CONSIDERING “SIX MARKS OF DISCIPLESHIP”

Michael Foss is the pastor for the Prince of Peace Lutheran church in Burnsville, Minnesota.  He has written a book entitled Power Surge: Six Marks of Discipleship for a Changing Church. One of the main reasons he wrote the book was because he saw a great contrast between the membership-driven church and the discipleship-driven church. He contends that some churches seem to be growing for growth’s sake and have lost the goal of developing as strong, spiritual communities. He says the membership-driven church seems only to care for maintaining itself. He says the “clergy” who serve those churches can only expect to suffer burnout trying to live up to everyone’s ever-increasing expectations. He also points out that the membership-driven church often produces exclusivity, instead of the Biblical inclusivity of discipleship.

“First, show up! Second, try!”

A couple of years ago, I attended a ceremony at a High School in Florida in honor of the eighth graders who were moving up from middle school to high school. I was invited to attend it because my son, Jordan, had just passed the eighth grade and was getting ready for the ninth. Interestingly, they called the ceremony a “Stepping Forth Ceremony.” For me it was an intriguing event because I had never heard of such a ceremony. Of course, probably like many of you, I have attended and heard of ceremonies for seniors graduating, and for fifth graders moving into middle school, and even for preschoolers moving up to the first grade; but never of eighth graders “stepping forth” into high school.

A COURAGEOUS DECISION

With this week’s death of former President Gerald R. Ford, many articles have been written about his life and presidency. One comment I read about his presidency caught my attention. It involved his courageous decision to pardon President Richard Nixon for his complicity in the Watergate scandal.