“After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.”
Acts 20:1
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MAY 5, 2025
I grew up in a crowded city, so now that I’m a suburban homeowner, I have fallen in love with gardening. Every year around this time, I get a desire to rush to the garden center and purchase new native perennials and shrubs. I love pushing my hands into damp, rich spring soil, love watching worms appear fat, healthy, and squirmy. I love seeing how the columbine I planted last year somehow survived the winter and is growing strong. I love seeing my Jacob’s ladder and lobelia spread and grow.
I wish I could tell you that I am a meticulous gardener, that I research plants and know how to care for them. I am an enthusiastic but impatient gardener. The many plants still thriving in my yard are a testament to their hardiness and adaptability, not my skill as a gardener. I long to be patient, but I’m not there yet.
In our modern world of quick, machine-made, cheap (disposable) products, we’ve lost much of the value (and ability) for slow, careful, deliberate work and craftsmanship. This applies to discipleship. We no longer have the patience for true discipleship, which is neither quick nor cheap. It is not machine made, there’s no quick and easy way to get there. Discipleship is a long, slow process, a work of craftsmanship by the hand of the Holy Spirit.
Our passage this week offers a glimpse of what healthy discipleship looks like, as we see Paul interact with the growing church. Let’s take the time to read, listen and reflect. What does healthy discipleship look like?
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- How would you describe and define discipleship?
- What tools, practices or resources have helped you grow in discipleship? Which ones have not?
- Do you have the skills to patiently work on a project that takes years to complete?
Church Reading Plan: Numbers 12-13; Psalm 49