Circuit Rider Letter
July and August 2010

This summer we are starting a new series. The title of the series is inspired by the book by Trevor Hudson, a South African Methodist pastor, who wrote “Christ Following”.

We are going to look at what it really means to be a follower of Jesus. Sometimes in the institutional church we have done a really good job, I say that in a negative way, we have done a really good job of portraying Jesus as someone who is to be revered, someone who said a lot of interesting things, but we never teach people how to follow Jesus sacrificially.

Jesus’ call is not to revere. Jesus’ call is not to believe. The call of Jesus is to follow.

So we are going to spend time looking at Jesus’ first encounter with the disciples, the invitation. We are going to gain an understanding of what it meant to be a rabbi in Jesus’ time. We are going to see what it meant to be a Christ follower. Through this summer we are asking and praying for Jesus to teach us, so we can follow Him, in His way, His lifestyle, His purpose.

When you and I look at this after 2000 years, and having the historical tradition of the church, it is kind of like these people immediately recognizing who Jesus was, believing in fact that He was the Messiah and committing themselves whole heartedly to follow Him. And we are going to see, at the point of their calling, they have no idea who Jesus is, except for the fact that He was one of the many rabbis that traveled the country.

And it is going to be weeks, in fact the eighth week, months from their perspective before Jesus ever asks the question who He is, and Peter makes that incredible declaration, you are the Christ, the promised one, the Messiah, of God.

We are going to try to understand the idea of Christ following from the context of the Jewish culture of Jesus time. We will be looking at the tradition of the rabbis. Join us each week as we delve deeper into what it really means to be a Christ Follower.

See you In Worship!

Pastor John