Would Jesus Eat Frybread?

So much happens each month, that there's no way I can cram it all into my monthly newsletter! Last month a couple of my teammates traveled out to Toppenish, Washington for an annual Nations conference called "Would Jesus Eat Fry Bread?"

Nations is a movement of Cru for Native American college students, one of Cru's many contextualized ministries (more about this later). The ministry exists to honor Native American students and faculty by restoring their lives and culture with Jesus Christ.

The "Would Jesus Eat Frybread?" conference is a chance for Native students from around the US to gather together to learn from each other. Similar to TCX (our regional Christmas Conference), students hear from speakers, worship with each other, and have a chance to get to know other Christians who are also Native.

The conference is a partnership between Cru, Intervarsity (another college ministry), and the Calvin Institute of Worship. Over 175 people attended, representing more than 55 tribes from places like North Carolina, New Mexico, South Dakota, Hawaii and Alaska.

For many students, this was the first chance they've had to talk about their questions regarding their identity as Native Americans and Christ-followers- Am I native enough? Can I be a native and a Christian?

I mentioned the word "contextualization" - this is the process of making the gospel accessible within a particular cultural context in an understandable and culturally meaningful way without losing the truth and integrity of the message.

For our Nations movement, this means providing worship using Native drums and languages. This means getting the blessing of a tribe and it's elders before hosting an event (hence my trip out to Washington earlier this year, months before the conference began). Last year, students at the conference took communion using frybread and grape soda, staples in native culture. Instead of staying at a hotel and meeting in a conference room, the gathering was held on the reservation with chairs set up in a circle.

The point of contextualization is to put the gospel in a more understandable, culturally relevant form by using elements of a people's language, customs and traditions. The message of the gospel, that redemption and salvation are possible through Christ, does not change. The method of presenting and transferring the gospel is dependent on the culture.

The website "Reaching Internationals" clarifies this concept with a great list of what contextualization is not:

• It is not a watering down or compromising of the gospel.
• It is not assimilating one culture into another.
• It is not segregation. It is not separate but equal. The goal of contextualization is communication. Contextualization may result in more separation but only to the degree that is necessary to produce truly indigenous leaders and movements.
• It does not mean each culture only reaches its own (whites/whites; blacks/blacks, etc).
• It is not going after corporate ‘diversity’ as an end in itself.

It was a privilege to be a small part of this conference. Due to my other travels this fall I stayed back in Minneapolis and did not attend, but I was able to assist in some of the travel arrangements for participants, booking more than 50 flights for students across the US.

(Next year, the conference will be held in Northern Minnesota on the Fond du Lac Reservation so I'm hoping to attend in person).

Expedition.

This year, Cru sent out 2 teams of interns on European missionary endeavors. The teams are called "Expedition" Stint Teams and spend one month in a different city, for a whole year. Here's a brief update from their time in Rovno, Ukraine earlier this fall:

"While one of the teams was in Rovno, Ukraine, a local pastor saw how the students were challenged with the gospel and how well they responded. Taras, the pastor, shared, "It should not have taken a team of Americans to motivate us to do the work that we should have already been doing ourselves, but it did. Thanks to this group of Americans, we (in our church) will now be taking the Gospel to students." 

As with any short-term missionary endeavor, it can be easy to question effectiveness. Our Expedition teams are no different, as they spend only 1 month in each location. But the above story is an example of lasting fruit left behind after our team moves on.

We seek to be what Jim Elliot prayed to be many decades ago:

“Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road;
Make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another
on facing Christ in me.”                   - Jim Elliott

A line on a page.

This fall I took a Church History class online. On almost a weekly basis I was astounded at how little I knew about the history of Christ followers. It was fascinating to learn more about whole centuries of history, and people who sacrificed so much to make the name of Christ known.

Our textbook for the class was 500 pages (no, I didn't actually get all of it read) and it covered pretty much the entire 2,000 years of Church History.

I happened to be paging through the last chapter one day, when a familiar phrase jumped out at me: Campus Crusade! We showed up in the textbook on page 499, in reference to Pope John Paul II, who attended a Cru retreat as a young man in Poland (here is a very interesting article about his interactions with Cru).

After reading the textbook, listening to hours and hours of lectures, and memorizing dozens of names of important people from church history, I was surprised to see Cru get even one line on the second to last page of my text book.

There have been so many instrumental people, churches, groups and movements throughout the last 2,000 years. Seeing Cru near the end of the book really put into perspective how small the organization is in relation to everything else that's happened in history. It's easy to assume Cru is the end-all-be-all when you immersed in Cru culture - even though that is certainly not true.

Seeing Cru in the textbook also gave me a new perspective on seeing how far we have come as a greater church body, and how close we really could be to seeing the Great Commission fulfilled.

Imperfections & First Impressions.

Over the last couple months my church has been doing renovations on our new building. It's been really fun to see the building transform into the home of New City Covenant Church. A ton of work has gone into our multiple kids' ministry rooms, our main welcome area that we call the "gathering place," and the kitchen/fellowship hall where we have a meal after every single Sunday service. Things are looking great! There are still some structural things to fix, but really the only main cosmetic thing left to do is the sanctuary.

The thing is, updating the sanctuary was the first item on the to do list, in my mind. I thought it would be the priority because it seems like it's the most important room in our building, and the place where people spend the most time.

