Chi Alpha Blogspotting

Crystal left this morning at 6 am with Nazgul to go to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  There Crystal is planning on meeting with our OMF team and see the annual musical the students put on from Hope Academy, our MK school there (Mercer adn Marcus attended) and directed by our OMF team member Stacy Wolfe.

The road to Bishkek can be treacherous and and dangerous.  A brisk snow began to fall this morning.  At about 9:00 am Crystal's taxi was attempting a pass another vehicle and was involved in a head on collision.  Miraculously Crystal and Nazgul avoided serious injury.  Nazgul did bump her head, but in light of what had happened we rejoice.  Ambulatory intervention was not necessary for anyone involved!  The entire road was shut down and it required more vehicles to get Nazgula and Crystal across the border.

The primary impact was on the driver's side of the vehicle and Crystal was in the back on the passenger's side.  Crystal called me from the side of the road with very poor reception but was able to communicate.  She said she felt like angels were all around them.

We praise the Lord for their safety and count it a miracle.

Everyday we have here is a privilege.

E. Scott

There was a battle today in Uzbekistan.  Both the women's and the men's Tien Shan International School  (TSIS) basketball teams (the Nomads) made it to the semifinals game.  And each team had to play the host team, the Tashkent International School (TIS Owls) for the second time.  Both of our teams lost the first games.

I spoke to them last night about our character in winning and our character in losing and "letting our light shine" in each situation.  I shared the story of when Lamar Lovett dropped the pass in the end zone in the final play of the the Sun Bowl in El Paso and The Univeristy of Arizona lost the game (back in the 90s).  Sorry Lamar to bring it up, but it was a great teaching point on character!  The students have been extremely receptive to the words I have shared.

About an hour prior to the game I spoke in a friendly way to one of the TIS girl basketball players and said, "you have a big game coming up" and she looked at me and said, "No, not really."  They had little respect for our team whom they had already beaten. 

From the very tip off it was fight.  It was evident that our girls were not just going to roll over.  The host team had stacked the stands with hoards of little screaming and sqealing kids, but the Nomad women didn't let it affect them.  We battled scrappy for every lose ball and rebound.  It was back and forth the entire game.  With about a minute and fifty seconds left the Tashkent International School Owls capitalized on two Nomad turnovers and took a 6 point lead.  

A Nomad timeout was called.  They came back on the court to drums beating, kids squealing, and parents from Almaty, Kazakhstan cheering them on.  Anna Gilbert, a beautiful young woman full of integrity and honor along with her entire team determined they would not lose easy.  Each possesion was a war and Anna somehow managed to score and the Nomads managed to prevent the Owls from scoring.  With 10 seconds remaining and the score tied the TSIS Nomads, the little MK school which many looked down upon, began the move the ball down the court.  Anna Gilbert was given the ball and took what would be our final shot.  It didn't go in, but Anna was fouled with 4.7 seconds remaining.  The gym was a mad house with screaming.  Anna went to the line in a situation that every athlete dreams about; the opportunity to make the game winning baskets in a major tournament.  A time out was called and in that time out Anna determined that whether she made or missed those baskets she would "let her light shine so that they may see her good works and glorify her father."  Anna sunk the first, and then the second basket.  TIS ran out of time and lost the game. 

The host audience was shocked.  The underdog, the little MK school had prevailed against the undefeated giant.  Who would have imagined?  Can I tell you there wasn't a dry eye amongst our group of parents.  I sincerely believe it was the greatest basketball game I have ever seen. 

The men's Nomad team went on to win their game against TIS as well.  On the way out of the gym we were called "henous Americans!"  Mercer and Marcus were not happy with that, but we all let our light shine.

Both our teams lost in the championship game, but they each won Silver medals.  I am so proud of them.  They lived the messages I had shared with them.  They gave 100%, they live 100%.  They are young men and women of honor and Godly character.  They are MKs.

Everyday we have here is a privilege.

E. Scott

It is Friday, March 12th and I am in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.  I am serving as the team chaplain for the Tien Shan International School high school basketball teams, both men and women's.  We are at the Central Asian Basketball Classic tournament where schools throughout Central Asia have gathered together to play "March Madness" tournament to crown the best basketball teams in area.

Mercer and Marcus are also here and serving as the statisticians for the girls team.  No one knows the game better than Marcus.E.

I was asked to serve in this capacity based on my experience with our athletes on the Unvieristy of Arizona.  I have been right in my element and I feel I have delivered some excellent relevant words into the lives of the students.  My theme has been Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that the will see your goods works and glorify your father which is in heaven."  I have been speaking on the light of our character.  I have been sharing stories of some of our excellent athletes who were an integral part of our Chi Alpha group at the Univeristy of Arizona and who were full of honor and Godly character, and of some who were not (but they weren't in our Chi Alpha group).  The stories have revolved around Lamar Lovett, Brian Williams, and Chad Ross.  The students I am speaking to have been gripped with attention and very responsive. 

The men's team entered the the tournament with a 56 game win streak.  In their second game yesterday they were blown out by 25 points.  The girl's team came in undeafeted this season. They too suffered losses their first two games.   They have all played hard and with honor.  The boys are 2-2 after a very dissapointing loss the the lost team, Tashkent International School.  The girls are 1-3 and also lost to the host team, TIS, but they have advanced to the next round. Tomorrow will be a great test of character.  It  is awesome to see them truly apply the teaching they have been receiving. 

May the Lord bless them tomorrow as they play in the medal rounds.

Everyday we have here is a priviledge.

