Playing Catch Up

The last month has been a really productive time of ministry for me.  The Christmas break creates a space for Impact as an organization to get together and move and breathe as a team -- something we don't usually get to enjoy firsthand.  So last weekend I got to attend the Impact Campus Ministries All-Staff Conference in Dallas, TX.  We had a great time brainstorming together; even talking about details like policy and procedures or expense reports seemed to be time spent well.  We also got to dream together and deepen our friendships.

And here's a video that tells you what I hope to be up to here on the blog next week!




Keep praying for our students.  Christmas break is always a hiccup in the momentum you spend all semester building.  Students try to wrestle with new schedules, professors, and responsibilities.  It's always a challenge to try to flex with the change, encourage your students, and absorb some of the initial shock of ramping back up again.

Update form Impact's All-Staff Conference

Wrapping Up the First Semester

I've read a lot of blogs written by various campus ministers and I can assure you that I haven't gained the wisdom and experience that many of them have and demonstrate in their ability to ascertain and gauge what's going on in their campus.  However, I did want to offer up some observations as a novice in the world of campus ministry on our campuses.

In my first semester, I have seen many things:

College students have to deal with a lot of stuff.  Whether it's simply the little (yet significant) job of figuring out how to become the person they want to be or dealing with a homicide or fatal car accident, the typical college student has to learn a lot.  They are constantly confronted not only with how to assimilate all the information of academic study in their life, but also all of the emotional, relational, spiritual, etc. experiences that need to find a home in their identity and existence.

College students love Jesus.  Often I find that college students mean what they say and say what they mean.  If a college student has made a decision to follow Jesus enough that they will be motivated to worship in all kinds of settings out of their own volition, it will be a faith that has some level of potency.  I find very few college students that have this acceptance of "going through the motions".  It is refreshing.

Give a college student something compelling to buy into and they will show up.  Whether it's providing a community and a place to belong or diving into an intense study of the Text, students aren't nearly as flaky as I was led to believe.  We have consistent attenders of CARE Groups, Life Groups, studies, worship service and volunteer opportunities.  It seems as though the problem rarely lies with the motivation of the student, but rather in the compelling nature of the story we're telling.

This is the time!  As I've watched my first round of graduates head out to the work force this semester, I've never been more convinced of how perfect the timing is to work with college students in this part of their personal development.  Never have I seen a demographic so ready to take on challenges and still be coached -- so hungry to learn and so driven to make a difference.


As I've done different studies on the generational distinctions, I wasn't being led to believe that there was much hope for inspiring this generation.  It made me concerned for our future.  I now am excited about the folks who will be leading our world in the decades to come.  There are still a lot of thinkers, some movers and shakers, poets and prophets -- and yes -- plenty of dreamers.

I only pray that the leadership and shepherding we provide them with will lead them to further the Kingdom, believe that God believes in them, and ask really big questions of themselves, their culture, and their God.  It's a challenge to all of us who have the opportunity to influence the life of a young adult.  It's not a lack of potential, inspiration, or commitment.  Instead, we'll be confronted by how prepared and committed we are to lead them in the best way to live and encourage them to follow the Rabbi that turned the world upside down.

Would the early believers "Occupy"?

In the days of Jesus, the Roman empire had created a world of social, political and economic injustice.  This injustice was demonstrated largely in two ways.  First, there was the "haves" and the "have nots".  I have heard some scholars estimate that well over 80% of the empire's wealth was owned and controlled by less than 10% of the population.  There was the ruling elite (both political and religious) that held the rest of the empire in economic bondage.  Most estimates will suggest that a God-fearing Jew in the first century would have been taxed somewhere between 70-85% of their income.  This disparaging gap can be seen by simply studying the living structures of first-century Jerusalem; less than 10% of the population occupied over 40% of the real estate, while the other 90% was crammed into the remaining space not taken up by the many palaces owned by the "haves". 

