The 21st century is strange and wonderful place to be and a difficult place to envision a radical, grace give and whole hearted Christian faith. This series of the A-Z of discipleship will help us try and narrow down a few key concepts of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the 21st century.

Biblical

Biblical discipleship should form the foundation for our model of discipleship in the 21st century. Sometimes it easy to justify away or simple ignore the truths that are set before us in bible. In our culture where the bible is being watered down by a culture that in a majority of places views it as out of date and unequivocally boring. We need to however not loose sight of the important place of the bible in 21st century discipleship.

Biblical discipleship is a key element of a fully functioning and complete guide to discipleship. We see in the bible an over arching meta narrative of a God who loves his people and wants to be involved in their lives. We also see the ordinary radicals striving to follow the call of God on their lives. It is important to gain guidance in our discipleship but also encouragement from the people that have gone before us, and their wisdom and knowledge.

The bible contains some of the most wonderful and beautiful stories of love, betrayal and hope. We can use these wonderful teachings and guidance to build a discipleship that is life-giving, risk taking and radical in a culture that just think our faith is life enhancing, safe and boring. A faith that is more likely to be found in the self help section of a book store than religious section.

My spiritual mentor has been telling me for years now to read the bible in a year. He tells me its a great discipline and a great way to read and grapple with parts of the bible that I may never have read before. Here is your 21 day update. 3 weeks in and I am thinking why haven’t I done this before. I have been amazed at how much reading the bible everyday can help make you so much more aware of God. So much more aware of what God has been doing in this world. I wonder if we sometimes are too afraid of being disciplined  in our culture because it leads us back to the days of rebellion, rage, anger and, maybe just me, teenager tantrums. I am finding some beautiful about being disciplined in my reading and about choosing God over many other things.

There is something to this being disciplined lark…

Hey guys… yes it is that time again. It’s Friday and almost the weekend…wooohooo!!! I didn’t really know what to tell or talk to you guys about because I am not really the most deep empowering person… in fact I am normally the one on the other side of the empowering.

I was watching the Blue Planet the other day and the first five minutes of the first episode was about the blue whale. Did you know that the blue whale: measures 30 metres and weighs 200 tonnes. Its heart is the size of a small car, its tough weighs the same as an elephant and it tail fluke is the length of a small aircrafts wings. Oh and its blood vassals are so wide that you could swim through them if that’s what takes your fancy!! I think that is incredible and every time I watch it I can’t help but be mesmerized by it!!! The other really strange thing is that no one really knows very much about the blue whale. The reason I am telling you this is not just to show off my knowledge of the blue whale, but it is to make you think… why it is there, what is the purpose of it. Now of course it plays a big part in the circle of life within the ocean, but that’s not what I mean I mean why God design it so uniquely and so carefully. Not very many people get to see the blue whale and in fact it has only been in the last ten or so years that people have been able to see it on TV. So why… well in psalm 152 it says that everything that has breath praise the Lord!! That is why it is on earth, that is why it is created so uniquely. Through its diving and swimming, and with each breath it takes and every song it sings is praise to God. It is one of the things that remind me of Gods glory and power, and it reminds me that I need to praise and thank God for what he has done and made!!! OK… I am not saying that everyone is going to be amazed and by the blue whale the same way I am, but may be you find God’s glory in something else, like music, your friends and family, art or whatever you are interested in!

9/11/09

#Mary: I arrived home today and you should have seen the stares that came my way. Thosee piercing stares cut deep into my soul.

#Mary: When Joe saw me and realised that I was pregnant, he looked horrified. I thought he was going to run away. We haven’t spoken since.

#Joe: Mary is preagant! I tell you what, its not mine! What do I do? She has been unfaithful.

10/11/09

#Mary: Joe still hasn’t spoken to me. We bumped into each other and he couldn’t even look at me.

#Joe: What am I going to do? I have a pregnant girlfriend, the baby isn’t even mine and I can’t focus on anything. We’re not talking.

#Mary: This is a huge step of faith that’s been taken for me. God had better know what he’s doing!!

#Wisemen: Been traveling for ages. Its been a fantastic journey so far but Bethlehem still seems distant.

11/11/09

#Joe: Something a bit strange happened. I couldn’t quite believe it. An angel visited me!

#Mary: Something has changed in Joe. I don’t know what it is but he starting to smile at me and is really gentle.

#Joe: An angel from God visited me, he had loads to say, trying to get my head around it all now.

12/11/09

#Joe: The Angel I saw yesterday said to me that the baby was from God. We are giving birth to the Son of God. THE SON OF GOD!!!

#Mary: An Angel visited Joe, and now we are learning to be a team. It feel so much better to not be alone

#Wisemen: I remember reading these stories about a messiah coming to rescue the whole world. I do wonder if this is him?

13/12

#Joe: I still can’t get my head around the truth that the messiah of the world is coming to our house.

#Mary: Joe is so positive these days. God is in control and I trust him.

#Wisemen: I wonder if he will be a big strong man? Or if he will be 8ft tall? I do wonder.

14/12

#Mary: I still struggle with the burden that is placed on my shoulders. But God has come through for me so far. I have faith.

#Mary: I still struggle with the burden that is placed on my shoulders. But God comes through all the time

#Herod: A Messiah?! No man may rise up against me. Not while I’m in control. I need to kill this expectation that people have for a savior.

#Wisemen: I wonder if he will be a man of great powers? Or if he will be born in a palace or a great home?

15/12

#Mary: News has just broken that we have to go back to Joe’s home because Rome has called a census.   –

#Joe: What a joke! 100 miles on a donkey and with a pregnant wife. Our journey has started!

#Herod: This is my opportunity to find out if this “messiah” is going to be born in my patch. Then I can find him and kill him.

#Herod: These people don’t need a saviour! Israel is stronger than it’s ever been. The economy is booming, the army is ready and even Rome respects us.

16/11/09

#Mary: All Joe keeps asking is how I am? I am pregnant for goodness sake. How does he think I am?

#Joe: I feel pressure of having the world on my shoulders. A pregnant, hormonal wife is all I need.

#Herod: I can’t seem to shake these people out of their futile hope. Why on earth do they need a saviour when they have me?

#Wisemen: Its been a long journey but the star seems to be stopping over a city known as Jerusalem.

I was browsing through JR Briggs blog today and I stumbled across an interesting post that tied in nicely with something that a couple of us are challenging ourselves with this year. Me and a friend of mine Andy Hoyland have decided to read the bible this year and part of my passion for the year ahead is become more like Jesus. Many times I have, as I am sure many do, make goals that mean nothing (lose weight, eat healthier etc) but this year I want to take on the simple yet complicated task of  trying to be more like Jesus.

I recently heard a quote by the famed Jewish theologian David Flusser from Hebrew University in Jerusalem said that if Christians are to be like their rabbi, Jesus, they have to intimately know who he is, how he lived and what he taught – inside and out.  He stressed his point even more saying that if Christians do not read the four gospels once a week it would be hard for them to call themselves followers of Jesus. Sure, its bold and provocative, but there is little doubt that Flusser meant it.

I am challenged to make 2010 a year a discipline.