Synod: School of Discipleship Week 1
Fan or Follower of Jesus?
The first week of our School of Discipleship session, led by Jeff Cavins, made me realize something. Jesus is a really interesting dude and I’m a big fan. And I think that's a problem.
I’ve heard the phrase “I like Jesus a lot, it’s his fan club I don’t like” and it always seems a bit off to me. Why? Because the Church is not a fan club. A fan club doesn’t eat the body and blood of its leader… Or if it does, it couldn’t do it for long. You know. Limited flesh. But we receive Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity every Sunday at Mass! A fan club doesn’t claim to become a part of their leader’s body. That would require scissors and sewing and pain. And yet, when we are baptized, we become part of the body of Christ.
No, the Church is something much more. Because of this, we are called to be more than just fans of Jesus who enjoy His teaching because they make us feel nice. A faith that makes us feel nice and nothing more can quickly slip into self-worship. It will become about what I want. My will. My desire. My comfort. This fandom is where I tend to sit. Instead, I am called to be a follower of Jesus and to truly do that will make me uncomfortable. Think about the first followers of Jesus. Were Peter and Andrew, professional fishermen, comfortable preaching Jesus’ resurrection and “fishing for men”? Probably not. But, can you imagine the great joy in their lives after having followed Jesus fully? We are called to be followers. Jesus is going to ask us out of our comfort zone. He is going to ask us to be his hands and feet in this world. And it’s both exciting and nerve wracking.
If you’re like me and have been a fan for a long time, but aren’t sure how to fully follow Him, the School of Discipleship course is perfect for you. From the first session I can already say it’s practical, doable, and will stretch you. Each week, Deacon Mike and I will give a recap of the previous week’s session and include the weekly challenge given to us that will help us to grow and learn how to be true disciples of Jesus. We invite you to join us in these weekly challenges to become ever deeper followers of Jesus!
Week 1 Challenge: Throughout the day, with each conversation and each encounter ask yourself, “what would Jesus say, or do?” Then, just do it.