Jim Layman's: Students Changing the World

2012-02-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

Maybe on a Monday Morning?

Mondays can be a challenge in restarting our work weeks. In campus ministry, this is no less true than in other jobs. Even as a "morning person" I find it difficult to press ahead in engaging the week. This morning I was fueling up on coffee and reading from the New Testament in Mark 13, when I was arrested by this passage:

" Therefore stay awake-for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or in the morning-lest he come suddenly and find you asleep." (vs. 35-6)

The "Master" of the story is actually the storyteller himself, Jesus, referring to His own return to our seen world and the closing up of human history. This could even happen on a ...Monday Morning!

It was important to Jesus to forewarn his followers to stay ready and alert. His immediate listeners were about to enter a whirlwind of drama in Jerusalem: betrayal, dispersal, the devastating death of their leader. However, I understand Jesus' words to also speak far into the future as he envisioned the church pressing forward, holding on to the testimony of the Gospel through countless generations...even, in the gracious ways of God, fast forwarding to me on a sleepy Monday morning in Medford, Massachusetts.

For me, this gives encouragement to crack open my Bible on this Monday morning and revisit the wisdom of the Word of God. I want to re-flood my mind with Biblical truth and wisdom. I wish to enter the work week with fresh bread to nourish me and help me press through the challenges to come. I am not motivated to stay alert out of cowering fear, but out of devotion and delight. It is good to be reminded that I have a tryst to keep. I am waiting for a day appointed by God alone. Oh, to see the day come when my Savior returns, to the surprise of many, to the dismay of those who long ago discounted him.

2011-10-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

Belonging Before Believing
     This semester, our Christian campus student movements followed a familiar pattern. At the start of the school year, we stage lots of fun activities and opportunities for new students to meet us and check out our groups. Virtually every campus organization participates in these activities, and it is often a lot of fun. Students who attend our events have opportunity to consider their own faith views and hear ours, but also have a chance to make friends and get into the swing of non-destructive behavior: fun parties, but without the binge drinking or drugs. They meet fellow, experienced students who are holding onto solid values while navigating the ups and downs of the university's social and academic life.
   Now, these are weeks when student groups grow, taking in new members, because new students want to find places to belong.
   Many of our campus movements hold getaway Fall Retreat weekends the end of September or early in October. This is a great opportunity for newer students to choose to "belong", to make a time investment in building relationships and joining more fully into the organization's activities. Speakers and activities at the Retreat help them examine their own spiritual life and goals. Many will get more involved after the Retreat, joining more regularly into small groups for Bible study and discussion.
   All this is normal and part of campus life for us. However, in recent years, we've seen an interesting trend at our Fall Retreats. Groups of students have actually been coming to the retreats as non-believers and returning back to campus with new commitments to faith in Christ. Now, this may seem "normal" for a Christian outreach organization, but the numbers have increased significantly. Students are choosing to belong before they believe. They have become welcomed and comfortable in our activities and with their fellow students, even though they understand, and often explicitly state: "I am not a Christian". In many cases, they have asserted that the Christians are the best people for them to hang out with because their values and behavior are attractive and safe.
   While this tracks a trend in the behavior of 18year old students, it is a principle that has always been meant to be true in Christianity, for our faith communities to actually be safe places for learners and questioners. I, for one, hope to continue to nurture this trend.

2011-09-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget what an International city this is; Boston, I mean. Just riding the subway downtown, I am struck by the number of international students in my car. Besides students, there are communities of immigrants, international tourists, and business mean and women flooding this city on a regular basis.

     My world is more connected to the students, of course, but I do meet the tourists frequently downtown. Sometimes on Sundays, they wander into Park Street Church armed with camera and Freedom Trail map, a quizzical expression on their face. The European tourists seem especially AMAZED that our church is actually full of a worshiping congregation on a Sunday morning, and not just a museum stop! I thank God for that!
     As for students, there are more than 45,000 international students and scholars studying in Massachusetts, and the lion's share of them are here in Boston.
     This provides a great opportunity to show kindness and hospitality to the visitors in our midst. When I meet international students, and they let their guard down a bit, they too-often remark "you are the first American who has really taken time to speak with me." I do not thank God for that! It always dismays me. We Americans are loud, overtly friendly, but often shallowly and quickly disinterested in strangers.
     As a Christian, I am aware of the Biblical admonition to show hospitality and kindness to aliens and strangers...in both Old and New Testaments. Although I am often caught up in my busy, self-centered world, I desire to show kindness and compassion to these visitors. When I do so, it is always worth it. I think it is the kind of behavior i was created for. This can be as simple as patiently giving directions or advice. It also can include speaking slowly and clearly. When I listen carefully and learn about another culture, I am also greatly enriched.
     I will never forget being a visitor in Osaka, Japan, looking for a bank in a crowded street. Seeing me paused and perplexed, a Japanese gentleman asked if he could help me, then gently took my arm and escorted me into the right bank, waiting patiently in line with me until I had conducted my business, then offered to see me on my way again! I would like to emulate that level of care and courtesy toward a stranger. When I do, I truly represent God's love in such a way that what I then may have opportunity to say about Him is seen as legitimate and genuine.

2011-08-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

"So i do not run aimlessly." --Paul, I Corinthians 9:26

Not long ago, we experienced one of those wondrous late-summer New England evenings. The air was cool and fresh, the sunset a pink and orange beauty. As twilight softly fell , Andrew and I were circling a nearby university track.
After 10 days of IV therapy, his system awash with powerful antibiotics, it was time for Andrew to get back to running. In fact, his pulmonary doctors had pushed the idea. "Get moving", even while he finished these weeks of treatments.
Like me, Andrew enjoys running. Last year he ran as a freshman on his school cross country team, and this year, he is running again. He is behind schedule, for his training was interrupted by the sickness and subsequent treatment for lung infections. You see, Andrew has a rare condition, primary ciliary diskenesia, that means he is constantly fighting infections most of us just process out via our cilia.
Now, he's fighting his way back. We ran less than a mile and a half that first night. The next time, he ran farther. Andrew is committed to grinding out enough miles to get back in shape. With the antibiotic treatments ended, he's better able to push ahead. Andrew is a fighter, a competitor, which is good, because he'll fight PCD his entire life. One way of fighting is to be a runner, increasing his respiratory efficiency.
We talked about this a bit as we circled the track. We talked training strategy, we talked about which runners he'll have to catch as his season advances. Andrew will not run aimlessly. He'll run to win a prize. It won't just be getting competitive again, nor pursuing other runners. It will also be the prize of pursuing health.
I run in a similar way. Normally, I'm much slower than Andrew. I have become a jogging plodder at my age, but I run my four and five miles with a definite purpose. It's not weight loss. It's health. As an eleven year heart attack survivor, I run to keep my cardiac health in tone. I am committed, hopefully for the rest of my life (or at least until the knees give out). And, I have to admit, I love it. I like the feeling of a good workout under my belt. I like an honest sweat.
For both of us, I hope this analogy goes farther, as it did for the early Christian leader, Paul. For me, I wish to run all the way home, to the end of my earthly race. I want to run straight to the Lord Jesus. I want to finish the race and receive the prize. The prize I refer to, Paul called it "imperishable". In another place, Paul described "the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will reward to me on that Day." Endgame. Because we believe that Jesus died for our sins and offers us forgiveness and life, we run toward that reward!
I hope and pray the same for Andrew. God has given him a particular race to run. I believe he has equipped Andrew with both the faith and tenacity to run it aggressively. Come on Andrew, let's keep running for the real prize!

2011-07-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

High Altitude Summer Our family rolled into Colorado on June 15. Immediately, Helen and I threw ourselves into our four week Team Leader Training . Helen spent many hours creating and leading connection times for Moms in our track, and I coached four new local Team Leaders in our ministry.
We quickly fell into a rhythm. Every day I biked across campus to our meetings, for personal coaching appointments, and for small group settings. I have fought to keep exercising regularly, with runs in the morning or at the air-conditioned university Rec Center. . "Run" is a word I use liberally in this mile-high setting, for my workouts have been more slow as my lungs gasp for breath. Each summer spent in Colorado, it's been the same; my mileage is reduced, but my system still gets a vigorous workout, whether outdoor on a hike or jog, or indoor on a treadmill. It may be best to call these workouts "humility runs", because I feel so wiped out and weak at their conclusion.
A slice of humility is a good thing. This aging body is getting pretty beat up, and increasingly silver-haired. Gone is the youthful illusion that I can do whatever I want. Spiritually, also, who am I kidding? I desperately need God to be with me in my broken-down condition. Wonderfully, He is there for me, often prodding me in the words of the Bible. I have been reading through the Psalms this summer, and adding in doses of my favorite New Testament epistle, the letter to the Philippians. In the Psalms, I see David and others yearning for God to show up and reverse evil and injustice. In Philippians, I read Paul's words from jail, a soaring tribute to the Lord Jesus and a pledge to "press on" to know Jesus better and follow him all the way...as I grow grayer, I experience more of a yearning for God to reverse injustices, and show me my role in that as well, a quiet call to "press on" in His upward call. Upward? Hopefully not necessarily to higher altitude! In another week we will begin the long drive "down" to the East Coast. It will be easier to run again. However, my real, deepest needs won't be altered, just my elevation.

2011-05-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Packing Again?

After a long absence, I am returning to my blog. The school year was just too busy for me to blog regularly. That's my excuse.
Now it's the latter part of May, and our family is in a "two week sprint" toward another summer of travel and adventure in collegiate ministry. Will we ever grow truly tired of this life? In the next two weeks we will finish the boys' school years, welcome some guys as summer house residents here at Parkside, and pack up enough of our stuff to make room for them. Additionally, we'll prepare to drive the northern route to Colorado, via a scenic detour to Yellowstone National Park.

In Colorado,we'll decamp hard by the foothills in Fort Collins, taking residence in a small apartment near the Colorado State University. For Helen and me, this will be about our 10th summer together at CSU. this year, we have been at work designing and preparing for our New Team Leader Training. We love investing in the training and study opportunities, and being alongside the Rocky Mountains, in close proximity to high and dry hiking. Here's a photo of the boys a number of years ago, high up in Rocky Mountain National Park. Well, we are trying to give them one more good summer experience out West!

But first, we have to get there. And before we climb into the car, we have funds to raise, projects to finish, coaching calls to make...a lot to do. Plus, we'd love to have a few sunny days to enjoy late spring in Boston and maybe catch up on a few more outdoor projects at Parkside, where I am the chief painter and landscaper.

