“When Christ calls a [person], he bids [you] come and die.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer [v]

At the heart of a disciple is someone who is willing to lay aside everything they knew or defined themselves to be for a greater, more worthy cause.  This is a HUGE statement.  We can’t blow past it. 

For many, this may be a deal breaker.  You might be saying to yourself, “That’s asking too much, it’s too scary and I’m not sure there is an up side.”  Truth is, you wouldn’t be the first to think this. 

Let’s hold on to this thought as we practice our daily PRAY(er) rhythm.

Pause

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God.

Holy Spirit, my Counselor and the One Who woos me, as I dive into your Word I ask that you would soften my heart, open my ears, and fill me with courage today.

Read & Reflect

Often, we live our lives never really making an “all in” commitment.  We observe others experiencing the thrill of “full commitment,” but we never “taste it” for ourselves.  When it comes to discipleship, we talk a lot about this idea of being in relationship with Jesus and following him.  But what does that really entail? 

Consider Jesus’ initial invitation: 

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he (Jesus) saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. (Matthew 4:18-21)

In the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, your family had enormous influence as to your future occupation.  Unlike in the U.S., where we think we can be “anything I put my mind to,” for Jews living in first century, you essentially went into the family business.  So for these fishermen, all they knew was what their father did and little else. For them to leave “their nets behind” was ultimately a drastic choice.

Ask

Jesus, reveal to me areas where I have yet to yield in following you.  Expose the people or things that hinder me from being “fully committed” as your disciple.  Give me courage as I follow you into the abundant life you offer me again today.

Journal and/or self-reflect:

• From what I’ve read today, what do I think makes a disciple a disciple?
• When I think of a follower of Jesus in modern day USA, what images come mind?
• As I imagine Jesus extending this same invitation to me, what questions might I have for him?
• What are my motivations for either following or not following Jesus? Can I name roadblocks hindering me from deeper commitment?

Yield

The heart of discipleship is making Jesus the greatest relationship in our lives.  To be fully committed to following him means we will have to leave something behind.  As Bel Air Church, we want to be people who are: Thoughtful = people who weigh the cost of our decisions; Fully Committed = To Jesus and what Jesus is all about; Disciples = willing to surrender (yield) everything we know or define ourselves to be in order to follow someone greater and worthy of our drastic discipleship.

Yielding Prayer

Jesus, I give everything to you again – my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength, my relationships, my identity, my possessions and my ambitions.  All that I am, and all that I have I give to you, and ask that you teach me your ways.  Teach me the way of perpetual life that can only come from following you every day, and everywhere, with everyone.

Gracious God, help me to live this day to the full, being transparent before you, in every way.  Jesus help me to give myself away to others, modeling your love to everyone I meet.  Spirit, help me to live by your power, filled with courage to follow Jesus in all I do and say.  Amen.

Yesterday, we explored how at the heart of a disciple is someone who is willing to surrender everything they knew or defined themselves to be for a greater, more worthy cause.  This was a HUGE statement that for many might be a deal breaker. But before any one of us decides that this is too much to ask, let’s consider the alternative. Author and theologian Dallas Willard describes it this way,

“Non-discipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil.  In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10)…the correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities and as life on the highest plane.” [vi]

Non-discipleship “costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10).”

Let’s hold onto this thought as we continue our daily PRAY(er) rhythm.

Pause 

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God. 

Holy Spirit, my Counselor, and Teacher, as I dive into your Word I ask you would soften my heart, sharpen my mind, and shape my identity today.  

Read & Reflect 

As we approach our discipleship journey, it’s important for us to be honest with ourselves about the cost of following Jesus.  Jesus never did a “bait and switch” or offered false promises when he invited people to follow him.  Instead, he was clear, honest, and transparent about the conditions and benefits of being one of his followers.  Consider the following conversation between Jesus and his disciples:

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”  They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.”  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” 

He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” 

Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.  What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?  Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”  (Luke 9:18-27)  

As we have already explored this week, as Bel Air Church, we believe a disciple is one who responds in faith and faithfulness to the gracious call to follow Jesus every day, and everywhere, with everyone.  Discipleship is a lifelong intentional process where we are fully committed to allowing the love, character, and desires of Jesus to come alive in and through us. Yes, this commitment requires that we surrender ourselves. But it opens us up to joy, contentment, satisfaction, purpose and many other life giving possibilities. Following Jesus leads us in the Way God designed for us to live.