A couple weeks ago I had invited a friend to check out New City, and she came today. And if I'm being honest, I felt a little bummed that the sanctuary didn't look nicer. Sure, we just put up new drywall and a gave the place a fresh coat of paint - and it looks really good! - but we still have scuffed floors and beat up pews and hobnail milk glass chandeliers that are so old they're likely worth a few bucks.

Yet, it didn't seem like the imperfections in our worship space mattered to my friend. After the service, she commented on how real we all were. We weren't putting on a show.

Cue the light bulb.

Why do I care so much about the faded carpet and well-worn pews? Three years ago when I started attending my small church plant, we met in a banquet room in a rec center (which also happened to host hockey games each week during our church service). The room was not very aesthetically pleasing, to say the least.

What kept my interest in the church was the people, the preaching and the praise (see what I did there, with the alliteration?) I was able to connect with others in a meaningful way, grow deeper in my faith through sound, biblical preaching, and worship God in a way that made my musical heart very happy.

I didn't care about the cold fluorescent lighting or having to navigate a noisy hockey crowd every week. The community kept me coming back.

Now that we have a building to update and keep up, why should it be any different? I hope we as a church don't buy the lie that we need to appear to have everything together in order for new people to like us. We're so much more than the color we paint our walls or the type of pews we have.

And I hope I don't buy this lie. I almost didn't invite my friend to come check out New City, because I wanted to wait until the church was completely finished. Then I could impress her by showing off our new digs. What's important is not the light fixtures above us or the carpet below us- but the people around us. I hope we continue to be a community of grace and truth, who seeks to love and serve Jesus and those around them.

When we want to know what's next.

In the last month, three friends of mine have gotten married. As much as I joke about going to/standing up in so many wedding...I love seeing my friends wed their amazing fiances. I'm so excited for each of them as they embark on a new chapter in their lives together. I can't wait to see where God leads each couple in the years to come.

I was thinking about one of these wonderful couples the other day, and a thought popped into my head: I wonder when they will have a baby?? I bet they'll get pregnant really quick. In fact I should actually make a bet with a few other people... I think I would win.

I dismissed these thoughts and went about my business. But later that night as I was settling in to sleep, I realized that my flippant thought was actually pretty similar to another flippant thought I often hear others voice, out loud, to my face:

Do you think you'll ever get married?

When I hear this from people, the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I get a little flushed in the face. I start to sweat. Before the person (usually a total stranger, but also sometimes a close friend) can even complete their question, I know where they are heading.
 What I was doing to this friend (in my head) is pretty much exactly what others do to me.

For better or worse, we are always looking for the next big thing. Waiting in anticipation for what's to come. What is it about us that compels us to be constantly thinking of what we don't have, or what might be next, even if it's uncertain? Whether it's pressure from family or the people around us, or society in general- we must always be looking for what's next.

I refuse to treat my married friends this way, bugging them about when they will achieve the "next thing" - whether it's purchasing a house, having a baby or some other major life event.

Sometimes we do this without thinking. Maybe we're trying to fill an awkward silence or just trying to ask someone a more deep question than "How are you?" or "What do you think about this weather we're having?"

Whatever the intent, I refuse to "go there" with my newly married friends.

Excersing (the tiny) part of my right brain.

I'll never forget the day my Mass Comm advisor dropped a semi-huge bomb on me: I accidentally took the wrong class during my Sophomore year of college. Because of this, I would not graduate on time.

I was shocked. Because I was earning two separate bachelor's degrees (a BBA and a BS) I always had to be super on top of my schedule. Fitting in my 160+ credits was a nightmare. It was already going to take me 4.5 years to earn these 2 degrees (which actually isn't bad at all).

But now...a mistake? My adviser showed me the handbook. I had been using an old one to determine my graduation requirements, and I quickly realized that I took Digital Imaging instead of Photo Journalism. Probably not that big of a deal. But, I was stunned. I was always so on top of everything - how did I miss this?

My fabulous adviser ended up pulling some strings and got the Dean to sign off on the Digital Imaging class as a substitute for PhotoJ. Hallelujah. I could graduate on time and not have to stay a whole extra semester for one class.

Looking back on this situation now, I'm SO grateful I took the wrong class. Our professor for Imaging was a legit graphic designer with her own established company and decades of experience. She taught me so much about working with the Adobe Creative Suite- PhotoShop, InDesign, etc. She saw potential in me and really helped me push myself to tap into a creativity I didn't know I had.

I'm no graphic designer, but I would not have the design skills I have now if it wasn't for that scheduling screw up. It's funny how God worked that one out. Now, I love getting to flex my (small) creative muscle, especially in designing some materials for my church. Thought I'd show you a few things here that I've done. I also get to tap into my creativity when writing my monthly newsletter, and I've been known to do a project or two for friends. Enjoy!

Introverts and Extroverts.

I basically know nothing about Susan Cain, but I love her.

Her book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking," now holds a place in my top 5 favorite non-fiction books of all time. 

Several chapters in "Quiet" are devoted to introducing (and then debunking) the myth in our society of an "extrovert ideal" - that in order to be well-liked, successful, or a leader, you must be an extrovert. She defines this ideal as: "the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha and comfortable in the spotlight...Introversion, along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness and shyness- is now a second-class personality trait.