2010-08-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

One month after New York City, we are back in the dull routine of mid-August, trying to hold onto summer, but daily eyeing the approach of another school year.

August can be described as The Mourning Month, because, all my life, I have mourned the coming of August and the end of summer's freedom. June and July are riotous, free-wheeling carefree months in the height of escape from educational bondage, but August is time to regather school supplies, and especially in our family's case, recommence campus ministry planning. In recent years I have added curriculum and lesson planning as a part-time homeschooling father.

Usually, my mourning eventually kicks into an energy-revived enthusiasm over the coming ministry challenges and opportunities. The kick-in seems delayed this year...

The heat of summer has plodded onward. Being back home near Boston, we wait for the cooling nights of late summer; they also have not yet arrived. Our yard is dry and trampled, hardly growing, and our plantings whither unless attentively watered. Boston has chronicled some thirty days of temperatures over 90 F. We need a corporate freshening, a reinvigorating; even my jogging has sputtered a bit.

Still, I recall that God has not changed one whit; the weather of Heaven is not over dry, not stale. There is no Mourning Month in God's timetable. His purposes press on, day by day, and it is likely I will "feel" a fresh stirring of enthusiasm and energy that will speed my feet and quicken my eagerness to work, play and pray. One of these days...

2010-07-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

Third Heat Wave

We are in the midst of another sticky, humid New York heat wave! This is the third and last one we'll experience; we leave early Wednesday morning. Actually, the heat is not so intense as the last one, it's merely very hot. The "heat is off" as far as our schedule. We are winding down our ministry activities and meetings in the next couple of days. Still, we are enjoying some hang-out time with the students Helen calls "the Fab Four" (above; Willie, Emily, Tracy, Dan).

The lat week on campus was a good one! We saw some very valuable times connecting with students, even as Finals were going on at Hunter College, we were able to have very good conversations. Willie and I spent some time with a guy he had met before, and we continued to help him process his questions about faith in Jesus. Later, the students pulled off their own Epic Fortune outreach at Queens College with a group of interested students over Chinese food. It continues to be interesting to see how some Asian American students process the sense of family pressure they feel to succeed for the sake of their parents' expectations. Alongside that, the Bible speaks of God's unconditional love and acceptance for us. One student was amazed that I do not worry about "whether my kids will get into the best schools". I hope Jonathan and Andrew never feel that pressure.

As I was preparing to leave Hunter for the last time, on a rainy afternoon, A Chinese man sat down next to be on a bench. He explained he was just killing some time out of the rain before an appointment. We began to converse. I thought, "Gosh, I'm so much more comfortable in a conversation with an Asian American after all this practice this summer." This was a reminder of what I've learned. The gentleman, Steve, was from Shanghai and had been here in America for about ten years, working as a translator. He spoke warmly about how he had first studied and lived in Minneapolis, and some Christian Americans had befriended him, helping him adjust to the weather,customs, etc. We both had to part soon, but I was glad to tell him I wanted to be that same kind of friend to International students.

Great Finds: Max Brenner chocolates in Union Square!

Five-for-a-dollar fried dumplings in Chinatown!

2010-07-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

The Final Push

We are in our last full week of the Tribeca Summer Project here in NYC. It's promising to be a very full week! first, over the weekend we had a great time watching a free movie on the deck of the aircraft carrier Intrepid (above). Later Helen and the boys went back for the tour.

Today our team went again to Queens College. The students really enjoy the atmosphere at QC, with its green spaces and shaded walkways. It has been encouraging to see some students several times and reconnect with them.

Also today, I was involved in a moving discussion with a young student named Rafika. This young woman was born in NYC, of Indian descent and Muslim faith. She considers herself Muslim, but is not deeply attached to the practices of her faith. she dresses modestly, but in fully "western" clothes. Tracy, the student with me, was able to share her testimony of coming to faith in Christ from her Buddhist background . Rafika told us her "Christian" friends had never talked to her about Jesus, but only asked questions about Islam, like why she does not wear a head scarf, etc. She admitted she just did not know much about Jesus. We began to explain about Him to her, but time ran short, and we were left with giving her the Knowing God Personally booklet and inviting her to our program later in the week, when our students will offer a free lunch on campus with a discussion called Epic Fortune. This features fortune cookies containing written sayings that reflect traditional Asian philosophy or viewpoints alongside Biblical quotes or statements. The contrast makes for good discussion. For Asian American students, it can be very illuminating to examine how the traditional messages of family and culture compare with what we Christians see as Biblical truth. There are just so many students who do not understand the claims of Christ, and how He sets a person free!

We continue to marvel at the diversity of New York City, neighborhood by neighborhood. Over the weekend we spent some time walking through Chinatown. We found a small park filled with elderly Chinese listening to (Mandarin?) singers accompanied by instrumentalists. I could see no other Caucasians around us. That was a delightful immersion moment.

Now we are also spending some time evaluating what we are "learning" through this experience, in both ministry and life. More on that next time.

2010-07-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Beating the Heat?

We are not sure we are beating the record heatwave that has blanketed New York City this week. We're tired. Even with air-conditioning in our little apartment, we feel sluggish and head-achy with the high humidity and the way the heat bakes the buildings and subways.

The heat wave has affected our campus outreach. Students are indoors a lot more. Recently, a student put his faith in Christ at Queens College; we have made some very good contacts there. This week we have used a "short film strategy", where we view a 3-5 minute creative, thought-provoking film with students (via laptop or mobile phone) and launch into a deeper conversation with their feedback. This is just one intersection of art and Gospel that helps NYC students engage in dialogue with us. Visit The Global Short Film Network, http://www.globalshortfilmnetwork.com, for examples.

The heat was our sweaty companion as we spent an evening in outreach to the homeless here in Manhattan. We delivered bagged meals and water bottles to locations where the homeless congregate and gently offered them food and conversation. "Ricky" told us how and where he gets food, of his alliances with local security guards and street vendors for survival. He "lives" near some of the most expensive stores and hotels in the city, sleeping on church steps each night. He was upbeat and hopeful about getting housing soon. We talked long and prayed with him for his needs. Many gladly accepted our meals and engaged in eye-to-eye conversation with us. Our desire was to treat these men and women with dignity and care, extending the Gospel if possible, but also simply the love of God.

Jonathan and Andrew both participated alongside us; this outreach was very moving for them. Our family all thought of our friend Bob in Boston who lived this life for many years. We saw NYC aid workers coming alongside to offer water and check on "regulars" in our location. It's good to see local advocacy groups at work every week to help the homeless in this huge city.

2010-06-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Confronting Our Own Pain and Process

The last few days have been rich ones, and very hot and steamy as NYC has had the first heatwave of the summer. Now "hot" is relative until one walks and waits in the furnace of the New York subway on a hot day. We experience it for a few weeks, but for New Yorkers, it's normal, just part of the package.

Our Epic team has grown closer through our campus outreaches and shared times. Recently, several of the group began to open up about the pains and losses of difficult family relationships. This was hard to hear, and we were very sorrowful and prayerful for one another. tears were freely shed. Thus we are living out Galatians 6:2: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ". It is a joy to 'share the cup of sorrow' in community, for as we bear one another's burdens, we find joy in Jesus together. This echoes Henri Nouwen's thoughts in his little book, Can you Drink the Cup?

Another issue came up last night in our large group Summer Project meeting. One of our staff shared her own journey with racism as a minority-culture American. For those of us who are

majority-culture (i.e., White Americans), it was a good glimpse of seeing through different eyes the things we take for granted every day as members of the majority. This was very fitting since our topic for the evening was 'confession and repentance'. To talk about confession and repentance in a mixed race gathering and not have racism addressed would have been a big miss for our group. We ended our meeting with wonderful worship before the God who loves us despite all our sins and shortcomings, the God who accepts us fully in Christ Jesus. I am grateful to be a learner in the company of learners this summer.

On a lighter side, we had a great experience at the Bethel Gospel Assembly, a very cool church in Harlem EARLY Sunday morning. The worship service was joyful and vigorous. We took a Project large group photo afterward on the church steps. We Laymans are way up in the top right corner!

2010-06-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ethnic Everything in New York!

New York, New York, what an incredibly diverse place! This week we have done outreach at a housing project on Staten Island in a largely African American neighborhood, explored a very Korean and Chinese part of Flushing, had lunch in a Filipino enclave in Queens, and met more Asian International and American students at Queens College.

This evening, I took a subway ride north to the George Washington Bridge (the Heights) to meet some Latino students involved with our Destino campus ministry. Surfacing at 181st street, I was immediately immersed in a Latino neighborhood, with lots of Spanish flowing and Latino food stands crowding the busy sidewalk. I found my friends down at Riverside Park. Eventually,

Jose Diaz, Luis Medina, and I jumped into the Hudson River to cool off. Known for it's polluted waters, the Hudson is getting cleaner, but we did not stay in long. It was very uplifting to see these guys. Luis has recently led a co-worker to Christ, and Jose is leaving for a Destino Summer Project in Africa in a week.

I am grateful for these many opportunities to learn and share Christ, and also share the joy of Christian brotherhood with all these friends.

We are tired! But this is an extraordinary opportunity to grow and learn as we seek to lead wisely in Ethnic Field Ministry.

2010-06-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

Never a Dull Moment in NYC

This is my theme for this week; we are running and gunning in ministry and cultural learning in New York, and it is hot. So, while it has not been dull, it has been very tiring.

At Hunter College yesterday, I was struck by the blase attitude of Asian American students I spoke with. They were v

ery apathetic about faith questions, typically coming from a background where "my parents used to be Buddhist" was the predominant summary. Sad. We will see tomorrow how things feel and sound at Queens College. While it's true that I know many strong Christian Asian Americans, I am seeing a different slice of the demographic here.

On the other hand, I really enjoy our great team of staff and students. They bring energy and joy to our outreach. Helen and I are grateful to be working in this atmosphere this summer. But also, there is some pain of broken families and harsh parental relationships...but you don't have to be Asian American to experience that, it just may happen more often that children becoming Believers in Christ are misunderstood and labeled negatively.

We are eating well. We've had Filipino, Korean, Chinese and Japanese meals in recent days, oh, and good old NYC hot dogs as well. Don't worry, I am also getting salads and fruit (just in case my cardiologist reads this).

