Read John 13:1-11; John 18:15-18, 25-27; John 21:15-19; Acts 4:5-13.
Read Acts 7:54-8:3; Acts 9:1-31; Acts 13:1-3.
Peter struggled to understand Jesus' teaching and would go on to deny knowing him. Paul led a severe persecution of the early Christians. So begins the stories of two men who would go on to become the two prominent leaders of the early church.
Remember watching the original Star Wars movies? Obi Wan Kenobi was the wise old Jedi who guides Luke Skywalker in learning the ways of the force. He seems the perfect mentor. Then the new Star Wars movies came out, and we see that Obi Wan was not always the wise mentor, but he was also the impetuous student who made mistakes. He was not born a great mentor and teacher, he had to learn.
Sweet in his book says, "There is always someone wiser than you .... Sometimes Peter and Paul need to sit at the feet of Timothy."
How do Peter & Paul's stories reflect the truth of this observation? Does being a mentor to someone mean that you have "perfect knowledge"? Why is it important to, in Sweet's words, "... learn apprenticeship before we can offer mentorship"?
Sweet offers some points to consider in choosing a Yoda, a mentor, in your life:
1) Watch how they treat their spouse.
2) Are the walls of their study permeable to their kids?
3) Do they spend time reading and reviewing, blurbing and blogging other people's books and manuscripts, or do they consider themselves too famous for that?
4) Humility - sees themself as always a student and will not allow the student to withhold wisdom from the teacher.
5) Honesty - willing to share their secrets, but willing to tell you the truth, even rebuke you
6) Honor - someone who has earned praise
What do you think of this list? Are there other things you might add?
How do Peter and/or Paul meet the qualifications of this list or the qualifications that you added?
All teachers make mistakes. In the questions at the end of the chapter, Sweet shares examples of teachers and experts who made mistakes, and then asks if you can come up with your own examples. Can you? How does a good mentor respond to their mistakes?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Withness 5: Who's Your Barnabas - You Need an Encourager
There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means 'son of encouragement'). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts 4:36-37
Why would Barnabas' act be an act of encouragement?
Read Acts 9:26-27 and Acts 11:22-26
What forms of encouragement are described in these verses?
Why do you think Barnabas' ministry of encouragement was so important for the early church? For Paul?
Why is the ministry of encouragement still important today for you as a believer? For the church?
Read Acts 15:36-41. This no doubt represented a very painful time in Paul & Barnabas' ministry. Yet we still see the "son of encouragement" doing his thing, taking John Mark, who had disappointed in the past, and giving him another opportunity to move into the mission field.
Does it surprise you that Paul & Barnabas parted ways over a disagreement? What are the possible negative implications of what happened? Read Acts 16. What positive comes out of their disagreement?
Leonard Sweet points out that the word encouragement comes from the French word for "heart". Encouragement means to put "heart" into someone. Sweet asks, "What can we fill our hearts with that will allow them to stretch toward God's beauty and blessings?"
Why would Barnabas' act be an act of encouragement?
Read Acts 9:26-27 and Acts 11:22-26
What forms of encouragement are described in these verses?
Why do you think Barnabas' ministry of encouragement was so important for the early church? For Paul?
Why is the ministry of encouragement still important today for you as a believer? For the church?
Read Acts 15:36-41. This no doubt represented a very painful time in Paul & Barnabas' ministry. Yet we still see the "son of encouragement" doing his thing, taking John Mark, who had disappointed in the past, and giving him another opportunity to move into the mission field.
Does it surprise you that Paul & Barnabas parted ways over a disagreement? What are the possible negative implications of what happened? Read Acts 16. What positive comes out of their disagreement?
Leonard Sweet points out that the word encouragement comes from the French word for "heart". Encouragement means to put "heart" into someone. Sweet asks, "What can we fill our hearts with that will allow them to stretch toward God's beauty and blessings?"
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Withness 4: Who's Your Timothy? You Need a Protege
Read 2 Timothy 3:10-4:8.
