Maybe you’re a procrastinator.
Maybe you just cleared nine exams and three term papers.
Maybe you just overheard a conversation about Urbana at your local coffee shop.
Maybe you didn’t think Mom and Dad would go for it.
Maybe you thought you had to work and you don’t.
Maybe God woke you in the middle of the night and said, “Go to St. Louis for Christmas” and you couldn’t imagine why so you hopped online to see what could possibly be happening in St. Louis this Christmas and lo, you were introduced to Urbana.
Whatever the reason: you are not too late. Come to Urbana. See what amazing things God is doing throughout the world. And be prepared to change your life as a result.
Need more information? Read this.
Need more inspiration? Watch this.
Need an excuse to avoid going to Urbana? Can’t help you there.
You will not regret coming, even if it’s a last minute, blink-style decision. Sometimes, that’s the way God moves. Are you ready to move with him?
Register here.
I flew back into Calgary late Thursday afternoon (thanks to the weather!), just in time to catch up with Tennille and the boys, grab the mashed potatoes, and head to our International Student Christmas dinner. And what a dinner it was! We had our largest group yet, and many of the students were new, both to me and to the dinners. We’ve been hosting international student dinners every other Thursday, and this last dinner of the year we celebrated a Christmas dinner. Many of the students coming to our dinners are new to Canada, some only having come this fall. So, first Christmas in Canada and lots to explain! Enjoy the pictures – I’ll explain a bit of what happened in the captions.
We enjoyed an amazing Christmas dinner, from roast turkey to halal beef to mashed potatoes, apple pie and hot apple cider!
The dinner was masterminded by our amazing volunteers and hosts. Here is Klara, Christin and Jonathan, three people making the dinner fantastic for everyone.
Christin explained a little of the history and rationale of the Christmas Carols we sing, and then people were invited to try them out. For many of these students, this would have been the first time.
Dan, a trained historian and former IVCF staff (and our dinner host), read and explained the Christmas story as well as revealing the story behind St. Nicholas.
Is curiosity necessary for spiritual awakening? I mean, can the Spirit even invite people to consider Jesus if they never ask a question or consider what is going on around them?
Why do I ask? Let me back up and trace my thoughts. Moses lived in obscurity, hidden from the courts of the powerful as well as from the hearths of his people. For years. But whether he knew it or not (I suspect not), his obscurity could not hide him from the designs of God. God was not deaf to the groaning of his enslaved people, nor blind to the potential of his wayward prince.
Deep within the wilderness Moses walked. For years. Caring for his father-in-laws sheep, providing for his family, safe and secure in a new way of life, dead to his family, both adoptive and blood. What was left in him? What could awaken him from his self-imposed exile? What could get his attention? I’m not sure what else may have worked, but in his case it was the famous burning bush. But I want you to notice something: It wasn’t just the burning bush–it was also Moses’ curiosity in the burning bush that mattered. Moses had to actually divert from his path and go check out the burning bush. And I think that tells us something about him. Whatever else was true of Moses at this point, he had enough curiosity to ask “what is that?” and then go over and take a look. And the rest is history. This moment marks the decisive turn in his life, awakening him to God, to the plight of his people, and to God’s radical rescue plan.
Here’s my point: Curiosity is crucial. We need to nurture it in our own lives, and I think as we consider the people around us, we need to look for those who are asking questions (even if it’s just “what is that?”) and are willing to turn aside and check things out. Curiosity may have killed many cats, but it also seems a pre-condition to the transformation of many people.
It’s time to get curious about the curious near you.
At 100 posts, I am still a baby blogger. Friends and colleagues ask why I blog, what I am trying to accomplish, how I know what to write, who I am aiming at, what I think I’m doing and where I find the time. My answers are varied . . . and probably more vague than they should be.
Here’s my attempt to clear that up. In the form of a Top Ten List. Or two.