Other NYC Notes:

--Central Park is becoming an oasis of green and semi-quiet for me. We even found places to roll in the grass!

--The cultural stimulus and opportunities are amazing, day to day.

--for Jono (our 16 year old with Aspergers sensibilities), the noise can be overwhelming at times. I need to watch out for him.

--Hassle: credit card fraud forced us to replace our cards. Welcome to New York!

2010-06-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Tribeca Summer Project has begun! Above, I am getting to know Daniel and Willie, two Epic Movement students from California. They are great guys and we are looking forward to helping them grow in skill in evangelism and deepen their hearts for Jesus.

We meet in a location that we rent from NYCAM (New York Center for the Arts in Ministry). This is just six blocks from our apartment. We'll have large group meetings there each week. That's an easy commute in a complicated city! Hurray! In the next few days we will begin training students and commence outreach on some local campuses.

More NYC notes:

1. After a week in the city, my feet hurt.

2. The boys are slowly getting more comfortable with the crowds and subway.

3. Eating out is a wallet-emptying exercise. Time to carry more lunches!

4. However, the food is great. Ate delicious Japanese ramen today.

2010-06-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

New York continues to amaze us as we settle into the Summer Project. today our students arrived and began their orientation to the city. We enjoyed some time getting to know the Epic Movement students, as well as many others.

Yesterday we tramped past the huge construction zone that was the World Trade Center site. From there, we slipped into the cool, calm interior of Trinity Church for reflection; so peaceful and quiet after the noise of lower Manhattan. Finally, we took the cheap (free) ride on the Staten Island Ferry and back to see Manhattan and a pretty good view of Liberty Island. One observation from our initial days in Manhattan: We walk faster than most New Yorkers. I mean to say, I am constantly stopping behind slow moving, New York steady strollers. Maybe I am a hyper-wired Bostonian? I am trying not to become impatient in the crowded, slow moving masses on the midtown sidewalks. I just want to get where I'm going.

2010-06-12T19:23:00.001-07:00

NYC Day Three---Today we spent more time getting out into the City. We are wanting the tension and stress of a new place to dissipate. We want the boys to feel comfortable on the subway. Went to the Museum of Natural History. Fun to hear Jono expound about an assumed evolutionary link in the dinosaur display; "Dad, my Biology textbook proved this was wrong". I guess he was studying after all. On the train with lots of Yankee fans en route to a day game in the Bronx. I joked with one about being from that "B" city. He said, "Yeah, but I'm a Celtics fan". All right! That was good to hear. Jono has corrected my subway map directions several times now; he seems to have a knack for navigating the system. We hope the boys can find some New York teen connections through our staff here or a church.

Regina Chan made us all a delicious dinner of Filipino food in her Queens apartment. We really like the Epic Summer Team we are a part of; A final small victory of the evening was finding more groceries on our list at a market by their train stop. We have not found a good grocery source near our apartment yet. Tomorrow we'll be visiting Redeemer Pres. for a worship service.

2010-06-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

First Night in NYC-- The photo is blurry, and that's appropriate, we have had a blurry arrival. Everything went smoothly until we were driving just two blocks from Herald Sq., and then we got all turned around with the one-way streets; it took us forty more minutes to get to our luggage drop off location behind our building!

Then, it was great to "dump" our car at a friends' house in Queens. Good riddance! We had a big grocery order delivered into our small one bedroom apartment. Looks like we will start out as a bunk-bed family here! The guys are a bit awed by the noise and the activity of the City. we are breaking them in...tonight we walked to Bryant Part and Times Square, getting to know our midtown neighborhood. Tomorrow, our first CCC meetings and hopefully some fun.

2010-05-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

New Postings: Six Weeks in Manhattan

After a long absence, I am planning to post regular reflection on a family ministry adventure we are undertaking in the heart of New York City this summer. We will spend six weeks in New York with the Tribeca Summer Project of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Right now, we are in the packing and planning phase as the boys finish up their school years. But we will then immediately drive down to New York City.

We anticipate this to be a cultural-eye-opening and faith-stretching experience for our whole family. Our particular "track" in NYC will be with the Epic Movement student ministry, focusing on Asian-American ministry. This should be a great opportunity for us to learn and serve. Also, we have never spent time as a family in NYC. So we will exchange our urban-suburban, single-family-house life for midtown-Manhattan dorm apartment living. We expect all four of us to experience a lot, even apart from serving in ministry and in the city.
In the next ten days, we are praying for additional support to come in to cover more of our additional costs, and we are also welcoming three college student guys who'll live in our house while we are away. Last but not least, we'll celebrate Andrew's graduation from (K-8) Covenant School in Arlington, Ma.

2009-11-20T06:23:00.001-08:00

Cross 09 -- A Cross Cultural Outreach on US Campuses

Last week, many, many Campus Crusade for Christ campus staff took a few days to drop their usual routines and concentrate on crossing cultural boundaries to learn and engage with students of differing ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We called it Cross 09.
I was in New York city with about 75 other workers getting some time on campus in exotic locales like Brooklyn and Queens. Most of the time, my small group represented the only cluster of Caucasians or "whites" on these diverse campuses. Of course, we did not stay clustered, but fanned out to talk to students about their faith and cultural journeys. Many were very willing to share their perspective and listen to our own.
It was wondrous to see students like Diane, a freshman at her school, respond to the person of Jesus and the Biblical claims He made. It still surprises me (after nearly 30 years) the way the love of God "draws students in" who appeared all-together and even disinterested a few minutes earlier!
Also, it was fun to process the experience with some of our staff who do not spend much time in big cities, on urban campuses, or even in the Big Apple itself. This was an eye-opening and learning experience for all of us. Finally, I was proud to have NOT gotten lost on the New York subway in my four-borough excursions. I am getting better at navigating the City that Never Sleeps! For a glimpse of Cross 09, watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/user/dahved#p/a/u/0/x1Q-mPFzY-k or

http://gogmx.org/media/239

2009-10-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

Wisdom's Source
Today as I was commuting to my office, I was thinking about a colleague with whom i have a disagreement about ministry philosophy. My thoughts became a bit aggressive toward "proving him wrong". Turning to my Blackberry, I clicked onto a daily devotional I subscribe to, and it led me to James 3:16-17.
"Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy."
This is not the first time that my thoughts were neatly undercut and corrected by the Bible's teaching. It may be the several-hundredth time! I was so elated! Why, to be called out as a schemer? No, to be so deeply and intimately loved. Recently I began tutoring my oldest son in English. I find I enjoy the tutorial process: meeting with him to go over assignments and review some of his work (with red pencil!) fielding questions, then letting him go off to labor over his "stuff".Sometimes this involves a re-write. As a result, he is growing in his knowledge and ability. He is reading books I enjoyed reading and growing more like me in his love for literature and writing.
As for me, I hope I am ,doing as well. For I have a great tutor, who shapes and manages my curriculum every day, because He loves me and wishes me to grow more like him in many ways, and these are true needs I have! God takes out his red pencil for me. Why does He even bother? Because He has loved me "with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). How wonderful to experience God's love as He corrects me!

2009-08-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

The CrackerBarrrelization of America

Ah, summer travel. It's over, fortunately, for me. Yes, we had a great summer stint in Fort Collins CO, training new leaders for campus ministry, and enjoyed the mountains and dry climate immensely. However, getting to and from Colorado and Boston was less than truly enjoyable.

It's not that I don;t enjoy road trips; I do. i love the open road, and we are all good travelers. Honestly, it wasn't until the return trip from Colorado to Boston that things got...disturbing. I'm tempted to blame it all on our family's literary taste. We enjoy books on tape on road trips, and we found that a certain restaurant chain could afford us ample opportunity to rent a book, consume it as the miles melt away, and then drop it off at another of the many franchise locations down the old highway. Sounds good? But then I began to really notice what this restaurant chain was like.

Don;t get me wrong, this is not a complaint about food. In fact we NEVER ate a meal at this chain, but we were often inside the building, sorting through books on tape, looking for the "next best listen", wondering if six discs would last out the day across Kansas. As the boys and Helen finalized their decisions (as the primary chauffeur, it did not matter much what we listened too, I just drove), i began to peruse the contents of the "lobby store".

Nostalgia is big in these places. They seem to sell a lot of bad old fashioned candy and snacks, things like wintergreen flavored chewing gum and strange varieties of licorice, alongside iced "pop" of throwback brands. There were racks and racks of trash for sale as gifts. I can't name much of it as I simply ignored it on my way to the rest room and water fountain. What was most interesting was the table always set up just within the door and off the veranda style porch with the rocking chairs and checkers tables. This table changed visibly from state to state. It had a collegiate sports theme. So, in Colorado it held T shirts and memorabilia of the Colorado Buffs, then in Kansas it became the Jay Hawks, the Cornhuskers in Nebraska, and so on. One can only imagine what it would be like down in the SEC belt of America! As a college sports fan, I found it mildly entertaining, but I increasingly felt like I was being "hustled" as if I were a brainless baboon, at every stop. Granted, I was brainless enough to actually stop at all these restaurants, but it was honestly in search of a good oral reading of a good book. Hey, my son can even get credit for "reading" these books on his summer reading list. But consider the fact that these busines people are not really DUMB. They stock these stores as they do because this stuff actually must sell. So, America, why are you buying it? Does this truly represent our values? Maybe I've been living in a blue state for too long now...

2009-06-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

Sadness After Lunch

Today we hosted some friends who will soon be returning to their Middle Eastern home after two years in the USA. We had a great backyard lunch BBQ, very "American" with steak burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, salad and fruit. We cuddled our friends' cute 6 month old, posed for photos, and talked about visiting them one day in their historic city.
The sadness swept over me about an hour after the party as I reviewed some of our conversation. My friends thanked us for being hospitable Americans, for teaching them about Christianity and about real American families. Coming from a nation that's way over 90% Muslim, their eyes were sonmewhat opened beyond the "normal" cult-like stereotypes of Christians. Well, our eyes were opened as well as we learned about their Muslim beliefs, which remain strong. I am sad because I will miss them, but also sad because they still do not see Jesus as I do. Yes, they respect Him deeply, perhaps even more after our conversations, but still, respect and worship are different things.
We are left with prayer, and we are glad to pray for them, for they have a place in our hearts. In fact, our friends even asked us to pray for them. They asked seriously and earnestly, explaining that they believe that praying for them will help them achieve paradise. Well, i could not agree more, but my specific prayers are that they will see Isa(Jesus) as Savior and Lord, that they will bathe in the wonderful grace of Jesus, and experience His love and forgiveness, as we have. I pray they will dream of Him, and that He will reveal Himself through the Bible and materials they hopefully take along home. Then, I think, like many of us through the centuries, they will be on their way to meet Him in paradise.

