Journeying Together: A Call to Discipleship

I must admit that beginning my call to Gethsemane during Holy Week sounded like a great idea when we first came up with it. However, six services, a funeral, and an Easter Festival all packed into my first five days made my head spin so fast that the rest of the staff were wondering if I would even show up the next week. Well, I came back because the call I took was to journey together with you, through holy week, through life, and through faith, no matter what.

I find the journey of faith is often similar to the climbing of a mountain. When you start along your path you have trees to guide you, it looks genteel, but soon the incline increases and as you get above timberline the near horizon looks more and more daunting. You work hard to get there but upon reaching it you soon realize that you have arrived at a false ridge because the mountain simply continues to rise ahead of you. In the course of a climb you will face several of these false ridges, as well as several unexpected descents only to have to regain ground you had once already achieved. The important thing throughout is to remain dedicated to the goal of reaching the summit and to learn to enjoy the climb. At Gethsemane we are at the beginning of a new journey, and one that looks to be quite an adventure for all involved.

The call process is now over, the farewell and welcome parties have come and gone, and now the real work has begun. What work is that, you ask? Well, it is simply trying to live a life of discipleship! To grow in our relationship with Christ to the full maturity of faith as the Apostle Paul once wrote. We have begun this journey as a congregation, as a staff, and each one of us individually. It is a journey that will have many ups and downs, will take great effort and focus, but it is one that will be an enriching experience for all. When Christ called his disciples, he never said it was going to be easy work. Discipleship by definition is the act of dedicating yourself to follow where Christ leads. Our task is to grow in our faith and keep our eyes open to the opportunities God is laying before us. Those opportunities might bring change and they might cause us to act or look different than we once were. The reality is Christ never left the people he encountered as they were; he always challenged them to examine their life, to grow in their faith, and to serve one another for the glory of God.

On Wednesday, April 30, I invite you to join me for a “Fireside Chat,” the first of several opportunities to begin the discussion of what the next steps of our journey together at Gethsemane might be. I plan to have numerous small group gatherings like this where I can get to know you better, learn what Gethsemane means to you, and what you are passionate about. Then we will begin the discussion of where we think God is leading us together. If you would like to host a small group gathering in your home please contact me and we can line one up. I hope to reach as much of the congregation as I can by the end of the summer.

The church council has also begun to work with the staff in formulating a long range plan for the mission and vision at Gethsemane. Our objective is to set a vision for what we hope to become and map out the first steps it will take to get us there. It is a journey we will take together and adjust from year to year as the terrain and circumstances dictate. Your feedback in our “Fireside Chats” will help shape that planning and the ways we can be the church together.

These are exciting times, similar to the time of Pentecost in the early church. God is at work here. God’s spirit is loose among God’s people. “Our youth are seeing visions and our old men are dreaming dreams.” Anything can happen and most likely will. It is a marvelous and strenuous, exhilarating and fascinating journey we have begun. This journey is called life and it is undertaken by the gift of God’s grace. We are each called to live as disciples and take part in the coming of God’s Kingdom. Join with us on this adventure and I promise you will be greatly enriched by the grace of God.