Wild Goose

 How does a 'discipleship course' actually work? How can something that requires the close proximity, the authenticity and journey-like randomness of shared life be reduced into a series of sessions, delivered by a speaker with Powerpoint (or even Keynote!) slides? I've often wondered about this.

My good friend Ian Farr, who has influenced my life - certainly my understanding of, and my subsequent seeking-after the kingdom of Heaven - far more than he will probably ever realise, once said that "you cannot disciple those you don't live with". The longer I share life with friends in our community house, the more time I spend with others in various situations, the more I agree with Ian. Discipleship is about life-on-life. It isn't simply the transfer of knowledge... it is something about the transfer of life, it kind of 'rubs off' and 'rubs in'. There simply are no short-cuts.

After all, it took Jesus three years to apprentice twelve young men. How is it that we think we can do this in ten Tuesdays evenings?

And that's really where 24-7's Wild Goose intern experience came from a couple of years ago. It's still an experiment, to be honest with you... an experiment in discipleship, or maybe apprenticeship. A year (or more), uncluttered with classroom-time, mostly unstructured, very flexible, but highly intentional. It's an opportunity to work and walk with one of 24-7's nationally recognised leaders... to talk and listen, watch and learn, join in and stand back, shadow and test out.

Essentially, WIld Goose is about learning to reflect on the chaos of experiences that we endure/enjoy every waking moment, to find the presence and the whisper and the guidance of Holy Spirit in those experiences, and then to be transformed through action... through living differently. We don't actually learn from experience. We learn through the powerful act of reflecting - stop, look, listen, think - and then be transformed, cross over.

Elizabeth (Izzy) Bicknell has just finished her Wild Goose season, interning with my friend and 24-7 colleague Andrea Percy. Here's a little of what she said of her time;

"Although this year has now come to an end I feel in many ways like it is only the beginning. Throughout the year I have been working on creating good rhythms of life, of rest, of action and of reflection. These are now fairly deeply engrained and so I’m finding in many ways that the end of the internship only really stands as a point in the continuation of my life here in the Reading community. The marked difference that Wild Goose has clearly made to my life is an awareness of the resonance of now. Neither looking back with fear or regret or misplaced nostalgia nor striving with an unhealthy driveness towards the future but rather being aware of God in the small things."

You can read the rest of Izzy's article, and find out more about Wild Goose on 24-7's UK website.

And Ruth... I'm looking forward to your Wild Goose year very much. :)

Comments

[AJF 4]

Will usually have by themselves . dreams forever! Also believe in yourself!

[Carla]

Great explanation, exploration of why Wild Goose is unique and amazing. I would really love to do this in the coming year. Might need to get praying about who I could live life with. xc