E. Scott

The man we call St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain around 385 as Maewyn Succat. Two of his original letters survive: his Confessio and his Epistola ad Coroticum, the latter being notable for making him, in Thomas Cahill’s words “the first human being in the history of the world to speak out unequivocally against slavery” (How The Irish Saved Civilization, page 114).

At 16 he was captured in a slave raid and taken to Ireland where he was sold to a Druid chieftain. For the next six years Patrick labored as a shepherd.

Although Patrick was raised in a Christian family, he had not truly believed in Jesus. His slavery gave him time to reflect on life, and as he explained, “the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son” (Confessio 2).

Patrick’s devotion to Christ intensified, “More and more did the love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so that in a day [I said] from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number; besides I used to stay out in the forests and on the mountain and I would wake up before daylight to pray in the snow, in icy coldness, in rain, and I used to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness, because, as I now see, the Spirit was burning in me at that time. And it was there of course that one night in my sleep I heard a voice saying to me: ‘You do well to fast: soon you will depart for your home country.’ And again, a very short time later, there was a voice prophesying: ‘Behold, your ship is ready.’” (Confessio 16–17).

After receiving this vision, Patrick fled 200 miles to the coast and found a ship preparing for a sea voyage. He journeyed back to his homeland, experiencing miraculous guidance and provision along the way.

After living at home for a few years Patrick had another vision, “I saw a man whose name was Victoricus coming as it from Ireland with innumerable letters, and he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter: ‘The Voice of the Irish’, and as I was reading the beginning of the letter I seemed at that moment to hear the voice of those who were beside the forest of Foclut which is near the western sea, and they were crying as if with one voice: ‘We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and shall walk again among us.’ And I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could read no more, and thus I awoke.” (Confessio 23)

So Patrick obediently returned to Ireland. As before, he was a slave. But this time he was a slave of Christ. His mission to Ireland brought fierce opposition from the Irish Druids. He faced them with great faith: “Daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises. But I fear nothing, because of the promises of Heaven; for I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God, who reigns everywhere.” (Confessio 55)

Eventually, tradition tells us, Patrick found himself debating the Druid leaders before an Irish king. The debate was rancorous, and at one point the Druids began attacking the doctrine of the Trinity. Patrick plucked a three-leaved clover and asked them whether it was one or three. The Druids had no answer, and this debate was pivotal in persuading the king to convert to Christianity.

By the end of his life, Patrick had planted over 700 churches and trained around 1,000 ministers. One third of the tribes of Ireland became Christian through his ministry. He thus ranks as one of the greatest missionaries in history, and became known as the one who “found Ireland all heathen and left it all Christian.”

If you want to learn more, you should read his Confessio – it’s only 62 verses long and is available many places online (at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, at Robot Wisdom, and at the Catholic Information Network, to pick three).

And so remember – St. Patrick’s Day is about far more than green beer and pinching people. It’s about honoring one of the most effective ministers of all time.

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What the heck is “liminality” you ask; or maybe you already know!  And no, it’s not a word I made up, as my staff at LHCB used to accuse me of.  Liminality is from the Latin word, limen, meaning “a threshold.” The liminal state can be characterized by ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy as one’s sense of identity dissolves, sometimes resulting in disorientation. Liminality is a period of transition where normal limits to thought, self-understanding, and behavior are relaxed – a situation which can lead to new perspectives.

I would assert that many college students, especially in respect to being emerging adults and what is characteristic of their lives, find themselves in a state of liminality as they approach graduation.  When this should be a time of greater focus and honing in on the next phase of life in the marketplace, it is instead, often a time of apprehension, confusion, identity crises, and life in a “no man’s land!”  Especially today considering that the vast majority of emerging adults are stretching out their educational years and the time frame before entering the marketplace.  Again, much of this has to do with the reality that “the times, they are a changing!”  Social norms are shifting, the economy is shaky, and emerging adults, although specific about what they want out of life, are somewhat suspicious of how to “get there.”  Thus leading to liminality.

But the liminal state doesn’t have to be “life in fluctuation” for a soon-to-be college graduate.  Instead, campus organizations like Chi Alpha and the XA Network can, and intends to assist students in developing an intentional exit strategy from school that offers significant and intentional connection points for entering the marketplace.  As a matter of fact, the XA Network team is in the process of developing a national website and database system that will enable any student involved in a Chi Alpha campus ministry to log into the XA Network Community, input some key information, and immediately discover relevant connection points in a specific region of the country; connection points to ongoing educational opportunities, work/job openings, church partners or church plants that have a similar XA culture, humanitarian aid and social justice projects, and kingdom business ventures.  We hope to roll out this incredible networking vehicle for graduating XA students, campus missionaries, XA alumni, and marketplace people at the CMC in Phoenix, AZ in July of this year!

This is a significant undertaking that will require much effort in relationally making the key connections on the marketplace side of the equation, as well as raising the funds to make it happen; especially the website database network community system.  But in then end, if we’ve helped one student to get connected to the right people, in the right place, for the right purpose, then it will be well worth it!  Philosophically the XA Network team and Chi Alpha’s leadership is simply endeavoring to set up the emerging generation to fulfill God’s purpose for their lives much in the same way that David did for Solomon (See 2 Sam. 7 and 1 Chron. 15-27).

We want to leverage liminality and simply help students in the space/state between life in college and life in the marketplace to gain great perspectives for their future, provide them with key connection points, and enable them in every possible way to build a life that God will bless!

I first published this for a national Chi Alpha Campus Ministry newsletter. I thought other leaders might want to have a look as well. ch

When I asked a popular RA on campus why she didn’t come to Chi Alpha, she confided, “The campus pastor is a nice guy but I can’t take one more boring lecture in my life.” Similarly, a pastor friend admitted to me, “Honestly, most missionaries are boring. I love Chi Alpha, Curt, but I’d rather not have campus missionaries in my pulpit.”

