When I served as Minister of Discipleship of a large church, I wrote a monthly column for the church newspaper. This article, first written in November 2004, speaks of the “Heart, hands, head” rubric that Joel Witzel first mentioned in a comment and that I reiterated in yesterday’s blog. Here’s some of what I wrote then…

It’s commitment season at our church. What does God want us to do? If we’re not careful, we’ll perceive mixed signals and get an incomplete message.

“Heart” is not enough. For some, church seems to be about “heart”—feelings. Our worship services are designed to create a worshipful atmosphere and make us more receptive to hear God’s Word. But just feeling good about God is not the objective. Even having strong feelings about serving God is not really enough. The wise men in Matthew 2 had enough heart to travel a great distance to look for the messiah. But they went to the wrong place. That’s inspiration without information. Paul wrote about his fellow Jews:

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. (Romans 10.1 – 2, ESV)

Zeal (“heart”) without knowledge of what God’s will is, is dangerous as the actions of some Muslim radicals demonstrate.

“Hands” is not enough. Our church excels at service. We have raised volunteerism and service to levels rarely seen in churches. The result is that there are some among us who might be tempted to think that service is all God wants. As long as we are busy for God, everything will be OK. Jesus himself debunked that perspective, refusing to ask Mary to quit listening to Jesus to help Martha serve.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10.38 – 42, ESV, emphasis added)

“Head” is not enough. That brings us to “head”—Bible study—which many perceive is what “Bob’s Discipleship Ministry” is about. (By the way, it’s not my discipleship ministry—it’s all of ours!) In our church, we might perceive the worship leaders as the “heart” guys, the Minister of Service as the “hands” guy, and Bob, along with with the Adult Education Director, as the “head” people. Nothing could be further from the truth.  First, the Bible is clear from start to finish that just as “heart” and “hands” are not enough; neither is “head.” “Study” is NOT a synonym for “discipleship.” Paul put it this way:

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. (1 Corinthians 8.1 – 2, ESV)

God wants all three. Discipleship is heart, hands, and head. One of the earliest sermons in history has Moses reminding the people of God just that:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6.5 – 7, ESV, emphasis added)