Jesus was pretty plainspoken when he said, “Go … and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19 NRSV). It’s hard to find any wiggle-room there! But we have. Discipleship looms in our minds as either a teaching program or an advanced spirituality track for super-Christians. For those first followers of Jesus, to be a Christian meant to be a disciple.

The title of this book is an obvious play on words. The passage I quoted above is referred to as ‘The Great Commission’. Looking around at our Christian culture, Dallas Willard calls refers to The Great Omission. What ever happened to discipleship?

This book is a collection of Willard’s writings on discipleship throughout the years. Magazine articles, talks, and pamphlets are all pulled together into one place around the theme of discipleship.

As you might expect, this book is a mash-up of overlapping themes—which you may or may not appreciate depending on your learning style. I was struck by the significance of the themes Willard repeated throughout the various writings. Here are a few of his more common emphases:

The disciple is one who, intent on becoming Christ-like and so dwelling in his “faith and practice,” systematically and progressively rearranges his affairs to that end. (7)

Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort. And it is the well-directed, decisive, and sustained effort that is the key to the keys of the Kingdom and to the life of restful power in ministry and life that those keys open to us. (34)

Character is formed through action, and it is transformed through action, including carefully planned and grace-sustained disciplines. (65)

Solitude and silence are primary means for correcting the distortions of our embodied social existence. (153)

On a personal note, Willard’s emphasis on Bible memorization as perhaps the fundamental spiritual discipline has revitalized my efforts in this direction. Willard was spiritual giant, and the church would do well to grapple with his wisdom.

Willard, Dallas. The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship. HarperCollins, 2006.