Scripture: Matthew 17:1-13; 18:1-4, Chapter 24; Mark 8:27-30; John 6:43-58.

Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2006, an estimated 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed, along with 61,980 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. And 40,970 women were expected to die in 2006 from this disease. ¹

Robin Roberts, co-host of ABC television’s Good Morning America was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She was the first of the four morning anchors to participate in the shows current “I Dare You” series. Each of GMA’s four co-anchors has dared the others to experience something publicly that for them is a challenge and outside their comfort zone.

Roberts “dare” was to walk the runway as a supermodel in a designer gown without the wig she had fashioned before her hair fell out during chemotherapy. Robin is currently bald.

Roberts studied with and practiced for the event with Tyra Banks, a model with 15 years of experience. February 7 was a window of time between Robin’s chemo therapy and radiation treatments. On that day she joined the other professional models and walked the runway in Isaac Mizrahi’s fall fashion show in New York City without her wig. ²

Chris Cuomo, the second co-host to take the dare, admitted he has a fear of heights. He has been training for his “jump” off the 51-story Trump Taj Mahal building in Atlantic City with Joni Avery who is a stunt woman with 25 years of experience. Chris’ dare was scheduled to air on February 15 but was postponed so that he could travel to Northern Illinois University to report on location at the tragic scene of the latest school shooting.

It doesn’t take a dare to become a disciple. Becoming a disciple does require an experience with Jesus. If that seems out of our comfort zone and we aren’t real sure of ourselves we can, like Robin and Chris did, look for someone to train us who has greater know-how.

Our lesson this week reminds us that when selecting a discipleship trainer we must do so carefully.  Looking to someone who has head knowledge only is not enough. Just because someone is able to recite Bible texts from memory is not enough. Even knowing all the doctrines of a particular church is not enough. Discipleship trainers should have a reputation for being daily dependent upon their heavenly Parent.

Jesus taught the disciples that experiencing discipleship requires the ability to receive Jesus as a personal Savior, to become like a little child, to look and listen yet keep confidences from others, to bear the cross and to pray and fast during times of persecution and suffering.

These same principles apply to those of us who want to experience discipleship today.  ~ck

1. Statistics as seen on http://www.breastcancer.org/

2. http://www.isaacmizrahiny.com/

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