A Summary of My 2016 Lenten Journey

40 Concerns if I am to follow Jesus and become more like him

(A Summary of My 2016 Lenten Journey)

1. In what ways am I being counterproductive in my effort to reflect or radiate the presence of God? (Matthew 1:23)
2. Am I a source of anxiety for those who misuse power? (Matthew 2:2-3)
3. Does my witness portray a God who favors one ethnic, cultural or political people or ideology (namely, mine)? Or do I follow Jesus and present a witness for all (and “all” means “all”)? (Matthew 2:10-11)
4. Am I stuck in trying to do things right, and need to shift to doing the right thing? (Matthew 3:13-15)
5. Am I focused enough on my sense of God’s presence and calling that I am not distracted? Have I even identified God’s claim and calling upon me? (Matthew 4:10)
6. How do I discern the difference between God’s call and my ego? What does it mean to follow Jesus? Do I have the faith to do that? (Matthew 4: 18-19)
7. Am I “poor in spirit?” I know I have mourned. Am I “meek”; do I “hunger and thirst for righteousness” in my life? (Matthew 5:1-12)
8. Do I reflect Jesus, or do I reflect the materialistic values of a culture in which “image is everything?” (Matthew 5:13-16)
9. Could it be that my efforts to figure it all out fall as short as the Pharisees? Perhaps I should simply celebrate the mystery and follow Jesus, trusting that where he leads is where God’s purpose is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-20)
10. No matter who is at fault, if I am to follow Jesus, I will initiate reconciliation! Always! (Matthew 5:23-24)
11. Life is more about the journey – and about whom I follow. If I follow Jesus, I don’t need to worry about the destination. (Matthew 5:27-37)
12. Maybe this following Jesus thing is going to be tougher that I expected. We’ve read the last chapter, and we know how it turns out. Oh, yeah: the resurrection and the ascension… But before those things there was a cross. You go on ahead, Jesus! I’m going to look for a short cut! (Matthew 5:38-48)
13. Jesus advocated for the victim. If I am to follow him and become more like him, I will do the same, without concern for the worthiness of the recipient. (Matthew 6:1-4)
14. Can praying in public be counterproductive to our Christian witness? While we have to take into account the attitude of the observer, which we can’t control, maybe it depends upon our posture which always is in our control. (Matthew 6:5-15)
15. Do I trust Jesus’ promise that my Father in heaven will reward me? Do I trust it enough to not be disappointed if I don’t get a “Thank You” card for every good deed? (Matthew 6:16-21)
16. 16.   If I am to be a slave, at least if I follow Jesus, I can choose my master. (Matthew 6:22-24)
17. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Do I really believe that? (Matthew: 6:25-34)
18. If I am to follow Jesus, I cannot live by double standards. (Matthew 7:1-5)
19. At first, Jesus believed he was sent only to the Jews; but he remained open to God’s revelation, and increasingly extended God’s grace (unconditional love) and restoration to all people. May I remain even partially as open to God’s ongoing revelation in my own life and ministry. (Matthew 7:6)
20. Whether in the acknowledgement of abilities or in the emptiness of inability, ultimately, I must acknowledge my dependence upon God. (Matthew 7:7-11)
21. If I am to follow Jesus, I will seek opportunities to be proactive in justice, mercy and humility. May I do so without coming across as arrogant. (Matthew 7:12)
22. If I am to follow Jesus, I will receive life openly and honestly, confident that God already has given me the resources to live fully and effectively. My quest will be to find and activate with gratitude those resources within me. (Matthew 7:13-23)
23. If I am to follow Jesus, I will not pile up prerequisite requirements for those who want to join the journey. The intention is not to make it more difficult. (Matthew 7:24-28)
24. If I am to follow Jesus, I will be as indiscriminate as he in dispensing help to people. (Matthew 8:1-17)
25. Have I considered the cost? Am I willing to pay it? Or am I just along for the ride? (Matthew 8:18-22)
26. Jesus, I want to follow you, even when I don’t believe what I’m seeing. Can we come back to those hard parts later? (Matthew 8:23-27)
27. If I am to follow Jesus, what demonic forces must I confront? What spirits of darkness imprison people, distorting truth, disrupting productive efforts, dividing people and pitting them against one another? And, am I prepared to receive ungrateful responses to my faithfulness? (Matthew 8:28-34)
28. The cliché says, "Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship." Am I clinging to some doctrine as a substitute for faith? How does my doctrine get in the way of following Jesus? How might it mislead others? (Matthew 9:2-8)
29. I say I want to follow Jesus. To whom am I extending grace? Am I offering grace only to those I consider worthy? (Matthew 9:9-13)
30. Am I stuck in a rut of liturgical and theological habit? How hard will it be to follow Jesus and become more like him, if I never ask, “What new thing must I consider? What new way must I try? What if I'm wrong?" (Matthew 9:14-17)
31. I’ve always believed that being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) means that we have potential that has never been experienced in human life other than Jesus. Is it possible that part of what it means to be “in Christ” is to unleash increasing degrees of that potential? What untapped potential lies within me? How can my following Jesus open me to accepting the gifts I have yet to discover? (Matthew 9:18-26)
32. Jesus’ message is “a message of transformation through service, sacrifice, and selfless love for our neighbors, enemies and selves. A message of humiliation and simplicity as the way of abundance and eternal life. Christians were never meant to be the ones in power. In fact, history shows us that anytime Christianity is given a position of power and influence, it quickly departs from the Gospel of Jesus—because a Christianity that is given worldly power is not Christianity at all. Christianity is the religion that proclaims a God who humbled himself and entered into creation, taking the form of a servant—who touched the untouchables and spoke sharp truth that exposed those in power. Christianity is a religion centered on the subversive power of love and sacrifice, not on the love of power and wealth.”[1] (Matthew 9:27-34)
33. "The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength" (I Corinthians 1:25). If I am to follow Jesus, it becomes clearer and clearer where that will lead. (Matthew 9:35-38)
34. To follow Jesus is to engage in a work that exceeds human resources. To be faithful to Jesus we will need help from the “Lord of the harvest;” and praying for that help apparently will be an ongoing part of following Jesus. (Matthew 10:16-42)
35. Ideologies, whether religious or political, become divisive when they become ends in themselves. I have been critical of those who prioritize ideology over people; and yet, If I am to follow Jesus I will advocate and live a consistent ideology. As a result, I can expect opposition from many directions, including those closest to me. But, of course, Jesus’ ideology is all about people: loving them (even one’s enemies), serving them (the cup of cold water), inviting them into the kingdom and giving oneself up on their behalf. (Matthew 11:1-6)
36. What cherished doctrinal and spiritual understandings might Jesus confront in me? Am I clinging to understandings that make me stumble over him? Am I willing to leave them behind and follow him? (Matthew 11:7-19)
37. As I endeavor to follow Jesus and become more like him, what are the fruits by which I am known? I think it was Coach John Wooden who said, “There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” Am I humble enough to take up Jesus’ yoke of servanthood and to forgo all those aspirations of greatness and recognition and power? (Matthew 11:20-30)
38. What rules have I chosen—or erected—to hide behind so I can feel justified in withholding mercy and justice? (Matthew 12:1-21)
39. If I’m not confident about the sin against the Holy Spirit, I certainly am clear about what fruit I should bear. (Matthew 12:21-37)
40. Is my relationship with God too private? Am I missing the bigger picture of God’s universal love? (Matthew 12:1-21)

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[1] Brandon Robertson, “To the Dying Church from a Millennial,” Sojourners, https://sojo.net/articles/letters-dying-church/dying-church-millennial. May 8, 2014.