As a minister, I find myself on many occasions walking with friends and church members through the painful valley of death when a loved one passes away. I am always amazed at how much an individual and family has to deal with at a time like this. Not only is there the pure pain of the loss, there is the mountain of decisions that need to be made and paper work to be filled out to insure that the questions of what is to happen to the person's estate are answered. We usually group these issues under the general heading of "getting their affairs in order". I think it is truly a blessing when an individual has had the foresight to make as many preparations as possible so that their family is not swamped by these issues or, worse, left to battle it out in a guessing game of what the deceased's wishes truly were. Unfortunately, a lot of folks are not comfortable thinking ahead to their own demise, and so they leave these issues unsettled.
I think that is why I find this chapter in Sweet's book an exciting and challenging chapter all at the same time. Sweet proposes that we need a protege, someone who is our apprentice, someone who will be an heir not to our possessions but to our life and soul. Having been a Timothy several times over, it is exciting to think that God might use me to mentor another Timothy. However, at the same time, to accept that reality is to accept the reality that I will not always be. My time is limited. I think part of finding a Timothy means learning to say and think like Paul: "I am already being poured out as a libation and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Sweet speaks of the importance of Shunammitism: "the cultivation of leadership by the old in the young through the hospitality of teaching, mentoring, and deploying." Do you think this happens in our culture today? In our church? What benefits come from these types of relationships? What are the challenges to these types of relationships?
Sweet says: "It is not just that you can get a lot more done if you have heirs, but that sometimes you can't even do what God is calling you to do without heirs." Do you agree? Why or why not?
Sweet points out that two keys to a mentoring relationship are abiding in the presence of the mentor and listening to the mentor. These seem to be two rare commodities in society today: presence and listening. What challenge does this bring to the church? How can the church respond?
Sweet says: "... most Timothys want to be clones, not heirs." What is the difference?
In Matthew 5:47, Jesus asks of his disciples, "And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?" Sweet poses this question to each of us. "What more are we doing?" This question raises the issue of what do we mean by more. Is more "better" or is more "different"? How do you hear Jesus' question? Why is this an important issue as we think about the Timothys in our lives?
Some questions from the end of Sweet's chapter that I thought were noteworthy:
Saint Benedict, in his Rules, says a couple of times that 'the young should respect their elders, and the elders should love their juniors.' Which group do you think has the harder task?
Do you think Timothys need rites of intiation? How much of youth's experimentation with high-risk behaviors is an attempt at self-initiation? What are some of those high-risk behaviors?
As a minister, I find myself on many occasions walking with friends and church members through the painful valley of death when a loved one passes away. I am always amazed at how much an individual and family has to deal with at a time like this. Not only is there the pure pain of the loss, there is the mountain of decisions that need to be made and paper work to be filled out to insure that the questions of what is to happen to the person's estate are answered. We usually group these issues under the general heading of "getting their affairs in order". I think it is truly a blessing when an individual has had the foresight to make as many preparations as possible so that their family is not swamped by these issues or, worse, left to battle it out in a guessing game of what the deceased's wishes truly were. Unfortunately, a lot of folks are not comfortable thinking ahead to their own demise, and so they leave these issues unsettled.
I think that is why I find this chapter in Sweet's book an exciting and challenging chapter all at the same time. Sweet proposes that we need a protege, someone who is our apprentice, someone who will be an heir not to our possessions but to our life and soul. Having been a Timothy several times over, it is exciting to think that God might use me to mentor another Timothy. However, at the same time, to accept that reality is to accept the reality that I will not always be. My time is limited. I think part of finding a Timothy means learning to say and think like Paul: "I am already being poured out as a libation and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Sweet speaks of the importance of Shunammitism: "the cultivation of leadership by the old in the young through the hospitality of teaching, mentoring, and deploying." Do you think this happens in our culture today? In our church? What benefits come from these types of relationships? What are the challenges to these types of relationships?
Sweet says: "It is not just that you can get a lot more done if you have heirs, but that sometimes you can't even do what God is calling you to do without heirs." Do you agree? Why or why not?
Sweet points out that two keys to a mentoring relationship are abiding in the presence of the mentor and listening to the mentor. These seem to be two rare commodities in society today: presence and listening. What challenge does this bring to the church? How can the church respond?
Sweet says: "... most Timothys want to be clones, not heirs." What is the difference?
In Matthew 5:47, Jesus asks of his disciples, "And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?" Sweet poses this question to each of us. "What more are we doing?" This question raises the issue of what do we mean by more. Is more "better" or is more "different"? How do you hear Jesus' question? Why is this an important issue as we think about the Timothys in our lives?
