Dead Horses & Wild Stallions
Dead Horses & Wild Stallions
A Review of Gospel Centered Discipleship by Jonathan K. Dodson
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Since I first started this Substack, the banner has read, “The Raven’s Writing Desk - Discipleship and Doxology.” In addition, over on our podcast, our mission statement—and introduction—includes the following line:
“Here at Consider the Ravens, we believe that discipleship happens and should happen within the context of the local church, we also believe that the main way that discipleship has been bolstered throughout Church History has been through literature.”
Discipleship is at the core of why I write and at the core of who I am, a Disciple of Jesus Christ, but up until now, the articles I’ve written here have been covertly about encouraging discipleship, rather than overtly. As you might be aware though, I write for another organisation called Gospel Centered Discipleship, an organisation which draws its name from a book written a decade ago by a Pastor by the Name of Jonathan K. Dodson. This is the first of four books I will be reviewing over the next few weeks which are explicitly about what discipleship is, the theology of discipleship, and the practice of discipleship.
I want to make clear though at the outset that I’m not beating a dead horse here, this is not just some pet subject I’ve just made my own and won’t let go of.
No, Discipleship is like a Wild Stallion. We have been tasked as Christian with being disciples and making disciples, but as you’ll know if you’ve ever tried to live in that calling, getting a bit in the mouth of that beast is no easy feat. Many Christians, Pastors, and even whole Churches have gotten tired of trying, and have thrown that task aside. Discipleship groups turn to legalism or simply accept licentiousness and lies as the norm, mentors fail us, mentees won’t bother to turn up, and when we raise the topic of discipleship in leadership meetings, a hush falls over the room before someone quietly reminds you, “we don’t really do that here.”
Maybe that's not your experience, crikey, I really hope so! I’m also not saying that’s always how it goes, if I was quite that fatalistic about the matter I’d probably just give up altogether. We must be realistic though and understand that if our great commission is:
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Christian Standard Bible, (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Matthew 28:19–20
Then the mission of the enemy must be:
“Go, therefore, and hinder them from making disciples of all nations, make their baptisms false, let them never learn of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe and love everything the world holds dear. And remember, we will be against them always, to the end of the age.”
Screwtape Standard Version, Matthew 28:19–20
Therefore, this cannot be a call we give up on, nor can it be one we mistake for an easy task, for we have an enemy who hates us and will do everything to stop us in our tracks. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” (Eph 6:12)
We must also not be mistaken in thinking that it is by our own strength that we’ll get this task done, though the Lord has gifted the church with members who, by his grace, have eyes to see paths not all of us see so clearly, but they are not paths laid by men, but by God. There’s a moment in the Lord of the Rings in which Gandalf Whistles into the breeze and, having heard the call, Shadowfax, one of the Horse Lords, gallops to come and meet him. As he mounts Shadowfax, he bends down and says, “Come, Shadowfax, let us show them the meaning of haste.” As they begin to move you get the feeling that as powerful as Gandalf is, Shadowfax is in full control, as we mount the stallion of Discipleship, we must be ready for adventure, but we must also be prepared to be thrown off every once in a while when we try to make it bend to our rules.
Eyes to See
With all of that said, I mentioned that there are members of the body of Christ to whom God has given the task of helping us to rightly view discipleship. Dodson is one of them, the way I write book reviews is not so much to convince you to read them, so much as to help you make that journey if you do. This review won’t be any different, but while some books I recommend to certain people/groups and not others, I do encourage each of you to go and pick up this book. Some of you are new Christians, some are weather-worn warriors, wherever you are on that scale, you are children of God and two things are true:
You are a disciple
The great commission applies to you
This book deals with the subject more broadly than any I’ve come across.
Now that you’ve bought it and it’s on its way, you’ve got some time to wrestle with how best to read it.
Where Are You?
Take a pen and paper—or if you absolutely have to open the notes app and turn your phone onto aeroplane mode—and write down these questions:
What does the word Discipleship mean to me?
What is my experience with Discipleship? (the good and the bad)
When I hear the Great Commission, what stands out?
What specifically do I want to learn from this book?