2009-05-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Our Past Performance is no Future Guarantee...

Recently I had prayer with a young student after a church service. His need was for renewed faith; as a boy he had grown up embracing the Gospel, feeling pretty confident in his relationship with God.
That all changed as he came to Boston to begin a prestigious grad school program. His sense of believing in God eroded. He felt alone, and began to think it was all "nothingness". He honestly related that he no longer felt like prayer would make any difference. My prayer partner and I asked several diagnostic questions. Our troubled friend was attending church, he was having conversations with a spiritual mentor. He explained he was not gripped by any specific sin, except, he admitted, a sense of pride.
Depend upon it, we must always depend upon God. We can't lean on our past experiences, our past learning. We must ever press on to walk with Him, to keep "short accounts with Him", to hearken to Him faithfully, hearing and obeying His Word. Mark Dever, guest preaching at Park Street Church, reminded me of this recently in the life of Peter. While preaching on the Mark 9 account of Jesus' Transfiguration, Dever reminded us that, later in life, Peter penned his recollection of this remarkable event in II Peter 1. Peter, James, and John alone had accompanied Jesus up to a high place, where they were treated to a manifestation of Moses and Elijah talking to a suddenly "glowing" Jesus. While the aging apostle could say "we were there", and "we heard the voice from Heaven", Peter also trumped that experience. He went on to write, "And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place...." (II Peter 1:19a).
Peter was not leaning on his past experiences or accomplishments, even though he could boldly say, "Hey, I was there!" Rather, Peter was clinging to the Word of God, knowing that it was truly "men (speaking) from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (II Peter 1: 21b).

Let us pray for the young student, to find his faith rekindling in the Word of God, and let us press on in reading, hearing, and living out the blessed Scriptures!

2009-03-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

Book of the Twentieth Century

Recently several events have propelled me to write about one of my favorite topics, JRR Tolkien and his masterpiece of literature, The Lord of the Rings.
First, in February I re-read the work, for the umpteenth time. Secondly, my son, Jonathan is working through volume one, The Fellowship of the Ring, right now, and we talk about it often. Third, I recently listened to a recorded discussion and Q & A on Tolkien and Christianity, by Dr. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York.
I appreciate Keller's declaration of the book as the greatest work of literature produced in the 20Th century. I have long felt the same way; not just because it is my all-time favorite. As Keller affirmed, LOTR spawned a whole revival of fantasy and fantastic literature. Recently I was combing through the shelves of the Strand Bookstore in Manhattan, and I was amazed at the shelves and shelves of fantasy literature being churned out in the wake of Tolkien's widely popular work. Prior to LOTR, fantasy literature was a slender branch of Science Fiction, the abode of a few largely out-of-print writers from the late 19Th and early to mid 20Th century. While others may view books like "Ulysses" or "Brideshead Revisited" as top works of the previous century, neither of these would win a popular reader's poll, like LOTR does. And neither changed the face of modern literature (giving it a bit of an "about face", reviving the heroic romance) like Tolkien's painstakingly epic tome.
Even more important,to me, John Ronald Ruel Tolkien is a wonderful Christian author, very like, yet very unlike his friend and colleague, Clive Staples Lewis. Tolkien's sub-creation, LOTR, could only be borne out of a distinctly Christian world view as well as a distinctly Northern European heritage and vision. Keller was very accurate in his assessment that LOTR is full of the melancholy of a fallen world, where Good is very good, yet Evil is the corruption of the Good, and the great danger is of falling (or giving in) that way.
I look forward to more discussion with Jonathan about these deeper issues behind the development of the plot and the characters. We may even get to "eucatastrophe", the new word Tolkien created defining the "unexpected happy ending". To the consternation of many critics since it's publication, Tolkien pulled it off without sex, and with chivalry! Why, his work will even survive the film versions, which are merely OK. If you've seen the films but not read the real thing, please get your hands on a copy of the greatest literature of the last century!
(For real in-depth thinking on the topic, see Tom Shippey's J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century)

2009-01-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

Going from Ten to Forty

Recently it became clearer to me that our Northeast Region (New York and New England) is woefully understaffed with leaders ministering to ethnic -minority and International students.

What I mean to say is that my organization employs about 170 professional workers in ministry settings on college campuses and cities within this seven-state area; however the vasdt majority of the focus of these leaders is campus ministry in a white-culture-dominated context.

This kind of ministry "ain't evil"; indeed , it was how both my wife and I grew up in the Lord as collegians. In fact, it's a great ministry to most white middle and upper class students, but less so for ethnic minorities.

In contrast, we employ exactly ten workers who concentrate on creating pathways of ministry to engage and help internationals and students who are of ethnic minority heritage and culture. The majority of those students are less likely to find meaningful connection or comfort ability in the ministry expressions our organization has created. so, we need "new wine skins ", to borrow a Biblical expression, and that requires new workers with new vision, time, and energy.

So, I am proclaiming it's time to go from ten to forty workers in "Ethnic Minority student ministry" 'round here.

Where will these new workers come from? That's a great question and a big part of my job description for the months ahead is finding the answers. I know they will have to be people with big hearts and big learner capacity.

2008-11-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

It's Natural!

Recently I attended a Gospel Choir concert at a University here in the Northeast. It proved to be a great study of contextualization. I think I was the only "outsider" present, besides a school photographer. Being nearly the only Caucasian in a connected group of blacks was not a problem, but I wished others had taken advantage of attending the uplifting time, right in the heart of a campus.
While this group has sponsorship from a campus performing arts council, the tone was very spiritual and glorifying to God. Scripture was freely quoted onstage. Prayers were prayed. Songs were hymns and worship choruses. It was lively and joyful. There were several announcements about outreaches and service projects. This was a group that cared about others, but the campus community beyond their own "insider" friends, did not seem to care to attend.
What a potentially great atmosphere for developing spiritual leaders! I talked a bit about the Impact Movement (www.impactmovement.com), which seemed to be an unfamiliar term. And, after all, I was a strange white guy at their event. So it may have been hard to "hear" me, although I very much enjoyed meeting students and the concert experience. I got just a bit of insight into their struggles to live out their faith on the collegiate level...
I do pray that student groups like this could intersect with Impact; the Impact Movement has so much to offer on a national scale and great leadership in place to coach, encourage, and equip local chapters of students. One of my jobs as one pair of "eyes and ears for Impact" in this region, is to locate and offer connection to Impact to groups like this. Contextualized groups of students of African descent are found on many college campuses. Sometimes, they are given sponsorship, but then just left too alone in their cultural niche. That's a miss for the whole campus community.

2008-10-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

"Talking up" the Missionary Life

On consecutive weekends this month,my wife and I are each taking a turn to visit conferences where we are engaged in talking up "missionary opportunities" to students here in the Liberty Region.

This is a lot of fun, and also daunting. We don't presume to know all the issues and challenges each college junior or senior is facing as they ask the Lord, "what do You want me to do?" We are just delighted, firstly , that they take the time and space to ASK Him, as the Lord of Universe. These weekend conferences help create space away from their normal, full. student lives, space to listen and process the call of God.

Many years ago I burned a lot of calories taking prayer walks around campus, thinking through these same questions for my own life. I was very involved in my campus ministry, love it deeply, and wanted to serve God, but exactly how? And, there were complications (relationships) that made it challenging.

Just recently, Helen and I got away for a weekend in the hills of New Hampshire for some R & R. As we look back on our years of marriage and ministry, we see how good God's call in our lives has been to us!

So, I try to recall my own indecision and questioning as I address students today. I also recall the joy of casting my life before the Lord and learning another layer of His sweetness, His utter trustworthiness. For after all, he did guide, He did direct, and He did envelop me in His love.

This is a good moment for these students. Let's pray that they would get God's guidance as and when they need it to follow Him...in missions or in education, or in business, or in grad school, in all settings.

2008-08-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

NBC Serves UP It's Own Gold Medal Offering

Last Saturday, we flipped on the TV to check out the latest Olympics coverage from Beijing. Our family has managed to watch most of NBC's coverage. But what we came upon really riveted us to our chairs. for NBC, believe it or not, was doing a feature on The Flying Scotsman, Eric Liddell.

Correspondent Mary Carillo had done a whole series of feature spots on China, but this was her best and most moving installment. Frankly, I was amazed that NBC would air the sterling story of a Christian Missionary hero. What were they thinking? Yet, I applaud the broadcast company for doing so, and I sent a hearty email in their direction (feel free to do the same!)

The best video synopsis of Eric's career, including his trial and triumph in the Paris 1924 Olympics, would be found in the film, Chariots of Fire, so I will not again repeat his biography. If you have not viewed it, please do yourself a favor and place it at the top of your Netflix que!

Seeing the NBC feature with my 14 and 12 year old sons, was wonderful, as they absorbed a fresh something of the character of the man who died giving leadership in a Japanese prison camp in China in 1945. Sure, they had seen some great athletic performances, and a few sterling character moments as well, in this Olympics. But also, they had witnessed the empty bravado and poor behaviour of other athletes; bad losers and self-absorbed winners. Liddell stood, and still stands, taller than them all. Biographer John Keddie wrote:

"But there is also the attractiveness of the character of the man who stuck to his Christian principles and consistently showed in his short life something of the character of the One whom he professed to follow and serve. And that is a challenge to an age in which Christian faith is in short supply in sport and public life in general."

The fact that a monument stands to Eric in China today is also both startling and encouraging, as is the fact that he was so kindly profiled by NBC. Three cheers!

2008-07-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

A Little Kindness?

Recently I've had a couple of disturbing incidents as a Boston commuter. A few weeks ago, I saw and heard a guy in the subway panhandling for money, while i was sitting waiting for my train. His particular strategy was telling a story that commuters have heard multiple times in various forms..."I lost my wallet, I need to get a train to (some city) where (some family member) needs (some form of help from me). Please give me a dollar to help me get the train fare."

Having heard it all before, I turned my head away and broke eye contact with this young man. Others also ignored him, and he was not making any immediate money on the deal. For some reason, though, the guy latched onto ME, and began to call down all manner of curses upon me. He kept at it, with accompanying gestures, and his voice continued to rise in anger. I began to think I would have to physically defend myself, when my train rolled up and i slipped into a car. My assailant did not follow, content to continue to insult me through the glass window.

