A Writer?

It doesn't take much looking at the inconsistency of this blog over the last several years to recognize that I'm far from being a writer. Now and then I can get some thoughts written down, but that's about as far as it goes. Inconsistent at best. So imagine how shocked I was to see THIS.

An actual book. Published by an actual publishing company. E-books, actual "hard copy" books. The works. And not just on Amazon.  Barnes & Noble.  Google Play. (Cheaper here!  What a deal!)  iBooks on the iTunes store.  Kobo, whatever that is. Craziness.

"Follow Me: Discipleship That Moves Us" is a project that I put together for York Alliance Church, the wonderful group of people that I get the privilege of serving alongside of, learning from, and now and then actually teaching.  We wrestled--as hopefully many churches do--with what it means for us to fulfill Jesus' call to make disciples.  I'm quite certain we haven't finished that wrestling, but this book is the first installment.  Here's what we found: Disciples aren't made through completing curriculum or engaging a program--rather, they emerge gradually based on a series of values which are consistently and progressively practiced in all of life.  Let me say that again, because if you're like me, it's so simple and obvious that I missed it for years: Disciples aren't made through completing curriculum or engaging a program--rather, they emerge gradually based on a series of values which are consistently and progressively practiced in all of life.  Not a "now it's time to do the church thing," but rather, how does the gospel change the way I live every part of my life?  Not a "finish this and you're a disciple" but rather an admission of the reality that the likeness of Jesus is never fully formed in us on this side of heaven.

Now, of course, I wrestle (like everyone who honestly engages discipleship) to actually live these values out. What does it mean to filter my life through the lens of mission, recognizing that everyone that I see (as C.S. Lewis said) is inching closer to eternity with or without Jesus?  How do I live a life that based firmly in the foundation of the Word of God?  That must be more than doing my devotions...  How do I live authentically in community, trusting the people around me with all of who I am?  How do I serve the body of Christ without expectation of receiving back?  These are hard questions--and they don't have one time, simple answers.

But we'd rather have it that way, wouldn't we?  The reality of our lives say that there aren't just simple answers to our brokenness.  In nearly two decades in active pursuit of Jesus, there haven't yet been any easy "one size fits all" solutions.  It's a journey.  It's a struggle.  It's a joy.  It's a pain.  It's the simplest, most complex, most worthwhile, easiest and most difficult thing in the universe.  It's supposed to be.