“Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wildness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man.”
John Eldredge
John Wesley understood our spiritual life to be more like an apprenticeship than a scholarly pursuit or a weekend experience. Christianity, he said, is not just knowing what Jesus said or did, it is doing what Jesus did for the reasons Jesus did them. This is not an easy or natural transition. Wesley insisted his followers participate in small groups to encourage spiritual accountability, dialogue and mentoring among those called Methodists. Wesley knew that without mentoring and accountability, our spiritual flame would gradually fade and grow cold. If we stop to consider the health of the church today, perhaps we would do well to rediscover our Methodist roots.
Faith requires work! Our Christian decision is never a one-time decision but a lifelong adventure the end of which God alone can see. It guides our thoughts and actions in the midst of messy situations, hard choices and dry seasons. John Ortberg once said, “For most of us, the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.”
THE SUMMIT is a unique discipleship challenge we created to provide benchmarks of spiritual formation. We chose this mountain adventure because of the risks and rewards, commitment and courage that are required to reach the Summit. This journey will take us deeper and higher into the High Country of God’s Kingdom where we will experience life from a totally different perspective. This journey, however, is not for the faint of heart. Those who turn back remember the ordeal, those who persevere remember the adventure. If you’re ready, the adventure starts here!
There is an older deeper power in these mountains that has seeped into my bones…and it is calling me!
Disciples are by nature strangely adventurous. They go looking for and even expect more out of life than the routine and ordinary. They expect the path to be risky, hard and demanding. It’s what brings out the best in us. Adventurers know that if your climb is hard, it’s because your calling is higher
Eternal God,
You are calling me to begin a journey the end of which I cannot see, upon paths as yet untrod, deep into the heart of mountains that are higher and wilder than I can fathom. I hesitate and my mind is filled with fear and doubts. Grant me faithful companions to inspire and guide me. When I look to the mountains, my heart leaps at the thought of what lies beyond. I long for this kind of life because I know I was made for this life. So take my hand, guide my steps and lead me into the wild unknown. Amen.
Eternal God,
You are calling me to begin a journey the end of which I cannot see, upon paths as yet untrod, deep into the heart of mountains that are higher and wilder than I can fathom. I hesitate and my mind is filled with fear and doubts. Grant me faithful companions to inspire and guide me. When I look to the mountains, my heart leaps at the thought of what lies beyond. I long for this kind of life because I know I was made for this life. So take my hand, guide my steps and lead me into the wild unknown. Amen.
The desire for Adventure is deeply woven into the soul of man.D
The Chameleon
One crisis away from disaster!
Strange as it may seem, our culture makes it easy, even desirable, for our lives to be a chaotic mess. When life spins out of balance, we buy more than we need, work longer than we should, and compare ourselves to the flawless lives of others as projected on social media. It is brutal, exhausting, and lonely existence, but over the years we’ve grown accustomed to the pace, and besides, everyone else is doing it!
At this stage, life is Crazy Busy, a frantic race against time to nowhere in particular like hamsters on a wheel! Busyness gives us a false sense of significance and the lure of wealth numbs the senses. We often compare ourselves to the perfection portrayed on Facebook which makes our own reality unappealing. Life is a non-stop rat race. Most are so enamored with technology it leaving little time for spiritual matters. This is the culture of burnout, tribalism and novelty. Religion is considered antiquated and simple. Mt 13:15
“Our greatest fear in life should not be failure, but succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Francis Chan
Tourist
Appearance over Authenticity
I consider myself spiritual, but not religious! I come to see the sights, but I’m not ready to go the distance. I value “feel good” ideals, but avoid the discipline of serious climbers. I try to compensate with good intentions, well-worn excuses and elitist attitude. When it comes to church, I look for the greatest entertainment value, trendy hot spots and low commitment. Sure, Jesus is a good guy and all, but life is really what you make it. My hectic lifestyle validates my significance. I have just enough Jesus in my life to feel content and secure, but not enough to move beyond this stage. Superficial religion will always be fashionable because it asks nothing in return. See Isaiah 29:13
The greatest spiritual test is not pain, its prosperity.
“the primary need of every person is to experience a deep sense of meaning, and when they can’t find meaning, they numb themselves with pleasure.” Victor Frankl
Traveller
I was MADE FOR MORE!
