Currently Reading/Read:

The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus

Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne & Chris Haw

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I just finished The Barbarian Way today, and I just wanted to capture a few of my thoughts, or maybe it is highlight some of his… Either way it makes me excited.  The book overall I would say is a great and essential read.  It is a bit drawn out at some parts,,, the fact that there are only 4 chapters of 40 pages each makes it a bit tiresome if you like to finish at checkpoints like I do, but the pages are small so they fly by fast enough.. kinda.  It is a bit simpler of a read than say Bill Johnson, but kinda captures a lot of the same things I feel.

Anyhow, the whole premise is that Christianity has fallen siege to normality (okay this isn’t the language you will find in the book but this is my interpretation).. anyways, so Christianity is plagued by normality.. who would have ever thought… Erwin highlights on how this is not the way Christianity was meant to be, we were meant to be Barbarians, we were meant to be radicals,, untamed by this world… Many lizards have the potential to grow really big, feets and feets long, but when put in smaller restraining cages they will only grow to that size (Goldfish do the same thing).  

Ironically the Spirit is the same as well.  When we limit the Spirit, we will never see Him in His full potential.  The more we let God in and take control, the more of Him we will see moving through us.  But so, what I want to hit on… In one section Erwin is talking about, I believe, the way we ‘do church‘  if you’ve hung out with me for very long you know what I mean…  and here is where he goes with it (Ill start a bit earlier too to give you some context, but discipleship is what were highlighting): “Thoreau talked about individuals who march to the beat of a different drummer.  Barbarians have never met the drummer.  In the civilized view of discipleship, everything and everyone moves toward the center.  Discipleship is translated into standardizing everyone into the same pattern.  We have equated the promise that we would be conformed into the image of Christ with a belief that all of us will be the same.  Discipleship has become the mechanism for uniformity rather than uniqueness.”  

AHHHH Sad day… The saddest part:  I’ve done/do this!!  Okay, before we get to hugely discouraged lets pause.  Breath, okay,,, this is so beyond true, that is the sad part.  But we have to ask why, or maybe the better question will become to what extent.  I’m reminded of this one passage: “And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of toungues….” (1 Cor. 12:28).  Now Im not going into spiritual gifts or even the context of the passage (ill let you do all that yourself), but I highlight this for a reason.  We are all given various talents and giftings, and in this passage both are mixed into the same list, kinda.. ahh but what I want to just say already is this: People are obviously not the same.  

How can you truly disciple everyone with the same programs and curriculum if each one is completely unique?  However, without going a step further, I would like to suggest that standardized discipleship can and should be applied to certain areas of the Christian life, especially to those areas of theology and doctrine.  To a certain point people could probably all fit into a lumped core, a ‘Welcome to Jesus,’ or ‘Christianity 101,’ you know what I mean?  But the key lies after that.  What Erwin is hitting on isn’t this ‘Welcome to the Real World’ section of our lives.  That section lasts for a brief moment compared to our entire walk (some wouldnt even consider this part of our life as discipleship).  He is highlighting on the development of our walk.  The molding of the clay (Which in all honesty is God’s to do).

God gave me this word a few weeks, eh maybe even months by now, back and He said this: “Woe to you who minister… Pray that the words you speak out are more meaningful than the words God is ministering.”  Now first I need to give you some context; the word came during what the church would call “ministry time,”  you know where were all down on our knees and people are crying and soft music is playing (Sorry to steriotype, but this gets the picture across) and what else, people are going around praying for others.  This was a word to those people.. Am I the only one who finds it kinda ironic that as soon as the Spirit begins to minister to someone and we start to hear them cry or fall over, that we rush to their side to pray for them?  I’ll be the first to admit, I have done this countless times, but at the same time, after God spoke this word my desire to has really been put…. say.. more on alert…. (Alright, Im already on a tangent, so Ima go with it, even though this should be it’s own post… )  In honesty, it’s like taking cuts in line… Haha, it reminds me of like a a grocrey store… Everyone’s in loooooong lines, and everyone is asking “why are there only two lines open”  and then all of a sudden some store employee opens up a new lane, and EVERYONE rushes to get to the front of the new line.  Well here’s how that correlates to me,, Ill try to paint it for you… God begins to minister to someone, (it’s like a new lane opening up) and everyone and their cat’s new born kittens want to go minister to that person… what happens, well hopefully God spoke to them and told them to go, and already gave them a word… but based on my own previous experiences, this is not usually the case… sad day… We also know that God doesn’t seem to raise His voice…  I picture God kneeling down next to someone on their knees,, sweetly and softly He begins to minister to them in their fragile state, and then all a sudden, someone comes over cause they ‘see their friend crying and sad’ so they need to comfort them and they begin just praying (again steriotypng, but usually in a way where the friend can audibly hear them) and God is completely drowned out… Okay I think that covers my point… I put this hear for one reason.  The word came from God, and in here I am not speaking directly to anyone… I have been guilty of this sooo many times, and it made me stop and think, and like I said, it has made me be a little more cautious and seek God a little more before I go over to anyone… I hope it does for you too.. The last thing I would ever want is to know that I kept someone from hearing God simply because I love them so much and want to comfort them… It’s hard, but think about it…

So, discipleship, I believe everyone needs their own form, it should be as unique as every snowflake that falls (holding to the idea that each one is different), each one so small and fragile, yet so intricately put together by our Daddy in heaven.  It is a sad day when we put discipleship into a unfirom fishbowl and say: This is what you will look like little fishey! This is the way you become a Christian.  Welcome to normality.  If ever we (as the Church) get there, I hope I am not apart of it.. Everyone is intricutley different, each one of us needs our own special fix from God, and I mean our own ‘to be made better’ from God. The heros of Christianity never fit the molds that the majorites put on them… have you ever read the Old Testament, or do you have one of those Bibles that contains only the New?  (If so, I love you, but go buy one that has the entire thing, and read the first part of the story.)  Woah.. this post feels very rough.. I should put a warning sign on it before I’m done… I love you all, and I hope you find your mold of discipleship..

Two lasts points.. First:  Discipleship requires discipeling, the Bible puts a lot of emphasis on passing down wisdom, mantels, inheritances, all those things, so if you feel like your nich of discipleship is just you and God… I strongly urge you to pray about that, cause I think your wrong…. Second: My whole life I never really understood how to do discipleship (in the since of being the one receiving it)  I didn’t know where to start, where to look, how to begin that quest… And eventually God steered me in direction, but one of my early mentors told me this “If you want discipleship, it’s up to you.  People aren’t going to throw themselves at you and say ‘Hey! Let me be your mentor!’  It is going to start with you asking them, seeking them out.” (Dan Stewart)  And although God will hopefully still look after you, this principle stands very true… It isn’t that people don’t want to do it, they just don’t know that you want it.  I would then urge you to pray and step out and ask someone to begin pouring into your life… (Third side note Small groups are awesome, and group discipleship builds relationship which is essential, but find someone you can be one on one with, and someone of the same gender if it is one on one),, kay Ima end there… I love you guys, anyone out there.. i love you, yes you, kay luh you buh bye

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