Of Mentors and Men

There is an interesting philosophy that exists in different organizations such as businesses, churches, sports teams, etc., and that is of mentors. Mentors tend to serve different functions for different organizations: In business, they help their pupils learn the ins and outs of the company, help them understand proper practices, appropriate use of money, etc. In church, you would typically think of a mentor being someone who is older and takes someone younger under their wing and, by sharing their experience and wisdom, help take that person to a closer relationship with God. In sports, the veterans would be the mentors and they would take the rookies and show them the ropes, how to act on the road, how to handle the media, and other things.

Two separate things got me thinking about this idea of mentorship and how it relates to our relationship with Christ. One of which is the video/chapter of Velvet Elvis called Dust, by Rob Bell. The second was a chapter on discipleship and mentorship in a book called Metamorpha by Kyle Strobel (son of Lee Strobel of The Case For...fame).

These two writers/speakers both have very strong, opinionated stances on mentorship and discipleship. I will quickly and effectively try to summarize their viewpoints:

In Dust, Bell focuses on the relationship Jews in the first century were familiar with between Rabbis and students. A student would study with a Rabbi for years, learning the things they know, acting the way they act, literally trying to be this Rabbi. These students were the best of the best when it came to their studies and they were considered gifted, privileged to be able to become like these great Rabbis. Well while Jesus chose his own group to mentor and teach, they were not the best at anything. They were fishermen, tax collectors, poor people, outcasts. In short, they were just like you and me. They would spend more than two years learning to be like Jesus, following him, trying to understand His message; and then becoming his mouthpiece after his resurrection for the good news of the present kingdom.

In the chapter Discipleship: At the Foot of the Master, Strobel takes a more cautionary approach. While he agrees that the perfect model is to have Jesus be our mentor and Great Teacher, he warns that as imperfect humans, we too often look to be mentored by the next best thing, the most attractive and successful, or the most dynamic of speakers. The danger becomes that we often become students or pupils of only that person, rather than of Jesus. We fall in love with and emulate the mannerisms, ideals, and characteristics of our mentor, rather than those that are the embodiment of Jesus. Strobel uses the example of a great preacher he used to listen to. He was from out of town, so he would request all of the preachers lessons on CD. One day a friend encouraged Strobel to listen to a sermon, he did, and while the message was nothing exciting, he could tell it was the same preacher he had always listened to. His friend had to tell him it actually wasn't the same preacher, but a younger man the preacher was discipling. This younger man had picked up all of the same language, inflection, and tone of his mentor, but how had he really grown to be more like Jesus?

The perfect example of a mentor/student relationship here on earth, as pointed out by Strobel, is of Paul. He would say in his letters to do what I do, but only because I am trying to do as Christ would have done.

Strobel says that the danger comes when we sit at the feet of someone or some group and pour ourselves into them, heart and soul, giving them everything we have, and saving none for Jesus - the true mentor. And that is why he says, "we may learn from our fellow sisters and brothers who also sit at Jesus' feet, but we are never followers of them."

For me, I feel that the challenge comes down to what WE were challenged to do; and that is to make disciples and be mentors in this world:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
-Matthew 28:18-20

So our mission seems to be two-fold, and it coincides with the two chapters pointed out in the first couple of paragraphs above.

While we are not anyone special to begin with, sitting at the feet of Jesus, the ultimate Rabbi, draws us into a relationship with him, and urges us to not just do things Jesus would want us to do, but to do them in the way Jesus would have done it. We could spend a lifetime learning from Jesus, trying to perfectly imitate him, striving to know what he knows. Following Jesus so closely that the dust he kicks up is all over our clothes is God's desire for us.

We are then called to bring others to Christ through mentorship and disciple-making. But our desires must not be to make people just like us, but rather like Christ; does our mentorship to others focus on the skills or programs they need to develop or rather the relationship that Christ desires with them? Not creating clones of ourselves, but rather clones of Christ is God's mission for us.

Therefore, Jesus becomes the ultimate desire, not only in what we try to know, but also in what we try to teach. It is never about ourselves, but always about God's kingdom here on earth.

Strobel sums it up quite well:

"The idea that we are Jesus's apprentices....puts the focus on us, even if we say we are learning to be like Jesus. The goal of an apprenticeship is to develop certain abilities so that we're able to function apart from our master; apprentices are meant to move on to independence at some point. The focus becomes our skill and ability to function and adapt. The most fundamental reason why creating disciples has proven to be so elusive for the North American church is that all of our....methods for discipleship put ourselves at the end rather than Jesus. The goal of discipleship should always be Jesus and never spiritual skill."

-RK

June 17 plans

Life Group this Sunday is scheduled to be at the Crain's house, probably around 5:30 PM. If you see anyone in our group this weekend or Sunday morning, please be sure to pass the word around that it is at their house this week.

Also, Jeremy will be trying to find some helpers for a project to assist Karis with VBS for Sunday afternoon. Find Jeremy on Sunday morning or call him at 832-428-3191 to find out more details. It is some decorating work up at the church and should not take very long at all.

Life Group on June 24 is tentatively scheduled to be at the Boudra's house. More details will come later to confirm that.

June 10 plans

UPDATE: I should have said Life Group will begin this Sunday at 5:30 PM. We will change the time, and no longer meet at 6.
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I forgot how difficult it would be in June to get the word out to everyone about plans for June with events and Life Groups, so I plan to post some information here as well as send out emails as we go through the month.

This Sunday, Dave and Karen will host our group for a brunch at their house beginning at about 10:20 or 10:30. Anyone is welcome to attend. Their address is 16923 Serenity Cove Circle in Friendswood. Also, for anyone who cannot make this week's brunch, there will be a second on Sunday, June 24 at the same house at the same time. Hope you can make one of them!

Life Group this Sunday night is at our house (Ryan and Allison Kirksey), and our address is 2402 Leading Edge Dr. in Friendswood. We will begin at 6:00 PM and food will be served.

If there is anything I left out, please let me know!

RK