Journal and/or self-reflect: 

• How would I restate this definition of a disciple in my own words? 
• What questions or issues surface as I reflect on this statement? 
• How would I describe the cost of non–discipleship? 
  

Ask 

The gospel of Matthew records a similar account of Jesus’ teaching read earlier in Luke 9.  Listen to how Eugene Peterson paraphrases Matthew’s account: 

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.  You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am.  Don’t run from suffering; embrace it.  Follow me and I’ll show you how.” (Matthew 16:24 MSG)

What “self” have we built up that may be blocking us from letting Jesus lead?  Are there ways in which we run from suffering in an attempt to save our own lives?  Might we “run from suffering” by valuing the comfortable status quo instead of “taking up my cross” and following Jesus in the drastic way described? Are there aspects of our lives that we need to let go of in order to actually save them? 

Pause and Pray

Jesus, reveal in me the areas of my life that are blocking me from following you.  Expose the things and ways I rely on because I think they will bring about personal safety and security.  Reinforce my confidence in the abundant life you offer me again today.  

Journal and/or self-reflect:

• What does it mean for me to “deny self”? 
• How would I articulate some ways from my own experience where I attempt to “save my life”? 
• In what ways might I imagine losing my life so Jesus could actually save it?

Yield 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  (John 10:10) 

Discipleship is drastic.  But so is non-discipleship.  The decision isn’t between difficult and drastic vs. easy and casual. However, as anyone who has been on this journey will attest, when it comes to following Jesus what we lose versus what we gain is totally worth it.

Yielding Prayer 

Jesus, I give everything to you again – my heart, my mind, my soul, and my strength.  All that I am, and all that I have.  I give it all to you and ask that you teach me your ways.  Teach me the abundant life that can only come from following you every day, and everywhere, with everyone. 

Father, help me to live this day to the full, being transparent before you, in every way.  Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, modeling your love to everyone I meet.  Spirit, help me to live by your power, filled with strength to follow Jesus in all I do and say.  Amen.   

When “the grace of God is tasted, and by frequent tasting it is proved to us how sweet the Lord is…it draws us to the pure love of God.” – Bernard of Clairvaux [vii] 

Today, we are being introduced to Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) as one of the great leaders in the history of the church.  As a monk, scholar and follower of Jesus, his works had profound influence on both Martin Luther and John Calvin. Why do these names sound so familiar? It’s because both Luther and Calvin laid the ground work for the Protestant Reformation.

Why do these guys matter? As Protestants, if Bernard influenced Calvin and Luther and these reformers laid the stepping stones for the Protestant Reformation then (by ‘six degrees of separation’) Bernard has influenced us! In today’s reflection we have the opportunity to peer into his most famous work, On the Love of God, which is considered one of the greatest explanations of God’s love, largely because of its powerful simplicity.

The love of God is central to the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ of discipleship. The Apostle Paul emphasizes God’s love as the core motivation for following Jesus saying, “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor. 5:14) Christ’s love “urges us on” in our discipleship journey.

Hold onto this thought as we continue in our daily PRAY(er) rhythm.

Pause 

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God. 

Jesus, my Lord and Savior, as I engage with your Word I ask that you would draw me to your heart, transform my mind, and reform my life by your love. 

Read & Reflect 

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. 

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.  Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us.”  (1 John 4:7-19)

As we engage with what follows, we will explore four degrees of love that describe a basic progression for growing closer to Jesus.  It is common to begin one’s journey with (1) the love of self. Then, if we grow, we learn to (2) love Jesus because we recognize our need for him.  By God’s grace, if we continue to grow, we learn to (3) love Jesus because we’ve “tasted his sweetness” – loving Jesus because he is Jesus.  The fourth degree (which won’t be addressed in today’s reflection and may or may not be attainable in this lifetime) is described as being so infused with Jesus that our identity is completely enveloped by him.

Ask 

Pause and Pray

Holy Spirit, illuminate your love in my life that I might see clearly your love for me.  Highlight the ways I love myself and serve my own self-interests first.  Reinforce my confidence in the love of Jesus as I seek to submit myself to him again today.  

Re-Read 1 John 4:7-19 NRSV and journal and/or self-reflect on the following:

1. The First Degree of Love:  Love of Self for Self’s Sake

Love comes from God, but our human nature is weak and is compelled to love and serve itself first. 

