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COMMENTARIES

BY ROD MILLER

I have spent a lot of time thinking through questions like, what am I/we to be doing to be faithful to God? What is my purpose, and how does that relate to my involvement with people inside and outside the church? What is the underlying reason for doing what I do?

It took a period of study with a rabbi, a Catholic nun and a member of the Navigators Disciple Building Ministry for me to negotiate my reticence and my questions. I discovered many common threads in those spiritualities. I took another look at our Wesleyan tradition and saw how integral these same threads are in our own tradition.

Slowly, a deep understanding settled in my soul. All of the things we do in church, as good as they may be, are simply tools to lead where we most need to be going: creating an environment where people are changed in and by the power of God in their lives, so that they are no longer their own, but God's.

Discipleship is the mission of the church. It is not a program, an event, an emphasis or the latest spiritual fad. Discipleship is the mission, not because we want it to be, it is the mission because Jesus is continuing to call us to follow him today. Discipleship has to do with changing how we think and act.

Transformed living is about being changed by the renewal of our minds so that our hearts and wills become focused on our purpose to love God and love our neighbors.

Discipleship begins with Jesus. To follow him, we need to be close enough to see him, and to allow him to draw closer to us. To become more and more like him, we need to be continually discovering who he is and what he is about. Coming from his Jewish heritage, Jesus offered a holistic, unified and integrative approach to living. We would like to take the same approach today.

It is time for us to follow Jesus' example by getting beyond our own and to connect with the folks who are hungering and thirsting for a spirituality that speaks to the deep yearnings of their souls. Discipleship is engaging them in conversation about things that matter. It is about helping people identify the 'God sightings' in their own lives.

I believe our United Methodist heritage provides a unique and preferable vantage point from which to reach searching folk today. Starting with the affirmation that God's grace and love are the source of our identity, we have much to offer people outside the church. Our Wesleyan heritage urges us to be passionate about our relationships with God without being narrow. Our roots teach us about receiving, giving, surrendering and becoming. We speak about seeing with new eyes, hearing with new ears and becoming a gift to the spirit.

Our conference-wide Discipleship Adventure is an invitation to see, learn and practice spiritual life in a way that integrates mind and heart, knowledge and vital piety, compassion and seeking justice. For while the Holy Spirit works inwardly, the fruits of the Spirit can be seen and experienced. What is received is meant to be shared. Faith celebration, faithful connections, faith development, faithful service and faithful sharing together comprise the five elements of a unified framework for discipleship.

Many of us have felt that we are continually starting over in faith and in church. I believe it is time to move out and leave the comfort of shore for the deep water where the fish are biting. My calling is to grow a church. I believe churches grow through prayer and with partnerships and teams intentionally covenanting and working together toward a common vision. I look forward to the explosion of many signs and wonders throughout our conference.

The Rev. Rod Miller is pastor of Bethany UMC in Ellicott City and will be on the conference staff, starting July 1, in the position currently known as director of connectional ministries.