Dear Caldwell,
In just the last few days, I’ve happened upon several glimpses of discipleship reminding me that the root word of “disciple” means one who learns. If God wanted experts doing God’s work, not much would get done. But, instead, in caling us to be disciples, God invites us into a space where we can “do” and “learn” at the same time.
One of the things I see so often here is how you just jump in – you jump in to serve, to establish relationships, to take a risk, to try something new. You seem to know that God’s safety net of grace is always there in case we slip. But, rather than slippling, you jump in successfully and the effects of your efforts ripple out to lift others.
In my former life in corporate America, we used to talk about having a “bias for action” and that’s what I see around Caldwell all the time. To be sure, the Christian life is more than action alone – it is also prayer and reflection, study and discovery, exploration with others as well as honest introspection of our own hearts and minds. Without those things, our capacity for acting soon runs out.
But for today, take this as a kind of post card from the front lines of discipleship to show how just some of you have been loving God by serving neighbors of all kinds, near and far. Whether you are learning to serve or serving to learn, thank you! And thanks, in advance, to those who might take this as a gentle reminder that everyone is in position to make a pledge of some sort in response to God’s love. (Just call the church office if you need materials to do so.)
