MARK VAN STEENWYK ON DISCIPLESHIP

I count others like Mark, who are doing discipleship in the trenches like we are in the Journey, as priceless resources. We double our growth potential when we can widen the "lesson" that way. Mark recently shared "8 assumptions" he makes about discipleship:


1. You don’t “know” your way into “doing.” If anything, you need to “do” your way into “knowing.”
2. We can’t “blue-print” an approach to discipleship. We need to experiment into it. 
3. We need to create space for this; it can't happen in the context of a typical worship service. 
4. Certain ways of reading Scripture lend themselves more to this approach than others
5. Discipleship doesn't make sense apart from the margins. The way of Jesus is wrapped up with the poor and marginalized. When we do discipleship separate from the poor and marginalized, we're actually engaging in proto-discipleship. 
6. All of this needs to be done in conversation with the struggles of a people in a particular place. Our experimenting, discussing, and studying needs to be done in conversation with real-life challenges that rise from a particular context. 
7. Discipleship in an imperial context requires resistance. We can't say "yes" to the Kingdom of God without saying "no" to the American Dream. 
8. Discipleship is revolutionary action.

So much of what he says here reflects our own experience, and why the call to follow the "Wild Messiah" is so difficult to answer - we are addicted to the "American Dream", just like the rich young ruler, and the Pharisees who loved the power they had over the people. 

The Kingdom of God is not essentially academic, it is inherently...revolutionary. Revolutions aren't nice, so we have a hard time with that in our Minnesota culture. But with Jesus there is no "Plan B". We follow Him or we don't. He understands the cost. Yes, He really understands the cost.

Thanks, Mark, for sharing with us from the trenches. May the Kingdom come in all you do.