A few weeks later, I walked into a station and saw another guy having trouble getting his T pass to work in the fare collecting machine. As I walked past him and through the gate, he turned to me and began to curse me. As I proceeded down the steps to the platform, his vivid, angry denunciations echoed around me. What had I done? Nothing, as far as I could tell. I was dressed nicely, in slacks and dress shirt, that day. Perhaps he was echoing the anger of the proletariat ( he was very shabbily dressed) at me, considering me a bourgeoisie capitalist?

These disturbing incidents remind me that many people are often angry and upset about life. Life can be hard and empty. Aggression is rampant in our culture, seemingly crouching around any corner, waiting to pop out and blow up. Red Sox fans beat up a guy on Cape Cod, recently, accusing him of being a Yankee fan!

Or else, I am unaware of some sign hanging around my neck, saying "Please, curse me."

In contrast, as I meet with International students here in Boston, I find that a little kindness goes a long way. I have met with visiting students who are longing for Bostonians to care about them, and when we do, it opens a wonderful doorway for sharing the joy of following Jesus. In response they open their hearts to us and we become true friends. Besides that, it's just the right way to live. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." Paul's admonishment to the Christian church in Colasse is still valid today.

I'm really loveable, even babies like me!

2008-06-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Lasting Value of Long-Distance Friendships

Late in May, I had a reunion experience with four other guys I've worked with in ministry over the last 10-15 years. We worked together on a long-distance team, meeting a few times a year or on special projects, living largely geographically separate lives. Some of us are still in the same distance network, some of us are moving into different ministry situations. The bonds we grew were extremely strong. Part of it was the mission we were a part of in campus ministry, part of it the quality of our leaders, part of it a great fusion of chemistry galvanized all the more via shared experiences in trusting God.

Another part of our bond was failed fishing experiences, usually tacked on to national strategic meetings at various locations. We've fished for salmon in Michigan "the wrong week". We've endured rainy days on a lake in Wisconsin with leaky tents, we've waded in alligator infested waters casting for non-interested fish in Florida...a cynicism grew up as the "lore of failure" mounted over the years. This was just another bond that sweetened our affection and our affectations of dismay and haranguing whoever might suggest the next foray into futility (usually Pete).

Curse Reversed

Five of us managed to gather in Minneapolis last month for a fishing adventure to the Minnesota Boundary Waters. It was a great reunion, and we wish others had been able to join us. We paddled and portaged, camped, cooked, and talked constantly. The quality of our connection cannot be overemphasized, it was the "guy heaven" of real talk and prayer amidst the dirt, bugs, grunts and groans, and also, successful fishing. We caught fish, and ate well. My greatest moment was hauling in two fat and tasty lake trout after a two-portage, three lake paddle to deep watered Explorer Lake.

But the greatest memory was just being with the guys, sharing our lives together in another great adventure...with actual fishing success.

Thanks to Helen for blessing my trip! You're the best!

2008-04-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Acceptance/Forgiveness

Yesterday was Opening Day for Fenway Park, the first home game for the Boston Red Sox. There was much pomp and celebration as the team unfurled a championship banner from 2007, and huge championship rings were presented to the team.
More poignant, however, and noteworthy, was the return of Bill Buckner to Fenway Park. Bill had an excellent career as a major leaguer, but it was significantly blotched by his key error at first base in the 1986 world Series, a play that led to the unraveling of the Sox and another lost season.
Now, in 2008, with two recent championships, Red Sox fans, and more importantly, media types, are willing to embrace Buckner, whom they vilified for many years.

"I appreciate all the thought," a tearful Buckner said in a news conference after the ceremony. "That's the most important thing. The thought behind it. It was hard to do for me. I really had to forgive the — not the fans of Boston, per se — but I would have to say in my heart, I had to forgive the media for what they put me and my family through. So I've done that, I'm over that.
"Some of it is unjustly directed my way and some of it in general, where do you draw the line? Is it OK to disrupt people's lives over a baseball game? I'm pretty tough mentally, but the hardest part was my family, my kids. They still have to deal with it. That made me a little bitter. I'm over that."

It's not a bad thing to have forgiveness talked about in the papers, is it? Too bad it takes a couple of championship to extend some conditional love to Bill Buckner.

2008-02-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

The Rest of a Story...

PBS is airing a documentary called "Bold Visions: Women in Science & Technology". I know about it because one of the featured women scientists attends our church. Her name is Anne, a young adult faithfully seeking to live out her faith while pursuing an accomplished career as a scientist. Her work is in a prestigious institute connected to MIT and Harvard.

The local airing on PBS is tomorrow, Sunday, February 24 at 1:30 pm on WGBH channel 2. Check www.womenworking.com for listings in your area.

If you are yawning (perhaps you are as little inclined toward science as I), please understand the "Rest of the story". We began to pray for Anne at her request when the filming commenced. She had hoped that PBS would find her avid faith and involvement in an evangelical church to be of interest. We were even poised to welcome a film crew into our church services, but alas, no mention of Anne's faith is made in her segment. I guess it just wasn't important enough for the audience to understand that bright, leadership level women can mix faith and science without serious problems.

This story is compelling to me because I often see students who may grow up into the Anne's of the future; students growing in their faith and pursuing fantastic work in labs and classrooms. Christian scientists are alive and well, and many of them start out as Christian students discovering and being nurtured in their faith.

Let's praise God and pray for Him to raise up so many compelling stories that the "rest of it" will have to be told to the general public!

2008-01-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

Prayer of Epic Proportions

After watching the Patriots win yet another game and berth themselves into this year's Super Bowl, I had the opportunity to join a conference call of Christiam workers praying for an upcoming conference for Asian American students, the Epic East Conference. http://www.psw.org/epic/
The East Coast conference, and Epic in general, are new things, new wineskins for ministry to Asian American students within the framework of Campus Crusade for Christ. We were all excited to see how over 100 students had already registered for this event, with more to come. Something is going on!
What was especially invigorating and visionary for me was the prayerful excitement among these younger workers, taking ownership for this conference and this movement among Asian American students. Now is the time. I will attend the Epic East Conf. (Feb 1-3) as a servant and observer, and I can't wait to see what God does there!

2007-11-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

Turkey Leftovers

I just finished a delicious dish of turkey leftovers over rice with gravy. Comfort food, we call it. Maybe that' why I've been too busy to blog these last few months, that and busy campus ministry season, busy home life, busy Patriots and Red Sox watching, busy on Facebook, busy reading about Ethnic Student Ministry, busy getting out there in Ethnic Student Ministry!

It's all busy, and here I am rushing headlong into the weeks sandwiched by two most wonderful Holidays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas! Will I be too busy to get anything out of this season, spiritually?

The temptations are there, the big distractions:

Patriots are 11-0
My Shopping List
Getting ready for the Boston Winter Conference
(see http://www.bostonwinterconference.com/)
Getting my back gutters fixed
Watching Netflix

Get the idea? None of these big distractions are worthy of taking the place of savoring the season (add Getting my New LED Christmas lights up) and considering the Source of both Holidays, in gratitude to God for the Provision of Life...in giving thanks, and in the giving of the Christ.

Happy Holidays!

2007-08-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Increasing and Prevailing? (Acts 19:20)

Recently I have a been spending more focused time in prayer, aided by a commitment to fasting and meditating on a daily basis for a season. Now, even to mention this publicly is a bit risky. Let me just say I am doing this my own way and it is neither easy nor triumphant. It involves some discipline and some focus on listening to the Word of God (the Bible) and to the Lord. It is humbling to spend this time, and self-denial is not something I am really good at. August has been a good time for this, in preparation for the school year.

It seems like I am focusing on a few things over and over.

a. my own weakness. Ouch! Let's sum it up as the pain of feeling below-average, so unworthy of my calling and opportunities; so clear to me are my failings.

b. God has acted beyond His servants' abilities throughout history. This gives a glint of hope and expectation.

c. Students are worth it. People are worth it. How they need to see the Lord as their rescuer, Saviour, Keeper , Sustainer on their pilgrimage through life! How marvelous to read Psalm 121 and know it is true even for me.

All over, folks are giving focused attention to a season of prayer. If we are to see Acts 19:20 lived out afresh in ministry in the student world, even in America, let us pray!

2007-08-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

Lost Students become Lost Adults

In our summer sojourn in Colorado, we stayed in an off-campus apartment complex. There were still a few students around, and we met one neighbor, Lisa. She was a first year student, slim and quiet, and Helen made a connection with her, giving her some food and eventually, the pick of our summer supplies as we were leaving town. Helen was able to discuss the Gospel with Lisa and hear her own thoughts.

Lisa did not initially fully embrace Christianity, but she showed some interest. She has some difficulties in her past. We hope and pray this will blossom into real faith. On our trip home ,we spent a few days among others who do not share our faith. We noticed how clearly different our values and attitudes were from their own. We are saddened at the gap that seems to increase over time. But it's true, reflecting back to Lisa, that lost students will eventually become lost adults, and except for the marvelous grace of God, the gap widens.

In the weeks ahead, many initiatives will begin to reach out to lost students with the love of Christ. The college years are precious, opportune moments for them to encounter Him who not only closes the gap, but breaks the true bondage of the lost. He did it for me. We pray He'll do it for Lisa, and many more.

2007-06-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Nature Does Help

As an urban-ite, I have adopted and learned to love the city. sometimes i have railed upon Christian culture for scorning the "big bad city", and at one point, I even made sport of a worship bad at a conference; it seems the band used background pictures for all their worship songs that looked like outdoor Colorado, great nature pics. I was thinking that urbanites might be miffed at the potential suggestion that worship needs to be in places like outdoor Colorado to be "genuine". Why were there no background images of teeming, diverse urban multitudes, or even slums?

Well, besides having too much time on my hands, I think I was a little unfair. Right now I am about to help lead a month-long program for training campus Christian workers, and we 're running the deal at Colorado State University. So I find myself out here in Fort Collins, (in the spirit of full disclosure, I have spent eleven summers here over the years and absolutely love it) with a mountain bike and a lovely place I like to have early morning devotions up in the edge of the foothills.

While I'm no Dawson Trotman, who had some fantastic times of prayer and worship by himself out in the hills, I understand, I am me. I have had some great times of connection with our Lord in sitting quietly gazing at the mountains mirrored in still waters, drinking coffee and writing in my journal as i pray and read the Scriptures.

