What following Jesus means, first, is living like Jesus in our personal character but there is something else that following Jesus has to mean for us. It is something that is often neglected but without which we can never effectively live like Jesus in our daily lives and challenges. When you look at the life of Jesus in the gospels you don’t just see his personal character or outward behavior but the spiritual disciplines underneath that character and behavior. That’s the second way in which we have to learn to live like him.

We sometimes we try to imitate Christ the way a little boy tries to imitate his favorite baseball player. The little boy wears his hats just the way his favorite player wears his. He steps up to the plate, plants his feet and holds his bat just the way his favorite player holds his. What the little boy doesn’t understand is that if he really wants to play like his favorite player he can’t just imitate what that player does on the field. He has to imitate what that player does off the field and before the game. He has to prepare in private for the performance he hopes to achieve in public. He has to spend time in the gym, on the track and in the batters cage. In the same way to follow Christ means not just that as we go out into the world that we try to show the love of Christ and the courage of Christ and the uncompromising truthfulness of Christ. It means all of that but much more. We have to practice the private disciplines by which he strengthened His relationship to God and prepared Himself for his public life. Jesus had incredible poise and power in public and with people because He took time to be alone with God.

There are two spiritual disciplines that seem foundational in the life of Jesus. Jesus filled his heart with Scripture and kept close to God through prayer.

Jesus filled his heart with Scripture, to follow him we must live like that. In Luke 11:28, Jesus said, “Blessed … are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Jesus didn’t just give that out as advice for others. He lived in light of that realty. The attitude of Jesus to the Bible shines through his words and his life everywhere once you look for it. It’s not just that every now and then he says, “Let me tell you what I think about the Bible”. It’s more like His doctrine or view of the Bible is on every page of his story and in every step of his life. He faces every danger, resists every temptation, resolves every argument, and expresses every joy with the Bible and often in the very words, phrases and verses of the Bible. What we have come to call The Golden Rule is Jesus quoting a verse from the book of Leviticus (19:18). His famous beatitudes are mostly quotes from the book of Psalms. As he is dying on the cross Jesus quotes a psalm to express his grief. In death people cling to what they value most in life. For Jesus Scripture is not just a book about God or a means of knowing right from wrong but a living and life-giving source of spiritual power and truth. Jesus immersed his life in the Scriptures, to follow him we must live like that.

Jesus kept close to God with prayer, to follow him we must live like that. Luke 5:15 says, Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Notice Jesus withdrew from people not just to be alone but to be with God and to speak with God in prayer. Prayer is just a personal conversation with God. Prayer is asking for his guidance and for his help. In prayer you surrender your will to His will and place your dependance on him. Jesus understood and taught that God’s power flows primarily to people who pray. He lived a life of prayer and told us to pray. To follow him you have to live like that.

Albert Einstein said, “Human beings dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible player”. I’m not sure what Einstein meant by that but I do know that when we look at the life of Jesus we see a man who lives, dances by a mysterious tune that comes from God. His life is immersed in the words of Scripture and empowered by his communion with God in prayer. The influence of God flows into and floods his life and he lives the way he lives in public because of the relationship he has with God in private.

What Spiritual disciplines or practices have been most helpful for you at this stage in your spiritual life?

What would you most like to work on?

What are the biggest obstacles you face in developing these disciplines and how might you plan to overcome those obstacles to follow Jesus in a life of prayer and Scripture reading?

To follow Jesus we also have to fill our hearts with Scripture and keep close to God in prayer. I know many of you read your Bible and pray daily. Keep doing that. Keep memorizing Scripture also. It is clear from the life of Jesus that he memorized Scripture so that he had it in his heart and on his lips. Take a scripture that speaks to your life now, print it out or write it down. Learn it by heart. If you never read your bible then look at Jesus, hear him calling you to follow him and start today. And pray. In prayer you declare your dependance on God and guard your communion with God just as Jesus did.

Week 5 – Day 3 – “An inspiring example”.