Secondly, there was violent, military oppression that made an example of anyone who did not bend the knee to Rome's empirical domination.  Rome would travel through the countryside with a method that they referred to as "slash and burn" every two generations making sure that anyone who attempted resistance would be incapacitated for almost a century, if they survived at all.  This kingdom was touted by Rome to be the "eternal kingdom of peace" and its leader than to be the Prince of Peace. Now, even though few were fooled into thinking that this method or rule was actually peaceful, the empire had ushered in 85 years of uninterrupted economic prosperity. 

The response of the first-century people, particularly those who worshipped God, was varied.  One response was the Sadducees, the religious priesthood who didn't really respond at all, except to leverage their place in the empirical system to their advantage and make big bucks - corruption at its worst.  Another response was that of the Pharisees; to essentially accept the empire for what it was and harp on people to just be more obedient, everything will work itself out in the end.  Another response was that of the Zealots, who mounted numerous and consistent violent revolts against the system of injustice, unashamedly pursuing their belief in 'redemptive violence'.  The Essenes decided that they would escape the injustice altogether, run off into the corner of the desert and live life as they knew it should be; of course, this approach at its worse could potentially ignore the injustice and the oppressed entirely.  Finally, another group, the Herodians, realized that if they simply compromised their belief and worship of a just God who seeks the restoration of an unjust world, they could say one thing and do another; they could voice their worship of God with their lips, but in all practical arenas give in to the injustice of empire and life would be quite comfortable. 

As the daily discussion rages on about the Occupy Wall Street movement, I cannot help but notice the almost endless similarities.  That being said, there are also some distinct differences. One significant difference between first-century Rome and twenty-first century America is that there certainly is not the violent military oppression of those who denounce the empire's denomination.  However, I have struggled with the thought that Pax Americana may just simply be a more subtle violence.  Cloaked in the language of democracy and free enterprise, I have wondered if this "less violent" empire is any more just.  To quote John Crossan, in a book I was reading a few days ago, "Maybe excessive debt is a far better way of owning or controlling individuals and nations than the old-fashioned forms of direct slavery and direct colonialism?" 

The numbers would certainly support such a suggestion, as they have only increased in their testimony to injustice.  If one thought the first-century Roman numbers were bad, they have increased ten-fold.  Now, an estimated 1% of the world now owns and controls almost 90% of the world's wealth.  But enough of the numbers, I would rather contemplate some of the practical similarities and what they might have to say to our current situation. 

As the Occupy movement continues, I notice that we still have the same responses we did 2,000 years ago.  We have our Zealots, some of them crazy, some of them not so crazy, who respond to the empire with active and/or passive violence; I have been glad that, barring a few isolated incidents, the Occupy movement has been a nonviolent one.  We have our Pharisees, those who seem to be oblivious to the suffering in the world and keep insisting that the key to our success is obedience in the next piece of legislation.  We certainly have our Sadducees who leverage the situation for their own corrupted gain. 

It's the last two groups that bring me pause.  We have our Essenes, who like to hole up in the corner and escape the chaos and oppression and seek Kingdom.  I find myself in this category along with much of my emerging culture and generation, willing to say the right things, but really not wanting to engage the injustice in a meaningful way.  I'd like to keep it at arms length, cold and distant.  I really don't want to know the names of the protestors or hear their story.  As a good friend put it, "I don't want to let them air their dirty laundry, because then I might just have to get dirty myself." That might be unfair to the Essenes, but that was at least their potential danger. 

But then there are the Herodians who frustrate me a great deal.  They've given themselves to the empire and aren't ashamed of it - it's working out quite well for them (selling yourself to the Empire usually does).  They consistently say things like, "Grow up and get a job!  Quit sitting around and whining about it."  But that's just the point, the Occupy movement isn't about jobs.  It's about injustice.  It's a group of people who are trying to say that it's not OK for there to be such a gap between the 1 and the 99.  It's just not right - it's not just.  And they don't want to contribute to such an unjust empirical system.  I'm concerned with how many Jesus followers are not only accepting of the system, but actively defensive of it.  There may be many ways to fix it, but we should at least acknowledge that this isn't what God intended. 

But then, I want to ask about Jesus.  Where did Jesus fall?  What did Jesus invite us into?  And what did the early believers do that turned such a corrupt Roman empire on its head? 

Did it look like Occupy Wall Street? 

No it did not. 

