The Multicolored Rug by Pastor Nicole Schwalbe
Jan 07, 2026
I remember sitting on so many different brightly colored rugs throughout elementary school with teachers in front of us reading, singing, and reviewing. I think of these times when I imagine Jesus sitting with people at his feet, reading, singing, teaching and reviewing.
The word disciple means “learner.” Discipleship is not just learning for the sake of getting new knowledge but learning so that we can follow a certain person, philosophy or way of life. So, as we think about the various multi-colored rugs we sit on in life, the question to ask ourselves is “at whose feet do we sit to learn?” And then more broadly, “Whose teaching is it that we are following?”
It can be hard to hear what Jesus is trying to teach through the noise of so much else vying for our attention. We are surrounded by round-the-clock-news, Youtube videos, Instagram reels and push alerts. In the midst of this noise, we do not have the luxury of the physical man Jesus sitting in front of us like a second-grade teacher. But we still have all that we need to foster our learning. We have scripture, and hymns, and worship and other members of the body of Christ. We have holy moments where we see and feel God, like the woman I saw handing out meals from the back of her car on 125th Street or the stranger helping an overwhelmed mom get her stroller through the slushy sidewalk.
My dear friends who want to be disciples of Christ, it is important that we continue to share these holy moments with one another and that we gather to study, pray, bring mutual consolation and sing. This is where we will learn things that become a part of who we are so that we can bring to mind Psalm 139, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” when we need the reminder or sing “It is well with my soul” when we need the peace of Jesus or hear the words of Micah calling us to “do justice and love kindness” when we are pondering our next steps. There is room for all of us on the multi-colored rug that Jesus spreads out at his feet to learn these things. So, let’s gather there and then together stand up to follow.