Nothing kills a ministry like a boring speaker. Whether it is a small group, weekly large group gathering, evangelistic event and even one-on-one session, how we communicate plays a big role in our overall fruitfulness. What would happen if we dramatically improved our ability to engage people? After two decades of speaking on campus, here are some of the questions I ask myself to improve my communication skills.

Proficiency drive?

I was invited to a small round table of leaders led by Ray Johnston, pastor of the 9000 member Bayside Church of Granite Bay, CA, and one of the best Biblical communicators I know. I was amazed to learn that Ray, with all his success, is still highly driven to improve as a communicator. Besides reading, listening to a wide variety of speakers and studying his mission field, Ray goes through a self-imposed sermon evaluation process, led by a team from his congregation, every weekend. Since then I’ve learned that most pastors of highly effective churches practice some sort of proficiency driven weekly evaluation on all upfront communication.

Paul calls all leaders to do their best at dividing the word (2 Tim. 2:15), an exhortation that implies a lifelong pursuit of excellence in study, modeling and presenting the truth. In spite of this, many leaders simply stop learning about communication. Ego, fatigue, Christian sub-culture and fear drive our preaching styles instead of the desire become more competent.

Ask yourself? Could your ministry improve by getting specific feedback from students and peers about your communication skills? When is the last time you studied other communicators to improve your skills?

Inductive devices?

Next time you are listening to a boring sermon watch the body language of the nearest 13-year-old boy. He’ll be slumping in his chair, fidgeting with something or in some way showing that the sermon is a form of torture. At some point, however, even a bad sermon will contain a small inductive device. When the preacher says something like, “that reminds me of the time,” watch the boy pop his head up as if to say, “Hey, I like this part!” The reason is simple, humans tune in for inductive devices.

While deduction declares a premise and then works to prove it, induction tells a story inviting the listener to discover the premise for him or herself along the way. So powerful are the participation-inducing qualities of induction that God chooses narrative, the best of all inductive devices, to dominate the communication style of the scriptures.

When we use stories, questions, dialogue, props, drama, video, and humor (etc.) in our sermons we are actually modeling something Biblical, even Christ-like. Jesus used local settings, familiar anecdotes and the particular values of his time to engage his listeners in highly inductive ways. He did this so effectively, even days after his sermons the disciples were hotly debating the application of his talks (Matt: 13:10, Jn. 16:17). When was the last time your students came back to you days after a sermon demanding more teaching on the topic?

Certainly, many passages require simple and clear explanations. This desire to be clear does not mean we have to dumb down our creativity. Setting plain teaching inside the brackets of inductive devices as we prepare the introductions and conclusions of our sermons can make our teaching more understandable by engaging listeners instead of just indoctrinating them.

What is the most inductive thing you’ve done in communication this last year? How could you improve on this without compromising the content of your message?

Useful in the now?

Ever notice that only about half the students you are actually touching show up to your weekly meeting? With tests and going home and every other distraction that comes with campus life, getting students to actually commit to the large group meeting every week can be very challenging. Some leaders exasperate this problem by being so focused on the spiritual needs of their congregation that they neglect to speak enough on the felt needs of students.

Great speaking is useful in the now moments of life, helping even the newest spiritual seeker benefit from our communication. Practical help demonstrates that as leaders we understand the reality of student life. It also shows compassion and that we are competent at solving real issues. This understanding, compassion and competence can dramatically increase our credibility. By helping students gain skills in their studies, decision-making and financial lives, we gain the right to speak into their deeper spiritual issues.

Simply put, if our sermons work in the real lives of students, they will come back to our meeting the next week. Eventually, if the truth transforms them in the deeper issues of life, they will keep coming back every week of their lives.

Do your sermons contain tangible, very specific help for day-to-day problems? How can you learn more about the day-to-day struggles of the students you speak to?

Supernatural expectations?

To raise the funds needed for my new role on the West Coast, I literally tried to connect with every single alumnus I could find. As I set out, a little fear nagged me. Would my former students still be faithful?

My fears were totally unfounded. The vast majority of our alum are living amazing lives for Christ. As we talked about their journey after college, they kept bringing up memories of our prayer times together on campus. Sure, they remembered the sermons, but it was the altar calls, small group hot seats and impromptu intercession times that dominated their memories and propelled them into post-collegiate success.

As I listened, I was reminded again how the Holy Spirit is the real author of transformation (1 Thes. 1:4). Sure, continually learning, being inductive and helping students with their day-to-day problems is important, but without the Holy Spirit we can change nothing. Great communicators do their best to draw attention to God and facilitate moments of supernatural expectation.

Humility in tone, self-effacing humor and even vulnerability regarding struggles can be powerful tools to focus the hearer on the Lord’s power.  Of course, making Christ and his cross the central focus of our preaching is the very best way to facilitate Holy Spirit transformation. As Spurgeon was fond of saying, “I take my text and make a bee-line to the cross.”

What can we do to facilitate more moments of Spirit-induced prayer? Do your sermons point to God or to your ministry? How can you increase the expectation on the Spirit to change lives?

In the end, no one wants to be boring. We want to be better. We want to have larger groups, great mission services and the joy of being good at communicating to the students we love. Most importantly, we want the thoroughly un-boring experience of seeing lives changed. We can do this, if we will be driven by proficiency, use inductive devices, be compassionately useful in the now and set the expectation on God and his supernatural power.

