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* It's good to suffer loss, for it draws me to the Cross where God's loss is more than what anyone ever lost. * We cannot hear what the stories of the Bible are saying until we hear them as stories about ourselves. * Let go of control. * Trust God. Thank God. Think about God. Talk to God. Talk about God.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

West Loop's Flexible Internship (John 21:19, 22): Follow Me

Internshipwl

John 21:18-25; Key Verse: Jn 21:19b, 22b

"Then he (Jesus) said to him (Peter), 'Follow me!'” "You must follow me."

Twice in the Gospels, Jesus said to Peter, "Follow me": First, when Jesus first met Peter three years earlier (Mt 4:19; Mk 1:17); second, after his Passion (Jn 21:19, 22). To Peter, following Jesus involved martyrdom (Jn 21:18-19). To John, following Jesus involved living to a ripe old age and writing John's Gospel (Jn 21:22-23). Following Jesus took quite different paths for both of Jesus' disciples.

How do we Christians follow Jesus today? This is a proposal for a flexible internship/mentorship program initiated at the level of a local church community, such as West Loop Church, which may help us lay the ground work for a Christ follower to follow Jesus all the days of our lives.
West Loop’s Flexible Internship/Mentorship Project/Plan/Proposal/Program for Adult Christians

Goals (A B C D):

  • Basic: Love God (Dt 6:5). Glorify God (1 Cor 10:31). If you do not do these, you are doing squat.
  • Conformity to Christ in Church, Community, Campus, City, Country, Cosmos (Rom 8:29). Live out the beauty of Christ and the love of God through our daily interactions with people--both in church and in the world (Ps 27:4; Isa 33:17; 1 Jn 4:8, 16).
    • Connect to God (Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; 1 Pet 2:9): Worship.
    • Connect to each other / church (Jn 13:34-35; Eph 4:12-32; 5:19): Nurture.
    • Connect to others / city (Mt 5:16; 28:18-20; Ac 5:32): Witness.
    • Connect to culture (2 Cor 9:19-23): Contextualization.
    • "The calling of the church to minister directly to God, to (fellow Christians), and to the world is one calling." Edmond P. Clowney, Living in Christ's Church, 1986.

  • Accountability 1: Gather “Nathans” around you (Heb 3:13; 10:24; Prov 27:17). A man must be a man. A woman must be a woman.

  • Accountability 2: Be a Nathan to others (2 Tim 2:2; Prov 27:17).


  • Develop an entire life mission statement/life goal as a Christian (Phil 3:14; Ac 20:24).

  • (This mentorship/internship is for the benefit and well being of the church, not for building up our church.)
Qualifications: Willingness. Voluntary. Openness.

Duration: Tailored to the intern (3 months, 6 months, 1 year, other).

Frequency of meeting: Once weekly (or more) according to the schedule and availability of the intern.

Third Space/Safe Place Small Group/ Outreach:
  • Anyone can come and feel safe to ask/say anything (B.L.E.S.S. others).
  • Pray for/bring friends to talk/chat/discuss without being contentious, argumentative, dismissive, condescending, critical, but embracing, welcoming, listening, understanding.
“Basic” Christianity:
    • Orthodoxy (believing / head / cognition / Father)
    • Orthopraxy (doing / will / volition / Son)
    • Orthopathy (“feeling” / heart / emotion / Spirit).

  1. Supernatural transformation (1 Pet 1:23; 2 Cor 3:18): by grace, by faith, by the work of God, not man.
  2. God’s unchanging love (Jer 31:3) in spite of our sins/depravity (cf. a punitive God).
  3. Gospel/Grace of God (Ac 20:24; Eph 2:8-9). We can never earn/deserve grace (Gen 6:5; Isa 64:6; Jer 17:9). Grace always involves substitution/a great exchange (2 Cor 5:21).
  4. The Bible is about Jesus (Jn 5:39; Lk 24:27, 44; Ac 10:43; 20:27).
  5. The sovereignty of God (Ps 115:3; 135:6; Jn 3:8; Rom 8:28; Gen 50:20).
  6. The Trinity (Mt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14).
  7. Life (Jn 10:10; 1:4; 14:6) and eternal life (Jn 17:3; 3:15-16).
  8. (Gospel-driven) Sanctification (Phil 2:12-13; 1 Pet 4:11; 2 Pet 1:5ff).
  9. Freedom (Gal 5:1; 2 Cor 3:17; Jn 8:31-32).
  10. Rest / Sabbath (Mt 11:28-30).

  11. Unity (Jn 17:21-23; Eph 4:3).
  12. Hope (1 Pet 1:3-4; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 22:4).
Bible Study:
  • Preferably based on the intern’s preferred texts/topics/themes of interest.
  • John 13-17 to focus on the heart of Christ, the heart of God, the work of the Holy Spirit.
Christian Leadership:
  • Humble servanthood (Mk 10:42-45; Mt 20:25-28; 1 Pet 5:1-4), not lording over others.
  • Friendship (Jn 15:15) and intimacy (Gen 18:17).
Books:
  • Based on the particular interest of the intern.
(This internship proposal came about through Ben, Rhoel and Keith Lage. A few weeks ago, I asked Rhoel about starting an informal and flexible yet intentional intern program at West Loop. Two weeks ago, Rhoel asked Keith, who agreed to be a WL intern. It took me quite by surprise, since to me it was just a proposal. But by the grace of God, we are doing so by God's help and the leading of the Spirit.)

The Christian life is an ongoing journey and adventure in this world of following Jesus who called us. This mentorship/internship is a proposal of how following Jesus may be a real and exciting shared experience with other Christ followers. Following Jesus was never meant as an imposition or a burden. Rather, it is intended that the one who responds to Jesus' call is the one who will live life to the full (Jn 10:10b) and experience a peace that only Jesus is able to give (Jn 14:27).
Posted by UBF Gospel Musings at 4:02 PM

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