Once while doing some training for The Person of Jesus study we spent some time looking at a story about Jesus that focused on his compassion for a widow who had lost her son. It was amazing to look carefully at how Jesus saw this woman’s need and responded with such compassion. At the end we made a chart on the one side we wrote “Jesus” on the other side: “me”. Under Jesus we wrote things like: seeing clearly, compassionate, unhurried, patient, giving. Then we compared our lives. We wrote things like: Busy, distracted, impatient, self-focused and self-protective. I know that for me looking at Jesus I felt convicted but not crushed. I saw where I need to be more like him. But I was inspired, to want to choose that path and walk with him.

The reason you can look right at the example of Jesus and see how different you are than he is and yet not be condemned is because while Jesus is our example he is more than just an example. He is first of all our Savior. He lived his perfect life for us, and then he gave that life as a sacrifice for us. He does not save us by giving us an example to live up to but by dying for our sins on the cross and rising again as our Lord. We don’t and cannot earn our salvation by conforming our life to his example. We can never fully accomplish that perfection. We are saved by grace through trusting Jesus as our Savior. But when we receive Christ what has happened is we have been born again. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christ lives in us and now, because we belong to him, we are called by him, to live like him.

Review the two graphic illustrations we have used during the walk. As you do reflect on how the truths illustrated enable you to look at the example of Jesus and at your own life and be inspired to be like him instead of crushed by your short-comings.

The above illustration is too often what we do. The one that follows is what we need to do!

Then, here is the other graphic we have talked about in The Walk…

Write a brief statement that expresses in your own words the way in which the gospel, what Jesus has done for you by his grace, encourages you and empowers you to follow him as your example.

Continue reading the Bible. I want to keep the reading list for Scripture for this project relatively simple and easily assessable. If you finish John consider reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians or Luke. I’d recommend sticking to those books for the most part during “The Walk”. If you are really wanting to branch out  consider asking the group or person you are doing The Walk with to make suggestions. The important thing is to try to be consistent in your reading. Write down your questions, thoughts and insights as you read. Don’t forget to review your memory verse from last week and this week.

Week 5 – Day 2 – “Character”

Think about the passage we read earlier. In John 13 Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. This was an act of deep humility and care and servant-hood. Then he said this, verses 15-17: I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. He isn’t just talking about foot washing as a ritual but as a picture of a way of life. Verse 16: I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. There is no question that Jesus is saying: “imitate my lifestyle, live like I live.

But in what sense are we to live like Jesus? It’s clear that He doesn’t mean we should all wear robes and sandals or eat kosher, it’s deeper than that. He doesn’t mean we have to perform the same unique miracles or teach throngs of people, or make amazing personal claims like: I am the resurrection and the life, or I am the light of the world. It’s simpler than that. He is talking about your personal character, the way you live your life, the way you behave in this world.

Could it be that in one sense there is a danger in our worship of Jesus. He is worthy of our worship and we should worship him but the danger is that in worshipping him as God and Savior we so remove him from the way we view our lives and our human experience that we don’t consider him a viable or practical example of how we should live each day. But he is our example! He needs to be.

Take a moment to look at the following Scriptures. As you reflect on these Scriptures, jot down some of the ways in which you are to be like Jesus. But think about what it means and what it would look like. For instance if the verse says: “love the way Jesus loved” don’t just repeat that but prayerfully think about what it means. How did he love and therefore how should you love?

Jesus in John 13:34 says, ,A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Paul in Ephesians 5 says, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her….”

Paul in Philippians 2:5 says, Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

Peter in 1 Peter 2:21 says, to this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

John, in 1 John 2:6 Talks about resisting sin and obeying God in love and says, Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Are there other ways of living like Jesus that come to mind? If so jot them down below.

Continue reading the Bible. I want to keep the reading list for Scripture for this project relatively simple and easily assessable. If you finish John consider reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians or Luke. I’d recommend sticking to those books for the most part during “The Walk”. If you are really wanting to branch out consider asking the group or person you are doing The Walk with to make suggestions. The important thing is to try to be consistent in your reading. Write down your questions, thoughts and insights as you read. Don’t forget to review your memory verse from last week and this week

In Luke 9 Jesus encounters three people, three examples of people who seem to have some issue or even excuse when it comes to following Christ. We looked at the first example yesterday. Let’s look at the second and third today.