Having been a lead pastor for 22 years and having served in District and National leadership roles, I know a little something about “Church.”  I know that if there’s anything that has all but destroyed the true character of the Church in America, it has to be consumerism and Christiandom!  I also know I can sometimes sound like a harsh critic when it comes to Church the American way, but you can’t deny the sad reality of fierce competition among churches that has only led to greater ineffectiveness.

Where does this come from?  Regrettably, we Americans have become very good at shopping and there’s no exception when it comes to what we want from a “Church.”  In response, church leadership sets up shop in an effort to try to outdo, outsell, the other churches in Consumerville!  Not only is that the case among the churches in town, it’s true of the ministries or programs within a church.  This dreaded epidemic among churches and ministries within churches is what I call the Shopping Mall Syndrome- a shopping mall is a lot of individual, independent stores all under one roof, but all unquestionably in competition with each other.  The idea is to offer more services, bigger and better menus than your competition; all of which just seduces church shoppers into a false sense of satisfaction and security, since “enough is never enough!”  And, if the church down the street or the newest ministry program goes belly up, then that’s better business for my church or my ministry.  Do you see how this goes?  I was very guilty of this myself for many years until I realized this was not only incredibly challenging to pull off Sunday after Sunday, it was a long way from how Jesus and the New Testament Church conducted kingdom business.

Further, what makes this even more disconcerting is when you add the Christiandom factor to the consumerism mentality.  Christiandom was basically birthed by Constantine when he made Christianity the national religion of the Roman Empire, and it has significantly robbed the “Church” of its true identity as the embodiment of Jesus Christ in any, and all cultural settings.   In actuality, nationalizing Christianity just takes Jesus right out of the picture!  It assumes that if we are a Christian nation, then we will function in our laws and governance and society, all in a Christian context.  But does it really work out that way?  Hardly!  I could go on, but hopefully you get my point- you may not agree with it, and you can certainly comment to the contrary.

Alan Hirsch, author of The Forgotten Ways,  says, “Spirituality – Jesus = Religion!”  What we have in the American Church is religious experimentation and experience.  What we have in our culture is spiritual experimentation and experience.  What we need, both in the Church and in the culture is JESUS!  If we ever become consumed again with Jesus, Christianity will again be defined as those who look and live a lot like Jesus, and this alone will sell itself!

It’s been awhile since our last post!  Jaeda is now 14 months old and prefers walking to anything else.  Joe is currently wrapping up a week-long spring break missions trip to Antigua, Guatemala with a team of 6 UVM students.  This Monday, March 15 we are looking forward to having a YWAM team from the Dunham, Qc base to minister at our weekly worship meeting.

Thanks so much for your prayers this past October as Joe was dealing with some health issues.  He has had a couple of follow-up appointments with good results.  He has been feeling much better!

For years I’ve driven past this church sign, and I’ve always meant to take a picture. I finally did it, and so now I would like to introduce you to the Apostolic Original Holy Church of God Incorporated, the most amazing name on a church sign I have ever seen.

After investigating, I’ve discovered that it’s not just the sign for a church – it’s the sign for an organizational (denominational?) headquarters. The proper name of the church is Mount Olive Apostolic Original Holy Church of God (MOAOHCOG, for short) in Menlo Park, CA.

You can find more affiliated churches by googling “Apostolic Original Holy Church of God”.

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I’ve added another essay to my growing pile. This one is called The Jesus FAQ (pdf) It’s a companion piece to Why Jesus? – it explains what we can know about Jesus even if we don’t think that the Bible is inspired. The questions I have in the current draft are:

1. Is there any record of Jesus outside the Bible?
2. What did Jesus look like?
3. Where did Jesus live?
4. What did Jesus do for a living?
5. Did Jesus have a family?
6. What did Jesus teach?
7. Why was Jesus killed?
8. How was Jesus killed?
9. How did Jesus come to be worshiped?

I expect to revise this essay several times as I get questions and feedback. There are nearly 100 footnotes, and I’m pretty sure that I’ve used inconsistent formatting in my references. There are probably factual errors or ambiguities as well (hopefully small ones). Please let me know if you find one!

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In the grand scheme of things, I know about .000001% of much of anything.

I guess I'm a relatively intelligent person, but there is so much information, so much knowledge available, that the ratio of what I know to what I don't know is always leaning in the direction of ignorance.

And let's face it: you don't know much either, even if you have a different brain full of knowledge than I do.

I know a little bit and you know a little bit and some of that knowledge overlaps. If we put our brains together, we might come up with a little bit of knowledge times 1.7, but I'm not sure about my math and a little bit barely multiplied is still a little bit. Confused yet?

There are certain blessed people who know more than a little bit; or at least a little bit more than the little bit I know. Yes, this is starting to sound like Dr. Seuss.

Where am I going with this?

Little bits add up.

When your knowledge is added to my knowledge and then connected with the brain of someone else, things start to click. And the more brains involved, the greater the information pool.

That's why Scripture says there is "wisdom in a multitude of counselors." When several people bring their minds together, wisdom can be born.

In October of 1962, when the former Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in the island country of Cuba, the tension of the Cold War reached an all-time high.

President Kennedy, instead of making a hasty decision, put his brain together with three other brains — those of former Presidents Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower. And out of their collective ideas, a succesful diplomatic campaign defused the crisis and war was avoided.

Just today, I had some important decisions I needed to make and I called a couple people for advice. Not only did they give me what I needed, but their ideas were very similar, coming from two different sources, and ran contrary to the decision I would have made had I chosen to "go it alone." They opened my eyes to a new perspective and I changed the path I was on. In retrospect, I am sure they are right. I am so glad I drew from their knowledge.

