April 27, 2016

Last week I began writing on the 7-step process of discipleship that was originally published by Forward Movement in 1934 and presented to the clergy of the diocese.  The first step in the process is Turn.

The second step in this discipleship process is Follow.

Our turning to the Lord can take many forms.  We can be called by God to turn to a new life.  We can recognize our life's path is not what it should be, so we turn to something more productive.  We can recognize we have sinned in thought, word, or deed, and turn back to a godly life.  But once we turn, what then?  Left to our own devices, we will most likely find ourselves in the very same spot.

But if we turn and Follow, we're onto something.  To follow something or someone implies a few things.  First, implies making a conscience decision to let someone else take the lead.  If we are on a journey to an unknown location, or visiting a new city, we let someone who knows where they're going take the lead.

Another thing that following implies is trust.  Are we willing to trust the person leading us to get us to the right place?  Are we willing to trust that the person leading us won't lose us, either intentionally or unintentionally?  For those of you who have followed someone in a car, yellow lights can be particularly stressful.

A final thing that following implies is understanding.  When we are talking to someone, whether we are giving instructions, making an argument, or trying to teach something, the phrase, “Do you follow me?” comes up.  And when we follow, with our full and complete attention on who is leading, we can and do come to an understanding.  We understand how to get from Point A to Point B.  We understand the point someone is trying to make.  We understand how to better do the task we set out to learn.

But probably the most important thing to know about the word follow is that it is a verb.  It is an action word.  When we follow, we are doing something active.  When we follow, we are, or should be, fully engaged.  Now it is possible to follow without paying attention to where you're going, to “blindly follow” without being invested in the journey; but when we blindly follow, we run the risk of not learning anything about where we are going, the person leading us, or a new point of view.

As we go through our Christian journey, are we truly following Jesus?  Are we allowing him to take the lead in our lives?  Do we trust him to get us to the right place?  Do we trust that he knows the way better than us?  Are we being active in our discipleship?

These are, of course, only questions you can answer.  My prayer is that, as you turn to God from whatever is pulling you away, you will also follow Christ in an active way.

Amen.