Becoming a Community of Disciples

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Becoming a Community of Disciples

Action Believers Are Called to Do Author/s

Text

8. Walk in the good works God prepared for us to do.

Paul

Eph 2:10; 4:1

9. Draw near to God.

James

Jas 4:8

10. Make every effort to increase godliness.

Peter

2 Pet 1:5−6

Peter and Paul

1 Pet 1:15−16; Rom 12:1 (Lev 11:44−45)

11. Be(come) Holy!

12. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Paul

1 Cor 11:1

In Becoming a Community of Disciples we have seen that ancient communities of disciples have taken these New Testament commands with a seriousness that often humbles our contemporary claims to be “pursuing God.” We have seen that Benedict and Basil led communities of disciples who were highly intentional about their daily, weekly, quarterly, and annual rhythms in imitation of biblical leaders like Moses, David, Daniel, and Peter. In Egypt’s desert a Christian leader named Pachomius (d. 346) organized thousands of serious disciples into communities that would gather every morning and evening to pray twelve psalms. They prayed through more than twenty Psalms a day in order to pray through the whole book of Psalms together each week in community. Other leaders, like Augustine (from Africa), also developed “rules of life” that have shaped millions of believers to this day.