One aspect of discipleship that I am discovering more and more is the importance of the integration of multiple activities.

My experience has been that many see discipleship as an activity of the mind. Typically, many discipling relationships I have been part of and have watched have been limited to the study/reflection/memorization of scripture and prayer. And while these have been good, I’m realizing that they are not robust enough.

Reflecting on the interactions Jesus had with his disciples, yes, there were times to pause and learn, and often Jesus pulled them aside for some great teaching moments, however more often than not they were actively participating in hands-on ministry. Many times the teaching moments came out of the active ministry they had just participated in.

And while the cultural context allowed for Jesus and his followers to be together 7/24, we need to ask what our cultural context will allow.

I’ve had several conversations with individuals the past few months who have been involved in varying types of discipleship groups. One of the themes that I have been hearing is that their study is becoming dry. The constant input of information, as good and scriptural as it is, is feeling like it is missing meaning, an outlet to practice.

For the past three years, I have been integrating some intentional service with the guys I’ve been meeting with. Whether it is serving breakfast regularly at the homeless drop-in, building picnic tables for a ministry or serving on a non-profit board of directors, these tangible activities have given a context with which to live out our faith. We’ve learned about each other as we’ve watched different giftings shine and personality traits be exposed. We’ve learned about aspects of concern in our city that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. And our hearts have been exposed to the work of the Kingdom that God is calling us to.

God became flesh and dwelt among us. We too, while we learn to understand God from scripture and through the Holy Spirit speaking to us, must engage practically in the work of the kingdom. These various aspects however must not be done in silos. They work together in the context of a discipling relationship. It may appear more complex, and it is definitely not as convenient, but I believe that discipleship calls us to embrace the complexity of it all.

One aspect of the project that was implemented for my doctoral research involved a learning model called “Service Learning.” Currently being used in an increasing number of universities and colleges, it blends both in-class learning as well as hands-on action that emphasizes what is being taught. Personally, one of the fascinating parts of this learning style that spoke to me was the aspect of regularly reflecting on the learning that was taking place. The research that has been done on this learning model indicates that unless the student pauses to intentionally reflect (both individually and in a group) on what they are learning, the “stickiness” of the learning is very limited. With reflection, the learning increases by over 80%.

We all need to take advantage of the benefits of reflection. Jesus often pulled his disciples aside from the crowds to reflect on what they had been involved with. He would also interact with them around the parables that he had been telling to the crowds, reflecting on the fuller meaning.

For me personally, as someone who is on the go and trying to make things happen, I find that pausing to reflect will only happen if I discipline myself to do this. It has become more of a natural occurrence in the past couple of years, but I do recall how I had to become convinced that it was a good idea so that I would set aside time to reflect.

I was away this past weekend and had a few chunks of time to myself. I knew that I needed to take advantage of this opportunity to reflect. On one occasion, I spent an hour walking along the waterfront reflecting on some memory verses that I’ll be engaging in with a group of guys I’m meeting with. I allowed myself to be drawn into them, to be challenged by them, and to be open to whatever the Holy Spirit may want to be teaching me. The more I reflected, the deeper it got, and the more transformative the time became.

As we lead others on this journey of discipleship, we need to become convinced that reflection is beneficial, to allow reflection to become part of a regular pattern of our lives, and then to show those we are leading. This is easily done using scripture, specifically the memory verses you are engaging with. But it can also be done with some great questions: What is one thing you liked about last week, what mad you angry last week, what are you learning about your children these days? There are thousands upon thousands of questions that you could come up with, the point is to get those you lead to stop and reflect that they too will learn to embrace this very meaningful discipline.

Life is moving along, the same pace it always has, and yet our choices to fill the time have increased dramatically. To lead well means to choose those aspect s that are life giving and to model it for others. May you choose to slow discipline of reflection – you won’t be disappointed.