Cain introduces an incredible amount of psychological and medical research in many of her chapters, especially those on the idea of personality and temperament. She closes, appropriately so, with a few chapters about living as an introvert in an extrovert world (and succeeding at it).

At the end of the day, I won't remember the intriguing stories, insightful comments or surprising statistics about anything Cain discusses in her book. But weeks after finishing the book I think about it daily, because it has greatly encouraged me to just be myself. It's given me insight into who I am, and helped me see that I need to be honest with myself about how God has made me. I have to live out who I am, regardless of what the world may think or expect of me. Dare I say, neither introvert nor extrovert is the true ideal - God made them both, made people to be one or the other or a mix of both. And that's good.

If you're an introvert, or dating/married to one, or you have one in your immediate family, or if you don't understand them, (...or even if you think you do)... I suggest checking out "Quiet."

For, or From? [continued]

For the last several days, I've continued to mull over this idea of living life from God, and not just for God (see previous post for more info). A key aspect of this concept is the realization, the fact, the truth, that we are able to live life from God. We, while living imperfect and sinful lives, have access to God, through Jesus. Because of this, He can be present with us. Throughout the last week, as I've been pondering this, I've seen it show up in my daily life small (but meaningful) ways:

First, in a photo that hangs near my bed. I took this in college, and had underlined that famous verse the first time I read it on my own. 
















 
I remember the imprint it left in my brain. But glancing at that photo one night before bed, I read the very last line, which is also the very last line in the book of Matthew:


And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.


Jesus has just commissioned his disciples to go forth and multiply, but does not leave them until he gives a promise of his presence with them. Forever.

Last Wednesday I was walking downtown and happened to pass someone on the sidewalk talking about Christmas. Lord... NO. I thought to myself. It's not even the end of summer, must we talk about Christmas already?? But I started thinking about why I love the Advent season- not for the gifts or festive Starbucks drinks or even being with family (though all of those are awesome).

I love Advent because it reminds me that God is here, and presence with me. He came to earth, in the form of a tiny little human, and walked among us. He is called "Emmanuel: God with us." I love that advent reminds us of this.

A final reminder of seeking God's presence in daily life happened today- New City Covenant Church marked our first official service in our permanent building today! It is a huge answer to prayer, and over the last few weeks the community has been putting in countless hours sanding, painting, throwing, organizing and building.

My pastor, John, was quick to remind the congregation about our history; for the first four years of our existence, we've built something intangible: a transformational community. While we have enjoyed working on the tangible aspects of our building, the intangible is still most important: God's presence in our community. John told a brief story about a church plant that split up soon after they had purchased a permanent building. The first sign of trouble was an argument over the color and type of color to purchase for the building. Heartbreaking, really. I so appreciate John bringing us back to what's important:  "what really matters is not the glory of our space, but the presence of God in our midst."

For, or From?

CSU has come and gone, and a busy fall is looming ahead. I took some time last week to reflect on the US Cru national staff conference (which is held on the beautiful CSU campus in Ft. Collins, CO (hence the conference nickname)). It was an awesome week, full of things like fun coffee dates with old friends, and challenging seminars from a wide variety of people.

One of my favorite talks was from Skye Jethani, who talked about the pendulum swing from consumerism Christianity to activism Christianity (which I wrote about in my most recent newsletter).

Jethani started out right away citing research that, more than ever before, the current generation treats God like someone we can go to get what we want, and can then discard or ignore when we have what we want. I've heard others describe this as treating God like a cosmic vending machine, taking verses like Jeremiah 29:11 way out of context. We go to God with our lists of requests, pray for blessing, and wait expectantly.

We eventually, hopefully, come to realize this isn't true Christianity. But somehow, the pendulum swings too far other way- into Christian activism. Life becomes about service. The more we serve God, the better our life is, even if it may not seem like it on the outside. But it is, because we sacrifice for others, and God is happy with us and all this good we're doing. We are supposed to wear our "I live for God" attitude on our sleeve- unfortunately, too many wear it literally.

We get involved in missions and service groups and human rights events. These are all great. There's nothing wrong with them. More than ever before, this generation wants to change the world, me included. I grew up on a farm, miles outside our tiny town - yet even as a kid I had this desire to grow up and change the world somehow.

But somehow, life becomes all about service. About "doing" for God. We base our worth on what we produce. How big is your new church plant that you spend lots of time volunteering in? What about your ministry, how is God using you there? What are you investing your time in that will make an impact in eternity??

Over the weekend, one of my facebook friends shared a wonderful post from Proverbs 31 Ministries:

"Sometimes I wonder…what makes my child feel loved? One morning last week I was driving my son, Andrew, to school and asked him, “What makes you feel loved?”
He thought for a minute and the he said, “THIS.”

“This?” I asked him.

“Yea. This. You being with me mom. When you drive me to school and talk to me about my day. And when you tell me that you’re gonna be there when I get home. That makes me feel loved and secure. Thanks mom, bye!” And, he hopped out of the car. As I drove away, I kept thinking – This is love?

You mean I don’t have to go out and buy his favorite toy or take him to a movie? Just being there is love."

Precious. Don't you think that's what God wants, too? He loves when you do nice things for him and for other people, when you seek to invest your life in something that matters and make a difference in this world. But I don't think he wants those things to happen at the expense of your relationship with Him.