The second example is in verse 59. In this case Jesus comes and says, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” In verse 60 Jesus says, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Jesus’ reply seems harsh but it is obvious he is trying to make a point because the dead cannot literally bury anyone. So what is he saying and what is his point? There has been a lot of speculation about this verse, some have said the father wasn’t dead yet and the man wanted to wait until his death and receive the inheritance. Maybe that was the case but we don’t know. In many passages the Bible encourages us to take care of family obligations. But what Jesus is stressing here is that you have to clearly commit to put following him, obedience to him and your part in his mission to the world above every other human relationship and social obligation. He has to come first.

How can we honor our legitimate family relationships and responsibilities to friends without allowing them to take priority over Christ as Lord?

What kind of circumstances in life might requires us to put Christ above other relationship and responsibilities? Can you think of a specific example?

How might we best handle those situations with wisdom?

The third example is in verse 61. It says, Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” In verse 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” To plow a straight row you have to be completely focused on that priority. If you start looking around or look back you drift off course. When he says unless you maintain your focused commitment you aren’t fit for the kingdom, the word fit doesn’t mean worthy. It means appropriate. No one is worthy of the kingdom or ever could be. It’s all the grace of God that you can come to Christ and experience new life and receive forgiveness. What Jesus is saying is unless following Christ is the highest priority, more than your standard of living, or family commitments, you may not really be believing in him and you certainly won’t be able to follow Him. Your inadequate commitment to the king doesn’t fit the supremacy of his kingdom and his claims on your life and your claim to know him.

What Jesus does in these stories is teach us that it doesn’t matter what our excuses are, we have to lay them all at his feet and follow him.

Continue reading the Bible. Keep reading the gospel of John. If you are reading a lot and finish John consider reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians or Luke. Or ask the group or person you are doing The Walk with to make suggestions. The important thing is to try to be consistent in your reading. Write down your questions, thoughts and insights as you read. Don’t forget to review your memory verse from last week and this week.

Week 4 – Day 3, “Excuses”

Jesus called us to absolute obedience. Throughout his life Jesus gave many clear commands. He said: Love your neighbor. Live as children of God. Practice contentment and compassion. Live in sexual purity, pray faithfully, obey God’s commandments, and make disciples of all nations. There’s a place in Luke 6 where he is giving these kinds of teachings and he stops and asks: “Why do you call me Lord, and do not do the things that I say?”

It is interesting that he asks that question. Why do we fail to obey? Let me put it this way, “What is your best excuse for not giving Christ your complete commitment and obedience?” What makes that especially interesting is the fact that later in this same chapter in Luke Jesus encounters three people, three examples of people who seem to have some issue or even excuse when it comes to following Christ. We’ll look at the first example today and the second and third tomorrow.

The first example is in Luke 9:57. It says: As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” At first it seems that the man’s offer is open ended but I think we have to read between the lines. Scripture often speaks of Jesus knowing what is in men’s hearts. Look at what Jesus says, verse 58, Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” It is as if Jesus senses that this man has a deep commitment to a certain standard of living that is so much an assumption of his life that he hasn’t truly considered all the issues involved in true commitment to Jesus.

From your experience and observations what are some of the things people today might have a huge struggle with in regards to following Jesus. What are some of the things people might have the hardest time “giving up”?

Have you ever had to give up something that was especially difficult ? If so what was it and why did you choose to let it go?

Sometimes people come to church and say they are following Christ but then as they learn more they encounter something they didn’t know they were going to be asked to give up. Maybe it’s the issue of money and tithing or sexual purity or serving others… but when it surfaces clearly they stop. They say, “I didn’t know that following Christ meant that.” You see that’s the problem. Sometimes we don’t even know how many things we hold as our own, as our rights or “basics”. We don’t realize that Christ has to have our obedience even in those areas. What Jesus is doing is surfacing the most basic of needs, shelter, and saying you have to obey him even if it costs you that. He is destroying all our excuses.

Continue reading the Bible. Keep reading the gospel of John. If you are reading a lot and finish John consider reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians or Luke. Or ask the group or person you are doing The Walk with to make suggestions. The important thing is to try to be consistent in your reading. Write down your questions, thoughts and insights as you read. Don’t forget to review your memory verse from last week and this week.

Two things that we can do that will help us as we follow Jesus.

