A New Framework for Discipleship
by Rich Villodas
What kind of discipleship does this generation and emerging generations need?
That’s the question many ministry leaders ask themselves, and I have been asking that question while serving a multi-generational church in the most diverse zip code in the world.
Through trial and error, we discovered a framework of spiritual formation I call the deeply formed life that holds together aspects that are often segmented and compartmentalized. The ultimate goal of this framework is to be formed in the image of Jesus.
That’s what Paul talks about in Galatians 4 when he says, “I’m in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
My hope is that the character of Jesus, the life of Jesus, the love of Jesus, and the power of Jesus is being shaped in the next generation. When I think about the kind of formation that often goes around in the life of the church, it’s compartmentalized and emphasizes one thing over the next.
For example, in many evangelical traditions, the emphasis is on right thinking. We focus on getting kids and adults to have the right doctrine and agree on theological issues. Because of that, spiritual formation is largely relegated to the Bible. Don’t get me wrong. I love the Bible, but the Devil knows theology too.
In Pentecostal contexts, the emphasis is on having the right experience. If people can have the right experience, they will be formed in the image of Jesus. I love experiences, but we all know that someone can have a spiritual experience but not grow in how they exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Experience alone is not going to produce what God wants in us.
In progressive mainline traditions, the emphasis is on right action–justice and compassion. Of course, I love talking about the ways the kingdom of God creates a new humanity, but even the right action alone will not get us where we need to be.
There are other examples of this, and I am, of course, painting with a broad brush. But, we need a larger framework. When it comes to this framework, there are two images that come to mind: an iceberg and redwood trees.
An iceberg is the logo for our church. Although our church is in Queens, we have used it as an image to articulate what God really wants to do in our lives. Jesus wants to transform what we cannot see–the values, idols, fears, and anxieties that lie beneath the surface.
We also need the image of redwood trees. Although redwood trees soar 300, 400, or 500 feet in the air, they do not have deep roots. Instead they are part of a root system and are interconnected with each other.
So, the framework, although it might look different in different contexts, there are universal principles that can be applied across the board. Particularly there are five aspects.
1. Contemplative rhythms
The pace of life we live is often not sustainable for the work God invites us to. We have to learn how to slow down to catch up with God. In fact, when I interviewed to join our staff as a small group pastor and teaching pastor my predecessor said that the only way that I would get fired is if I didn’t keep a Sabbath. He said that if I didn’t have a 24-hour period of life outside of ministry, I would not have a life that could sustain the work I would be doing for God.
We live in a generation that’s increasingly distracted and distractible–a generation marked by skimming and scrolling. We are in a state of what sociologists call a constant state of partial attention, so we need contemplative rhythms so we can be with God. We have to move from seeing prayer as a transaction to seeing it as communion.
2. Interior examination
Jesus wants to transform every aspect of our lives–especially our interior lives. When it comes to our spiritual lives, it is very easy to use God to run from God or ourselves. We get so busy in the name of Jesus that we avoid what’s really happening beneath the surface of our lives. What’s required is a spiritual lexicon–a language for interior examination. We need a language and spiritual formation that helps us deal with the hard emotions within us like anxiety, anger, and grief, and cope with the hard things around us, like violence and world crises.
3. Racial justice and reconciliation
It is good news that the gospel is powerful enough to create a new family and break down hostility. In an increasingly diverse society, what is required is a theology that helps us navigate the terrain of racial reality.
When I think about what Jesus has done, the primary fruit of the gospel is not that you are going to heaven when you die but that a new family has been created in the name of Jesus. This goes back to the promise given to Abraham and the prophets. In Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, a new community, new family, and new humanity has been created.
We have to talk about this on at least six levels if we are going to make progress. We need to talk about racial justice and reconciliation theologically, historically, sociologically, politically, physiologically, and formationally.
4. Sexual wholeness
Our bodies must be integrated, not separated from, our spirituality. We need not just a language and theology for sexual wholeness, but we also need spaces that are safe enough to have better conversations. We need to be able to ask hard questions about sexuality instead of continuing our approach of only talking about it in hushed tones and cliches.
5. Missional presence
This is a phrase from Robert Mulholland. He said that there are two ways of being in the world. We can be in the world for God or be in God for the world. There is a big difference. Being in the world for God is representing what we think God cares about. We live in such a way that we believe God is pleased with the things that make us angry. The problem is that we can be in the world for God without God.
We are invited into being in God for the sake of the world. We need a call to purpose that gets the sacredness of all of life. That’s why at our church we have banned the phrase “full-time ministry.” No matter what you do, if it is done in the name of Jesus and aligns with Jesus’ character, it is ministry.
There is so much more to each of these values, and each of these values will look different in every context and denomination. However, if we want to help the people in our communities who are navigating a changing world grow in their everyday faith, we need to rethink our frameworks to help them be shaped into the image of God. If you want to learn more about this framework, check out The Deeply Formed Life today!
