Jim Hogue :: Blog :: Proof is in the Praxis

As I mentioned before, I live in a community designed to help people in various forms of distress. My status here can be described as "Staff without portfolio." This means I get to serve as God directs. I get to work with the people God sends my way rather than work within the confines of a pre-packaged program.

I teach discipleship to men who are in the final phase of the program. But I have learned a lot in recent years. Too much to think that I can hand over the idea of discipleship in a series of lectures, fold-tab-A-into-slot-B, and expect disciples to appear. Discipleship is not achedemic. It is a matter of what we do, not what we think.

My latest batch of guys is a fine product of evangelical church culture...Lost without a map! So, what am I going to do? Should lecture them into the "right idea?" Should I drill "principle A" into their heads, make them fill in little words to complete my sentences on pre-printed lecture notes? Should I then hand them discussion guides where the first question reads "so, how have you failed at 'principle 'A' this week?" I think not.

Alan Hirsch says in his latest book "The Forgotten Ways" that we have sold out to an "achedemic and Helenistic" approach to biblical principles. We don't "think our way into a new way of acting, we act our way into a new way of thinking." In the case of my guys, they have been lectured to death over the preceeding nine months. I don't think any more lecture from me will do much good, no matter what the content. I could show them Nooma videos until they bleed from their ears and it won't change anything.

The end of Hebrews 5 says that the mature got that way by practice. The idea is not enough. When I re-wrote this section (you would not believe the original material...trailer park theology 101). I took the most critical section "Walk" and summed it up in a physical mnemonic exercise...We take a walk. 

I think I need to expand this into the entire three month encounter. Restoration, transformation, good works, these are not abstracts. They are matters of action. Something actually happens and something actually changes.

This week, I'm trying something different. I am going to meet the guys and have them follow me around the campus. I am going to go to each of the wood fired boilers fix some neglected things. As I do this, I will talk to them about discipleship and restoration.

"Who is fixing the boiler gages?" 

"You are."

"Who taught me to seek to restore things"

"Jesus did."

"So who is responsible for this restoration" 

"Jesus is."

"Exactly!"

"How about restoring people, community, environment?" 

From mere boiler gages, we expand into the act of being the body of Christ and what that looks like. Then we will begin to understand how to do discipleship rather than just "believe" in it.

Then we get to see some Noomas. Rob says it so much better than I do ;)