I’ve been telling people that I spent the night on the streets of Tacoma last week. For Summit, InterVarsity’s annual urban project for students, we begin by inviting students to join in solidarity with the homeless. We take away their phones, wallets and possessions and lock them out of the building.
I knew going into Summit that I would be participating in the homeless simulation, although the students had no clue. I’m kind of glad I knew. Had I experienced this as a student and had no warning, I think I might have been a difficult person to be around! Hopefully I’ve grown up since then! Somehow, being the staff worker also forces me to step up and have a good attitude since I’m the one leading.
Leading up to the project I had prepared myself for the worst, but I think we had the easiest experience ever. First, the weather was amazing – sunshine, warm and breezy, no rain and not too cold at night. Second, the simulation allows us to take a certain amount of things with us. I was able to grab my sleeping bag and sunscreen. With these things I was protected from the elements. On top of all of this, Tacoma has great resources for homeless people with a number of options for meals. I wasn’t actually ever hungry! In the end, my group of students agreed that we hadn’t really experienced homelessness. It felt more like camping. So what was the point? Read the rest of this entry »
InterVarsity does this thing called GIGs. It stands for Groups Investigating God, and that has been our focus for the last month! The idea is that Jesus followers invite people who don’t follow Jesus to study the Bible with them. It can be a one-time thing or a six week thing (or anywhere in between). It really is quite genius, because in order for people to follow Jesus they have to know him, and what better way to know him than to read about him! I believe wholeheartedly what the author of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is alive and active.Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) If we want people to experience God, then let them read the Bible!
As genius as this might seem, I still feared that students would tell me I was crazy, leave Bible study and never come back. However, when I suggested it I got responses like, “This really scares me, but I think God wants me to do this with my friend ‘so-and-so’,” or “I’m texting my friend right now to see if they will do it with me.” For the students who actually followed through I heard stories of, “Wow, it wasn’t bad at all and my friend seemed interested.”
What did I learn from this? I need to definitely trust the Holy Spirit. If he is asking me to take risks and invite students to share their faith, then he will also move in the hearts of students and their friends! I can’t wait to try this again in September! If you want to try this on your own, check out InterVarsity’s resources.
I know I’ve posted about this before, but it is a theme in my life right now… Life is not easy. Following Jesus is not easy. There is no such thing as an easy life. Paul in 2 Timothy really lays it out for us. He says that good soldiers in Christ Jesus will suffer. And that anyone who wants to follow Jesus will be persecuted. He then adds that those who don’t follow Jesus will just go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. This all rings very true, but it is still hard for me to accept.
I feel the need to add a disclaimer… I don’t think I really suffer or am persecuted as a Christian right now. I live in Oregon, so in comparison to Christians around the world, my life is easy. However, I still want it to be easier, and the Holy Spirit continues to remind me through scripture that we live in a fallen world and life is not easy. I have two choices: I can choose the truth or I can choose deceit. Truth might make my life hard, but it will be good. Deceit might seem easy, but it will lead to destruction. Even this “either/or” way of thinking flies in the face of my surrounding culture, but it is truth.
I choose truth. Now to go invite students to do the same!
God feels very present this week. I don’t know what the Holy Spirit is doing. I don’t really see anything significant happening. All I know is that God feels very near.
I went to a prayer room with students last week. At the end of our hour, I felt like God gave me a picture of myself running – even sprinting after his kingdom. I was running because I was excited. I felt compelled to chase after it. There was joy as a ran, and I did not grow weary.
This week I’ve felt like I’m running, and it has been really fun. I’ve introduced myself to strangers and started a few spiritual conversations with people I don’t usually talk to. No one has decided to follow Jesus yet, but God feels very near. In the midst of this “running”, I do feel like I’m growing weary. I want to hang onto this picture of running and feeling energized the longer I go, but I also have a very real body with real needs of rest. Thank God for the Sabbath!
Perhaps God is telling me that in the marathon of ministry and life, I will not grow tired. From day to day, I might feel weary because I’ve just worked hard, but in the big picture, pursuing his kingdom will energize me. That feels true. Being able to work full-time for kingdom purposes is the most energizing and exciting employment I’ve ever had. I think life was boring before. Thank you, donors, for making it possible!
Yesterday was Palm Sunday and Facebook was covered in statuses of “Hosana!” I’ve known for several years now that “Hosana” means “The Lord saves” or “Save us!” It wasn’t until yesterday that the reality of this statement struck me.
