Great Idea, We Cut It Down to Four

Joy & Cohort bros and sis's,

I had requested a copy of Craig's list of what it means to be a follower of Jesus and was inspired by it. It is not only good stuff, but wisely used. I'm so pleased to see his wife, Joy, has helped create it and then had the wisdom to go back and edit it. (It gives the list so much more credibility!) As we at St. Andrew have wrestled with our mission: to become like Jesus and help others do the same, we found that such a mission begs the question: "So what's it mean to be like Jesus?"

I like very much what you have come up with, but I thought you might be interested in what we've been kicking around along the same theme. As a matter of fact, we too wanted a tool that would help us examine our ministry and shared community life so that we could stay on track. The way I've been thinking about it lately is like four legs of a table. And if we're talking tables, wouldn't we be talking about the Lord's table upon which he constantly provides for his people a feast of grace? But more so, aren't we the Lord's table through which God provides to the world that same feast and that same grace?

Each core aspect of what it means to be Jesus (each 'leg' of the table) also includes a question that flows from some aspect of Christ's life or teaching that can be asked of any new or existing ministry (or decision or pray or plan or contemplated direction for our lives). For instance, am I led to exchange my expectation of being served (bib) with a desire to serve (apron)? I recognize that a lot of this begs an unpacking I cannot easily do via this blog, but I invite you all to consider them and see if they make any kind of sense to you. It is a shorter list and misses a lot of personal nuance of your list, Joy, but then again it comes out of a more corporate confession than a personal one.

First Leg

To be like Jesus is to first be centered on God.

We are called to be God CENTERED

For Jesus it was always about God and God’s grace.

Does it turn on a light?

(Help others see God, themselves, & others in light of God’s grace?)

Second Leg

To be like Jesus is to be focused on relationships

We are invited to be OTHER FOCUSED

Jesus came to bring reconciliation.

Does it build a bridge?

(Bring God together with people and people together with each other?)

Third Leg

To be like Jesus is to be committed to (God-centered) community

Life is best lived when we are COMMUNITY ORIENTED

Jesus invested himself most deeply in those who shared his journey with him

Does it encourage us to exchange our bibs for aprons?

(Move from a focus on being fed toward a focus on feeding others)

Fourth Leg

To be like Jesus is to be need-driven

To follow Jesus faithfully means we too are NEED DRIVEN

Jesus’ life was directed toward the deepest needs of all people.

Does it make another's burden lighter?

(Sharing with others what God has already shared with us)

To apprentice ourselves to Jesus, or to be one of his disciples, is to become more and more like him. Reflecting on the above we might say the following:

Jesus

• Helped others see God and themselves truly
• Built bridges between people and between God and people
• Inspired and empowered his followers to serve & love each other
• Reached out to heal, feed, and forgive those in need