• If God created love and God created me, why am I so prone to distort love into self-absorption? 
• Is loving myself wrong?  In what context would it be associated with human weakness? 
• What is the danger in over or underestimating self-love (ex. I’m ‘amazing’ OR I’m ‘horrible’)? 

Re-Read 1 John 4:7-19 NLT in a different translation

2. The Second Degree of Love:  Love of God for Self’s Sake

“Happy are those who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8b) 

This second degree of love highlights when we turn to God in times of trouble.  “We love God because we have learned that we can do all things through him, and without him we can do nothing.” [viii]  Basically, we love God because of what God does for us. 

• How is this growth from the “First Degree of Love”?
• What motivated me to go from the first degree to the second?

Re-Read 1 John 4:7-19 MSG in a third translation

3. The Third Degree of Love:  Love of God for God’s Sake

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8) 

The third degree of love in this way, “once God’s sweetness has been tasted, it draws us to the pure love of God more than our needs compel us to love him…Thus, we begin to love God not merely for our own sakes, but for himself.” [ix] 

• How would I describe a time when I’ve “tasted God’s sweetness”? 
• What impact did this have on my relationship with Jesus? 
• What did I learn about God’s love toward me? 

Yield 

As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we not only grow in our love for him but we grow in our knowledge of his love for us.

“This love is pure because it is disinterested (i.e., not offered in order to obtain something). It is pure because it is not merely in our words that we begin to serve, but in our actions.  We love because we are loved.  We care for others because Jesus cares for us.” – Bernard of Clairvaux [x]

Yielding Prayer 

Jesus, my Savior and my Lord, I submit myself to your love in my life once again.  All that I am, my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength, and all that I have, my ambitions, goals, dreams, agenda…I surrender it all to your loving care.  Lead me in your love as I recommit to following you every day, and everywhere, with everyone. 

Father, help me to live this day to the full, living from a place of being loved by you.  Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, modeling your servanthood to everyone I meet.  Spirit, help me to live by your power, filled with strength to follow Jesus in all I do and say.  Amen.    

In our discipleship journey this week, we have discovered that following Jesus is an either/or way of life. We either are following Jesus or we are following something else. There is no middle ground, no compromise, and no integrating the way of Jesus with any other way to live. As disciples, we are giving ourselves entirely over to God and God’s agenda in our lives.

Yet, we’ve discovered that this isn’t always easy to do. Fear often gets in the way.

“What folly to fear to be too entirely God’s!…It is to fear to love God’s will in all things.  It is to fear to have too much courage in the crosses which are inevitable, too much comfort in God’s love, and too much detachment from the passions which make us miserable.” – François Fénelon [xi] 

As we read multiple times in yesterday’s reflection, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…We love [God] because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19)

Let’s hold onto this thought as we continue our new daily PRAY(er) rhythm. 

Pause 

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to recenter my scattered senses upon the presence of God. 

Jesus, my Lord, and Savior, as I engage with your Word I ask that you would draw me to your heart, transform my mind, and reform my life’s focus today. 

Read & Reflect 

Seems pretty drastic to say that following Jesus is an either/or way of life. And yet this truth isn’t unique to following Jesus, but rather core to following anything or anyone. As people, we are all devoted to our highest love. The question isn’t whether we have a first love, but rather, “who or what is our first love?”.

Listen to how Jesus says it, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) 

Why would Jesus say this if following, subscribing, or devoting ourselves to something or someone was reserved for only a select few? He wouldn’t. Jesus says this because he knows that devotion to something or someone is a common human behavior.

Jesus reminds his followers that we can’t love two gods at once. By loving one god, we’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. We can’t worship both God and (insert anything other than God here). 

The question, “Who or what is our first love?” might sound like a narrow question, yet Jesus says that we must enter through the narrow gate to experience life. To be clear, the narrow gate is not something that we enter through because of our good works or good intentions. Rather, Scripture says that when we begin a relationship with Jesus, we step through the narrow gate. As Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters by me will be saved…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:9-10b) 

This is why following Jesus is different than following a religion. 

Religion puts the road before the gate.  Religion says, “Live the right way and then you will be saved.”  This leads to insecurity, fear, and bondage. 

Relationship with Jesus puts the gate before the road.  Jesus says, “Be saved, experience the love of God, and out of a place of loving and being loved follow me along the right way.” This leads to security, peace, and freedom. 