Top Ten Reasons Why I Blog
10. I blog because blogging is so “yesterday,” and as a 35-year-old working with university students, I feel more “yesterday” than ever.
9. I blog because, surely, the blogosphere needed more words filling all that empty space.
8. I blog because my kids think it’s super cool that Dad has his own website.
7. I blog because whenever I’m depressed I check my blog stats, and then . . . well, actually, yeah, wished I felt better about myself based on my blog stats but, actually . . . scratch this point.
6. I blog because I refuse to Twit.
5. I blog because my life isn’t full enough and I need something to do with all my free time.
4. I blog to impress my staff colleagues.
3. I blog because I’m an extrovert, and hey! more people to talk to!
2. I blog because I’m a verbal thinker. Yes, that means what you are presently reading I may never have thought about before this moment, ever.
1. I blog as a reality check–whenever I have the feeling that I really am an undiscovered best-selling writer the world is longing to hear, my sorry attempt at blogging causes all those delusions to immediately flee.
Okay, fine. How about ten more reasons?
Top Ten (Less Humorous) Reasons Why I Blog
10. I blog so I can learn to write concisely (without going on and on and not really saying anything and then just going on some more because surely if I just keep talking people will get is and then I . . . yeah . . .)
9. I blog to communicate about my staff work with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship
8. I blog to encourage my readers to engage their worlds as kingdom witnesses
7. I blog as a way of public journalling
6. I blog because Manny told me to, multiple times
5. I blog because of Seth Godin’s inspiration in his book Tribes
4. I blog to create a dialogue around important issues that need to be addressed
3. I blog to promote events
2. I blog to advocate for issues that need to be raised
1. I blog to discipline my self to write
(And if you really want to help me celebrate my 100th post, why not commit the unpardonable and spam all your friends with a link to this blog?)
What are the core elements of good discipleship?
This is an important question, not only as we consider how we disciple others but as we consider ourselves as disciples of Jesus. What does it mean to “be discipled?” What do I mean when I say that we, as Inter-Varsity staff, are “discipling” students? A few preliminary reflections:
Discipling students is core to what we do as IVCF staff. Hillary and Katie, two of our terrific staff, work daily to see students become committed disciples of Jesus.
First off, discipleship starts with us. We must be discipled ourselves. This does not answer the question of what discipleship is; only to say that whatever it is we are talking about, it begins with us. It is not first and foremost something we do for (or to!) others. We must ourselves be actively growing, following, being transformed.
Second, discipleship is the work of the Spirit, in partnership with his people. It is not a program or a curriculum, though these may help at times. It is not a list or rules. It is not about humans “following” other human teaching, but about all of us, together, following the One True Human, Jesus.
So, what is discipleship? In a former post, I defined discipleship as such:
Christian discipleship is actively following the resurrected Jesus, attempting by the Spirit’s power to obey his teaching, embrace his purpose, imitate his way, love his world, proclaim his kingdom and live his ongoing mission to reconcile all things to himself.
I also argued that this discipleship is lived out through four, fundamental relationships: Us and God, Us and Others, Us and the Rest of Creation, and within our selves. You can read the original post here.
And so, for starters, discipleship is about relationships. But what are the elements of discipleship? Here’s a working list; feel free to add to it.
1. Good discipleship is all about our shaping story. We are all shaped by a story, or multiple stories. Good discipleship helps us grapple with our shaping stories, and in turn embrace the Story of God as our true Story, the Story in which our smaller story (smaller, yet obviously indispensably significant) begins to make sense. This is done through dialogue, Scripture study, exploration of family origins, etc.
2. Good discipleship will help us identify areas where we need to grow, and then give us the support and encouragement to move ahead. This could be a character issue, a spiritual struggle, a relationship that need reconciliation, an omission of some kind, or an area of learning. This can only happen when the relationship is strong and the Spirit’s discernment is present.