Could the same connection with God happen in a busy park or coffee shop in Boston or New York? Of course, and it has and does. But there is something to be said for solitude, and the great outdoor places do provide splendid solitude moments and meditative splendor to magnify the Lord. We can't all be in such places, nor need we, in order to serve and love Jesus. It's not better, but it's good! I'll be enjoying my weeks here in Colorado where I can practice the presence of the Lord amid the beauty of nature, and I hope I can encourage a few fellow pilgrims to do the same, to get the most out of their being here.

By the way, I'm choosing not to add any goofy mountain pictures to this post. Maybe next time.

2007-06-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Evil Empire's not what it used to be...

Tonight the New York Yankees come to Boston for a three game series, and this is usually a time of heart palpitations and high drama for Red Sox fans (meaning virtually the entire population of eastern New England).

However, right now, the Yankees are toothless tigers (no insult meant to Detroit). The Bronx Bombers are 13.5 games behind the league leading Sox in the standings, and it';s only the first of June ! So the high drama of the typical Yankees- Red Sox series is muted at best, and more likely mitigated by Yankee mediocrity. One can almost consider hoping, for a brief moment, for a Yankee win or two. Naww.

As a Christian often considering the presence of evil and the Evil One, the loss of the Yankee threat is a bit disconcerting. Could evil (as represented by the swaggering Yankees and their belligerent boss/owner) really be being pulled back? And, ( more typical of a Red Sox fan) I wonder if it's really possible that God's blessing could be upon the Sox, since Massachusetts is a state that triumphs evil over good with celebrated regularity: endlessly corrupt government, poor charitable giving, a Godless, predominant world-view, and the most expensive baseball ticket prices in the nation?

These points may be pondered as we listen in all weekend to the comforting voice of Joe Castiglione calling the games via radio.

2007-05-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

"Run in such a way as to win"

I'm really proud of my sons as they ran with purpose and determination in this morning's school jogathon fundraiser. I thought about giving them a pep talk before the race, but the most I could muster was a reference to Eric Liddle, the Flying Scotsman from Chariots of Fire and "feeling God's pleasure" while they ran.

With or without my Gipper-like inspiration, I did run alongside Jonathan for 21 laps (5.25 miles) and then sprinted a final lap with Andrew as he desperately attempted to notch a 26th lap as time ran out. we missed it by about 5 seconds. Still, Andrew ran 6.25 miles, without any breathing problems.

The Jogathon is a successful annual fundraiser for the boys' school, Covenant School, in Arlington, Mass, a great place for a k-8 education!

I'm obviously very proud of them both. Jono does not take strongly to athletic endeavours, and so he trained very sparsely. While his stride is a bit ungainly, his determination was granite-tough this morning! He stretched out his long legs and got it done. He bettered his last year by 3/4 of a mile.

Andrew set his own record by the same margin. He is smaller but lithesome and has a true runner's grace.

As for me, I'm tired out and very grateful to God for a successful morning for our boys in achieving their goals and working hard at it!

I'll add photos when available.

2007-04-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Please, no racial profiling!

We are all of us, shocked and horrified, saddened and mourning over the incidents at Virginia Tech this week.

This beautiful and bucolic campus has been shattered by such horrible rage and rampage. Anyone who's been to Blacksburg knows, it seems so unlikely. Anyone in student ministry feels violated, and feels like these students were "all our students". As a matter of fact, several of the victims were involved with the VT student movement associated with Campus Crusade for Christ, my employer and my mission.

Additionally troubling is the fear of racial profiling since the troubled and angry murderer happened to be a Korean student. Asian and Asian-American students turn from sadness to fear, fear that they will in turn be victimized by senseless backlash as people give action to their

(natural) anger and frustration. This wasn't an Asian crime; it was an individual crime.

Let's show solidarity with Asian students at this time. They need us (people of other ethnicities) to love them and stand with them in the wake of this horror. Let's be stronger together, and let us pray for VT and for/with one another. God is our ever-present hope in times of trouble.

2007-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

Pallid or Vivid Christianity?

Nothing like reading the New Testament to get a vision of vivid Christianity. Recently reviewing I Corinthians 9 and Philippians 3 made me think again of Paul's imagery of a muscular pressing-on in faith. There's that feel of a worthwhile struggle, of an energetic striving. Remember that quote from the film Chariots of Fire? "We need a muscular Christian..so that folks will sit up and take notice." I can't portray the Scottish accent, but it's vivid in my memory!

A contrast builds in my mind as i reflect upon my own experience. There are the conversations with adults whose once-warm faith seems to have cooled and congealed into a vague sentimentality. Sometimes reunions with old acquaintances, even old campaigners in the faith, can sorely disappoint. The bright eye has grown dim, the eagerness for the Word of God has faded into a wan weariness. Youthful zeal has quieted not into maturity, but into measured mediocrity.

Sometimes i've tried to rally these persons, sometimes it's more like encouraging or even pleading with them...'pursue your Lord again, please!' But always, after any such encounter, i make a self-examination. Lord, am i slipping toward pallid Christianity? Dear Father , please protect me from such a slide!

I'm not sure what psychosis is active within me in this regard, but i realized recently that i've always been drawn to the imagery of "pressing on" in vivid Christianity. In my journal, that constant companion in my briefcase, i have several quotes, long kept and often reconsidered. Here's two of them:

"Some men die in ashes, some men die in flames. some men die inch by inch, playing silly, little games." (Howard Hendricks has been fond of quoting this, attributing it to a piece called "the Night They Burned Shanghai." Then the Prof would pause and ask his audience, "Friend, how will you die?". Ah, Hendricks!!)

"In the morning (I ) was more engaged in preparing the head than the heart. This has been frequently my error, and I have always felt the evil of it, especially in prayer. Reform it, then, O Lord! enlarge my heart, and i shall preach"
(quote from Robert Murray McCheyne, The Life and Remains of Robert Murray McCheyne by Andrew Bonar. This work is a treasure!).

Both Hendricks and McCheyne (vastly different men of different centuries) know the joy of pressing on in vivid faith. It's evident in their writing and their preaching, and their lives.
Dear Father, please help me to press on all the way!

2007-03-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Keepin' the Main Man the Main Thing:

Last week I had a great, free-ranging conversation at a little downtown-Boston cafe. I was with a friend who I admire for his wit, his breadth of knowledge, and his ability to do "about a million" things well. But my friend puzzled me in the midst of our conversation.

He was referring to a dialogue he'd been having with a Muslim about their different faiths, and he suddenly made a remark about wondering, at times, why we claimed the exclusivity of Christianity.

I was surprised, for my friend is both wise and well-educated ( the two don't always coincide). I found myself blurting out, "well, of course, the answer is Jesus".

What I meant, by the way, was that the greatest difference about Christianity is not Christians, it's not doctrine, it's not theology, but it 's Christ.

'Keep the Main Man the main thing' is one homespun but dead-on way to put it! Bill Bright used to say (often) "Always talk about Jesus". Don't argue religion, don't argue ethics, do talk about Jesus, and He will prove how different He is from any other sages, potentates, prophets or priests.

I've heard it said, "Allah may ask you to die for him in Islam, but in Christianity, Allah has died for you." That's the Jesus difference.

It's twelve days to Easter Sunday. I'm planning to keep the Main Man my main thing!

2007-03-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

Sea Glass and God's mercy

Today I took advantage of Spring-like weather and played hooky from my Boston office. Instead, I journeyed north to my "prayer beach". It's a secret location, and I haven't been there for a while. But i had a great time praying and walking the beach (though it was cold after all, with the nearby North Atlantic).

Lest I sound overly pious, I like to prayer walk the beach with lots of listening, and looking down amid the flotsam for sea glass. Certain beaches produce a lot of it; these shards of glass, well worn by the work of the waves, sand, and stones, glimmer in the morning light. I pick up bits of brown, green, and clear glass. The once jagged edges are smooth and safe to handle.

It's a simple analogy of our own passage through life as followers of Jesus; we are quite breakable, and we can easily cut others, but over time our sharper edges grow smoother in His careful curriculum. Sure, we get battered by the waves and wind, and it's sometimes painful, but we can get a sense of our growing smoothness that encourages us to bear with it. I know some smoother old saints, and i wish to become more like them someday.

I picked up a bunch of glass, then went off to read and write over a steaming bowl of clam chowder. This evening, I spread out my "take" for the boys to examine. As I launched into a "devotional nugget" holding some bits of the glass, Andrew finished the analogy for me..guess I was repeating myself. Maybe you've heard it before too.

2007-02-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow i'm taking my wife to a Valentine's Dinner, and there will be more stuff happening next week. So, I'm choosing to honor her with my blog entry.

Helen Hagert Layman is a fantastic woman in so many ways. She lives in a fraternity (three males) of a family and puts up with endless levels of "male cluelessness" that includes things like our refusal to sort laundry correctly, belching, male odor, and a thousand carelessnesses toward the woman who holds our family together.

Helen serves lovingly and faithfully as taxi driver, homework supervisor, educational planner, medical coordinator, comforter, cheerleader, interior decorator, social connector, chief cook, menu manager, shopper, budget manager...the list is nearly endless.

Add to these domestic and family leadership roles, Helen's amazing abilities as a speaker, teacher, and guide to fellow pilgrims on our spiritual journey. She said "yes" to the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ over 25 years ago as a college freshman, and less than a year later, was serving Him in a summer mission. She has not looked back, and has boldly gone wherever Her Master bids. She's a marvelous life partner in ministry and marriage.

Helen, here's to you, my love!

Here's the poem i wrote last Valentine's day; the new one is still under construction;

Eighteen Jewels

Many evenings, I slip out past a darkened door
To breathe the night’s fresh air.
When I do, I stare up at the stars;
They glimmer brightly,
Reminding me of all that’s ours.

For we have walked in dark and light
For eighteen years together;
And so I tell the night.

These eighteen years have brought
A full measure of all they ought:
Some ordinary times, some very hard,
And a few moments quite sublime,
Glinting like the jeweled light of stars.

But surest of all, these eighteen years,
I have you beside me, “bone of my bone”.
And while I shiver in the cold night, alone –
You’re just inside.
with you, my love, I have a home.