On Palm Sunday we tend to shout it as a word of praise. I tend to think of it as “Praise the Lord who saves,” and this is appropriate. However, as the crowd shouted “Hosana” upon Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, they were also calling for his death, even though they didn’t know it. As they cried out, “Hosana” they were asking God to save them. I also cry out “Hosana,” recognizing my need for a savior and asking him to do something about it. And what is God’s response? In his sovereignty, because he was and is committed to work through people in order to accomplish his will on earth, he sent his son, Jesus, God himself, in human form to pay the punishment for my sin. As I cry in praise, “Hosana,” I also ask for his death. Wow.
I am in awe at this story. A God who loved us so much and was so committed to human free will, that he sent his son as a man to die for us and pay the price so that we may be set free. And the craziest and best part of all… he was then resurrected. He rose from the dead! Jesus took our punishment and then he walked out of his grave! Truly he was the Son of God.
I desperately need his salvation. I hurt people. I add to the brokenness in this world every day. Hosana! I have a Savior!
I took a Strength Finders Test when I first came on staff four years ago. Those who know me were not very surprised that one of my top three strengths is Achiever. I really like to accomplish things, to check things off a list. I feel proud when a project is done. I am anxious when there is a list of projects to be done.
Staff work doesn’t lend itself easily to feelings of accomplishment. I spend time every week with students. I lead Bible studies. There are somethings that I accomplish, but my hope is to see God’s kingdom come in the lives of students and those around them. That isn’t really something I can do and check off my list. It is a process and it is mysterious. In Mark 4, Jesus says it is like planting a garden:
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
So for all that I want to accomplish, the main point of my job (seeing God’s kingdom come) will not be something I just accomplish, because God is the one who ultimately makes it happen. What does that mean for my staff work? I’m learning that it means I must pray. Read the rest of this entry »
Last month I called my grandma and asked if I could borrow her sweatshirt. We were planning a dance party for students at our Christian conference and the theme was Senior Prom. Everyone came dressed like they were over 65 years old. It was a lot of fun. Grandma didn’t go to dance parties after she became a Christian, because her church told her not to. But Grandma understood that we are creating safe places for students to have fun!
Entering into the culture is part of what I do, and it is getting harder as I get older. I’m in my thirties now, so I don’t blend in as well on campus. Students are a little surprised when I get out on the dance floor, and the things students like are just a little different than my peers in college. I avoid telling students what year I graduated or that Google and Facebook were just getting started when I was a student. This information tends to put them in shock.
While at the dance party last month, I noticed that culture changes faster than I realize. When I first started working with students, I listened to popular music Read the rest of this entry »
There is something about this time of year that makes me question if what I’m doing is worth it. Maybe it is the rainy weather or maybe it is that the school year is three quarters of the way through. Either way, it left me praying today, asking God for affirmation. Here’s what he said -
“Nothing has changed from a few months ago when I asked you to lead. I gave you the partnership you asked for and the funding you needed. Things aren’t happening in your timeline, but that doesn’t mean my purposes have changed. I will establish my kingdom at Willamette University and I’ve asked you to be a part of it. I’ve placed students in your midst that I want you to invest in and see grow. And, yes, it is totally worth it.”
As I was listening I was impressed at how unchangeable God is. I flip flop all the time, depending on how I feel or what I think I see. God is there to remind me that his purpose doesn’t change and that he doesn’t give up even on rainy days. I am so grateful for a God who doesn’t change.
For more on why I think this ministry is totally worth it, check out my most recent prayer letter.
I’m learning that observations can make all the difference. What you see determines what response you will have, and how you will interpret the information.
I feel this most often when I study scripture with students. When studying the passage, the first thing we do is make observations. Sometimes we are observing the things that are on the surface of the text. For example, Jesus turned water into wine (John 2). Other times we are observing things that are subtly hidden; for example, the servants taking the water to the master of the banquet required obedience at the risk of being perceived as crazy (John 2). There are important lessons to learn about Jesus and those who serve him from these observations alone.
However, I most often fail to make these important observations and respond to them. Read the rest of this entry »
Student conferences are a good thing. They give us an opportunity to get away and experience God’s love for us, his love for others, and his invitation for us to be a part of loving and serving in the world. These are important lessons that in our brokenness we can easily forget and need to be constantly reminded of, but recruiting students to conferences is hard. Conferences require extra money and time. I would even argue they require an extra amount of courage to leave your comfort zone and try something new.
I believe conferences are good places for students, so I recruit and step out in faith, believing God will make it happen. This month I’m hoping to take 20 students to Winter Conference, which is a big goal. Right now it feels impossible. Read the rest of this entry »