Pilgrim Practices

Despite a wealth of literature on the "missional church" and "missional living," few resources help Christians and churches think through what it means to be disciples of Jesus Christ and what specific practices help cultivate lives of discipleship. Written from, with, and for the church, Pilgrim Practices: Discipleship for a Missional Church introduces Christian practices from the Letter of James to help guide Christians and churches in their journey of discipleship. This book frames discipleship in a way that has been largely abandoned in modern congregational literature, as fundamentally an issue of identity--an identity that is necessarily formed and practiced in and with the church community. It is a lifestyle that cannot be lived on one's own. Discipleship ultimately means engaging with others on a journey of faith sustained and cultivated through certain practices--pilgrim practices. The practices examined in this book develop and direct the risky pilgrim journey of Christians, transforming pilgrims into disciples--as the Body of Christ--who participate with God in God's mission in the world. In this time of transient identities, individualist impulses, and fleeting commitments, this book offers specific practices to help Christians form their identity as disciples and to help Christian communities live their calling as the pilgrim Body of Christ in the world.