For Valentine’s Day, 2006

2007-01-12T05:23:00.000-08:00

Slowing Down

The year 2007 brings to completion my harried quest to read through the Bible in the year 2006. I made it; or, at least,I read the texts and checked off my progress in a "reading guide" helpfully provided by our church.

Having said that, i recall a bit awkwardly the way I ploughed through books like Leviticus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. Did I absorb anything from those readings? Chiefly, i came way from this experiment with a sense of the vastness of the Biblical canon, and especially an appreciation for "slowing down" in reading the Bible prayerfully and more leisurely; not leisurely in an offhand or careless manner, but without the agenda to "finish" a reading assignment! Upon reflection, the latter was often my motivation in 2006.

Now, back to the present and future; I am thrilled to be mulling my way through some Pslams, slowly, responsively (if not responsibly), carefully chewing, even stopping to research Hebrew words, cross references, whatever catches my curiosity. At the same time, I continue to ask of Him who wrote these texts via His servants, to illumine me with His truth. I am desperate for the touch of our Lord in my times in His Word. This, i also (sometimes) managed to do last year as i pushed through chapter after chapter of the whole Bible. Was it worth it? Sure. I found myself feasting in the Epistles and Pslams a year ago, especially after a dry spell in a "harder" book for me. It was fine, and i even recommend reading through he Bible, but not every year, not for me. This year, I'm for slowing down.

2007-01-01T06:24:00.000-08:00

First Morning

The New Year, 2007 has dawned with darkness and rain. The rain washes away the only semblance of winter, our inch of snow from two days past. Now we are back to the wetness and mere coolness of lengthening late autumn, it would seem. So Janaury and 2007 emerge in damp darkness, but washed afresh for a new start!

The new year to come brings a change of job emphasis for me that I hope will lead me from a dark beginning to enlightened leadership. I am moving my role in campus ministry away from the opening of new campuses per se, to the establishment of new Ethnic Student Movements. This represents a change of emphasis after fourteen years in the former vein, as local leader and Regional Director.

Why? Why go from the well-known to what is relatively unknown for me? Well, the need is great, and the challenge, equally great. I will go from a series of very valuable, meaningful reporting relationships with local directors to "none". This will be a building-up venture from the first rung, alongside some talented younger staff meembers inour outfit.
I am excited to begin to learn about reaching specific ethnic groups of students with the Good News of our Lord Jesus; I am looking forward to learning how we are to build this enterprise in the Northeast. Mostly, however, I am looking forward to the Lord building up His people and raising up student and young leaders who will be able to develop and lead these ventures for many years to come. So, I see myself as a steward of these opportunities and challenges. A learner. Hopefully I'll also be a listener and and activist where appropo.

2006-12-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

"I know him."

These words represent one of the shortest sentences in the words of Jesus in the New Testament (in translation). This text is from John 8:55 in the English Standard Version translation, one I recommend for English language readers.

What was Jesus talking about? About knowing God. He is the "him" Jesus was referring to, the big HE. The real Him. The one we all actually want to know, long to know, were created to know in our spiritual DNA.

Jesus could say to his listeners there in Jerusalem, both the scoffers and the seekers, that He knew Him. This was in a response to the challenge that Jesus seemed to be making more of himself than the gret Abraham. How dare he? Because he knew Him. Jesus went on to say, a few lines later, that he actully predated Abraham, in fact by a long, long time. Not even close.

This is the Jesus I celebrate with song and gifts, with cookies and kindness this Christmas season. He's the real deal, the one and only. He knows Him. In fact, I join millions of others who trust that He IS Him! Happy Advent Season!

2006-10-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER WANING
It's hard to believe this great month of October is slipping away! In a few days, our family will drive north, north to the woods of Maine for a student retreat. Helen and I will combine to speak and lead some prayer sessions for a group of college students from all over the state.

Worth it. These weekends are a bit low on sleep, but high on experiencing God; it's great for students to pull away for a weekend with their friends and focused not on wild parties, but on the pursuit of God. OK, a few may bring some studying along. Hey, though,it is a lot of fun. think Saturday night bonfire, the "polar bear swim", etc...

For me, one of the best things about this is a chance to talk honestly about my journey, and Helen's journey in following Jesus. Now that we're a few more years down the road, we have the beginning of wisdom to share (humbly) with these students.

When He said "Follow Me", we took it to heart and have followed. It's been rich and quite an adventure, but I'll save that for the next blog!

2006-09-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

Autumnal Things

Now it's really autumn in the Northeast, and all the symbols or standards of this favorite season of mine are appearing:

--pumpkins eveywhere
--scarecrows decorating lawns
--leaves changing colors
--football every weekend
--apple picking
--evangelism on campus

Whoa, that last one may seem out of place, the "one of these things is not like the other" song foating through one's mind. But it actually fits in perfectly.

As the school year starts, college and university students also enjoy the autumnal vibe. Schoolwork seemsless pressing right away, and weather can be fine-- those coolish, clear sunny day are great for hanging out on the lawn, pretending to study...and this is a great time to engage students in spiritual conversations. God is in the changing season, after all, just as much as He is in the springtime.

Thousands of students all over New York and New England have engaged in Christian dialogue or inquiry in the last few weeks, whether via quick surveys, or campus ads, or personal discussions, or small group Bible studies. Ipray for them, and i love getting in the mix, listening and making suggestions as they share their questions and serchings. God is not playing a cosmic game of "hide and seek". He's nearby, ready and willing to be found.

A great web site for this is everystudent.com . Check it out!

2006-09-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Adventures of Jonny Quest redux

Recently I found and rented discs of my old, favorite cartoon, "Jonny Quest". I loved this Hanna-Barbera creation from the 60's as a kid. It was by far the coolest cartoon for a boy to watch--action, adventure, even some scary monsters and the evil, meancing Dr. Zinn. The heroes were Dr. Benton Quest and his son Jonny, his dog Bandit, and their sidekicks: the boy Hadji (Jonny's turbaned, constant buddy), and the ever capable mentor/bodyguard Race Bannon. There are no women, except as extras. Sorry, gals.

The big test was, "would my own media-savvy sons enjoy these ancient cartoon episodes?". The answer was a huges "yes!". We will order more of them, after the boys devoured these first two discs of Jonny Quest sagas. The music, the plots, the "adventure factor" all proved timelss for my 21st century lads. Of course, I loved revisiting what I had not seen in at least thirty years. I found i could recite lines; nerdy scary.

One episode revealed a spiritual moment. Jonny and Hadji were saying bedtime prayers! Interesting to see the turbaned, Indian-subcontient product Hadji kneeling beside Jonny along the bedframe, uttering prayers to (apparently) the Christian God. I guess this was standard 1960's fare. We assume Dr. Quest and his world-changing, evil-fighting extended family would pray to God as part of their normal, adventuresome life. As my youngest son put it, "Dad, they are all Christians!". Well, perhpas. We'll watch the rest of the series and keep an eye out for faith moments, but especially we'll enjoy, as "boys forever", the adventures of Jonny Quest!

2006-08-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

Bonhoeffer Meets Lombardi

Summer's going, going, gone!

Tomorrow our local pool will close, and with the weather in the low 70's , it's not likely we'll go for a swim. Seasons come and go, the regular rhythms of the calendar. I always consider summer as a great time to catch up on a variety of reading, especially those days on the beach or by a lake. There's still a hefty stack of half read tomes on the bedside table. But here's my list of what was good reading during the summer slow-down:

1. Lombardi-- an old compendium of memories about the great coach, edited by Jerry Kramer. What made Vince Lombardi such a great leader of men? I also re-read part of a more thorough biography, When Pride Still Mattered. Lombardi fascinates me, and I have enjoyed stepping onto the Fordham University campus and touring the athletic center named in his honor. Are we missing something with today's collegiate men? Lombardi got a lot of mileage, seemingly, out of yelling and swearing. Hmmm...

2. Life Together-- This short volume by Dietrich Bonhoeffer gets better with each reading. I'm finishing it again this week, so here's today's quote: "Because intercession is such an incalculably great gift of God, we should accept it joyfully. The very time we give to intercession will turn out to be a daily source of new joy in God and in the Christian community."

3. Three collections of short stories, by Flannery O'Connor, Pearl S. Buck, and Louis L'aMour. Good reads, very different. Flannery O'Connor's stories are downright disturbing, Buck's are more poignant models of "East meets West". Short stories are great for summer reading as bite sized nuggets. L'aMour is simple entertainment.

4. Mayflower-- Nathaniel Philbrick's take on the colony in Plymouth up through King Phillip's War. Interesting with local history, but I was disappointed in his sparse comments about one of my heroes, John Eliot.

5. An Hour Before Daylight-- This was Jimmy Carter's memoir of growing up in rural Georgia. It's great fodder for his biographers, I guess, but the endless detail was wearying.

6. A Room with aView--pure entertainment by E. M. Forster

7. a Jane Langton mystery set in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. The organist did it, but I've already forgotten the title.

2006-08-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sweating an Anniversary

Exactly 25 years ago, I was sitting on the beach in Ocean City, NJ, finishing up an incredible experience on a Campus Crusade for Christ Summer Project.

I was entering my senior year of college, and wanted to believe God could use even me to help change the world with his love and power.

That autumn, I had the opportunity to see a very fuitful personal ministry develop, which also led to my calling into fulltime Christian ministry.

I have all this in mind as I recall speaking to a group of Boston students just last week on the hottest day in Boston for in several years. While I perspired freely in the hot, stuffy room, I was thrilled to speak to this group of students, challenging them to seek a fruitful ministry year in the wake of their Boston Summer Project experience.

My hope and prayer is that they will experience the joy of ministry and the miracle of seeing changed lives as a result of God's mighty work through their evangelism efforts this fall. Join me in praying for hundreds of students to come to faith in Christ across the Northeast this autumn as classes (and ministry groups) resume for the 2006-7 schgool year.

2006-05-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

People are Listening!

Yesterday i had a breakfast appt. in a Cambridge restaurant. Apparently an older lady in the booth behind me was listening in, because she flagged me down out on the sidewalk after I'd exited.

She wanted me to know she really appreciated "what I was telling that young man". Funny, I wasn't sure he had! But then she went on to tell me she liked the fact that I was talking about "empowering others". Then she added, "that fellow was really listening to you!"

I thought this would be the spot in the conversation where she would declare herself a fellow follower of Jesus, but instead, she told me how she had once been a "left-wing Catholic" working in Honduras with Salvadorian refugees. Now, she said, she was still an activist,but she stays away from churches.

