Disciples--Transform!

If one meeting is indicative of anything, our Disciple I group will be a lively one. We met for an informational meeting last week. All I did was talk about the elements of each lesson, necessary participation and what materials to bring. From that a good discussion arose about the ministry of the church. Oh, the places we will go!

I opened the meeting by making reference to many people’s concerns about participating in Disciple. The entire length of the study turns many people off immediately; the weekly commitment can be difficult. In some ways, then, it seems rather difficult. Prayer begins everything in Disciple. With that in mind, to open our meeting I shared this prayer taken from an older book entitled leaves from a spiritual notebook:

O Father, this day may bring some hard task to our life, or some hard trial to our love. We may grow weary, or sad, or hopeless in our lot. But, Father, our whole life until now has been one great proof of Thy care. Bread has come for our bodies, thoughts to our mind, love to our heart, and all from Thee. So help us, we implore Thee, while we stand still on this side of all that the day may bring, to resolve that we will trust Thee this day to shine into any gloom of the mind, to stand by us in any trial of our love, and to give us rest Thy good time as we need. May this day be full of a power that shall bring us near to Thee, and make us more like Thee; and, O God, may we so trust Thee this day, that when they day is done our trust shall be firmer than ever. Then, when our last day comes and our work is done, may we trust Thee in death and forever, in the spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

We begin next our meetings tomorrow.  Just think: a group of young disciples transformed the entire world. Ten people are signed up in a small church in Irving, Texas (and other places, too). Away we go!

Stay blessed…john