3. Good discipleship cares for the whole person, not just one aspect of their lives.
4. Good discipleship reorients our lives around the mission of God. Rather than life being about me, it really is about God and his world. This is very painful.
5. Good discipleship is really about following Jesus. Not getting more information or tools or resources. Not becoming better at this or more proficient at that. It’s about a person, and his dreams for us and for his world.
I’m still working this out. What would you add to the list?
Our friend Dustin has posted a little video capturing our “Jesus and the End of” event hosted on the University of Calgary campus January 31-Feb 5, 2009. (The interviews do require close listening.)
Our hope through this event was for people to see that Jesus cares for the world he created, and is utterly committed to setting the world to rights, bringing love, freedom, peace and justice. We proclaimed, through word, song, image and action, the heart of God for the world and the commitment of his followers to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God, for the sake of the world.
I’m not a fan of many things. Much to the shagrin of my more athletic friends, I simply can’t get into professional sports. I’m not really a fan of a certain type of vehicle. I don’t really get into city-to-city rivalry or university-to-university rivalry. I’m not even super-patriotic.
But if I were to be a fan of anyone, it would be U2. I love their music and the thoughtfulness of their poetry.
My friend Mike put me on to this website “U2@U2″ that you might find interesting.
So here’s me being a fan: check it out.
How many people think of university as a place of spiritual formation?
The Gospel of Mark is foundational to the spiritual and missional formation of students. We study it throughout the year, and (pictured here) during intensive, week-long studies in the month of May.
It is. At university and college, students are introduced to profoundly shaping ideas, people, community, books, worldviews, ideologies, priorities, experiences, and all at a time in their lives when they are open and willing to be different, to be exposed to new things, to change what they have thought and what they have been. I’m not suggesting students are simply foolish, gullible, or naively impressionable–the ones I know aren’t. But you cannot underestimate the shaping influence these years in these places have on young people’s lives, or the power of the ideas that are taught and encouraged there.
It’s why we are here, everyday, building witnessing communities of Jesus on our campuses. It’s why we work hard to connect with students and invite them to come and see Jesus. It’s why we care about Scripture study, so people are shaped by the story of Jesus. It’s why we mentor and coach and challenge students into a deeper Christian worldview. It’s why we get up in the morning.
Students are being spiritual formed at university. It’s only a question of what kind of formation it will be. We want them to be formed by Jesus, changed forever and called into his mission.
Leadership can be dangerous for your spiritual health. Make no mistake about it. If we aren’t careful, we can be devoured. We must attend with passion to who God truly is, and who we are as people of Jesus.
Henri Nouwen, in his terrific little book In the Name of Jesus, provokes us as leaders to ask who we are going to be. I was challenged by this today and thought you might be, too.
The central question is,
Are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God,
people with an ardent desire
to dwell in God’s presence,
to listen to God’s voice,
to look at God’s beauty,
to touch God’s incarnate Word
and to taste fully God’s infinite goodness?
The party at Mount Royal University was a huge success. Wide invitation was well-given and well-received. Students flocked to the gathering, enjoying the food, meeting new friends, and playing old-school video and board games. Over three hours and it was happening the whole time! My guess is that around 70-80, maybe more, students connected with the party over the course of our time there. Here’s some snaps of the party, reflecting in part the kingdom of God emerging on campus. Our theme was “Re-Visit Your Childhood,” as you will see . . .
A rousing game of Dutch Blitz was enjoyed by all, on blown up cards so you really have to throw yourself into it. And they did.
As our theme was "Re-Visit Your Childhood," we featured classic childhood food: mac and cheese (a huge hit, though I'm sure it's still a staple part of the student diet!), jello, fruit, pizza and pop. It's been a while since I've seen food enjoyed so ravenously.
No "Re-Visit Your Childhood" party would have been complete with Super Mario and Co. This, too, was a huge hit, with expressions of delight coming from virtually every student.
The party was in an incredible space, open and inviting, yet somehow contained enough to feel like it was always full and happening!