I say "you" and "we" a lot in this point, but I actually mean me. As Jethani said in his seminar, "It's possible to be on mission for God, yet never really know Him."

I can so easily structure my day around tangible tasks that are important or significant in ministry... and also easily forget the purpose behind them. I often don't live my life from God, as Jethani says. I live it for God...and even then, it's a struggle. 

What do you think? What does it look like to live life from God, instead of for God?

Summer Friendships.

This week was a big one. I completed my Old Testament Survey class, finished the 5 week church discipleship group I helped lead, and saw all of my summer project students and staff return, (and took 3 trips to the airport in the process).

I feel like I've accomplished quite a bit so far, and summer is only half over! I've been pleasantly surprised with the way things are turning out. Two years ago I was still new to the metro, new to my job, and didn't have many friends yet, so summer was really hard. I was a little apprehensive about being in Minneapolis again: nearly all of my coworkers leave town, non-work friends travel or are more busy than usually. This city of more than a million people can get pretty lonely. Plus, I thrive on having a set routine, so summer just throws me off my game.

One surprising element of my summer has been the great friendships I've made and continued to develop. A major lesson I've been learning this year is to take advantage of the opportunities God puts in front of me, even if they seem a bit scary or are hard to do. This has definitely been playing out in my friendships this year, especially in the last few weeks.

It takes time and effort to build new friendships. It's risky. You have to put yourself out there and you don't know how the other person will respond. You don't know them well enough to know what their likes/dislikes are, or where they draw boundaries on certain things, but learning them is part of the process. You can't go in pushing your own agenda, and you can't have crazy expectations. You are not in control.

Looking back, the timing could not have been more perfect in the development of my relationships this year, and this summer. Very rewarding to take continual steps of faith in this area and see what God will do with my willingness to say yes to the opportunities he puts in my path (disclaimer: this doesn't always go well! I have many of those stories, too!).

You never know how an opportunity will play out until you just jump in and see.

Summer Project Updates! [2 of 2]

As promised here are the other 3 summer project updates (see below for the first three updates I posted earlier this week).


Uruguay
This year marked our first time sending longer-term missionaries to Montevideo, Uruguay (called a Stint Team, who stay for 1-2 years). Our summer project has shared the gospel 152 times and 21 of those students have indicated decisions for Christ! Check out their blog for photos and stories.

• Pray for the follow-up of these new believers, and that the team would continue to press on during the last 2 weeks in Montevideo.

France
For many summers, we've launched and grown movements in cities all around France. This summer is the first try at launching a movement in the 6th district of Paris. In week 3 they saw 2 french students come to Christ - which is incredible! Check out their blog for photos and stories.

• Pray that the team of 20 staff and students would continue to be bold witnesses of Christ as they talk with french students on campus.

East Asia
Just like in France, we've sent teams to multiple cities all over this large communist country in Eastern Asia. This summer, we headed west-- very west-- in an effort to take the gospel to new places. The team will spend their last 10 days on the western edge of this country before heading home.

• Pray for wisdom for wisdom and insight for the long-term team in western East Asia as they consider how best to get the gospel to new cities with future teams.

Summer Project Updates! [1 of 2]

We're already halfway through our 6 week summer mission projects. Here are some quick updates from three of our partnerships. I'll post updates from the other 3 projects later this week, so stop on back for more. Praise God for what he's done, and pray he will continue to use our teams to launch and build movements around the world!

"4th Journey"
Even in this secure location in the Middle East, we are using a new Internet strategy to unearth students who are interested in learning about spirituality. They have lots of hits on their website and facebook groups, but now comes to task of figuring out how to follow up with people. There has been some protesting going on and general unrest from people, but the team is doing well.

• Pray for boldness for the team to keep stepping out in faith in this land with hard soil.

Ghana
This project is only about 4 weeks long, so this team will actually come home next week. They were schedule to stay in a small university town in central Ghana (in West Africa), but have since changed courses and moved to the capital city, Accra. They also have shown the Jesus Film in villages around the country. Katie, the project director, shares some great photos and stories on her blog.

• Pray that this large team of 29 students would be able to find students to minister to and that they would be united as a team despite various difficulties and challenges.

Australia
Every summer, our teams discover that the land down under is full of international students! They rely on our bread and butter to do ministry:  one-on-one conversations. Using a variety of Cru ministry tools, they have initiated 250+ spiritual conversations and 88 conversations that included a Gospel presentation. At least 5 students have made decisions for Christ. All of these conversations happened with students from over 33 different countries!

• Pray that these new believers would grow deep roots, and that they'd make connections with other believers who can help them grow.

My prayer for this summer has been that students would encounter other students who would ultimately trust in "...God our Savior: the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas..." -Psalm 65

Don't expect too much from Archaeology.

Last week I think my favorite Old Testament Survey lecture involved learning what archaeology is, why it's important, and learning what it can and cannot do for believers.

Archaeology is the recovery and study of human history through the study of physical remains and material culture. We can use it to learn about Biblical events/history, and the culture of the people who lived in different time periods.

 
One example of the benefit of studying archaeology is learning about the remains of altars used throughout Israel in Biblical times.