Think about it this way. Would you rather have a brilliant leader running your organization who knows more than the average man, or would you prefer a leader who doesn't know quite as much, but knows that he knows less and surrounds himself with counselors and other leaders who have experience and knowledge in many different fields?

The answer is obvious and says a lot as to how we should live our lives. It doesn't mean we don't think for ourselves, and it doesn't mean we can't be confident leaders, but it does mean we always remain flexible and teachable, drawing on the wisdom of others.

Do your best to find people who know what you don't and pick their brains when you need advice — especially in the important decisions of life. Connect your brain with other brains (good, functional ones) and see if wisdom doesn't spring forth.

There are people who have already been where you want to go and people who know things you don't know.

Use them.

Dr Seuss, signing off.

A significant component of the XA Network’s “exit” strategy is to engage XA grads in church planting projects around the country.  Because I live in the Washington, DC region, we’ve been working with the XA campus directors to determine a course of action for establishing a XA church plant in DC.  I really appreciate the spirit of these great leaders.  They desire to see their campuses impacted and they want to see a city reached for God!

Last week we had the opportunity to meet with Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church, which meets in several movie theaters around DC.  I’ve known Mark for years and have enjoyed watching God expand his influence through the books he’s written and the many opportunities he has to speak around the country.  But the thing I appreciate most about Mark is that he is a “kingdom” leader- in other words, he’s not trying to do his own thing in ministry, but to truly be instrumental in building the kingdom of God.  I also love the fact that he’s all about networking!

A key value of the XA Network is to form partnerships that produce missional synergy.  Why keep reinventing the proverbial “wheel” when we can team up and raise the bar for everyone involved and be incredibly more productive!  Sorry about the clichés, but it’s true.  As we consider the DC XA project- providing an “entry point church” for those exiting the university via graduation and coming to a city like DC, it just makes sense to connect with the people who are already getting it done- people like Mark Batterson and NCC!

Certainly, we’re NOT announcing anything here, but at the same time, we are advocating that networking is all about ministry leaders giving something significant of themselves to serve the other leaders and ministries in the network.  You can’t have networking without sacrifice and service!  There’s a synergy in networking that can’t be produced in any other way.

I am pleased to say that networking is working in the DC project!  We’ll keep you up to date on the progress!

Spring break is around the corner for most colleges. Here’s an informative graphic I found at http://www.onlineschools.org/blog/spring-break.

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If you could choose between Borders Cafe, Starbucks, or a local coffee shop offering organic, fair trade, local blend coffee, etc., which would be your preference and why? Please respond. I’m doing an informal survey.

Sometimes I crave root beer.

When I say "crave" I don't mean, "a root beer sure would hit the spot." I mean, pregnant-woman-attacking-a-pickle craving.

I can't explain it, but every now and then — about once a year — I've just gotta have some root beer. I'm confident it's hormonal: some kind of weirded-out, male, menapausalistic oddness. (I made that word up.)

I've found that when I have these cravings, they are always connected with a certain mindset, and it isn't good.

The mood and cravings might last a week or ten days and during that period I find myself not caring about much. I think:

"So what?"

"Does anything I do really matter?"

And "life would be so much easier if I'd just give up on ministry."

If nothing else, I want to "get away from it all" during those times. I'm irritable and find it difficult to tolerate others.

The nice thing is, I have been able to make a clear connection between my lousy moods, and that desire I have for a frosty mug.

Sometimes it's not easy to recognize our moods, but a little self-awareness goes a long way. Nowadays, alarms go off when I think, "mmmmmm - root beer."

"Be careful there, H, check yourself out."

I've learned not to make big decisions during those times. I've tried to watch what I say to others. And most importantly, I've learned to wait it out. If I hadn't, I would have moved to Thailand and become a dive instructor years ago. But, instead, I wait. The feelings (and cravings) soon pass, and blue-sky days soon return. They always do.

You might not crave root beer, but most of us have clear warning signs when things aren't right.

It might mean realizing you are an all-out grump in the early mornings or late at night, in which case, you should tread carefully during those times.

It might mean, especially if you are female, there are times in your monthly cycle that you are more emotional, or downright mean. Be aware, and check yourself during those times. Realize your emotions are stirred up and put off angry outbursts or fits of depression until later. Chances are, whatever you are feeling/thinking will not be as intense with a little putting off.

If you continue to revel in the negativity, hopelessness, and even bitterness that can come so naturally at certain times in our lives, the problems will carry on and on, invading even moments that should have been better. But if you learn to recognize the psychological and physical symptoms that come with "down" times you can avoid reactions that can cause long-lasting problems.

So nowadays, when I really, really want a root beer, I serve one up and enjoy.

And, I keep my mouth shut, putting off important decisions and conversations until later.

I was skimming through the old Puritan book The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs when a passage caught my attention:

Godliness teaches us this mystery, Not to be satisfied with all the world for our portion, and yet to be content with the meanest condition in which we are. When Luther was sent great gifts by Dukes and Princes, he refused them, and he says, ‘I did vehemently protest that God should not put me off so; ’tis not that which will content me.’ A little in the world will content a Christian for his passage. Mark, here lies the mystery of it, A little in the world will content a Christian for his passage, but all the world, and ten thousand times more, will not content a Christian for his portion. A carnal heart will be content with these things of the world for his portion; and that is the difference between a carnal heart and a gracious heart. But a gracious heart says, ‘Lord, do with me what you will for my passage through this world; I will be content with that, but I cannot be content with all the world for my portion.’ So there is the mystery of true contentment. A contented man, though he is most contented with the least things in the world, yet he is the most dissatisfied man that lives in the world.

