Tourist mentality or pilgrim in process?

The American approach to most things is a tourist mentality.  Consumerist, individualist, materialist: anything worth having can acquired by some kind of instant process, personally crafted, to "have it your way."     Big church has fallen into this tourist trap: 12 steps to this, 3 principles to master that, 4 steps to grow bodies 12 ways.  Discipleship and baking Wonder Bread are two very different things. 

We have become accustomed to the sound byte approach to nearly everything: we never give more than 10 minutes of content on any subject without some kind of infomercial.  (By the way, I'm not knocking any of this, but I'm seeing the light!)

Christian discipleship cannot be achieved in ten-minute sound bytes, it is a long obedience in the same direction (Eugene Peterson, quoting Nietzche) Becoming an apprentice of Jesus Christ, one who walks in the dust of the rabbi, is a lifetime journey.  Pilgrims are people who spend their lives getting somewhere, living on purpose: step-by-step, day-by-day, building their stone slowly.  Pilgrims are steadily on pilgrimage.  Psalm 84 is a song of pilgrimage; "who set their hearts on pilgrimage." (v.5) Just like climbers on their way to the summit, the destination of Christlikeness is achieved only as the hiker keeps hiking: "they go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion." (v.7)

We like to visit: occasionally attend worship service, visit places of worship when something "special" is happening, (like meeting the Creator of the universe is ordinary).  The entertainment motif is taking first place, not that we should be intentionally boring, but walking with God is not always entertaining; sometimes it is just hard. 

Salvation may be free, but an apprenticeship in the school of Jesus Christ will cost you everything (He'll give it back, but we must have a willingness to surrender everything!)

Jesus did not appear on the earth to create visitors, fans or tourists to faith; He came to make disciples.  Perhaps you can grapple better with the word "apprentice."

Apprenticeship does not lend itself to a tourist mentality; the successful apprentice shows up for work everyday, takes instruction from the experienced journeyman, and makes the most of every learning opportunity, eager to practice what is learned.

Apprenticeship is not a sprint, it's a marathon: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2)  To go this far, no one needs to go it alone.  That's why we gather as a community of faith.

Do you want the blessings of a mature, complete faith in Christ?  Or do you want the quick fix of instant blessing, while your life and character limps from one worship service to another, hoping that the next Christian celebrity will jump-start you just enough to limp to the next meeting?

Find a place to worship Christ, and make it your home.  Give yourselves to that ministry.  Ask for discipleship.  Get a pastor.  (By the way, October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  If you don't have one, get one.)

Our new faith community, The Connection, is a place where you can grow in faith, make new friends, and belong to the family of God.  We are growing big by growing small, building healthy Community Groups throughout Suffolk County.  If you are interested, please check out our FB site: http://www.tinyurl.com/theconnectionLI

pax Christi,

Charles