For the past few weeks I've been reading Jim Elliot's bio, Shadow of the Almighty, written by Elisabeth Elliot. It is a phenomenal biography; Jim was a man of so much focus, determination, and passion for seeing the name of Jesus shared and the glorify of God lived out in his life - whether he was at college or at home or living as a missionary in Ecuador.
While several things throughout these pages have deeply moved me, one of Jim's reflections near the end of the book warrants mention (more posts about this book will follow, I am sure!). In a letter to his father, he wrote of 25 new believers in one of the small villages where he preaches, asking for prayer that those Indians that cannot read and must be fed in their new faith only through words from Jim and others. These illiterate believers must rely on the words and training of others to grow in their faith.
This summer, while visiting a church in Bellevue, NE, I heard a guest speaker named Jesse speak about his work among the Lisu People in Burma. The church had been supporting Jesse for many years, and Jesse was there to share about his current project - printing a Bible for the Lisu people. There are more than 500,000 Christian Lisu that have no written Bible in their language. It took Jesse and a team of people 6 years to translate the word of God. Jesse explained the importance of this project with one simple sentence in his accented English: "You can't make Christians without the word of God."
I have so many tools to help me grow in my faith; whole libraries of good Christian books written by theologians and pastors, thousands of sermons available online with outlines, notes and cross references, and numerous wonderful people that serve as spiritual leaders in my life.
All of these things are great, but I also need to take responsibility for my own growth. If I only depend on the revelations that others have, and don't seek to know God through his word, I am limiting my growth and my knowledge of God.
We live in a world where there is a potential for constant Spiritual Information Overload (hereto referred to as SIO). As I type this, I can see out of the corner of my eye the stack of 10 books that I've been wanting to read for a year. I have a sort of "spiritual growth to-do list" in my head, sermons to listen to, magazine articles to read, blogs to check up on. I'm committed to several Bible studies and book discussions already this semester, and I find myself thinking, Can I really retain all of this information, making it meaningful and applicable in my life??
In the Cru world, I've heard this described as "trying to drink from a fire hose." I really enjoy attending conferences, working through my spiritual development training for ministry, and reading the newest Christian book - and all these things help me grow. The funny thing is, some of the most memorable times of learning spiritual truth have been on my own. There are certain verses that will never leave my memory (Acts 4:12, Philippians 3:9, to name a few); the very first time I read them I was studying God's word in my dorm room, or in a cubby at the library - and when I read those verses the words seemed to jump of the page into my heart. They were little pieces of hope that inspired, encouraged and guided me in my faith.
I am mainly preaching to the choir here, but I also want to encourage you to consider how you can be even more rooted and grounded in the word of God. Many of us have multiple Bibles in our language while hundreds of thousands of believers around the world do not have one. If we are not rooted in the Word of God, we limit our growth, and our ability to stand firm when opposition comes our way.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
the American Dream
Over the Labor Day weekend, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz sent out an e-mail to consumers about his decision to withhold political campaign contributions to members of Congress and the President until "a fair, bipartisan deal is reached that sets our nation on stronger, long-term fiscal footing." (Read more about his plan here).
Here's a portion of the e-mail Schultz sent:
"I love our country. And I am a beneficiary of the promise of America. But today, I am very concerned that at times I do not recognize the America that I love...America is at a fragile and critical moment in its history. We must restore hope in the American Dream. We must celebrate all that America stands for around the world."
What struck me about this e-mail was not Schultz's political views or solutions, but where he puts his hope.
I love this country. I am proud of our history and what we've accomplished as a nation. I am grateful to have been born in America, with religious freedoms and abundant opportunities to succeed and pursue my dreams. I am thankful for the sacrifices others have made to make those things possible.
However I am cautious of having "hope in the American Dream," as Schultz puts it. It's hard for me to describe my thoughts and feelings on this topic, so I will leave it up to pastor and author David Platt.
"The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American Dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn towards such thinking. The gospel has different priorities. The gospel beckons us to die to ourselves and to believe in God and to trust his power. In the gospel, God confronts us with our utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him. (...) As long as we achieve our desires in our own power, we will always attribute it to our own glory. The goal of the American dream is to make much of ourselves."
One of the biggest arguments I hear regarding this is that you can still be a Christian, seeking to live a life glorifying to God, and pursue the American Dream. Honestly, I am not sure that one can fully pursue both. God wants our full attention, and I've seen in my life that pursuing the American Dream pulls me away from the things God wants to be true in my life.
I could write so much more on this topic, but I'd actually love to hear your thoughts, if there's anyone out there reading this! :) Have you ever thought about this before? Do you think the idea of pursuing the American Dream is a concern for followers of Jesus in our society today? Or am I/others making a big deal about nothing?
