Looking at the landscape of effective, biblical discipleship in the church, the essential elements are the same: scripture, prayer, worship, devotion, fellowship, and service are among the chief ingredients. This is true in sacramental / liturgical churches. Discipleship is not new and we have much to learn from walking the ancient paths of our faith. So what does ancient discipleship look like?

We begin with the sacrament of baptism. We enter this process with faith through these waters where we are born anew into Christ and become a member of the church. Baptism rewrites our DNA making us new creations (II Cor. 5:17). We start with this sense of being in Christ recognizing an ontological change. This sense of identity is crucial, for without an understanding of being grafted into Christ, we relinquish our stance as human beings and tend to focus on the aspects of knowing and doing. Knowledge and action are part of our discipleship but it is not the starting point. Rewriting our DNA requires two primary ingredients: Bible study and worship. In terms of scripture, one of the tools employed is a lectionary, a systematic reading of scripture. Whether it is the Daily Office (morning and evening prayer) or Eucharistic (celebration of the Lord’s Supper), there are assigned readings for every day. This was the rhythm of the monasteries and it is a rich cadence for the believer.

The second component of worship is done in an ancient manner as well. It is contemplative and reflective. Some may bristle at “reading” prayers but in doing so, we join with the communion of saints (Heb. 12:1) in worship of Almighty God. For two-thousand years the liturgy is a proven path, leading people deep into the presence of God. It can become mechanical but so can any method. The richness of liturgical movement accomplishes discipleship in a deep and mysterious way.

The layers of liturgical forms and practice are many. The threads of this tapestry weave together to produce people who are committed to the Lordship of Christ. The other elements of mission, evangelism, social justice and more, flow from this sense of identity grounded in scripture and sacraments.