When we think about altars, we probably think about our church altar (especially if we grew up in a traditional protestant church). We probably don't think about the different types of altars mentioned in the Old Testament that were significant to Israelite worship. But archaeology helps us get rid of our cultural concepts and replace them with the true, ancient near east concepts.

One example is what was called the "Horned Altar," mentioned in Exodus 27:2 and Leviticus 4:34. Discovery of these altars gives us a picture of what they look like, (shown above).

Archaeology corroborates historical accounts and the reliability of the Biblical record. But archaeology cannot prove the theology of the Bible. We know these altars existed as we have physical proof. But the discovery of the altars does not prove the theology behind sacrifices or worship done using altars.

Just a small example, but an important one, in realizing what archaeology can and can't do for us.

Old Testament Revelations

I'm only about 20% of the way through my Old Testament Survey online class and I'm blown away by how little I know about the Bible. It's incredible learning about the structure and details of Old Testament writings. There's so much to learn! Here are a few highlights so far from the first few lectures:

• Discovering several new figures of speech that I didn't know existed, but are present in many different parts of the OT (for example:  merism. Never heard of it? Me neither).
  
• Learning all the names of festivals, along with their purposes and timelines
  
• Finally) understanding the geography of Israel, and why the topography and climate is important in knowing God's purposes for and plans for the Israelites

I am astounded (and usually overwhelmed) at the detail in OT writings, like instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, or how to properly prepare a sacrifice. But it's all included for a purpose. So easily I get lost in the details, but I think this class is going to ground me in understanding the bigger picture, while simultaneously equipping me to dig deeper and not just glance over the details.
Much more to share in the coming days!

Summer Sending Abroad!

I feel like I've been packing and re-packing constantly this spring; in the last 6 weeks, I've spent 4 weekends in hotels, in 4 different cities. It's been a crazy spring, mainly because I've been preparing for our annual global summer mission projects to take off. Six groups will depart today and tomorrow; 105 students and 25 Cru staff ready to take the Gospel to the world.

What a privilege to be a part of sending them out to the harvest fields. I am feeling the best kind of exhausted right now; knowing my day-to-day, routine tasks are playing a part in advancing God's kingdom around the world. I can't believe I get to do what I do, and alongside such a great team of people, nonetheless.

Pray for the summer teams, headed to the following cities:

• Kumasi, Ghana
• Montevideo, Uruguay
• Paris, France
• Brisbane, Australia
• the Middle East (secure location)
• western East Asia (secure location)

It's our aim that this summer, these student mission projects will be able to meet hundreds of fellow students, share the Gospel, and win them to Christ. Then, the students will be discipled by the summer group and the incoming team of Americans we're sending in the fall. The fall teams will stay all year in hopes of building into the spiritual movement started by the summer group. Throughout the year, I'll send 7-10 day "vision trips" with laborers who can help pull off key outreaches.

And to think there are 9 other geographical regions of the US with Cru students who are doing the exact same things - sending summer, fall and vision trip teams constantly to their partnership countries.

I love the strategy and intentionality involved in our regional sending plan. When I say that these are partnerships, I mean that the Upper Midwest is committed to sending laborers to these specific countries on a consistent basis.

Wonderful things are happening in each of these locations. There are high schoolers coming to Christ in the Middle East, and Chinese students coming to Christ in Australia. Our summer team will partner with a team of dozens of Ghanaian students who are on their own summer project in their native country. Unreached people groups in Asia are seeing fruit. I could go on and on! Stay tuned for updates throughout May and June from our summer mission projects.

Friday Fun.

Yesterday I spent my entire lunch hour perusing a local antique store. Let me tell you- it was fantastic.

I purposely left my phone in the car so I could just have some uninterrupted time to myself. I also purposely only brought in a small amount of cash so I wouldn't be tempted to make any big purchases...

There were literally thousands of little trinkets in that store- I was giddy at the site of it all! One of my favorite items to browse in any antique shop are the boxes of old photos. I don't know who would actually purchase old photos of someone else's family, or what they would use them for, but those photos are a huge reason why I love antique stores. My significance & individualization strengths were going crazy imaging story after story behind each picture.


I couldn't go away empty handed; I ended up with a few small knick-knacks, including this tiny box of crazy eight playing cards.


I loved crazy eights as a kid. I can remember how proud I felt whenever I would beat my mom (I'm sure she let me win--some of the time). As soon as I picked up the box, cue the nostalgia (as if I wasn't feeling it already just walking into the store).

While I walked the couple blocks from the shop to my car, I pondered why I was feeling so relaxed and at peace. Even inspired, in a way. All that stuff on display was from a time when life was simpler, (at least it seems like it was), and just being around it made me more relaxed. I think I need to make visiting that store a monthly occurence.

Suddenly Summer.

A week ago we had snow, and now it's suddenly summer! And not just in terms of the weather, but in other areas of life, too. Small groups and staff meetings have ended, and summer projects are just days away. I can't wait for a change of pace next week as I shift my focus to my summer plans. I've got quite a few things on tap for the summer, but many of them involve rest (vacations, catching up on reading, sticking to a 40 hour work week...) I can't wait. Also on tap: another seminary class, road trip to Colorado, iced coffees downtown with my favorite Amy, baby shower for my sister-in-law, parent's 35th wedding anniversary party, a visit from the Denver brother and girlfriend, wedding showers for some of my besties ... ! Can't wait.