This is the kind of dialogue possible any day of the week in the city of Cambridge. Activists. Activists who dislike the Church (or churches). I smiled warmly as i explained to her that I was likely part of "that vast right wing conspiracy" that wanted to tell the world about Jesus. She wrinkled her nose at me. I told her how evangelical Christians like me were trying to remarry the Good News with loving Good Deeds in a world in desperate need of BOTH. She just kinda half-smiled and walked away.

2006-05-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sweat and Grit in New Orleans:

I am in New Orleans for a training conference for planting spiritual collegiate movements, and it's quite a sobering scene here, eight months after Hurricane Katrina hit. Today I went by an historic black college that is being renovated in hopes of reopening their traditional campus by summer's end. My group prayed for the campus and for the students that will repopulate this site, and for hopes of continuing reconciliation between whites and blacks as the city seeks to recover.

We were greeted in a firm but friendly way by gun-toting security guards as we leaned over the locked gate. Yet we hope and pray that our Lord would do great things in the lives of students at this school.

We have heard that in years gone by, flood clean up was done here as blacks were forced at gunpoint to clean up the whites' flood ravaged property. So, it is poetic justice that thousands of middle and upper-class whites have come to New Orleans this Spring to help clean out many homes of poor black residents, voluntarily, huimbly, and lovingly. Thus, Christian students have inadvenrtantly but importantly taken a dramatic step in racial reconciliation; may it only increase!

2006-04-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Bent on Lent
This morning our family trekked off to Park Street Church as usual, but I was mostly thinking aobut how to survive the service on a hard pew with a sore lower back. Actually, it was no problem. This being the first sunday of the month, PSC celebrated Communion, and i was a server at the 8:30 service. It felt good (on my back) to stand, and it always feesl good to serve. Yet, for a few moments, during my own partaking of the communion cup, I was pulled away from focusing on my back pain and meditated upon the cross.
We have a large cross (empty, as Protestants do: I like it empty, a bare symbol tht could hint at an empty tomb as well) hung high behind the pulpit. I looked upon the cross and telescoped in to what Easter is all about. And, just a couple of days ago, I had read quickly throught he first half of the Epistle to the Galatians, but recalling chapter 2, verse 20, where Paul writes " I have been crucified with Christ..." I was not feeling crucified this morning , but awfully grateful for the real deal, the death of Christ.

One who was truly innocent bled and died during some hours one friday for the sins of the many. Jesus, what a friend of sinners, Jesus, lover of my soul.

2006-03-30T07:28:00.000-08:00

In a few days i'll be hanging out with a disparate group of students from all over the Northeast who have a great commonality; they are intending to invest a year in ministry with Campus Crusade for Christ after graduation. Some will go to international locations and others will stay in the US, many returning to "intern" in campus ministry at their alma maters.

As I think over what I want to say to them to prepare them for this "adventure", a few things come to mind immediately.

1. They are stepping into front-line ministry. All ministry is front line, of course, but something interesting happens when one commits to vocational ministry. Others start to see you as "serious" in your faith (sometimes this gets translated as "fanatical"). You get labeled as a leader whether you feel like it or not. You are now a professional--paid to read the Bible and talk to others aobut Jesus. You are platformed.
Being in the front lines means it's no longer as easy to play it safe. You can't be as anonymous in the crowd. It means you get "watched" and evaluated more of the time, and what you do becomes a more vivid example to others. What kind of jokes does the professional Christian tell? What music does she listen to, what does she read or what kind of film viewing habits? Fair or not, front lines means public scrutiny. While this can be a pain to our sense of personal freedom, it's also a great opportunity, and oportunity to give public glory to God, to honor God in all we do (which we intend always, anyway, right?).

2. They become a bigger target. I will tell these students what I was told about 23 years ago--expect spiritual battle. Expect difficulties. Expect the heat to get turned up in different areas of life. Now, I don't want them to worry about this. Why worry, when you can "cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you"? Peter wrote that to christians who felt like targets. These were aware they had an adversary, a spiritual attacker. We should be aware of this, too, also remembering we have a great God who has beaten the devil very soundly, and He's their advocate! Taking a year in ministry will be an exercise in spiritual battle. I'll probably tell them about the haunted house I slept in on a campus visit some years ago. It was an interesting experience!

3. They will experience the Christian Life on an elevated level. Now, I don't mean to be overly pious or pretentious about this. But it's real: getting into the flow of fulltime ministry opens the door for rich, rich cultivation of one's spiritual life. It should be like breathing--constantly talking to God , thinking about God, and talking about God. God is cultivating the garden of my spirit. The difference is that we're not putting 8+ hours into a workday on other things. We're giving the best hours of our days to ministry and (hopefully) being ministered to by God. That can't help but push the spiritual dimension in life.
My first semester in campus ministry, my older, wiser roommate handed me a great book that chronicled a spiritual journey of a young man, Shadow of the Almighty. That book helped me a lot in my growth.

Now, it may be daunting to be "front-line", and it's not thrilliong to be a "target", but it's so, so exciting to grow spiritually. There's one more point i may make:

4. They will lay foundations and leave legacies. Some of these interns will stay a year and move ont o what God has next for them: grad school, a job, another ministry pursuit. Others will stay in vocational ministry a second year, or maybe even a lifetime. But all of them will be involived in 9-12 months of laying foundations and building a legacy. They will share the Good News of Jesus with students, adults, or kids that they never would have otherwise. They may see some receive Christ and enter ino the faith alongside them. They will invest hours, days, weeks, with students--loving them, caring for them, praying with them, helping others grow toward maturity. The extent of the legacy and the glimpses of it they are permitted to see, that's up to God. We like to say, "take the initiative to share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, leaving the results to God". What I have learned over the years is that God makes legacies happen! He seems to delight in domino-effect connections, so that what we seek to do for Him yields results in unexpected ways.

Wow! i'm motivated. I hope you are , too.

2006-03-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

Clarifying a Calling

My wife and I are boning up on our parenting strategies as our sons inch closer to the teen years. This has led us into many new conversations about our kids and also with our kids. We will always love our sons, very deeply, but we also look forward to preparing them for adulthood, and the release points of responsibility and self-direction.

Right now, it's quite frightening; I never realized before parenting, that I could have so many fears about the future, about my boys' future lives, the choices they'll make, the decisons they'll struggle over, the failures they'll experience, the hurts they'll recieve from others.

In collegiate student ministry, we encounter many young adults who have experienced different levels of parenting. Some have been "smothered" and are still rebelling, others have been cut loose at such young ages that they don't feel emotionally connected to their parents at all. Some of these are empty and feel hollow. Some of these desperatly want to be re-parented; they are looking for a place to plug in their emotional umbilical cords.

This is a great challenge for campus ministers who keep an eye toward the Great Commission. We are looking for leaders. We are looking for the next generation of world-changing leaders, in fact. We want our time in the university culture to count toward raising up laborers for the worldwide Great Commission. If we can equip students with vision and skills toward that end, great! These students can effectively evangelize their fellows and the world. We would rather let others who are counselors be the counselors, for the most part. We would rather let others who are seminary profs be seminary profs who teach more complex Biblical and theological truths. We wish to maintain the focused work of winning, building, and sending students into the Great Commission.

But we also love people and we love to meet needs. We can fill our "on campus" hours with appointment after appointment of simply talking to Christian students about their problems or about theological contructs or how theological constructs intersect with their problems. One of my colleagues has called this being a "professional Christian friend" to Christian undergrad students, while being surrounded by lost students and 110 million college students worldwide.

When I reflect back on some years of direct campus ministry, I think I had twice as many of these kinds of appts. as I ought to have had. And I could have used that time in other ways like evangelism and looking for Great Commission resources, while developing students toward their "release points" to adulthood. Those who don't want to be "released" need to be lovingly cared for and counseled, of course, but not by me, because that's not the end toward which I've raised my missionary funds. Thank the Lord for the great resources we hold to care and develop for all, but thank Him also for those called to evangelism and leadership development , toward the rapid pursuit of the Great Commission. what's my calling? What's yours?

2006-02-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thinking about longevity in ministry. Recently a friend asked me "how do you measure your spiritual growth?" It was a profound question, since growth used to look very measurable, when my spiritual life was new and fresh. I was discovering lots of new things, reading portions of the Bible I never had perused before, or mentally "checking off" new experiences or mastering new "spiritual" skills .

These days, I may simply be guilty of mastering fewer new skills! Call me a sluggard, but at age 46, the newness is long gone, on the one hand (on the other hand, literally every time I pray and then open the Bible, I find it's freshness and newness wonderfully captivating me), but years of ministry results in lots of repetition of old skills.

My response to my friend sounded kind of lame, when I said, "I measure growth by examining myself: am I listening to God, am I pursuing a relationship with him day by day? If the answer is 'yes', then I think I'm still growing." Now, upon further reflection, I think I may actually have been on to something. Spiritual growth and integrity is more linked to "seeking and listening" with God than it is with plowing through a training curriculum or spiritual experience checklist. So, the old line some of us like to use, "what is God teaching you lately?", may be one of the best diagnostic questions we can ask to ministers, students, and even laymen we love. After all, don't we all want to press on to run our race fully to it's completion?

2006-02-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

2006-02-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

Let Students Lead Well!

One issue that comes up often in leading and coaching student Christian movements, is the issue of "ownership". We may have professional fulltime staff involved in student ministry who coach and lead aspects of outreach and discipleship. But what about student leadership? We see students leading vigorously in many collegiate organizations and societies, but do we professional Christian ministers allow students to lead?

This issue comes up when students feel one of two things: 1. They feel comforted and befriended by the professional staff so that they are not challenged or encouraged to really spread their wings and lead. They respond when the staff lead, but they fail to initiate much themselves. Why bother? They take the comfortable role of "follower". In these cases, not much may happen in the ministryuntil the professionals show up. Student initiative and ownership is dulled. These students are not being prepared nor asked to "change the world" since they are not really being entrusted to change their own weekly programme. 2. They (students) feel frustrated because their leadership is capped or suppressed by the will and plans of the professional staff who oversee their campus ministry.

I have spent time in numerous fraternity houses where students managed large budgets and oversaw multi-million dollar properties. Can we trust our student leaders to lead small group bible studies, or outreach programs? May we trust ourselves to train student leaders as well as the fraternities do? How do we go about getting sufficiently out of the way to let them learn how to lead in campus ministry?