Here's a portion of the e-mail Schultz sent:
"I love our country. And I am a beneficiary of the promise of America. But today, I am very concerned that at times I do not recognize the America that I love...America is at a fragile and critical moment in its history. We must restore hope in the American Dream. We must celebrate all that America stands for around the world."
What struck me about this e-mail was not Schultz's political views or solutions, but where he puts his hope.
I love this country. I am proud of our history and what we've accomplished as a nation. I am grateful to have been born in America, with religious freedoms and abundant opportunities to succeed and pursue my dreams. I am thankful for the sacrifices others have made to make those things possible.
However I am cautious of having "hope in the American Dream," as Schultz puts it. It's hard for me to describe my thoughts and feelings on this topic, so I will leave it up to pastor and author David Platt.
"The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American Dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn towards such thinking. The gospel has different priorities. The gospel beckons us to die to ourselves and to believe in God and to trust his power. In the gospel, God confronts us with our utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him. (...) As long as we achieve our desires in our own power, we will always attribute it to our own glory. The goal of the American dream is to make much of ourselves."
One of the biggest arguments I hear regarding this is that you can still be a Christian, seeking to live a life glorifying to God, and pursue the American Dream. Honestly, I am not sure that one can fully pursue both. God wants our full attention, and I've seen in my life that pursuing the American Dream pulls me away from the things God wants to be true in my life.
I could write so much more on this topic, but I'd actually love to hear your thoughts, if there's anyone out there reading this! :) Have you ever thought about this before? Do you think the idea of pursuing the American Dream is a concern for followers of Jesus in our society today? Or am I/others making a big deal about nothing?
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Stint: Short-Term International sending
A few weeks ago, more than 400 recent grads and staff from the US and Canada attended the Global Stint Briefing. These laborers ("Stinters"), will spend the next year of their lives in a foreign country, building spiritual movements by sharing the gospel, discipling students and increasing spiritual awareness in their neighborhoods.
These 400+ laborers are traveling to 37 different countries and 65 different locations. We are trusting God to grow the total number of US Stinters to 700 within the next 2 years.
From the Upper Midwest, we saw 40 "Stinters" leave for 6 different cities in 4 countries. They will join international campus staff (ICS, basically meaning long-term) in growing and building movements in their neighborhoods and cities. Two Stinters are on staff with Cru, and the rest are recent graduates that are giving a year of their lives to international missions.
From the Upper Midwest, we saw 40 "Stinters" leave for 6 different cities in 4 countries. They will join international campus staff (ICS, basically meaning long-term) in growing and building movements in their neighborhoods and cities. Two Stinters are on staff with Cru, and the rest are recent graduates that are giving a year of their lives to international missions.
I was talking with a staff friend this summer, and she mentioned that in 1994, we sent a total of 4 Stinters- 3 staff with Cru, and 1 recent grad (my friend), to one country: Latvia.
Since then, God has opened doors for us all over the world and has greatly blessed our efforts in sending recent college grads and staff on short-term international missions.
How you can pray for these Stinters:
*Thank God for all the laborers he's raised up to take the gospel all over the world!
*Ask Him to continue to send laborers overseas, where the fields are ready to be harvested
*Pray that each Stinter would:
-Love the Lord
-Love their team
-Learn a new world
-Learn a new world
-Launch a movement that goes on to change the world!
How you can pray for returning Stinters:
*Pray they would continue to walk closely with the Lord upon returning home
*Pray they would transition well back to life in America
*Pray that they would have discernment and direction as they decide what to do (find a job in the marketplace, join staff with CCC, or go to grad school).
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Office Devo
Today in our staff team devotional, we discussed Romans 12:1-2 :: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
One thing talked about was the act of being a living sacrifice - giving what is acceptable to God, from our financials, other material resources, along with our time and energy. I love when God brings something up in my life at the same time through many avenues - He's been doing this with the idea of sacrificing my time and energy.
We also talked about what it means to have an acceptable offering to God. If it's something we know he wants us to give up, we must obey, and that's acceptable. Our motives/heart must be in the right place when we give God a sacrifice. This fits in with obedience, but we must be careful to give all that God wants, not part of it like Ananias and Sapphira.
Another thing we discussed was the meaning of the words conform and transform. I was struck by the fact that once God begins the process of transformation in our lives, we cannot go back to living conformed to this world. We might attempt to, but it makes no sense and is actually impossible.
We only had a half hour for our devotional, but I know we could have talked longer about these things. I am grateful God teaches me important things through His people.
One thing talked about was the act of being a living sacrifice - giving what is acceptable to God, from our financials, other material resources, along with our time and energy. I love when God brings something up in my life at the same time through many avenues - He's been doing this with the idea of sacrificing my time and energy.