The early believers certainly didn't mount a violent revolt to overthrow an unjust regime.  But, they also didn't set up camp in Caesarea and demonstrate or protest.  No, the early believers actively, practically and directly subverted the values of the Empire.  And when people saw a different kind of reality available for the taking, they took it.  The early believers refused to worship a system built on idolatry and injustice.  They started eating differently, shopping differently, living together differently.  They refused to acknowledge the lies of the empire. 

I've wondered if the early believers would have even had 401k's or health insurance, shopped at WalMart or listened to the media's many news outlets.  From what I experienced during my studies in Turkey, I can confidently say I think they would have went without.  I think they would have went out and invited the Occupy protestors to dinner to show them a better way of living.  A way that didn't even acknowledge the presence of the Red, White and Blue - but instead exalted the cross, the slain Lamb, and an empty tomb. 

We have a long way to go, family, before we can invite those seeking justice to our homes for that kind of dinner.  But my prayer is that we might continually be unsatisfied with what the Empire has to offer.  My prayer is that we would be inspired and reminded by those who choose to camp out in a park and insist that this isn't how the world is supposed to be.  My prayer is that we would begin to cast down our idols of comfort, security, and luxury and trade them in for a potluck in the remote corners of Ephesus where we invite Essenes, Herodians, Pharisees, Zealots - and even Sadducees - to experience the revolutionary love of a God seeking to restore a creation where there is enough for all.  

 P.S. I will be the first to lump myself in the category of those who need to learn. I have my retirement investment and health insurance. I shop at WalMart and consume a lot more goods and media than I should. It has been difficult to figure out exactly how to pursue such a reality within the imperfect communities we have. My suggestion is not that such a life is easily attained, but I do find it helpful to have voices encouraging us to keep our eyes the greater Kingdom that we are citizens of. And I DO have hope that such a community can be realized. I sat in a house church in the ruins of Priene, a first century city in Turkey, and I witnessed what group of believers did to change the world. My fear is what it might take for God to drive us into the arms of faith, trust, and community...

Into the Depths of the Text

I have been excited to write you this latest update about what's been happening in our ministry.  My last post about fulfillment alluded to just how much God has done in my current situation that has gone beyond what I could have expected.  Everything about my current lifestyle and vocation is a true blessing to me.  There will be a time in the near future where I will outline just what the specifics have looked like this semester and all the ways that God has shown Himself in our ministry this fall.  For now, I wanted to tell you about one development that I have been the most excited about.

Those of you that have heard my presentation know that the very reason I felt the call to pursue campus ministry was that it provided me with the perfect environment to pursue a first-century discipleship model. I have been wanting to try and create a space where I could work with a handful of students and passionately pursue the same kind of 24/7 ministry that Jesus had.

Part of what it means to start pursuing this dream is creating some sort of "core" group of students and/or a program that begins to build momentum and critical mass.  Once that kind of presence is in place, it will be easier to determine what God wants to do with such a program.  Well, through the partnership that we have with the local church here, Real Life on the Palouse, I have made many contacts with students that have born a lot of fruit in pursuing my dream.  Over the last two months, I have watching God start two study groups (I'm calling them "the BEMA Group"), one on each campus.  The University of Idaho group meets three days a week for 1.5 to 2 hours each day and the Washington State group meets on Thursday mornings for a couple hours.  It has become an amazing time of inspiring students with the Text and trying to convince them that their walks with Jesus deserve so much more commitment than merely church attendance.

The students have become a HUGE inspiration for me.  They study the Text with an intensity that I haven't seen -- and they are sharp! Some of my students have picked up and pointed out things that I haven't even seen yet.  What God does in them is fantastic!  The study is all about the Text and is my tribute to everything I experienced under Ray VanderLaan in Israel and Egypt.  How can we light a fire under these students to get the Word in them -- the Word that "always accomplishes its purpose" and "never returns to Me void"?  This seems like a great start.

People have asked me what my plans are for the future of the group.  I have loved to see the intensity and passion building with each meeting.  My plans are to spend time in a two-year study atmosphere where we become incredibly familiar with the text.  At the end of that study time, I hope to take those talmidim (or "disciples") and work hard to show them (literally, show them) what it looks like to live out the story we've become so familiar with.  Obviously, with such a plan, it is important that we find and recruit underclassmen to enter the program in such a way as to finish it.

