Questions...

Yesterday, I challenged my congregation to wrestle with and answer the following three questions. This was in light of Mark's account (Mark 8:27-38) of Peter recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus description of what the messiah must do (suffering, crucifixion, resurrection), and what Jesus' followers must do to come after Jesus (self-denial, bearing a cross, and following Jesus).

The questions were:
1) Where is God calling you to deny self?
2) What cross is your path of discipleship?
3) How will you follow Jesus this week?

Now I can't ask the congregation to do something and not do it myself. So here are my abbreviated answers:
1) God is calling me to deny myself through being more open and gracious with my time. Recently I have become very selfish with my time. So I am not going to see interuptions as distractions, but as ways to allow God to shape and mold me. (This is going to be easier said than done!)

2) (NOTE - I am using a definition of "cross" that I found while reading Lawrence Stookey's This Day; "the cross we bear is something we could evade but take up willingly despite our misgivings." Since it is something we take up willingly we can't complain about it!)
Right now, the cross to which my path of discipleship calls me is to take the UMC's process for ordination more seriously. I get frustrated with the institution and politics of the UMC, but this is where God has called me. Therefore, I am going to quit my grumbling and take this thing seriously. This is tough for me because I have allowed cynicism to be the lense through which I have viewed the process. So I am going to work to shed that cynicism, write my papers and prepare for my interviews. (Please note, this will not be a solo effort, I will be relying mightily on God for help with this!)

3)I am going to follow Jesus this week by attempting to practice what it is that I say I believe. So, I am going to find a local non-profit that helps the poor, hungry and/or homeless and volunteer to work with them however they need me. I haven't practically done much of this over the last few years. Believe it or not, I think this will be the easiest of the three!

How about you, how will you answer these questions, this week:
1) Where is God calling you to deny self?
2) What cross is your path of discipleship?
3) How will you follow Jesus this week?