Or what about a church that was composed of peacemakers, viewed itself as a people, restored dignity but failed to proclaim the gospel clearly?
The chapters of this book all stand alone and can be read alone. But they often overlap so that there are echoes and glimpses of them in one another. Yet taken together, with no part missing or inactive, they describe a holistic church, a wholesome church and a church that is alive and active and effective in the world. There are other aspects that are not explicitly covered in the book, prayer for example. But these are implied throughout in a variety of ways.
Church is as complex as any living organism, and just like a living organism it is not only complex but also multi-faceted, and astonishingly well constructed. The church is also alive with the life of Christ. And every part contributes!
If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. (If you don’t see those links, click the article’s title above the main photo and they will appear.) Send a link to friends who might enjoy the article or benefit from it – Thanks! My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome and encourages me to write more often!
Journeys of Heart and Mind 
