Discipleship

There is a well known Jewish saying from the Mishnah of “Let your house be a meeting-house for the wise; and cover yourself in the dust of their feet; and drink their words with thirstiness” (Avot 1:4). The idea is to encourage people to make their homes places of Bible study, and to welcome respected teachers and eagerly learn from them. The middle section is sometimes translated as “sit amid the dust of their feet,” and understood as being about humbly sitting at the feet of one's teacher to eagerly learn from him. Paul uses this when he describes himself as having “sat a Gamaliel's feet” (Acts 22:3). However the text literally says to be covered by their dust, such as in Ezekiel 26:10a - “His horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust.” The context seems to be within a home, so the idea of sitting at someones feet is powerful. However, the literal translation implies that this learning is not for intellectual curiosity but so that we can follow the Rabbi and so become as him.

As a church, a House for God, we aim to be a place where we can both come around the Word and learn from the feet of our Rabbi, our Lord Jesus Christ, just as Mary did when she sat “at Jesus’ feet” (Luke 10:39). But then take this learning out, to follow Jesus into the world - to be so close to Christ that we are covered in the dust kicked up by His sandals. Yes He taught in homes and synagogues, but He went to the people declaring that the Kingdom is at hand. We seek to be Kingdom people declaring the glory of God, of proudly wearing the mantle of Christ and continuing His manifesto in His world (Luke 4:16-20).

“So let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 24-25)

Below are just some of the ways in which we seek to encourage, challenge and support one another “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:12-13)