1. Ask Jesus to reveal what’s truly in your heart. That’s what Jesus did for the people in this story. They were going along following him in some sense, part of the crowd, but he stopped them and told them what was really going on in their hearts when he said: “You are following me because you ate the bread and had your fill.” They probably hadn’t thought if it that way. They were just going along. He told them what was really going on in their hearts. This is one of the things about Jesus that is so unique. He isn’t just after your outward behavior. You can be in the crowd and looking passionate about Jesus. Your outward behavior can trick everyone else. But you can’t trick Jesus. He wants your heart. So why don’t you go to Christ and ask him to show you what’s going on in your heart.

Some people never do this. Some people rarely do this. Some people resist and avoid or just never get around to doing this. So they listen to sermons and even make commitments and come along with the crowd for a while but don’t really understand what is going on in their hearts. The result is they end up being constantly dragged down and tempted by hungers that go unnamed and unchallenged and therefore live in the shadows under the surface of their lives. Those things need to be brought up into the light so you can see what you are dealing with, confess your sins and surrender to Christ.

Ask Christ to reveal your heart. Make time, to set aside time to pray, to be still, or maybe to walk and reflect and listen. What are the things that you say to your self? What are the messages that play in your mind? What does all that reveal about your relationship to Christ and where you are trying to fill the hungers of your heart?

2. Tell Jesus you are choosing him and believing in him as the bread of life. I love the way the story ends. Jesus, as he does with Peter several times, pushes his followers to choose and to actually speak and declare their love for and faith in him. Look at verse 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Over and over in life Jesus has to ask us this question. It’s a question that doesn’t allow us to just drift along. It requires a decision, a choice of faith. And it requires a definite answer from us.

For each of us this should be a constant part of our conversation with Christ as we practice his presence. For all of us this should be a daily part of our Bible reading and prayer. For many of you it could be very powerful to set aside an extended time for prayer and reflection in which you ask Jesus to reveal what’s truly in your heart and then tell Him you are choosing him and believing in him as the bread of life.

It’s the question he is asking you: Understanding the hungers of your heart and knowing that Jesus claims to be the bread of life, will you choose to believe in him and follow him.

Tim Keller gives the following examples that can help us think about what it means to deal with the issues of discipleship in light of believing in Jesus as the bread of life.

If you struggle with temptation, Rejoice in the gospel until you see its beauty. How are these temptations being caused by an inordinate hope for some-one or some-thing to give me the comfort and consolation that only Jesus can really give me? How does Christ give me so much more fully and graciously and suitably the very things I am looking for elsewhere? Rejoice and think of what he has done and what he has given you. Pray and say: “Lord, only in your presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forever more (Psalm 16:11) yet here am I trying to find comfort in something else. Why rake in a mud puddle when you have set a table for me (Psalm 23:5) filled with your love, peace, joy? This thing I am tempted by is just a pleasure that will wear off so soon–it is a sham and cheat, while your pleasure, though it may start small will grow on and on forever (Prov.4:18). Remove my idols of pleasure, which never can give me the pleasure I need.”

If you struggle with anxiety, Rejoice in the gospel until you are humbled enough (to see you don’t know best) or valued enough (to see that he could not forget you. Ask yourself: How are these anxieties being caused by an inordinate hope for some-one or some-thing to give me the control over my life and environment only Jesus can really give me? How does Christ give me so much more fully and graciously and suitably the very things I am looking for elsewhere? Rejoice and think of what he has done and what he has given you. Pray and say: “Lord, I live by your sheer grace. That means though I don’t deserve to have things go right, yet I know you are working them all out for good (Rom.8:28) because you love me in Christ. All my punishment fell into Jesus’ heart–so you only allow bad things for my growth, and for loving wise purposes. I can relax, because my security in life is based neither on luck, nor hard work, but on your gracious love for me. You have counted every hair on my head (Matt.10:30-31) and every tear down my cheeks (Ps.56:8)–you love me far more and better than anyone else loves me or than I love myself. And remove my idols of security–which never can give me the security I need.”

Take a moment to write out your own prayer of repenting and rejoicing. Ask Christ to show you what is going on in your heart and then tell him how you are believing in him as the bread of life.

