Lessons From September 11 - Discipleship

Events can impact us, but they rarely transform us. Nine years ago we were impacted by an event. September 11, 2001 started as a normal day but ended with thousands dead, all air travel grounded, and a nation in shock.


That morning nineteen al-Qaeda extremists used four commercial airliners to stage an event that paralyzed a nation, but only for a while. Soon we were calling friends and family to assure them that we would be all right. Later, we gathered in churches and synagogues to seek help from God. Then we turned to our first-responders and encouraged them and prayed for them. We were impacted.


I know that many in the church, leaders especially, hoped that this event would bring transformation. Unfortunately, increased airport security and increased limits on carry-on luggage have become the only long-lasting changes. True, we are fighting two wars overseas that we weren't fighting then. But only the ones who lost loved ones, or those who are now sending them overseas, are living lives that have been altered forever. The rest of us were merely, temporarily impacted.


Transformation happens not through events but by living it - daily. For many Americans, including American Christians, life isn't much different than it was on September 10, 2001. American life has retreated to an imaginary world of televisions, computers, and I-Pods. We remember 9/11 simply as a horrific day in history. It impacted us, but only for a time and nearly a decade ago.


But how would the world be different if we could live a life that was transformed rather than simply impacted? Every day would offer new opportunities to live this revolutionized life. We would understand and accept new responsibilities. We wouldn't simply 'think' about an issue; we would be compelled to action. Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, "We have learned a bit too late in the day that action springs not from thought but from a readiness for responsibility."


This is where many in the church have forgotten the mechanism that God instituted for ensuring that our efforts accomplish transformation and not simply well packaged events.

Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matt 28:18-20 "The Great Commission"

In the original language, this passage could read ". . . cause them to learn all of the things that they see that I have instructed you . . ." The mechanism that God established for transformational growth is discipleship; transmitting to others what we learn on a daily basis.


My theological friends are thinking to themselves, "Salvation is what changes someone"; and my holiness friends are saying, "TheHoly Spirit baptism is what brings real change." I agree with both views, to a point.


Here is where I often see a disconnect in the church: we assist people as they experience 'salvation' and an 'infilling' of the Holy Spirit, but that's where the church often stops. We leave these 'spiritual babies' in the delivery room and go look for another 'pregnant' event.


We don't do that with human babies. We understand that, even though we have witnessed a miracle that only God could perform, we have a responsibility to care for and nurture these newborns for several years to come. Likewise, discipleship is the next natural step in spiritual development, yet in many cases it is ignored. No wonder that recent studies have shown no difference between the moral behavior of Christians and non-believers.


This may be why September 11 surprised many in the church. We forgot the power of discipleship.


How could you train nineteen men to live peaceful, quiet, suburban lives for several years, and yet expect them to willingly sacrifice those lives for what they believe in? Discipleship. It's time for the church to reclaim its Commission.

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Even Peyton Longs for Community

Christian Perspectives Article 08-26-06

I watched the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks last week and something that John Madden said caught my attention. He said that Peyton Manning said something that Madden hadn’t heard in twenty years. Peyton startled him by asking, “Do you know what I love about training camp?”

John Madden’s broadcasting partner interrupted with the play by play and then followed up. “Well, what was it?” Good question.

What could possibly be loveable about training camp? Is there anything appealing about two practices a day in 90 degree heat in Central Indiana in August? What could one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL like, let alone love, about training camp?

Peyton said, “I love the fact that we can’t get away from each other. Guys come by the room and hang out. We play cards. We’re together.” What Peyton Manning loves about training camp is community.

But Peyton’s not alone. Ask any kid what they like most about the summer and more often than not they will respond with something like this: “I loved camp with all my friends,” or “our family vacation together,” or “when our little league team won the championship together.” The highlights of people’s lives are the times when they experience togetherness.

What was so magical about the days following September 11, 2001? We had all experienced something together as a nation. What is so appealing about a honeymoon? It’s the time that two people can focus exclusively on their “togetherness.”

Have you ever spent a relaxing evening together with friends that you haven’t seen “in forever”? As the evening winds to an end, you look at each other and say, “We should do this again!” What did you want to do again? It was the experience of togetherness or community.

God created us for community. Many of us are deficient in experiencing community. We feel that there is something missing but we can’t quite put our finger on it. When it finally happens, often by accident, it takes us by surprise and overwhelms us. We don’t want to leave, and when we are forced to leave we are eager to reproduce the experience as soon as possible.

The writer of Hebrews says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” Why? Because we need to encourage one another. We need to love one another. We need to help one another. We need to bless one another. We need to challenge one another to do great things for the kingdom. We need to weep with one another. We need to party with one another. We simply need one another.

How good do you think the Colts would be if they refused to attend training camp with each other? They need to spend time with each other so that they can accomplish the job that they were assembled for – to win every game they play.

How good can the church possibly be if we refuse to spend time with one another? We need to spend time together so that we can accomplish the job that we were assembled for – to advance the Kingdom of God.

They probably didn’t know it, but Sunday Night Football touched on a profound truth that effects every person alive. We were made for community. We crave community. We are at our best when we live in community.

For Peyton and the Colts, the season is just around the corner. For the church, we are very likely in the second half of the most important game of the season. It’s time to get together and build community.