Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
(Hebrews 10:24, NIV)
Dear Friends in Christ,
Whitewater kayaking is not a solitary sport. For much of the last twenty years, however, I've treated it that way, getting on the river perhaps once or twice a year, trailing after paddlers I just met at the put-in, in case of emergency. It wasn't as much fun alone; I never really grew in my skills, and from time to time, it was downright dangerous.
This year, I joined the Georgia Canoe Association, a club that organizes river trips, among other activities. It took me back to the way I started kayaking with the Keelhauler's Canoe Club in Cleveland, Ohio. While on vacation this summer, I took several trips with the GCA. Some of the trips had serious objectives: to challenge ourselves to learn more in difficult water to help build our skills and confidence. Experienced paddlers guided the way, safety boaters waited below rapids, colleagues encouraged each other, gave feedback, and lots of cheering for each other as we finessed our way in the whitewater. We even cheered for each other when "finesse" had nothing to do with it! And when I was eaten by the rapids, there were teammates there to fish me out of the water, pull me to shore and help get me back on the river. It was exhausting. It was exhilarating! It was what got me started on the river in the first place.
Christian Discipleship is not a solitary endeavor. So many people drop in on church a couple of times a year, put their name on the list in case of emergency, and keep their inner life insulated from others. Even if we are engaged with church, so often, we're chatting on the riverbanks of true discipleship, content to watch others in the rapids, not preparing for the whitewater in our own lives.
What if there was a community where we could really know and be known by others who are navigating this river of Christian discipleship? What if we could learn from experienced disciples of Jesus Christ, cheer each other on, pick each other up when we fall, and encourage each other toward deeper fidelity and true godliness? What if we had relationships close enough and healthy enough that we could challenge each other, looking for the opportunity to grow and develop as followers of Jesus? It would be exhausting. It would be exhilarating! It would be a deeper experience of the power of God that brought us together in the first place.
Invest in true Christian discipleship and true Christian community, and the rewards will be more than you could ask or imagine.
Yours in Christ,
-Tom
(Hebrews 10:24, NIV)
Dear Friends in Christ,
Whitewater kayaking is not a solitary sport. For much of the last twenty years, however, I've treated it that way, getting on the river perhaps once or twice a year, trailing after paddlers I just met at the put-in, in case of emergency. It wasn't as much fun alone; I never really grew in my skills, and from time to time, it was downright dangerous.
This year, I joined the Georgia Canoe Association, a club that organizes river trips, among other activities. It took me back to the way I started kayaking with the Keelhauler's Canoe Club in Cleveland, Ohio. While on vacation this summer, I took several trips with the GCA. Some of the trips had serious objectives: to challenge ourselves to learn more in difficult water to help build our skills and confidence. Experienced paddlers guided the way, safety boaters waited below rapids, colleagues encouraged each other, gave feedback, and lots of cheering for each other as we finessed our way in the whitewater. We even cheered for each other when "finesse" had nothing to do with it! And when I was eaten by the rapids, there were teammates there to fish me out of the water, pull me to shore and help get me back on the river. It was exhausting. It was exhilarating! It was what got me started on the river in the first place.
Christian Discipleship is not a solitary endeavor. So many people drop in on church a couple of times a year, put their name on the list in case of emergency, and keep their inner life insulated from others. Even if we are engaged with church, so often, we're chatting on the riverbanks of true discipleship, content to watch others in the rapids, not preparing for the whitewater in our own lives.
What if there was a community where we could really know and be known by others who are navigating this river of Christian discipleship? What if we could learn from experienced disciples of Jesus Christ, cheer each other on, pick each other up when we fall, and encourage each other toward deeper fidelity and true godliness? What if we had relationships close enough and healthy enough that we could challenge each other, looking for the opportunity to grow and develop as followers of Jesus? It would be exhausting. It would be exhilarating! It would be a deeper experience of the power of God that brought us together in the first place.
Invest in true Christian discipleship and true Christian community, and the rewards will be more than you could ask or imagine.
Yours in Christ,
-Tom
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