Emphasis mine. Wow.

A little before this, Burroughs said:

A man who has learned the art of contentment is the most contented with any low condition that he has in the world, and yet he cannot be satisfied with the enjoyment of all the world. He is contented if he has but a crust, but bread and water, that is, if God disposes of him, for the things of the world, to have but bread and water for his present condition, he can be satisfied with God’s disposal in that; yet if God should give unto him Kingdoms and Empires, all the world to rule, if he should give it him for his portion, he would not be satisfied with that. Here is the mystery of it: though his heart is so enlarged that the enjoyment of all the world and ten thousand worlds cannot satisfy him for his portion; yet he has a heart quieted under God’s disposal, if he gives him but bread and water.

You can see more here.

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Most people who know me, know I’m king of the “to-do” list!  The main reason I have a “to-do” list every week is because it identifies my priorities and it provides a timeline for seeing these priorities accomplished. Someone has said, that “execution is the art of getting things done!”  In other words, “follow through.”

You can give two people the same opportunities, the same resources, and the same support in every other respect; one will succeed and the other will fail simply because the successful person followed through and the unsuccessful person did not!  You can have all the “want to” in the world, but following through on your priorities, action items, goals, etc. is the key.  Here are some observations I’ve made about people who follow through:

1. People who follow through take responsibility- they don’t make excuses, they don’t wait for someone else to get it done, and they don’t “pass the buck!”
2. People who follow through don’t waste time- they put a timeline on every action item or project, etc. and they meet those deadlines, many times ahead of schedule.
3. People who follow through use a strategy or process to get things done- they lay out the plan, incorporate the right people, and take the necessary steps.
4. People who follow through have a priority list- they write things down.  As I said earlier, they have a “to do” list for each project, each week, each day as necessary to keep accountable and stay on track.
5. People who follow through aren’t afraid to ask questions or get some help- they want to make sure what the expectations are, what the parameters are, etc. and they look for those who “have been there and done that” to offer advice and direction.
6. People who follow through persevere through any and all challenges- they meet the issues head on with a positive, solution oriented focus and mindset.
7. People who follow through do things with excellence- they fully understand and embrace the philosophy that following through is not merely “checking” something off the list, but producing an end result that is highly profitable for everyone involved.
8. People who follow through derive satisfaction from setting others up for success- their attitude is never “how can I win”, but “how can what I do help others, help the team, the organization to be more successful!

I’m sure there are several other characteristics of “follow through” people, but you get the picture!  If there’s one great lesson to learn or habit to develop early on in life, it’s “follow through.”  A very practical way to train yourself to be a “follow through” person is to simply take a moment at the beginning of each week or each day, etc. and make a list of your priorities, determine the best plan for implementation, decide the pace or timelines, and finally put a check mark beside completed projects (that’s personal satisfaction right there)!

I can’t remember the name of the class now – something like “Art And Our World 399.” I do remember the fighting.  It was 3 a.m. ish when it boiled over. Everyone was greasy, dog-tired, over-caffeinated and about to get an F on the biggest project of our academic lives.

The three grad students and two undergrads I was cloistered with in this last minute project prep session didn’t get along from the start. On the eve of the due date our normal dysfunction escalated into open warfare. Two were yelling, one was crying and one paced while I sat in a trance, wondering if the grade I was about to receive would lead directly to life in a van, under a bridge, down by the river.

In the midst of this GPA death roll a strange brain burp bubbled to the top of my head. I realized that our problem wasn’t about dissecting Cubism at all, but about negotiating community.

Community is fundamental to me. Even today our campus ministry is still heavily influenced by that Jesus people, petuly oil soaked, 1970s community centric mode of being. When I got involved in the 1980s we were far from perfect (our diversity at that time went from white to see-through) but one thing was for sure, we practiced community with a passion.

It was this community mindedness that helped me. Once I stopped looking at the art project issues and started looking at the community dynamic issues, I knew exactly what to do to get our grade back on track.

Talk-ability Mode

The guy who taught me the most about community was a giant former navy seaman turned campus missionary named Ron. He had one of those old school mustaches that made him look like a giant Holy Ghost walrus, and his gentle nature made him great at starting lengthy discussions, soliciting vulnerable admissions and even facilitating loving confrontation.

With impeccable hermeneutics and serious personal humility, he spent his days buying us Cokes, asking questions and letting us talk. So powerful were his dialogue inducing skills that our small group bonded on a level I have never experienced before or since.

The in-depth relationship of that time seems to be lost today. Too often the financial pressures and hectic academic loads of competitive programs make real vulnerability seem impossible. I frequently meet graduate students who have impressive resumes but no actual friends – some even mistaking professional networking for real community.

Finding the time to talk before task is essential. Yes, it can be time consuming, but the value of immersing oneself in that Eph. 4 “speak the truth in love” community is often the best way to see trust and real character transformation develop.

Our group project was typical of this lack of bonding talk. We had failed to actually process relationship before tackling our task, and the end result was an inability to work together on even the simplest of goals.

Humor Hangovers

Just last year, after three days of hard work together, a group of campus ministry leaders and I went to a Eugene bistro (where the whole wheat organic humus is 30% more organic then normal humus) for a post-project debrief. Our conversation turned to “the worst church skit you have ever led.” As the tales of bad acting and even worse dancing piled high (think early-round American Idol meets Carman), my ahi tuna threatened to repeatedly shoot out of my nose. The next day my spirit was full but my muscles were actually sore from the laughing.

