As I have pondered this word, I have
found that others are doing the same. Collectively, we are asking
questions of whether this Christian life is one that is to be
intentional? or is to be haphazard and a guessing game? Can we
accidentally do this thing called discipleship? or is there more to
it?
The life of a Christian has to be more
than just sitting in the pews and listening to the great orator; the
great orator that pontificates about all of the intricacies of what
it means to be a “good Christian”. It has to be more than going
to our well heated buildings, that have comfortable padded seats, and
a staff that can invite us to enjoy the service. This intentional
life of discipleship must involve more than seeking our own comfort,
and seeking a “worship” service that fits our needs. This life
of intention has to be more than an expensive ad for something cheap
– it has to be more than a country club for like-minded folks –
it has to be more than being spiritual but not religious – it has
to be more than saying all the right things which comes off as empty
and apathetic – it has to be more than professional Christianity
being top-down management – it has to be more than using the Bible
as a weapon – it has to be more than mediocrity and indifference –
is has to be more than a self-enrichment exercise – it has to be
more than finger pointing and political maneuvering.
The intentional life is a life that
Jesus calls us to. A life that is devoted to loving God and loving
God by loving our neighbor. It is a life that is centered on Jesus
Christ, while at the same time it is a life that gives itself away
for the common good of all. It is also a life that we oftentimes
mess up, but with joy and tenacity we find the on-ramps that allow us
to get back on this path of intentional discipleship.
It has been with great joy and tenacity
that my family and I have walked out 2015. It has been a year of
intentionality. A year that we continue to refine and hone in on
what it means to embody hope in the context God has placed us. A
year that has allowed to to be the exegesis of the gospel imperative
to be disciples that make disciples. We are humbled by the fact that
we get to journey beside some of the most gifted and passionate
people we have ever met. We have had the distinct privilege of
walking hand-in-hand with people that are living this life of
intentionality. This has changed us and has expanded our family.
In this last year of living out the
word intentional I have found times where I have been exhilarated by
this simple call to embody hope – times where I am standing in the
water baptizing people that have surrendered their lives to Jesus
Christ – times of listening to complete strangers share
heart-wrenching stories of heart ache – times of holding the
scriptures in my hand, while at the same time words coming off the
page into the circumstance that is at hand – times of looking into
the face of death and finding hope – times of joy that breaks my
heart as we say good-bye to great friends – times of laughter where
the city tells us that was way too many signs – times of looking in
the offering basket and seeing $10 and reminding God that this thing
called The Anchor was his idea – times of hugging someone who has
had way too much to drink and reminding him that God loves him just
the way he is – times of great Bob Marley music drifting across the
Cape Fear River – times of sitting in front of a reporter and
sharing the gospel message – times of standing in Hell's Kitchen
with a candle – times of simplicity and healing.
Thank you to everyone that we have had
the honor to journey beside in 2015. My intentional prayer is that
we can embody hope in profound and riveting ways in 2016. I look
forward to the creative and imaginative challenges the Holy Spirit
invites us to participate in.
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