Take some time to reflect on the two charts we have looked at in previous sections of “The Walk”. Reflect on how the principles pictured in these charts related to the issue in this section of “The Walk”. How do they help us to believe in Jesus as the bread of life and to find our heart’s hungers filled by Him?

Jot down a few of your thoughts under each graphic

Continue reading the Bible. Keep reading the gospel of John. If you are reading a lot and finish John consider reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians or Luke. Or ask the group or person you are doing The Walk with to make suggestions. The important thing is to try to be consistent in your reading. Write down your questions, thoughts and insights as you read. Don’t forget to review your memory verses.

Two ways of looking at life in relationship to following Jesus.

1. The first, is that you follow Jesus so that He will help you have the things that make for a good and happy life. That’s what was going on with the crowd in this story. That way of looking at your relationship to God, while common, is unbiblical. It is wrong.

2. The second way to look at life is that you follow Jesus because He himself is the source of life. It’s your relationship with God through Christ that does for your soul what food does for your body. When your faith feeds your heart with his life, love and goodness, He fuels your life. His love and presence gives strength and energy as you feed on Him. So Jesus is saying don’t just think of me as the one who can help you get what you need. I am what you need. Jesus doesn’t say: “I’m a caramel macchiato venti with an extra shot of espresso”. He says, “I’m the bread of life.” That means is that he is not a luxury he is essential. It also means that to follow him we have to make him the very source of our life.

I’ve had people tell me,“I thought that if I believed in Jesus and went to church and said my prayers and tried to follow God’s word then I would find love, succeed in business, build a close-knit family and enjoy a happy marriage. But I’ve tried to do things right and working out very well so I’m over it. I’m walking out.” The same thing that happened in Jesus’ day happens all over again. People come to Jesus wanting him to enrich their lives with the things they want. When they find out he wants to enrich them with himself they turn away. The truth is we all want good families, loving relationships, rewarding jobs, secure futures, good health, we want to see our causes prosper and our passions fulfilled. We get anxious or upset when there are things that mean a lot to us and we are afraid we aren’t going to get them or if we have them they are going to slip away. “Believing that Jesus is the bread of life doesn’t mean that nothing matters except for him but it does mean that nothing matters as much as Him and nothing matters so much that the presence of that thing overshadows Him or the absence of that thing robs us of the peace, and joy, of his love and presence.”

Do you believe what Jesus is saying here? The ultimate question of life and discipleship is “What will fill your hungry heart?” Jesus says he is the answer to that question. Do you believe Him?

Continue reading the Bible. Keep reading the gospel of John. If you are reading a lot and finish John consider reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians or Luke. Or ask the group or person you are doing The Walk with to make suggestions. The important thing is to try to be consistent in your reading. Write down your questions, thoughts and insights as you read. Don’t forget to review your memory verses.

Day 5:  Going Deeper

Look at John 14:20 where Jesus says, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. What Jesus is describing here is what theologians call the spiritual union of Christ with his people. What it means is that when you believe in Jesus, you are born again spiritually and Christ not only becomes present with you but also at the same time one with you. His Spirit interpenetrates your renewed and reborn human spirit. So that his presence in your life is not only by your side but in your thoughts, in your mind, will and emotions in the deepest way. Some people emphasize the verse from the prophet Jeremiah that says the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. So they figure everything within them is bad. But Scripture also says that when you experience new birth in Christ you receive a new heart and a new nature. Christ, by the Holy Spirit, comes into your life and unites himself to that new and spiritually reborn part of your innermost being. Christ become one with you. Then from that place of new life he begins to speak, to counsel, to strengthen, to purify, to convict, to guide from within. In Galatians Paul says, Christ lives in me. From within your heart Jesus says: “Follow me.”

