Bill Murray. Danny Parker. Dan DeHaan. David Chamberlain. David Collins. What do all these men have in common? They discipled me.
Bill Murray used to meet with me once a week and teach me about how to study the Bible and pray. Danny Parker taught me how to love high school students in a manner in which they would know it. Dan DeHaan taught me how to seek God for Himself and not just for what He can give me. David Chamberlain mentored me in the Anglican faith, and David Collins taught me about the Church and the release of the Holy Spirit in ministry. These men are just a few of the many who have discipled and mentored me in how to follow Jesus Christ. They gave of their time, their resources, and their very lives to help me become a disciple of Jesus.
Jesus calls each of his followers to be about the business of disciple-making – helping others follow Jesus as He leads them in their lives. When a person is born-again, she or he is like a new baby in this world. A baby must be cared for, loved, fed, cleaned, disciplined, and nurtured until such a time she or he can walk on her or his own. The Kingdom of God is similar. We need to be taught to walk the talk: How do you worship? How do you pray? How do you read and study the Bible? How do you hear the Lord? How do you love your neighbor? What do the Scriptures say about Jesus? About serving? About what is right and what is wrong? This is what discipleship does – it cooperates with the Holy Spirit to help us to follow Jesus in our life-situation.
Many have tried to turn discipleship into a class or course that we attend. As good as those courses might be, discipleship is also caught, not just taught. It is a lifestyle modeled and shared in the living of life together. I am so grateful for the many individuals who have walked with me over the years, sharing their lives, their families, their wisdom, and their knowledge of God.
As Anglicans, we have an incredible wealth of resources to aid us in our discipleship. We have the Catechism; we have the Book of Common Prayer; we have numerous Anglican scholars and Bible teachers spanning the past five centuries whose work opens the pages of Scriptures, and we have many godly women and men of the Church Catholic from the days of the Patriarchs. In today’s age of technology, we can access sermons and teachings from people all over the world and throughout the history of the Church. Our only excuse now for not living into discipleship and being a disciple-maker is that we just don’t want to. Ouch. But this is truer than most of us realize.
This week, I listened to a brother in Christ share about his ministry with prisoners. He works with serious and violent offenders. He made an astonishing statement: About 95% of these men have sat in churches in their younger years and have prayed the sinner’s prayer. What happened? Why didn’t it take? Could it be that they were never discipled? Could it be no one ever invested in their walk with the Lord, and they never became a disciple? They had made a decision for Christ, but they never became a disciple of Christ.
As a province, let’s be about making disciples. It is the best way to reach North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ. After all, this is what the Great Commission is all about. “Therefore, go and make disciples….” (Mt.28:19).
The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church in North America
Halleluia!
Thank you Most Reverend Foley Beach.
(As a non-denominational I am nevertheless always happy to honour a ‘man of the cloth’ who honours our Lord!)
So good to read a plain, uncomplicated description of the Christian life on this blog..
Whilst leaning towards Arminianism, over the years I have come to see how much God’s grace works in our lives to draw us towards not only being born again, but to discipleship and sanctification.
I think it is the example of godly men and women, their lives and testimonies and their prayers for us that greatly influence the depth of our commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ.
You can do the ‘Ten easy steps to Salvation’ but it is the Holy Spirit who draws us ‘to consider Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith’. (Hebrews 12:2)
Amen and amen.
Please come and be the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
Fr. K, I came to this blog because I subscribe to Anglicans Unscripted which I greatly enjoy for its realism,integrity and humour. I was a member of another Christian blog which although essentially Anglican, was nevertheless ecumenical in its readership.
I find it difficult to understand why subscribers on this blog are so apathetic/ un-opinionated/ silent!
There is so much going on in the world. Our Lord is looking for men and women to go out into the harvest either at home or overseas. Yet apart from a few this blog seems.. well, stodgy.
I don’t understand it.
My wife and I attended an Anglican parish church for seven years. We served on the PCC, I also served as Deanery and .Diocesan rep; so I could understand the apathy were this an orthodox Anglican blog.
As ‘non conformists’ in an Anglican church we got to understand the priorities given to hierarchy, deference, ceremony, parish shares and faculties. We understood this to be part of traditional Anglicanism.
But the Anglican church God used many years ago to bring me to the Lord was evangelical, charismatic and community minded.
As far as I understand it Anglican Ink. remains faithful to the true Anglican church statement of faith; loyal to our Lord and his Gospel blog.
So why so quiet?
I can only speak for myself – it’s difficult not to get bogged down when you are trapped in the structures of the CofE, and despite speaking out, trying to promote change and gospel focused lives, work, etc when the system you are in at times seems stacked against you. When the hierarchy don’t want you as they prefer liberal minded uneducated fluffiness, then it is easy to become disenfranchised.
I long to work with gospel minded, solid brothers and sisters in running the race and concentrate on that, rather than having to constantly justify why I believe in the authority of the scriptures etc., even if they are counter cultural.
I totally agree with you about Anglican Unscripted, it’s been a blessing to have the ministry of Kevin, Canon George and Bishop Gavin. It’s kept me sane!! ?
Thank you Fr K.
As mentioned above to Dr. Professional we seek to fellowship with Christians of all denominations, but recognise the special place the Church of England has in our nation, and long to see it spiritually revived. In the meantime we fellowship and pray together with whoever wishes to.
Dannyhboy,
I appreciate your perspective. This website is largely devoted to the political side of things Anglican. There are several highly active websites around with an orthodox Anglican perspective on evangelism, worship, pastoral care, missions, etc. I am sure that Anglican Ink wouldn’t look kindly on my posting links to their competitors 🙂 but if you poke around on Google you can find them.
I appreciate your candour. My purpose was not to upset anyone, just to try and understand the lack of liveliness!
What the Rev’d Foley Beach is saying is so refreshing. I know the vicar of a local church who is a delight to fellowship and pray with, and there are quite a few lively Anglican churches around the country. What we as non conformists seek to do is get to know congregants of other churches as people firstly, respect their denominational beliefs without necessarily agreeing. It is in our relationship with with the Lord Jesus Christ that we find unity.
I will follow up on your suggestion.