Happy New Year to one and all on this 9th day of Christmas.

I have decided to start posting regularly on a particular theme. I think this is called following a thread, but whatever, I have a subject that I want to address and focus on for awhile. I almost want to use the ‘D’ word, but I am reluctant because I don’t want you to get turned off. So I will use an “A” word instead – Apprentice. Are you familiar with what an apprentice does? For a particular period of time, an apprentice forms a relationship with a master – he/she lives with the master, watches the master, copies the master in doing what the master does, ask questions, seeks answers, learns how the master thinks, and patterns his/her life on the what the master does. The goal of the relationship is that the apprentice learns the skills and abilities of the master. We could use the word ’student’, but in our culture this word usually has a connotation of learning head knowledge. Not always; a student of a piano teacher learns the skills and abilities of the master teacher in order that they will be able to apply them in their own playing of the instrument. The “D” word is discipleship. In the Jesus community, and in the Scriptures, followers of Jesus are invited to become his apprentices/students/disciples. THIS DOES NOT MEAN LEARNING IDEAS AND DOCTRINE. It means learning the skills and abilities Jesus had in living his life while on earth, so we can live our lives as IF HE WERE LIVING TROUGH US. The piano teacher is not satisfied just playing the piano for the student; the furniture maker is not satisfied in just showing off his/her skills in building furniture; the master chef doesn’t just show that a gourmet meal can me made. No, all of these ‘masters’ want the student/apprentices to learn how to do what they do. Only then are they satisfied.

That is what Jesus wants when he calls you to be his apprentice. He wants you to be able to live your life, AS IF HE WAS LIVING IT THROUGH YOU.  Incredible!  If that is what discipleship is all about, then why aren’t more Christians apprenticed to Jesus in this way? Good question. We will deal with this question in future posts.

For now, I just want to introduce this concept – apprenticing ourselves to Jesus in this down to earth way so that we learn his skills and abilities in living our lives. I am sure that this raises a lot of questtions:

• Is this even possible?
• How would one go about this?
• What is it going to cost me?
• How long will it take?
• and again, is this even possible?

I will work on these questions in future posts.

There are two sources that have shaped my thinking on this subject. First of all are the writings of the Early Church fathers, and in particular, those early monks known as the Desert Fathers. Their lives and sayings have been collected and passed down for generations in the church. The second source is the writings of contgemporary author, Dallas Willard. He is a philosopher, clergyman, author, and teacher. These two sources have come together in recent months in my life. They have profoundly shaped the way I think about Christian discipleship. But it is not just my thinking; it is shaping the way I as an individual Christian live my life. It is also shaping the way I want to do ministry.

So, if you are intgerested, tune in in the next few days and weeks, as I write about this apprenticeship idea, or rather, way of life. That is what it really is, a way of life.

If you have any thoughts, or questions, let me know.