Moving in the Right Circles
Following Jesus is much more than just journeying to heaven. It is, in fact, to begin to understand our calling, and to play our part in initiating and establishing God's completed miracle of redemption, into which all our present efforts will be gathered up.
It was my friend Phil who, for me, expressed the link between the often painful exertions of the here and now, and the wonderful consummation of the age to come. Phil's wife, Nicola, had fought a magnificent and moving fight against cancer. Her firm faith simply served to highlight the truth that sickness is an intruder in God's world. Her unwavering commitment to serve others was a declaration that even the darkest situations can be transformed. When Nicola died, Phil sent a text message to all his friends that said, simply but perceptively, 'Nicola died peacefully at six o'clock this evening to continue her resurrection adventure.' That's it exactly. The gospel is not a call to escape, but a commissioning to a glorious, never-ending adventure in which we have a part to play in God's great strategy to make all things new. It's an adventure that begins the moment we respond to Jesus, and that continues all through this life, and is gloriously fulfilled in the life to come.
There are countless people today who are disillusioned by what they know of Christianity and what they see of the church. They think of it - often with good reason - as a tired institution, shut away in half-empty buildings, anchored to the past, bound by rigid dogma and providing a suitable refuge only for those weary souls who've given up on life. But the same people are often drawn almost irresistibly to Jesus. Instinctively, they recognise that this is a man whose life and teaching challenge us to discover a purpose and pattern that makes life worth living. Most of those people have never been part of the church. Others continue to attend, but are just hanging on, wondering whether it's worth the effort.
Discipleship, however, is not membership in an emergency plan for the safe evacuation of the faithful to 'a better place'. Rather, discipleship is enlisting in God's resurrection project for the world that he created. It's a world that he sustains by his word of power, that he loved enough to die for, and that he will one day heal from every hurt and wound.
But, be warned - if you take his challenge seriously it will be no easy ride. It will be gruelling as well as glorious. It will, in truth, cost you everything. But it will be the best bargain you ever made...
Chick Yuill
Links
This week's 'Connecting with Culture' is an extract from Chick Yuill's brand new book, Moving in the Right Circles - Embrace the Discipleship Adventure. Order your copy now from the LICC online shop...
Chick, who is LICC's Church-Life Consultant in the North-West of England, has his own website, which you can access here...
A short interview with Chick, about the book and his work for LICC, is featured in the latest edition of LICC's EG magazine, available here...
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