It has been really encouraging to see our upperclassmen make serious comments that they are considering finding a way to get a job and stick around to continue the study.  Bless God for opening up these avenues to minister to students and then working in their lives, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to light a fire for His story and His Text!

May God receive the glory and craft this ministry into everything He wants it to be!

FULFILLMENT: A Blog Post

Last week, I was walking down Greek Row on campus and I was overwhelmed by a thought that has been following me the last few weeks:

"I absolutely love what I do."

Now, before I dive too deep into this thought (and I do hope to dive deep and reflect if you'll hang with me), I was hoping to get a little nostalgic for a moment as I allowed myself to do as I walked across campus last week.  I wanted to consider all the things that God had done in my life to bring me to this point.

"The Call" -- My senior year of high school, God places a very definitive call on my life for vocational ministry.  I changed whatever plans I may have had and adjusted my course to attain ministry training at Boise Bible College.  It is impossible for me to even imagine where my life would have been without that calling on my life.

"SHECHINAH: The Church" Boise, ID -- For five years of my life, I served as a pastor at a church in Boise.  It was always a small church, but it was a safe environment for me and my family.  I can't see how there could have been any other place for me to experience God and the ministry in such a way that would allow me to dream big dreams, form big passions, learn big love, and become the person I am today -- the person God created me to be.  I know that if you are to boil me down to my essence, who I am at my core and the fire that burns in my heart, those seeds were sown in a little community of faith at 5405 S. Five Mile Rd.

"Twin Falls Reformed Church" Twin Falls, ID -- Home.  Always has been. Always will be.  A priceless, priceless time of training where God taught me how to be less of a narcissistic control-freak and more of a leader and shepherd for God's people.  I will always marvel at the patience of a handful of guys and gals that took my fiery, passionate naiveté and taught me how to use it.  I owe my ministry effectiveness to God bearing fruit in my life, but He has unquestionably used my time at TFRC to become useful in His Kingdom.

"I absolutely love what I do."  I had just left a meeting with a student at the University of Idaho.  We met to discuss what it means to "evangelize" and to fulfill our call to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  We talked about "the story" -- the biblical narrative and what it's trying to tell us.  As we talked, the lights continued to come on and a few little sparks began to start a flame in this student's life.  For me, nothing is more fulfilling than that moment: When the eyes light up and the corners of the mouth begin to smirk as somebody begins to see God in a new way.  I left that meeting thinking of all the ways that God may use this very successful and promising student in the future of our culture.  And I realized that I love what I do.

I hurried over to another location on campus where I would spend the next couple hours leading a small group of students through an in-depth study of the literary aspects of the Text.  As we discussed the family of Abraham, the structure of the writing in Genesis, and what it means to "trust the story", I saw students devouring the Text, pouring over their Bibles and notes and making observations that I hadn't seen yet.  And I was reminded of how much I love what I do.

I ran over to a meeting at the church to discuss with the teaching pastor the meaning of advent and engage in deep theological conversation that would continue over the course of a few days and would stick on our minds and our hearts.  I watched as each person engaged in the conversation naturally filled their God-given role in how they saw life and applied the story of the Scriptures.  We all appreciated the contribution of the other and felt like we were all becoming the people God needed us to be -- at least for a moment.  For the first time in my life, I feel as though I have found the perfect fit to be the person God has called me to be.  I'm living in the "sweet spot", the wheelhouse, where I can teach and lead and challenge -- and it helps the team, it doesn't hurt it.

But before I clicked on the spiritual cruise-control and settled in for the comfortable ride ahead, I was jolted back to the reality that now would be a great time to make some helpful observations about living in the "promised land" -- to try and be a little proactive so that God doesn't have to cart me off to captivity to make me useful again.  I'm not naive enough to think that these high times stick around forever.  I needed to make a few observations and hope that others help me in my walk.

