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Sitting at Jesus’ Feet

While we call this our “Parish Education” issue, my hope is that discipleship is really at its heart — in this issue specifically, the discipleship of our children. Cynthia Biddlecomb knows from experience that the Workshop Rotation model of education, based on the different learning styles of children, is an excellent way to tell the story of Jesus. Nancy Windels talks about developmentally appropriate ways for parents and the church to tell Jesus’ story to our very youngest children, birth to age three. Sue Lennartson shares how to make use of opportunities to gather children for faith-shaping events after school or on weekends or at camps and on- and off-site retreat facilities.

For leaders of the church, discipleship has remained at the heart of all of our educational efforts over the years. This has been true whether we call our congregational education “parish ed.” or “Christian ed.” or our personal vocational education “continuing ed.”, or as it is often called today “lifelong learning.”

The word “disciple” is rooted firmly in our Scriptures. When I read it or hear it mentioned, I immediately think “learner” or “student,” the meaning of the Greek noun methetes, as used in such passages as Matthew 28:16.

The word also fills my mind with many indelible images. One of those images is based on a story which, for me, illustrates most clearly the role of disciple-making. It is told by Luke in 10:38-42. Jesus is visiting with his close friends, Mary and Martha. Mary is described as one who is actually sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him. Martha, on the other hand, is busy with “preparations,” and clearly irritated by Mary’s lack of support.

Mary and Martha are both disciples of the Lord. One finally decides to take some time from her busy schedule to listen to Jesus. The other keeps at the myriad tasks which all seem important and which, of course, are vital for providing the kind of hospitality necessary for entertaining guests.

But Jesus seems to be saying that there are times and places when we all ultimately will need to take the time to listen to him as the Lord of life, if we are to know what the contours of the saved life are all about. Isn’t that why we continue to encourage God's people to worship regularly and read and study the Scriptures and pray? Because worship is the location, the Scriptures, the primary medium, and prayer, the posture, through which we are assured that the voice of God will be heard and that the divine-human relationship will be strengthened.

Lutherans often speak of the human reality as being both sinner and saint simultaneously. Maybe we can also say that we are both Mary and Martha simultaneously. And like most people in our American culture, we hear Jesus’ critique loud and clear and know in our hearts how true it really is: “You are worried and distracted by many things.” But do we hear the second part of Jesus’ statement: “there is need of only one thing”?

Some of you may remember the movie, City Slickers. Actor Billy Crystal, with his two closest friends, leave the frenetic world of New York City to take one of their crazed excursions to far-flung places. This time it’s a working vacation at a dude ranch, driving cattle from New Mexico to Colorado. This is one of those Baby-Boomer movies where each of the friends actually ends up finding himself on a personal journey to discover who he really is or should become. I’ve often thought that, as a Baby Boomer myself, this was one of the quintessential movies which all Boomers could relate to.

Jack Palance plays the trail boss. In a scene where Billy and Jack are alone, and where Billy is sharing his guts, Jack tells Billy that folks like him are always coming out to the ranch all tied up in knots from the life they’ve led back home. But Jack looks at him with his digit finger pointed towards the heavens and says simply that there is only “one thing necessary” for each human life. Billy, of course, remains perplexed by the trail boss’s words — that is, until he nearly dies trying to save a young calf from drowning in a raging, rain-swollen river.

As he is being swept down the river, just prior to being rescued by his friends, he realizes that the one thing necessary for him is his family — his wife and his kids. And at that moment — if he ever gets out of this mess — he is going to rededicate his life to being the best father and husband he can be.

But he also tells his friends that the trail boss’s words will mean something different to each person and each person needs to discover just what that is.

The movie encourages us to seek out that one thing. We as leaders in the church can offer a glimpse of that one thing to others, even as we remind ourselves of it daily. The image of Mary sitting at the feet of our Lord listening to him flashes by and we hear Jesus’ incisive words to Martha: “You are worried and distracted by many things. There is need of only one thing.”

We are not only Jesus’ teachers and preachers, talkers, or givers. We’re Jesus’ students, listeners, and receivers as well.

In a nutshell, we’re disciples sitting at his feet, listening.

Talking about listening, Lutheran Partners magazine is trying to listen to you, our readers, as well. In the first part of 2005, the ELCA’s Research and Evaluation program unit sent us the results of a survey which they mailed to a random selection of rostered leaders, both lay and ordained. Later in the year, three formal discussion groups of rostered leaders were held throughout the country, also led by Research and Evaluation.

I also spent some time in informal discussions with rostered leaders during 2005. The magazine’s Publication Committee began to deliberate last September on how the magazine could work out a strategic plan for the next few years. The plan will be based on what we are hearing from you.

These are ways in which we are trying to listen to you. We are searching, hoping, and praying that Lutheran Partners, both as print and online media, can serve as a useful partner to you in your ministry, as well as a partner faithful to the tradition and ministry handed down to us by faithful partners before us.

Ministry, whether in a parish or through a magazine devoted to rostered leaders — who work not only in parishes but also a variety of other settings — is not a simple matter. Change is affecting all of us no matter where we are working.

Let me know what you think Lutheran Partners could be. E-mail me at william.decker@elca.org. Or send me a letter by regular mail at Lutheran Partners, ELCA, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631-4101. I can also receive faxes at (773) 380-2829.

William A. Decker is editor of Lutheran Partners magazine, Chicago, Illinois.