Making Disciples

This past Sunday, I preached on the topic of making Disciples. Many of you might have heard the podcast already on the web. I asked two key questions that I think deserve more attention. The first was "Am I in Christ?" and the second one was "Am I in my calling?"

While in business for close to thirty years, I saw so many people who seemed to randomly live their life. Yes, they had a job and made enough salary to get by and then some. However, they did not possess the "it" factor. They did not have a sense of calling in their life. They perhaps were not living up to their full potential in God. I was one of those persons for most of that twenty five years in the corporate world. All I saw and did somehow seemed to flow through the eyes of the company. My family was seen through that lens. I remember always thinking that life must be about more than I was seeing and feeling every day.

I found that difference once I was called by God just as the first Disciples were. After preaching the sermon from Matthew where the first Disciples are called, I realized that God has an imprint already on all of us from the beginning of our lives. We have been sought out and bought by God to be redeemed. All of the work has been done for us or has it?

Jesus first called two brothers then two more. They were all fishermen but none were "fishers of men". None of them really understood or realized the impact on their lives through their dedication and commitment to Jesus. We all are something or have something. The problem is that we never seem to use all that we were created to be for God's highest glory and desire for us.

Yes, God fits, qualifies, authorizes and even commissions us. We have all that we need. All we are to do is follow. There is the rub. For to follow means to sever ourselves from all else so that we can maintain a diligent attendance on Christ. We must know Him inside and out and be able to imitate Him in all that we do. We found it difficult to maintain a constant diligence on anything these days. There is too much in our lives. There is too much complexity and information and knowing. We find it almost impossible to sever ourselves to be with our children or ourselves.

Severing ourselves can be quite difficult. Depending on all that you possess, your family ties, your job, your self identity, we can be quite tied up in our humanity.

I believe that is where God meets us. In our humanity, Jesus issued two commands in the Gospel in Matthew of the calling of the first Disciples 1. repent (I realize that you are human so just say you are sorry) 2. Come after me or follow me. The Gospel suggests that both of these acts are quite important and necessary for our salvation. I am reminded of the Nike ad "Just Do It". I think to become a Disciple we must all really look at Jesus' slogan "Just Follow".

Routine with a "N"

What an experience was felt by me today. My son after having pain for some time underwent a colonoscopy on January 7th to check for Crone's disease. A twenty millimeter polyp was found. It was removed and the results were to come in from pathology within ten days. Today after getting an early morning call from my son complaining of severe pain again. Being a helicopter mom, I called his doctor's office. I left a message stating all that had transpired along with a comment that we had not yet received the results of his colon test.

Throughout the day, I spoke to my son as he asked me if they had returned my call. Some time in the late afternoon, my cell phone rang. My son said "mom have you spoken to the doctor yet?" I responded "no not yet". His voice sounded strange. He then said "they called me". "What did they say," I asked? He responded "I have cancer". I really don't remember what he said after that point. I remember thinking I must not react. I must be strong."What do you mean son?" "That's not funny. Please don't say that" I hurried the reply. "Mom do you think I would be kidding about something like that"?

My world collapsed right in front of me. "What? I don't understand what happened?" "What did they say"?? "What are they going to do"?? "What is happening. I need to talk to the doctor. Let me call you back".

The story ends well. It seems that the biopsy show pre-cancer tissues or cells. Come back in one year to do the colonoscopy over. There was no cancer. However, the emotion was overwhelming during the ten minute time period that went from routine to the non-routine.

I have to reflect on our health care systems. How does a child who is only twenty years old hear over the telephone something that is obviously medically a routine diagnosis. It is of course to everyone except the patient. More subtle to reflect upon is the quick movement from routine life to the non-routine.

It makes me think about all that we consider routine in life and how quickly the routine can suddenly shift without notice. The routine can quickly become the horrific. An example, the recent shootings in Arizona. A routine campaign to meet your politician in a shopping center where people are just routinely wandering by. In a matter of minutes, it becomes the non-routine. People are being shot and killed. Many are wounded. Many are dead.

God is in the details. God is in the big picture. God is with us throughout everything the routine and the not so routine. Our challenge is keeping God in our routine enough so that when the non-routine happens, we still see God. His presence is evident.