God never intended for me to be happy -- or comfortable.  He intends for me to be more and more like Jesus.  There may be times where God stops up the Jordan and leads us into the land flowing with milk and honey, but there's a whole other mission waiting for us when we find our new home.  There's a world out there that needs to see who God is and that urgency is what compels us to die to ourselves each and every day and continue to let God redeem us from those things that stunt our growth.

The call to dwell in humility is never-ceasing and a constant challenge.  The promised land does something to your heart.  God warned the Israelites about it before they got there.  He reminded them of when they had settled down.  And He continued to remind them to after they failed to pursue it.

Make sure you don't forget God, your God, by not keeping his 

commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today.

Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses

and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more

money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up - make

sure you don't become so full of yourself and your things that you

forget God, your God, the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery;

the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those

desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions; the

God who gave you water gushing from hard rock; the God who gave you

manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never

heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you

so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you.

If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. And all by

myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!" - well, think again. Remember that

God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as

to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors-as it is

today.

If you forget, forget God, your God, and start taking up with other

gods, serving and worshiping them, I'm on record right now as giving

you firm warning: that will be the end of you; I mean it-destruction.

You'll go to your doom-the same as the nations God is destroying

before you; doom because you wouldn't obey the Voice of God, your God.

 Deuteronomy 8:11-20 (The Message)

There's not much to add to that by way of commentary.  It's a tough thing to remember.  It's hard to deal with blessing.  It's difficult to remember God when the harvest is abundant.  I struggle every day with becoming humble -- and the prayer for humility is a dangerously effective prayer.

Am I still listening for God's voice -- still looking for the next chapter?  One of the lessons that my students and I have wrestled with in the life of Abraham is the example of Abram when he hears the promise of God.  He doesn't hunker down and start building houses when God promises him the land.  No, he builds an altar and then pitches his tents.  It's almost as if Abram physically says, "God is what's permanent; I am a stranger in God's land."  Wow.  What a stunning example.  Too often in my life, I jump on board the Tower of Babel Project and forget my greater call to be a person of faith and trust God's greater story.

It's my prayer that each and every day I might be thankful for where God has led me and how He blesses me with a little shade and a little water for my journey; that I might be reminded that I was on a journey when I stumbled upon this shade and that I might be ready for God to say, "Arise!  You've been at this mountain long enough..."

Connection to "the Vine"

First of all, we celebrate today our second baptism last night of a college student this year.  It is exciting to see two college students begin their journey with their Rabbi Jesus so soon in the school year.  Both Terrance and Christina were influenced by the students and "family" that surrounded them.  Eric and I actually didn't know them all that well before their baptisms.  How incredibly exciting it is to see our student leaders and friends engaging their fellow college students in the Way that leads to life!

Two weekends ago, our Impact team hosted a retreat for the students at University of Idaho and Washington State.  We traveled up to Silver Lake Camp just west of Spokane and enjoyed some great time away.  It was an opportunity for us to build intentional relationships with students in a great setting away from the worries of the classroom and roommates.

God really seemed to strengthen the relationships between students as well.  One WSU student remarked at what a great time she had and how easy it was to connect to other gals, even from another university. There was a lot of time spent playing and resting, whether that took the form of paddling the kayaks in the lake or playing games late into the evening.

But the time that we were really excited about was the opportunity to specifically target the spiritual formation of these students.  We created five sessions where, after some great worship sessions, we dove in and attempted to create spaces to encounter the living God. Our theme passage for the weekend was John 15 ("I am the vine, you are the branches...") and we took the opportunity to share with students the "bread n' butter" of Impact Campus Ministries.

We showed them our passion to help train them in creating daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythms that help them stay connected to the True Vine.  We can't control how much fruit God bears in our life and we can't control the circumstances that we find ourselves in, but we CAN control how much intention we have in pursuing our relationship with God.  If we create these spaces in our lives, God promises us fruit that will last.

To find, as a college student, a meaningful and fulfilling walk where God is real and alive and bearing fruit in your life -- this would be an inspiring experience that would last through a lifetime.  It may even help us make effective disciples.  We look forward to being able to share with you stories as God bears fruit in the lives of these students as they follow through on their commitment to create sacred space for God.