Ask 

Jesus draws a line in the sand and invites us to make a decision. His love for us is unfailing, yet Jesus gives us a choice to love him in return.

Journal and/or self-reflect: 

• How would I answer, “Who or what is my first love?”
• Share openly and honestly with Jesus about where you are in your relationship with him.
• Don’t sugar coat it.
• Don’t pretend.

Read the following from your first person perspective:

Jesus’ love for me (insert your name here), is not dependent upon my love for him. Regardless of what I’ve shared, I choose to hear his voice speaking over me saying, “I’ve made my decision and I choose you. You are my beloved. I love you beyond anything you could ever imagine. Rest in my love for you.”

Pause and Pray

Jesus, I hear your voice of love over me today.  Thank you that you offer me the opportunity to say, “Yes!” to your love.  I confess that I have ‘first loves’ other than you.  Redirect my devotion to loving you first and foremost as I rest in your love for me.  

Yield 

“There is only one way to love God: to take not a single step without him, and to follow with a brave heart wherever he leads.” – François Fénelon [xii] 

Yielding Prayer 

Jesus, my Savior and my Lord, I choose to follow your lead in my life once again.  All that I am, my heart, my mind, my soul and my strength, and all that I have, my ambitions, goals, dreams, agenda…I entrust it all to you, and ask that you guide me.  I join you in learning your ‘way’ as I recommit to following you every day, and everywhere, with everyone. 

Father, help me to live this day to the full, loving because you first loved me.  Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, sharing your love with everyone I meet.  Spirit, help me to live generously, filled with wonder as to what this abundant life might look like as I follow Jesus in all I do and say.  Amen.    

Over these next eight weeks, we will follow a weekly Sabbath rhythm to guide us away from our do-ing lives and into our human be-ing selves. God has given us six days to work and has graciously granted today as a day to simply be with God, with ourselves, and with one another.

Even God, after having creatively worked for six straight days rested on the seventh. Imagine all the worlds that could have created if God would have just worked one…more…day. Why did God stop? It wasn’t as if God was tired and in need of a rest, but rather God wanted to model for us that six days of work was enough. Life isn’t all about what we create, but also about how we enjoy what’s been created.

God says, in the Ten Commandments, “Remember the Sabbath.”  Sabbath is an invitation to “remember.”  Notice that word remember (it was this week’s spiritual practice). In one sense, Sabbath is a day of rest and reflection to remember the goodness of God. In another sense, it’s an opportunity to re-member our fragmented selves, to allow God to put ourselves back together again and make us whole. 

This invitation to keep the Sabbath is a beautiful spiritual practice. Yet few people in the church actually enjoy a full Sabbath day. Maybe it’s because we don’t see the value in keeping the Sabbath. Maybe it’s because we are easily distracted. Regardless of the reason, the truth is Sabbath is a gift. God has gifted us a day free from work in order to focus on being with God and enjoying the things God has given uniquely to us. Let’s learn to receive this gift together.

Practice Sabbath:

Set aside a block of time to be with the God you love and the people you love; let go of the tyranny of the urgent and focus on what’s going on inside you.  Practicing restful activities – a long walk or hike, a nap (could you imagine a nap?!), visiting someone you love, sharing a beautiful meal or a favorite beverage with a friend, play a family game, read a book, etc.; resting in God and with God; let difficult conversations or tasks wait for another day; let go of your ‘to-do’ in order ‘to-be’.  

Potential fruits:

• Freedom from the addiction to hurry, busyness and rushing.
• Keeping company with Jesus throughout a twenty-four hour period.
• Further awareness of my feelings, thoughts, emotions, longings, etc.
• Obeying one of the Ten Commandments.

Scriptures for further reflection: Exodus 20:8-10; Mark 2:27; Hebrews 4:1, 9-11

Journal and/or self-reflect:

• How does Sabbath enhance my worship and enjoyment of being with God?
• What difficulties and challenges do I have in trying to keep a Sabbath?
• What happens to me when I go without regular rhythms that allow me to rest?

One would think something so wonderful would be easy to practice. Yet, keeping Sabbath initially requires intentionality and planning. What would it look like for you to prepare and plan a Sabbath day, one in which you really enjoy? Yield to God’s invitation for rest, renewal, enjoyment, and re-membering.