Well, once again it's been 'way too long since I did my last blog posting.  I've been on the road for most of the last couple of weeks  -  two days in the Lake District presenting three sessions at a writers' school, one day speaking to a group of pastors from the Nazarene Church, two days in London meeting the staff at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, three days in Oxford leading a church retreat week-end, home for just one day, then three days at a church planting conference back in the Lake District, home for a couple of days, before leading a week-end in Ripley!  All of which I relate, not to impress you  -  honest!  - but just to let you see that I've got an excuse (well, kind of!)  for neglecting my blogging duties.

Having got that out of the way, let me return to the issue of discipleship.  And first of all, I ought to acknowledge the comments of the good Mr Little!  I know exactly what you mean about the danger of dsicpleship becoming a kind of moral assault course.  Or, to change the analogy, an exercise in ticking off all the boxes.  I think the issue hinges on this:  discipleship is so often understood as fitting in with a church culture.  In truth, however, it is really all about following Christ, getting to know him, modelling my life on his, living and loving as he lived and loved. 

To face the question head-on:  How do you measure progress in that following?  It isn't easy, partly because the moment you start measuring your progress you've taken your attention away from Jesus and focussed on yourself.  I think the best one can do is to hold to those three things I listed last time  -  stay committed to following Jesus, stay committed to a company of Jesus-followers, and stay committed to intentional spiritual formation.  Be a life-long learner and leave the judging of your progress to the Master and to others.

And I'll add just one thing this time:

committed to a discerning engagement with the prevailing culture

Discipleship is not withdrawal from the world.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Disciples must be constantly discerning  -  they must never lose their heart to the world around them with all it's confused values;  but disciples must also be constantly dying  -  dying to self, dying to personal ambition.  They do not lose their heart to the world;  that belongs to Jesus;  but they may well give their life for it in service and sacrifice.

Discipleship  -  to use John Stott's memorable phrase  -  involves a 'double listening':  listening to God's word and listening to God's world in order that we can understand God's will for our times.  We must be like the Men of Issachar in the Old Testament who 'understood the times and knew what Israel should do.'

And finally,  check out the new section on LICC (The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity)  and you'll understand one reason why I'm thinking so much about discipleship.

If you have been, thanks for listening