I've been thinking about discipleship a bit lately. And I should be.
For starters, I am one - that's a fair reason to ponder the topic. And I'm also about to lead a day's worth of discussion on the topic at our WiredChurches workshop, Discipleship: Turning Off the Auto Pilot. I'm hoping the day holds some significant conversation that will allow me to learn as well. Seems it's one of the most programmed venues of the local church - and perhaps one of the most misunderstood.
Len Sweet has done quite a bit with this topic - including his insightful book, Out of the Question, Into the Mystery. He's also posted a great litany (some time ago now, it's made a lap around the web by now). If you haven't seen it, here's a starter...
- I used to be a learned professor. Now I'm a learner.
- When I was learned, life was a quiz show. Now that I'm a learner, life is a discovery channel.
- When I was learned, it was a question of how much I knew. Now that I'm a learner, it's a question of how much I'm being stretched.
- When I was learned, knowledge was everything. Now that I'm a learner, kindness is everything.
- When I was learned, knowledge went to my head. Now that I'm a learner, knowledge travels the longest foot in the universe–-the foot that separates my head from my heart.
- When I was learned, I used to point my finger and pontificate. Now that I'm a learner, I slap my forehead all the time
- When I was learned, I used to think I was the best. Now that I'm a learner, I do the best I can.
- When I was learned, I was frightened of new ideas. Now that I'm a learner, I'm just as frightened of old ideas.
- When I was learned, I looked to the past: to have confirmed the set of beliefs I already had. Now that I'm a learner, I look to the future: to grow, be stretched, and remain open to what I don't know.
- When I was learned, I knew where I was going. Now that I'm a learner, I don't know where I'm going----but I know whom I've going with.
(For the entire list, go here...)
That's the challenge with the workshop I'll lead in just a few hours - how do we value learning, rather than pretending to have "arrived" somewhere as the "learned".
I know so much. I want to know Jesus.