Best Supporting ... Barista?

I've noticed a trend the last few dozen times I've been to my local Starbucks. Whether the coffee shop is packed or sparse, I always see one of the baristas not doing any customer service. They don't make drinks. They don't take orders up front, or at the drive-thru. Actually, it seems like they are practically ignoring customers, as they are focused on whatever task they are completing at the time.

They call this the "store support" role. This person brews coffee, re-stocks and replenishes supplies, and in general just supports the other baristas with whatever they need.

I read about this role on a blog, and the Starbucks employee (or "partner," as Starbucks calls them) said "nobody likes this role. It’s hard work, and not very gratifying. It’s boring. But it is also really necessary."

I think the blogger is right about all of this - except that no one would like that role.

I would love that role.

I would see how efficiently I could whip up a new batch of Pike Place, or restock the cups or organize the storeroom.

There are roles like "store support" in every company, no matter how small. For many companies, the HR department operates as a type of support role. Even when I worked at a little family owned company in college, they didn't have a specific HR person, but we all played this "store support" role in some way - prepping electronic materials so that when they were assembled together later, they could be done so more efficiently.

I loved that role.

It's no surprise I have this role again, on the Operations team. There's a definite need for supporting roles in ministry. There has to be people working alongside those on the field, who can serve them in vital areas. Pastors have admin assistants. Non-profits have bookers or accountants or financial teams. And Cru has the Operations team.

Who new Starbucks and Cru operate in similar ways? Maybe that's why I love them both.

Would Jesus Eat Frybread?

In my March ministry update I wrote about visiting a Native American tribe in Washington state. My office is helping plan a conference out there called "Would Jesus Eat Frybread?" The conference will focus on the idea of identity in Christ and identity as a Native American.

One of the most interesting things I learned during my 48 hours out west was that Christian Natives have to walk a very fine line. They identify with being Native, but they also follow Jesus. Can the two be combined? How? Where do you draw the line?

Every ethnic group of people must deal with this question. Each one has special characteristics and cultural aspects that can be incorporated into faith in Jesus. Reaching these ethic groups requires changes in the way we do ministry, which is called "contextualizing." We don't change the message of the Gospel, but we may change aspects of how we present it, or the way we live it out.

Musical worship is a great example of this. I grew up in a church that sang hymns out of a hymn book. I love hymns. There's something about holding the heavy book in your hand, and flipping through the worn pages to find the right song, that I love. Words are chosen so carefully. They have deep meaning.

Is there anything wrong with singing hymns, if they are theologically sound and help me experience the presence of God? Nope.

What about using an African or Native drum in worship? It probably would distract or hinder me from connecting with God - but for an African or Native American, using a drum would be totally normal. It's a common thing in their culture.

If someone told me that once I followed Jesus, I could never sing hymns, I'd be pretty bummed. Or if they told me I had to dress a certain way, or cut my hair, or stop speaking my language -- all of these would hinder me from following Jesus.

I'll never forget telling a Chinese student last summer that God speaks Chinese. The student was blown away. She legitimately thought God only spoke English and that she had to pray to him in English. She was relieved to discover God's not American, and she didn't have to conform to American ways of worship or conduct to follow Jesus.

I'm not sure that I'm explaining contextualization right, so here are some awesome links with more info:

• a brief explanation of contextualization
  
• a list of Cru's contextualized ministries
  
• Contextualization 101 - from The Gospel Coalition

Coffeeless Lent.

I gave up coffee for Lent this year.

(No, seriously. I did).

It has been so .... hard. And good. And so very enlightening. To deny myself the routine of a cup of brewed coffee first thing in the morning, or a latte at Starbucks in the afternoon, was hard. Really hard. It's silly how hard it was.

Not having it made me realize how much I rely on it to fulfill desires, like wanting to feel at ease in a stressful environment, or wanting to feel happy in the midst of a bad day, or wanting to spend time with a certain friend, who I know also loves coffee...so naturally, why wouldn't we get coffee?

These wantings are not necessarily bad, but is coffee really always the best way to fulfill them?

The first couple weeks, I had to remind myself I wasn't drinking it. I'd mentally prepare myself when I walked into a coffee shop; No, you're going to get hot chocolate, or chai- or nothing at all. You're not going to break this fast. I would literally have this internal dialogue going on the whole time I was in the store.

It got much easier, and I wouldn't think about it as much. For the first week, I didn't tell anyone I was giving it up, which helped me keep my focus on the purpose. (I actually cut back the week before in preparation, which was smart). Slowly I started telling a few people here and there, mainly because they would offer me free drink coupons or BOGOs and I had to explain that no, I wasn't crazy for shooting them down, there was a purpose to my refusal.

There have also been some surprising benefits, which are not why I gave it up. For the first couple weeks I slept. A lot. By 930pm my eyelids were drooping and when the alarm went off at 630am I would wake up realizing I didn't toss and turn as much as I normally do. And I didn't need to snooze because I felt rested.

Another surprise is my finger nails. It's possible that my unusual success at not biting them can be attributed to something other than my lack of coffee. But I think having less caffeine (...a LOT less caffeine) over the course of 6 weeks decreased my anxiety levels. For the first time in 27 years, I have fingernails I can actually paint.