A few years ago a friend bought me a compass. It was a great gift because of the meaning behind it, but effectively it was useless because even if I knew where north was, I didn’t ever really know where I was or what the north held in store. Most of us when we ask for directions are looking for the following:
You are here
Right, Left, Left, Straight, Follow the road right
You’re there
We spend a lot of time on our own with, as Chris Martin puts it, the wolves in our pockets. The whole world is trying to vie for our attention and we need to take time to recognise the effect that is having on us. It would be easy to take this book up and treat it simply as another voice trying to convince us to follow the way it leads, but that would be a great shame. If instead, you take the time beforehand to evaluate the state of Discipleship in your own life, to figure out exactly what Discipleship means to you, and then—far more importantly—think about what the Bible has to say, you will know before the book even arrives at your door that this subject is worth taking the time to unpack.
Answer these questions slowly, and then pick this book up fast.
Turn Around
“What would happen if, instead of spending hours in front of the screen or mirror, we spent hours in front of the gospel? What if we fought for a more noble cause, a more glorious image?”
Gospel Centered Discipleship by Jonathan K. Dodson
Now that you know where you are starting from and you’re holding the book in your hands, turn around.
When we read a book, especially with practical applications, it can be easy to think first, “how does this apply to me?” Instead, why not pray:
“Lord, I trust your word and want to see your kingdom come. Would your will be done, not mine, help me when I read this book to desire to follow your ways. Please give me understanding, and capture my heart that I would yearn to follow your commandment the great commision; please forgive me for when I have not done this, and please help me to forgive those who have hurt me in the context of Discipleship; Lead me away from trying to rule my own life, and give everything to you. Amen.”
Dodson has written a book for the Church, not just for you or for me. That’s not to say that we won’t get personal and particular encouragement from it, but we must be careful not to read it simply for that reason. Viewing this book as a gift to the body of Christ, we should be even more staggered by the message Dodson is delivering to us. We’re called to be disciples and do discipleship in the community, not alone. In groups, between friends, on a Sunday, in each others homes, between mentors and mentees, and all for the glory of God and the good of his people.
A Divine Call
“There are many ways to reproduce disciples. However, we should be cautious in making multiplication the golden calf of ministry.”
Gospel Centered Discipleship by Jonathan K. Dodson
Dodson loves our Triune God.
The pages of the book would fall from the spine if he didn’t because it holds everything together. Dodson loves the Lord and he wants everyone to do the same. The call upon the life of a Disciple is a high one, but it is so much greater than we could possibly ever measure. Metrics will not beget Disciples, they will simply lower the bar.
“Discipleship is a lifetime of returning to the arms of God and waking up in Christ.”
Gospel Centered Discipleship by Jonathan K. Dodson
My original title for this review was “Slow to Learn” because I wanted to emphasise what this book makes clear, we were all Disciples daily! Before anything else, reading this book, please ready yourself to learn slowly, again and again, all the days of your life. Great commission ends, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Thank goodness.
Follow Dodson’s advice, spend a lifetime returning to the arms of God, and wake up every day in the assurance of Christ’s love.
A Human Problem
“Since the default mode of the heart is legalism or license, these are unflagging challenges in discipleship. As a disciple, it’s important to spot these leanings in one another and exhort, encourage, teach, pray, and equip one another for gospel- centered living. Never weary of it. It is your life’s calling.”
Gospel Centered Discipleship by Jonathan K. Dodson
With that said, be aware that just as Dodson knows the love of God, he also knows the heart of man. Dodson has his own past and shortcomings, just as we all do, and he brings them out and shows you them, ugliness intact. He gives examples of the good and the bad in his experience of discipleship, and he doesn’t shy away from the fact that we will all get this wrong sometimes. Don't expect to put down this book and then perform beautifully and perfectly as a disciple for the rest of your life. Our nature is fallen and depraved, we swing between pride and self-pity, lust and sloth, and a whole host of other would-be-Discipleship-defeating traits we’d all rather be rid of. Even in the Preface, in which Dodson explains what he has changed in this new version and why he shows great humility in measuring the distance between the last book and this one. The best thing is that because he leads the way the door is open for us to be honest with ourselves, with each other, and with God.
Don’t expect to be perfect, just know that God already is.
I really do hope you will pick up this book, it’s written by an imperfect man, to imperfect people, about the relationship we can have with God and the way that he has called us into relationships with other disciples.
One Tip from me: Forgive others, ask for forgiveness. Ask God how to forgive, ask God for forgiveness.
For now, though, do three things:
Go and buy this book
Go and read this book
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.