Like many today, we like to refer to being a Christian as 'following Jesus.' Why? In order to emphasize its not just a belief system in our heads or a promised destination in the future - Christianity is a way of valuing life and living everyday.
We 'follow Jesus' because we have found him to be God-with-us, the Most Holy One who is also a kind and constant Friend. 'I will follow' (to borrow from early U2) because when we do so Jesus proves true to his promise - his way is where abundant life, living water, nourishing bread of heaven, rock-climbing-hand-hold-solid truth, and the light of life are found. We unabashedly want those things in our lives, the lives of family and friends, and we want to be conduits of those things into every corner of the globe. So we aspire to follow Jesus.
One of the 'ways of Jesus' we emphasize at our church is: We will journey like Jesus, doing life together.
What we mean is that just as Jesus clearly lived in consistent, committed community with 3-12 others, for the purpose of life growth and life mission, we say 'me too!' So we structure our children's and youth ministry to evidence spiritual community. And we encourage every adult to be part of a Community Group, Men's or Women's Group, or go make something up. But be sure it's Christ-centered community that includes studying God's Word together in some way, as a solid center.
This is no easy or clean life practice - just like it wasn't for Jesus and the disciples (there were political liberals and conservatives, loud talkers and introverts in Jesus' inner circle of 12). But it is the most blessed way to live. Because its the way of Jesus - one of his most clearly discernable and follow-able life practices.
Over Memorial Day weekend, Angie and I experienced one of the most powerful 'abundant life' blessings of being in our Community Group for a number of years now. Some blessings we expected - friendships, people consistently praying for important things in our lives, and the richness of studying the Bible and sharing meals with other Christians. But this blessing was unexpected.
For a bunch of years, our group goes to a mountain cabin Sunday afternoon through Monday evening of Memorial Day. This year, it was about 20 of us (kids and all). At night the floors were packed with air mattresses and dudes sleeping on couches. One college student slept in a hammock and claims he got the best night's sleep.
We play, eat, drink, and make s'mores. But the heart of the trip is what has grown into a ceremony of blessing. On Sunday evening, we set up tables under an Oak Tree, eat a long leisurely meal. Then we take turns speaking words of blessing and advice to the high school graduates that year (that's just the season of life our group has been in for a while, and will still be in for some years). Afterward we each write a version of what we said in a journal that is a gift to each graduate to take away.
The primary power of this ceremony is not the content of the words (though they bring us to tears each time). The power lies in the specificity of each kid knowing they are 'known' - the words of blessing are specific admirations of who our adults have discovered each kid to be and to be becoming as they've matured. Its as though we hold each of them up to the light of who God created them to be, and admire it in front of each other. Then we call them be THAT person even more fully after high school, in fellowship with Christ and his people. Glorious.
This is a single example of a blessing that would not be possible for these graduates and our families, without the years-long practice of 'doing life together as we follow Jesus.'
It has been long-stated by sociologists that western culture uniquely lacks ritualistic and ceremonial rites of passage for the young. God has gifted our group with one way of filling that void in our teenagers' lives, through this ceremony.
The other thing we do on the trip is a Monday adventure - this year I picked out a little-used trail into a little-known wilderness area. It was gorgeous for the first half hour. Then more and more green plants appeared on the trail until someone shouted, 'hey, we're walking right through poison ivy.' Hoping it would diminish, and since we were already exposed, we kept going. Until it got up to our waists some time later. Then kids started saying, 'hey, I'm getting itchy.' So we turned around, hiked back up, and hosed ourselves off back at the cabin. Everyone felt fine. Then Tuesday night at home I found a big honking tick on me. When I texted for the group to check themselves, messages came back, 'by the way, poison ivy broke out on my legs/arms/ears/neck.'
We've already made one decision about next year's trip. I won't be in charge of the Monday activity.
May you follow the way of Jesus, friends, particularly by doing life together with fellow disciples of our Savior.