And then there's the financial benefit. The funny thing is, I got quite a few birthday gift cards to favorite local coffee shops. I did use them up on hot chocolate and chai when I was out with friends or had a meeting at a coffee shop, but they definitely wouldn't have lasted as long if I were drinking coffee.

Benefits aside, I'm so glad I gave it up. It's caused me to die to my selfish desires, to buy what I want when I want even though I don't need it. It's caused me to realize how often I turn to something other than Christ to fulfill my longings.

I'll definitely keep drinking coffee regularly after Lent. In fact, I've got a coupon for a caramel macchiato, so I'll probably use it Monday morning. But I don't think I'll ever view coffee in the same way again.

Today I went to a funeral of a friend of mine. He was 27. He died suddenly, with no warning, one week ago today. It was a total shock.

As I think about his life and reflect on some fun memories, it's hard not to ask why. I know that's usually the first question many people ask when a loved one dies or something bad happens. In this case, the why seems a little more legitimate. Dave was a faithful servant, who was passionate about sharing the hope of Jesus with other people. He was so young with so much life ahead to live. We know of no cause of death at this time- no preventable accident or disease. There's no one to blame, no reasonable cause. He just died.

The last blog post Dave wrote was entitled "Oh Death, Where is Your Sting?"

He wrote, "Because of the Spirit, and my faith in God's sovereignty, I trust that He knows what He's doing... Although death is often a harrowing time in the life of many, my prayer is that Christ is displayed as the Victor over it in our lives and in the lives of others as we love them."

I know I can question God all I want, but he doesn't have to give me an answer. In the midst of the questioning, I trust Him. He's Sovereign. He knows what He's doing.

Dave's life was short in our earthly standards- but it was so full; of love, faith, challenges, victories, and fun. His 27 years here were a gift, and I'm so thankful for them. He loved well, he lived well and he honored God above all else. May I live the same way the rest of my days, however many there are.

"This life is not my own, this world is not my home, the gospel must be known."

Blogging.

I've been avoiding my blog for the last few weeks. Every time I try to write a post, I get halfway through and can't seem to muster up the discipline to finish. Suddenly I want to re-organize my sock door, floss my teeth, or bake a pan of pumpkin bars I've been meaning to make for months.

I have 12 drafts started. Twelve. Then there's the 5 e-mails in my personal inbox that I sent to myself in the last week, saying "blog about _______" - with a few sentences explaining my thoughts on the matter that I can only hope will jog my memory enough to actually finish a post.

I don't think I really have a point in writing this. But it feels good to write it. At the very least, this will be one post that I start and finish without getting up to check my half gallon of milk in the fridge to make sure it hasn't expired yet.

Maybe this is why so many people have blogs. They just want to write, even if it seems pointless or uninteresting to the reader. I've heard before that somewhere between 60-80% of blogs are abandoned within 1 month of being created. That still leave millions of bloggers out there. Some blogs serve a specific purpose that wouldn't be fulfilled if no one read them. Other bloggers care not whether the reader is inspired or encouraged; they blog because of the things they discover in the midst of blogging.

Sharing Your Story.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how God works in the lives of all people, in the entire world - all at the same time. I remember sitting in a large crowd at a conference in college, and God stirring up things in my heart during worship and the messages from great speakers. And I remember thinking that he was doing the same things in the hearts and minds of every other person in that room of 1600 people. It's simply mind-boggling.

Everyone has a story to tell. I truly believe that God has been at work in the lives of everyone in the world, at one point or another. Not everyone takes the time to notice he's there. But some do, and recognize the way he intervenes.

I love what Shauna Niequist has to say about our stories:

"I bet God has done something in your life that would make our hair stand on end if you told us about it. I bet the story God has written in your life and your home gives voice and breath and arms and legs to the gospel every bit as much as a church sermon ever did. Preaching is important, certainly. But it can't be the only way we allow God's story to be told in our midst."

It is fitting that this idea that we need to tell our stories to the people around us closes out Shauna's book "Bittersweet," as it is a collection of ways that God has worked in her life. She is a fantastic story teller, even when the stories are hard to share.

Not all of us will write books or blogs, but we do all have a story to tell. And we have a responsibility to tell it. Shauna goes on to write about the obstacles we encounter when we try to tell our stories:

"When I worked at a church a few years ago, it was my job to help people tell their stories on Sunday mornings at our gatherings. And a funny thing happened. When we were at the coffee shop, and it was just me and them and their story, their story came out in fits and starts, unvarnished and raw. We cried and laughed and every time I was amazed at what God had done in this person's life.

And then almost every time, when they arrive [at church] on Sunday, they looked a little less like themselves. They were kind of a distant, polished, fancy version of themselves, and sounded a lot less like themselves. They stopped believing that their story was enough, and they started saying all the phrases and quoting all the verses we've all heard a thousand times, turning them from sacred songs into platitudes and cliches... We dilute the beauty of the gospel story when we divorce it from our lives, our worlds, the words and images that God is writing right now on our souls."

Vulnerability is hard. I'm an internal processor, a delicate balance of thinker/feeler, an introvert; it's hard for me to describe how I'm feeling sometimes, or even how I've seen God work in a situation. But there are these times when I can't help but share what I've seen or thought or felt or experienced. I guess that's why I started this blog a million years ago. (Ok, fine, eight years ago).