We also talked about what it means to have an acceptable offering to God. If it's something we know he wants us to give up, we must obey, and that's acceptable. Our motives/heart must be in the right place when we give God a sacrifice. This fits in with obedience, but we must be careful to give all that God wants, not part of it like Ananias and Sapphira.
Another thing we discussed was the meaning of the words conform and transform. I was struck by the fact that once God begins the process of transformation in our lives, we cannot go back to living conformed to this world. We might attempt to, but it makes no sense and is actually impossible.
We only had a half hour for our devotional, but I know we could have talked longer about these things. I am grateful God teaches me important things through His people.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
To Do's and Don'ts.
Summer seems to be fading with the start of September, and fall is entering without haste. This season has so, so many things that I love: crisp air that leads to sweatshirt wearing, changing leaves that lead to beautiful fall photos...and the beginning of another football season, when my hopes of a Superbowl appearance are still intact. (I also had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks today...a quite tasty perk of my favorite time of year).
I love the change in seasons, especially from summer to fall. With this change comes new beginning; new school years, new schedules, new activities, new potential for growth. (Plus, don't you love seeing all the new school supplies at Target??)
While fall is a busy time for Cru campus staff, it's the least busy and stressful time for me in ministry. I am grateful for the chance to sit back and catch my breathe after a very busy winter, spring and summer. Even though I'm not on campus, lately I find myself thinking about it every day. I can't help but remember my own days as a student leader in our Cru movement. The excitement of meeting new freshmen, making them a part of our community, learning about their lives and seeing God awaken them to the Gospel.
And without fail, there always came a point in each fall semester in college when I realized I'd over-committed myself. Life can get so busy, especially this time of year with the start of new activities that seem to fill up our schedules quicker than we'd like. I fully admit that sometimes I treat my to-do list like it's the most important thing in my life. Sometimes I literally crave being busy. Even when I'm 'relaxing' on the couch in front of the TV, I'm working away on my laptop on whatever is most important on my to-do list.
I was talking with a good friend this weekend about the importance of community. She and I live a few hours away from each other now, and I think we are both realizing how important it is to commit to having long-lasting friendships. I'm starting to realize that even though my job, church and other commitments here in Minneapolis demand much of my time, there are moments when I need to set all of it aside and just be with a friend.
At times I am tempted to think I can get through life without needing anyone. If I believe this lie I risk missing out on something God created for my benefit, and for the benefit of others. We all need community. He uses people around us to grow and change us, to show us his love and acceptance, and to help us experience his forgiveness. We can't go through life not needing anyone.
This fall I hope to commit more of my time to relationships, both new and old. I hope to monitor my schedule more closely and be real with my personal limits to ensure that I don't over-commit. I'd hate to miss out on what God's trying to teach me through the people in my life because I'm too focused on crossing items off my to-do list.
I love the change in seasons, especially from summer to fall. With this change comes new beginning; new school years, new schedules, new activities, new potential for growth. (Plus, don't you love seeing all the new school supplies at Target??)
While fall is a busy time for Cru campus staff, it's the least busy and stressful time for me in ministry. I am grateful for the chance to sit back and catch my breathe after a very busy winter, spring and summer. Even though I'm not on campus, lately I find myself thinking about it every day. I can't help but remember my own days as a student leader in our Cru movement. The excitement of meeting new freshmen, making them a part of our community, learning about their lives and seeing God awaken them to the Gospel.
And without fail, there always came a point in each fall semester in college when I realized I'd over-committed myself. Life can get so busy, especially this time of year with the start of new activities that seem to fill up our schedules quicker than we'd like. I fully admit that sometimes I treat my to-do list like it's the most important thing in my life. Sometimes I literally crave being busy. Even when I'm 'relaxing' on the couch in front of the TV, I'm working away on my laptop on whatever is most important on my to-do list.
I was talking with a good friend this weekend about the importance of community. She and I live a few hours away from each other now, and I think we are both realizing how important it is to commit to having long-lasting friendships. I'm starting to realize that even though my job, church and other commitments here in Minneapolis demand much of my time, there are moments when I need to set all of it aside and just be with a friend.
At times I am tempted to think I can get through life without needing anyone. If I believe this lie I risk missing out on something God created for my benefit, and for the benefit of others. We all need community. He uses people around us to grow and change us, to show us his love and acceptance, and to help us experience his forgiveness. We can't go through life not needing anyone.
This fall I hope to commit more of my time to relationships, both new and old. I hope to monitor my schedule more closely and be real with my personal limits to ensure that I don't over-commit. I'd hate to miss out on what God's trying to teach me through the people in my life because I'm too focused on crossing items off my to-do list.