The In-Between Places

"Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is He whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ." (Colossians 1:27b-28, NRSV)

"Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters," (Colossians 3:23, NRSV)

The task of discipleship—Paul takes serious is role as a shepherd. He goes into communities to proclaim Christ, build relationships, build up leaders, and then He continues to shepherd them with letters when he is away (even when he is in jail).

Paul states his tasks as (1) proclaiming, (2) warning, (3) teaching—but the goal is to present everyone mature in Christ. This means that it is a process. Maturity just doesn’t happen—it takes someone to point you the way to maturity. It takes effort and time by the shepherd to lead someone to maturity.

We miss that in the church today. Most churches view discipleship or church participation as individualistic. It is up to the individual to find what they need or maturity. We are told to go to Sunday school, Sunday service, read the bible pray—well, who is making sure that we do those things, who is present us. And conversely—who are we presenting. Discipleship is about community.

Discipleship (leading someone to maturity) doesn’t happen in Sunday school, bible study, prayer, or service, it happens in the spaces in-between those things. All those things are helpful and important and certainly a part of discipleship, but true maturity comes in the in-between spaces. The life on life encounters with a mentor (shepherd, discipler).

Then Paul tells us to put ourselves into the task as if we are doing it for the Lord. Dive in wholehearted into the task that God has given us. The task of making disciples, the task of presenting people mature in Christ.