The presence of Christ and the gift of the Spirit should change how you think of yourself; your very identity. There’s a crazy old story about a man who went to a psychiatrist because whenever he went grocery shopping and walked past the pet food he had an overpowering urge to rip open a bag of dog food and start eating. The doctor had never heard anything like this so he asked, “When did this begin?” The man said, “I think it’s been this way ever since I was a puppy.” I know it’s a silly story but it makes a point. The way you see yourself has a tremendous impact on the way you live your life. Your sense of who you are drives a lot of what you do. How do you see yourself? The Bible says if you believe in Jesus Christ then see the truth about who you really are through him. You are a needy human being whose needs have been deeply met by God’s grace. You are not pure in yourself but you have been cleansed by Christ. You don’t deserve God’s love but it has flooded your life. You are not powerful in yourself but you are not alone, you can do all things through Him who strengthens you. You are not an orphan, unknown or cared for scrambling to make it on your own. You have Christ in you by the Holy Spirit who has been given to you forever. Christ is in you, you are in Him and he is in the Father and you have become one with him by grace. To live life with Jesus, following him is not some restrictive limitation imposed on you from outside is what you were made for and saved for.

Sometimes we look at the gospel with tunnel vision, seeing only one facet of the blessings and promises that come to us through faith in Jesus. The result is that the impact of the gospel on our hearts to strengthen us for a life of discipleship is diminished. The gospel brings us much more than the promise of forgiveness and acceptance into heaven when we die. Through the gospel we are brought into a reconciled relationship with God. We are united to him! His Spirit lives in us so that we “participate in the divine nature”. We become new creatures with a new identity in Christ and a new power for life. His love, truth and beauty satisfies our hearts deeper longings. All of God promises are ours through faith in Jesus.

What gospel promises do you focus on the most? What gospel promises to you tend to overlook or neglect. What difference might it make in your life to see more fully the full dimensions of the grace of God that you receive through faith in Jesus?

Take a moment to pray asking God to help you see who you are in Christ. Then take a moment and in your own words write down some of your thoughts to complete this sentence. I see by faith in Jesus, that in Christ I am

Continue reading the Bible. Write down your questions, thoughts and insights as you read. Don’t forget to review your memory verse from last week and this week.

I quoted Oswald Chambers in the Sermon this weekend so I thought I would share the reading from “My Utmost for His Highest” for today, July 26.

“Out of the heart proceed . . .” Matthew 15:18-20

We begin by trusting our ignorance and calling it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity; and when we hear these rugged statements of Our Lord’s, we shrink and say—But I never felt any of those awful things in my heart. We resent what Jesus Christ reveals. Either Jesus Christ is the supreme Authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust His penetration, or do I prefer to trust my innocent ignorance? If I make conscious innocence the test, I am likely to come to a place where I find with a shuddering awakening that what Jesus Christ said is true, and I shall be appalled at the possibility of evil and wrong in me. As long as I remain under the refuge of innocence I am living in a fool’s paradise. If I have never been a blackguard, the reason is a mixture of cowardice and the protection of civilized life; but when I am undressed before God, I find that Jesus Christ is right in His diagnosis.

The only thing that safeguards is the Redemption of Jesus Christ. If I will hand myself over to Him, I need never experience the terrible possibilities that are in my heart. Purity is too deep down for me to get to naturally: but when the Holy Spirit comes in, He brings into the centre of my personal life the very Spirit that was manifested in the life of Jesus Christ, viz., Holy Spirit, which is unsullied purity.

Today is Saint Partick’s day 2010. For most people it’s just another holiday and maybe an excuse to down a Guiness. However, the truth is the real Patrick was outstanding Christian leader and missionary.

Here’s an excerpt from Discoll’s article,

Curiously, Patrick’s unorthodox ministry methods, which had brought so much fruit among the Irish, also brought much opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. Because Patrick was so far removed from Roman civilization and church polity he was seen by some as an instigator of unwelcome changes. This led to great conflicts between the Roman and Celtic Christians. The Celtic Christians had their own calendar and celebrated Easter a week earlier than their Roman counterparts. Additionally, the Roman monks shaved only the hair on the top of their head, whereas the Celtic monks shaved all of their hair except their long locks which began around the bottom of their head as a funky monk mullet. The Romans considered these and other variations by the Celtic Christian leaders to be acts of insubordination.

In the end, the Roman Church should have learned from Patrick, who is one of the greatest missionaries who has ever lived. Though Patrick’s pastors and churches looked different in method, they were very orthodox in their theology and radically committed to such things as Scripture and the Trinity. Additionally, they were some of the most gifted Christian artists the world has ever known, and their prayers and songs endure to this day around the world,….

Here’s a link to the whole article on the man and his legacy for missional living.  Saint Patrick