Some questions from the end of Sweet's chapter that I thought were noteworthy:
Saint Benedict, in his Rules, says a couple of times that 'the young should respect their elders, and the elders should love their juniors.' Which group do you think has the harder task?
Do you think Timothys need rites of intiation? How much of youth's experimentation with high-risk behaviors is an attempt at self-initiation? What are some of those high-risk behaviors?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Withness 3: Who's Your Jethro? You Need a Butt-Kicker
Read Exodus 4:18 and Exodus 18.
There are times where you just want to stay in bed. The covers feel good, you are nice and cozy. Sure, there may be things that need to be done that day. Important things even. But is just so much easier, so much more comfortable to stay right where you are.
Of course, there are other times and places besides the morning "get out of bed" drill that we can feel that way. There are times in our lives when it is just easier to keep on the way we are. In those moments, we need someone to be our Jethro. Sweet says of him, "Jethro kicked Moses' butt out of the tent and into the mission God had given him."
When Jethro sends Moses back to Egypt, most translations translate Jethro's words as "Go in peace." However, Sweet argues that the more literal translation of the Hebrew is "go to peace." Sweet distinguishes between "going in peace" (resting in wholeness, as in death) and "going to peace" (making the best use of whatever life remains). How would you explain the difference between "going to peace" and "going in peace"?
Dante said, "In His will is our peace". Looking at the stories from Exodus about Jethro, how does Jethro help Moses fulfill God's will? What peace comes from this?
Jethro was not himself an Israelite, yet he fulfills an important role in Moses' answer of God's call. One of the reasons I went to Duke for seminary rather than a clearly Baptist school was because I wanted to be exposed to other forms of Christianity so that I could better understand why I thought and practiced the way I did. Do you think that God can use other faiths and cultures to help our understanding of our own faith? Why or why not?
Sweet writes, " If life matters, you have to give your life to mattering." Share your responses to this statement.
What have been some of the spiritual turning points of your life? Who were the people who were part of that experience? Can you see any of them as a Jethro?
The important thing I see about Jethro is that he is not a taskmaster. Some "butt-kickers" take an attitude of driving people against their will. God's whole purpose was to deliver Moses and Israel from taskmasters. Moses didn't need a taskmaster to force him down the path. He needed a Jethro to help him see the way God was opening to him.
There are times where you just want to stay in bed. The covers feel good, you are nice and cozy. Sure, there may be things that need to be done that day. Important things even. But is just so much easier, so much more comfortable to stay right where you are.
Of course, there are other times and places besides the morning "get out of bed" drill that we can feel that way. There are times in our lives when it is just easier to keep on the way we are. In those moments, we need someone to be our Jethro. Sweet says of him, "Jethro kicked Moses' butt out of the tent and into the mission God had given him."
When Jethro sends Moses back to Egypt, most translations translate Jethro's words as "Go in peace." However, Sweet argues that the more literal translation of the Hebrew is "go to peace." Sweet distinguishes between "going in peace" (resting in wholeness, as in death) and "going to peace" (making the best use of whatever life remains). How would you explain the difference between "going to peace" and "going in peace"?
Dante said, "In His will is our peace". Looking at the stories from Exodus about Jethro, how does Jethro help Moses fulfill God's will? What peace comes from this?
Jethro was not himself an Israelite, yet he fulfills an important role in Moses' answer of God's call. One of the reasons I went to Duke for seminary rather than a clearly Baptist school was because I wanted to be exposed to other forms of Christianity so that I could better understand why I thought and practiced the way I did. Do you think that God can use other faiths and cultures to help our understanding of our own faith? Why or why not?
Sweet writes, " If life matters, you have to give your life to mattering." Share your responses to this statement.
What have been some of the spiritual turning points of your life? Who were the people who were part of that experience? Can you see any of them as a Jethro?
The important thing I see about Jethro is that he is not a taskmaster. Some "butt-kickers" take an attitude of driving people against their will. God's whole purpose was to deliver Moses and Israel from taskmasters. Moses didn't need a taskmaster to force him down the path. He needed a Jethro to help him see the way God was opening to him.
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