At the beginning of Mass one of my favorite ways to greet you is by welcoming you as disciples. I prefer that title for all of us because it speaks to me of a community of people committed to a mission. I believe that better describes who we are rather than a group of individuals that happened to show up in the same church at the same time. You might ask what I intend to communicate when I refer to us as disciples. Today and for the next two weeks I will offer my thoughts on how I think about us as disciples.
Disciples are people who are actively listening for God?s prompting through scripture and worship. Together we are learning how Jesus? message connects with our daily lives. We celebrate our unity through the sacraments (especially the Sunday Eucharist). We experience joy, hope and fellowship through the Holy Spirit and endeavor to see our participation in God?s plan for the world.
Maybe my description sounds too perfect but I think that it?s true to what we are striving to be. My hope is that when we hear the word ?disciple? we don?t just think of the people who followed Jesus over 2,000 years ago but that we think about ourselves as following Jesus today. What does the word disciple mean to you?