This was not the first time I’ve had a humor hangover. I have observed over and over again that healthy communities laugh a lot – especially at themselves. I can’t tell you how many pizza-soaked nights I spent in hilarity during those first days on campus. And some of the funniest moments came in the midst of our most trying times. In a world of perpetual deadlines, program expectations, problematic dates and an abundance of pain, the joy of the Lord must be our strength (Neh. 8:10 NIV). Simply put, one either chooses to laugh or go insane.

This does not mean we are ignorant of social injustices or that we target the weak with cruel satire. It does mean that we are humble enough to see our own faults as comedy gold. It also means that we see our place in God’s kingdom with a laughter-tinged realistic perspective. Laughter is the evidence of a Biblical humility that trusts God’s sovereignty over our importance.

Typical of art students (and Christians I might add,) we were taking our project and ourselves too seriously. The end result was a lot of preaching at each other and not much progress.

Cash and Carry

In those early days I was basically a part of a functioning communist kibbutz. We shared everything. Money, cars, pizza, laundry duty, etc.  No one demanded that we live collectively. We did it to survive (we were poor) and we did it because of our belief in the power of community.

We were taught that the mission of man was reconciliation – first with God and then with each other. Late into the night we dialogued about every implication of the Greek pronoun allelous. Love one another, carry one another’s burdens, and forgive one another were our topics de jour.

God was the “with” God – triune and Immanuel. He was the relational instigator with Abram, Moses, David, the disciples and all of mankind. The ultimate means by which he demonstrated His “with” nature was the cross.  It was clear to us – real communities instigated relationship and made sacrifices for each other.

The real problem in my little art group was simple selfishness.  If we couldn’t find a way to sacrifice for one another, we were not gong to be able to work together.

The first step was getting us to talk.  Out of desperation they agreed to my suggestion that we sit in a circle and follow some small group 101 ground rules. No one interrupts. All eyes on whoever has the floor. Ask questions instead of making criticisms. I made them chitchat about their lives and just as the conversation started to ease, I asked each one to admit to one area in which they had personally failed the group.  I took the first turn at confessing and as I mocked myself for an unmet deadline, they laughed. Right then, I knew I had ‘em.

As we continued our conversation, the fun and the sense of mutual deference began to grow. By 6:00 a.m. we were finished with the project and all fear of living in vans under bridges had left the room. As we packed to leave someone asked me if I had taken a masters course in group dynamics. “Nope,” I told ‘em. “Just four years living out community in small group Bible studies.”

After hearing rave reviews, I finally blocked out some time to watch Carnegie Mellon’s Jesse Schell talk about Design Outside the Box. It’s purportedly about video games, but it’s much broader than that. It’s about how technology changes us. It’s quite good.

If you’re a professor (or a student who enjoys feeling dissatisfied with your current plight), you should watch the bit from about 18:14 through about 19:50 (or starting at 19:00 if you’re super-impatient). You can see a crisp image of the grading slide at http://www.slideshare.net/jesseschell/beyond-facebook (it’s slide number 26).

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This addition to my list of writings is a two-page Word document answering the question Does the Bible Assert that Jesus is God?

It’s not a question I get very often, but when I do this is a useful outline for explaining why I believe in the deity of Christ. It usually comes up when a student taking a religious studies class is told that the earliest Christians didn’t think that Jesus was God – this belief is alleged to have been invented out of whole cloth centuries later. Total poppycock, but widely believed in some circles.

In case you need something broader, check out The Biblical Basis For the Doctrine of the Trinity by Rob Bowman. It’s an outstanding guide to the Christian doctrine of God existing in three persons.

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I don’t usually post links to videos (I generally note them in Google Reader, share them on Facebook, or Buzz them), but I thought I’d see if I prefer sharing them this way. Feedback welcome.

I find this 34 second video hilarious. The setup: they are playing a game wherein the contestant must quickly identify substances hidden under containers.

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My list of writings has just grown – I’ve added a new Word document: “What the Bible Says About Money.”

It isn’t really a full-fledged essay. It’s a one-page summary of what the Bible says about money (which is more than most people think) along with some suggested passages for further reflection.

I use it as a handout in the Transitions seminar I do for graduating students.

I have more documents I’ll put online eventually – I’ve produced so many little things like this that I keep forgetting that they’re there until I stumble upon them in the course of my day-to-day ministry.

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In English, the word gospel is laden with religious meaning, but when Jesus and the apostles used the word euangelion (good news/gospel) they were using a nonreligious word from their culture.

There’s a good listing of ancient uses of the word at the Perseus Digital Library, and by combining that list with some other resources I’ve created summary useful for those who don’t know Greek. When I could, I’ve put the Greek word in brackets so you can see the form that is used. This is pretty much just a listing of data without interpretation – I’m merely trying to share some of my research to save time for others who are walking down the same road as me.

This is close to every pre-Christian use of the noun euangelion (I did not investigate the verbal form euangelizomai – click the verb to launch your own research). You will note that the word (which looks like εὐαγγέλιον) is relatively rare in ancient Greek, but common in the New Testament. Also of note, the New Testament often talks of the gospel in the singular (to euangelion), but in pre-Christian literature the form used is almost always different (it is usually plural and often does not have the definite article attached). Even though Jesus and the first Christians used a word from their culture, they clearly invested it with new meaning and placed an unprecedented emphasis upon it.

I have arranged the references into two groups: the first group is from the second-century BC through contemporaries of the New Testament authors, and the second group contains older uses which are less important for demonstrating current usage.

One final disclaimer: this post might make me look like some sort of Greek language guru. I am not. I am about as conversant with the Biblical languages as are most seminary graduates ten years out of their programs… which is to say, not nearly as conversant as I should be.