Sometimes a single step in the right direction can be the greatest leap of your life. I’ve taken the first tentative steps and now my comfort zone is being stretched, expanded and tested day by day. There’s far more here than I ever realized before! Jesus is opening my eyes and my heart and mind in ways I never imagined! How have I missed this? With the encouragement of fellow travelers, I’m learning to let go of some old habits and move higher up into the mountains. I’m excited by the new terrain, but also cautious. I’m learning new skills from seasoned explorers and looking forward to new challenges. There’s still so much more to explore, but with a little help, courage and discipline, I know I can do it. Luke 24:32
Next Steps
‘The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.’ Mark Twain
Trekker
From Sunday to Everyday...
My journey now carries me beyond Sunday morning into everyday experiences and conversations. Jesus is expanding and redefining how I see myself. I find that nothing is more energizing than serving God with friends. I’m learning to live less out of habit and more out of intent. Following Jesus has redefined how I see myself, the path I’m on and how I relate to others. . I am more emotionally stable, a reassuring presence, consistent in worship and action. If the path you’re on is more difficult, it is because your calling is that much higher.
I am part of a dedicated team working together for a noble purpose. Sometimes I’m the leader, sometimes the follower and sometimes the gopher. I’m learning so much that I would rather be on the trail than anywhere else. They make sure I don’t fall behind, get distracted or settle for less than my best. I’m finding that as you get older, you’ll find all you really want is to be surrounded by good people. People that are good for you, good to you and good for your soul.! Mark 4:41
“Jesus promised his disciples three things – that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble.” — G. K. Chesterton
Trailblazer
And then one day… it all just clicks!
Looking around you suddenly realize what’s important and what isn’t. You’ve found the key to sacred ordinary days. You learn to care less about what other people think and more about what really matters. You realize how far you’ve come, the price you’ve paid, and you remember the times you thought things were such a mess that you would never recover, and yet here you are, and it makes you smile. You smile because there is a peace in your soul no crisis can touch. You have become the person you knew God created you to be. Now you know with certainty you were Made for More!
You now walk with God daily and see His hand upon every event, every conversation and every encounter. Every obstacle is a challenge to overcome. “Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living” Rachel Martin
Key Verse: Romans 12:1-2
Our Goal is to not just believe in Jesus, but to believe like Jesus, so that we do what Jesus did for the reasons Jesus did them
The Chameleon
Exhausted. Angry. Anxious. Trying to blend in, appear to have it all together, yet on the verge of collapse. We have everything we ever wanted, but no idea why we wanted it. We crave more, but are satisfied less. We have instant access to every topic imaginable, and yet we have no idea what to do with it or what it all means. The crisis we face is not a crisis of poverty or pestilence, it’s a crisis of meaning. We count our virtual friends in the hundreds, yet are more polarized and lonelier than ever. We project perfection on social media, making our current reality undesirable. Where do we go from here?
The Awakening
Anyone can find God useful, but few find God desirable. Many find God easy and convenient, but few consider God dangerous and wild. Worship, like love, is an all or nothing passion. It melts our defenses, creates new life, leaving us breathless and hungry for more. Worship burns away the fog shrouding the purpose and adventure of life. Worship is way too deep and mysterious for words. It is not an event, a music style or a ritual, it is a transfusion of God-life, the only known cure for narcissism, tribalism and despair. A single hour of sincere worship, it is said, changes all other hours!
The Apprentice
DISCIPLESHIP derives its energy, intensity and resolve from Worship! To enter into and experience the power and presence of God is unmistakable. Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let distractions, compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving toward the summit of fulfillment. A disciple is driven by an irresistible urge to sit with Jesus and absorb as much of His life, wisdom as possible. It alone avoids the hypocrisy of Isa 29:13. It fulfills the vows made at our baptism, feasts upon God’s Word, practices spiritual disciplines and creates true community. What Worship asks, Discipleship answers! (Ps 8:4)
“The two most important days in a person’s life are the day they were born and they day they ask why.” Mark Twain
The Servant
Consumer or contributor? Which side of the spiritual lunch counter are you sitting? There is a special energy that builds up when you’re in love, a burning desire to express it, shout it and share it little tangible ways! Faith is like love, it’s never a private, intellectual affair, it is our public actions that reveal our true inner desires. It is not enough to dream; you must act on it. Without action, faith & love are only words. If we sit at Jesus’ feet, we must follow in his footsteps. When we love, we see possibilities. When we serve, we become the people God designed us to be. We are dedicated to this noble purpose: IMITATE JESUS!