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Imagine you're on a long journey… heading to a place that fills you with awe and wonder. The skies are blue, the air is crisp, the mountains are snow capped, the climb is exhilarating, the view is incredible, the sunlight sparkles on the distant sea as you look out over a patchwork of green meadows. Even in your dreams you never imagined it could be so vibrant, so wonderful, so amazing. It takes your breath away.
On the journey there you catch glimpses of the destination you’re heading towards. You meet people and ask them along too. Sometimes however you find yourself in litter strewn, barren places, the skies are dark, the place oppressive, you feel lonely. At other times the journey is just long and tedious and you wish you’d brought a book. You trudge through the same scenery day in, day out and you wonder what the point is, you begin to lose hope you’ll ever get to where you once had such a longing to be. Sometimes the journey feels dangerous and treacherous and you fear you’ll lose your footing, other times you’re pretty sure you’re lost. Sometimes you take an unexpected detour and find yourself in a surprising place where you discover something new and unexpected. Other times you get stuck, it’s more comfortable to sit than to move, less frightening somehow.
Discipleship is a journey. An adventure. There will be times when it’s exhilarating but other times when it’s hard and difficult.
As disciples of Jesus Christ we follow someone who walked on this earth just as we do, who lived in a family, who enjoyed the company of friends, who worked and lived and breathed the very air that we now breathe. Someone who laughed and cried, who lived a fully human life just as we do yet lived a perfect life full of love. We are learning from Him as we go, we are experiencing His love and grace and forgiveness, knowing there is nothing we can do to earn it. We are learning to show the same love to others and signposting them to Jesus. At the same time, we realise that the journey requires effort and perseverance on our part; that at times it will be tough going.
Take a few moments to consider…what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ…?
We believe a disciple is someone seeking God the Father through following and imitating Jesus as closely as possible, whatever the cost; it is someone learning how life works with love as he or she lives amongst God’s people and out in the world, sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit, and bearing His fruit.
At Upton Vale we hope that we can walk alongside one another on the discipleship journey, changing to become like the one we follow, encouraging each other to keep going, helping discover how we can gain momentum and what tools might help us.
The Discipleship Terrain is one tool that helps us navigate the journey. Like a map we can use it to help us get our bearings and focus on where we need to get to. It helps us answer questions such as “Where am I?” Where is God leading me? Where do I want to go? How am I going to get there?
Are you willing to go on the journey…….?
The Discipleship Terrain
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