No matter how eloquent or elegant or effortless you speak (or don't speak), we need to share our stories. Shauna continues: "Let's stop acting as if religious professionals are the only ones who have a right and a responsibility to tell God's story. If you are a person of faith, it is your responsibility to tell God's story, in every way you can, every form, every medium, every moment."

I'd love to keep on typing out the rest of the chapter for you to read here, because it's just so good. But I'll refrain because I've probably made my point. Well, almost. Just one last thing. We tell our stories, not because they are about us and how great we are, but that they point to the someone in our lives that our stories are really about. Our stories fit into a larger story - one that God started a long time ago, and is continuing today through us. Don't be afraid to share your story with the people around you.

Global Missions: Students reaching Students.

See below for a sneak peak into the world of Cru Global Missions (formerly WSN). Students of the world, reaching students of the world. Changed lives, changing lives.

(Works best if you watching it full screen).

Eyeglass Fingerprints.

Since grade 5 I've worn either glasses or contacts. In Elementary school I was definitely the geeky kid with the huge frames. By 7th grade I had the trifecta:  glasses were joined by braces and a short haircut that I didn't really know how to style. I also wore sweater vests (they were "in" then, I swear).

By grade 9, the braces were gone and so were the glasses (don't worry - the sweater vests were LONG gone by then). Replaced by fancy new contacts, all of my old clunky frames were banished to the back of the top dresser drawer.

10+ years later, and I'm back to the glasses. Even though I've had them for almost 6 months, I still find myself forgetting they are there. Quite frequently, I try to itch my eye and end up with a nice smudge on the lens. Annoying. I just did it a few minutes ago, hence this post.

So, here comes the analogy (I have a friend writing a book of analogies, maybe this will get a feature in it?) When you go from no glasses to glasses, or glasses to no glasses, you have to retrain your brain so you act differently.

The same is true for us living the Christian life. I remember wearing my glasses the first time in 5th grade, and sitting in the back of the class. Every time I looked up from my textbook, I would squint at the board, and then remember I didn't need to squint.

I don't need to wonder in the back of my mind what people are thinking of me when I'm having a conversation with them. I can focus on the conversation and the needs of the other people, because my identity is secure in Christ. I don't need to do nice things for them just so they like me more; I can serve them out of love.

Maybe this analogy is a stretch, but I think both situations involved a pattern of thinking before we act; retraining our brains to help us understand what's going in.

TCX: A short life- lived well.

There are some things in life we can't explain. We ask, why? We wonder, how can this be? We think, what's the purpose in this?

The death of a young person, a life cut short, nears the top of a list of things that cause me to ask why. This past August, Sean, a student leader involved in Cru at UW-La Crosse, was killed in a car accident.

Sean had just returned home from a summer in North Myrtle Beach on a missions project with Cru. There were 99 other college students with him in NMB. On our US projects, Cru staff leave halfway through the summer and hand over the project to student leaders. Sean was one of the students who took over leadership of the project.

I never met Sean, but the fact that he was put in charge of 99 other college students living missionally on the beach, when they all could have been off doing other things, speaks highly of his character.

Sean's dad Steve spoke the final night of TCX, and shared how he had prayed that his son would become a leader among men, even before Sean began walking with Christ. Even though his life was cut short, Sean had an eternal impact on hundreds of lives in La Crosse and North Myrtle Beach.


Read more about Sean's story here.

TCX: Housing Woe - Be Gone!

TCX has come and gone - another 1500 college students packed into the downtown Minneapolis Hilton, hungry to learn more about God and his plan for their lives. We train, challenge, encourage, equip and admonish these students, with the hope that they will become spiritual multipliers for the rest of their lives, not just during their college years.

I'm continually amazed at what God chooses to do in the lives of college students. He works so intricately, so fine-tuned and detailed, so that his plans are orchestrated perfectly. And he does this in the lives of everyone...at the same time. Incredibly mind-blowing!

There are some great stories on the TCX blog (shout-out to my awesome roommate for working so diligently to capture what God's doing during and after the conference!). You can also watch video testimonies of students, and even see some of the main ballroom sessions broadcast over our livestream feed.

If you poke around a little, you'll even see yours truly on the blog, giving a quick explanation of my direct role in TCX. Talk about God orchestrating things perfectly...on Sunday night, in the middle of our conference, we ran out of hotel rooms. The Hilton was 100% booked up. But by the grace of God, we only had a few students show up to register and we could fill up the rooms that had empty spots.

The next day was New Years' Eve - always a popular night for the downtown hotels. I briefly talked through scenarios with a coworkers - what would we do if we still didn't have any rooms today? Could we work out the same contracted rate we have with the Hilton, with another hotel nearby? And what if those specific hotels don't have any vacancies??"

The Hilton did run out of rooms again on December 31 - and we had about 6 students, a mix of male and female, show up that afternoon asking for a room. But, we had a few guests that were scheduled to stay the night of the 31st who were no longer needing their rooms. Our 6 students fit perfectly into those two rooms.

I was pretty anxious about the housing situation all week ("who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27)) - but no need to worry -- especially for a problem that didn't even exist.

[This is the first in a series of posts about TCX, our annual student conference for the Upper Midwest Region of Cru. How many posts in this series, you ask? Time will tell].