The Most Important Pre-Christian Uses of the Word Euangelion

The Septuagint (LXX) – 2^nd century BC

The Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses the word in 2 Sam 4:10

when a man told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news [εὐαγγέλια], I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag” (view the Greek)

Diodorus Siculus (1^st century BC) – Library 15.74

[1b] Now Dionysius had produced a tragedy at the Lenaea at Athens and had won the victory, and one of those who sang in the chorus, supposing that he would be rewarded handsomely if he were the first to give news of the victory, set sail to Corinth. There, finding a ship bound for Sicily, he transferred to it, and obtaining favouring winds, speedily landed at Syracuse and gave the tyrant news of the victory. [2] Dionysius did reward him, and was himself so overjoyed that he sacrificed to the gods for the good tidings [εὐαγγέλια] and instituted a drinking bout and great feasts. (view the Greek)

Cicero (1^st century BC)

Cicero (writing in Latin) uses the Greek word twice in his Letters to Atticus. I don’t know if that was considered pretentious or not, but I know that I love seeing the Greek mixed in with the Latin (which tells you just how much of a geek I am).

Letters to Atticus 2.3.1 (around 60 B.C.)

First, a trifle please for good news [εὐαγγέλια]. Valerius has been acquitted with Hortensius as his advocate. (view the Latin)

Letters to Atticus 13.40.1 (around 45 B.C.)

Is that so? Does Brutus really say that Caesar is going over to the right party? That is good news [εὐαγγέλια]. (view the Latin)

The Priene Inscription (9 B.C.)

The most famous pre-Christian use of the word is in The Priene Inscription. This is a letter from the Proconsul Paulus Fabius Maximus engraved in stone (picture) in Priene, a city in modern-day Turkey. Other fragmentary inscriptions of this letter have been found in Apamea, Maeonia, Eumenia, and Dorylaeum. This text is tagged OGIS 458 / SEG IV no 490, which means that you can see more about it in Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae (a 1905 compilation by Wilhelmus Dittenberger usually abbreviated as OGIS, available online) or in Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum (SEG) volume 4. The letter is pretty long, but only the part below is relevant to the gospel.

It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: ‘Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior [σωτήρ], both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance…. surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god [τοῦ θεοῦ] Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings [εὐαγγέλιον] for the world that came by reason of him…

It’s so famous because it brings the idea of Caesar as a god and savior to the world together with the notion that this was good news to be celebrated.

Josephus (1^st century A.D.)

Jewish Wars 2.420

Now this terrible message [that a rebellion was brewing] was good news [εὐαγγέλιον] to Florus; and because his design was to have a war kindled, he gave the ambassadors no answer at all [to their request for assistance in stopping the sedition before it grew]. (see the Greek)

Jewish Wars 4.618

fame carried [the news about Vespatian] abroad more suddenly than one could have thought, that he was emperor over the east, upon which every city kept festivals, and celebrated sacrifices and oblations for such good news [εὐαγγέλια] (see the Greek)

Jewish Wars 4.656

And now, as Vespasian was come to Alexandria, this good news [εὐαγγέλια] came from Rome, and at the same time came embassies from all his own habitable earth, to congratulate him upon his advancement; and though this Alexandria was the greatest of all cities next to Rome, it proved too narrow to contain the multitude that then came to it.  (see the Greek)

Plutarch (1^st century AD)

Agesilaus 33.4

even after the battle at Mantinea, which Thucydides has described, the one who first announced the victory had no other reward for his glad tidings [singular] than a piece of meat sent by the magistrates from the public mess. (see the English context)

Demetrius 17.5

Accordingly, when [Aristodemus] had come near, he stretched out his hand and cried with a loud voice: “Hail, King Antigonus, we have conquered Ptolemy in a sea-fight, and now hold Cyprus, with twelve thousand eight hundred soldiers as prisoners of war.” To this Antigonus replied: “Hail to thee also, by Heaven! but for torturing us in this way, thou shalt undergo punishment; the reward for thy good tidings [plural] thou shalt be some time in getting. (see the English context)

Moralia (Glory of Athens) 347d (and e)

Why, as we are told, the Spartans merely sent meat from the public commons to the man who brought glad tidings [εὐαγγέλιον] of the victory in Mantineia which Thucydides describes! And indeed the compilers of histories are, as it were, reporters of great exploits who are gifted with the faculty of felicitous speech, and achieve success in their writing through the beauty and force of their narration; and to them those who first encountered and recorded the events [εὐαγγέλιον] are indebted for a pleasing retelling of them. (see the Greek, English)

Other (Older) References

Aristophanes (5^th century BC)

You can see the plural of the word used by Aristophanes in The Knights (Equites) lines 647 and 656, both references are plural. This translation is from Translator at Work.

“You!  You… Councillors!  I’ve got good news [εὐαγγέλια — see the Greek] for you!” I said to them.  “News that are so good, I want to make sure that I’m the first to announce them to you.  It’s the price of sardines, folks!  It’s the best it’s ever been since the outbreak of the war!”

Well, you should have seen their faces then! Turned nice and happy right there and then. They wanted to give me a hero’s garland for telling the good news. So I gave them my advice. I said to them that if they wanted to get their fair share for the price of an obol, they should rush down the market and buy themselves all the plates they can. Corner the market.  And keep it all a secret.

They applauded me loudly then and gawked at me awestruck.

But then, that bastard, Paphlagon, who knew how to press the Councillors’ buttons, got up and said, “Men, these auspicious news [εὐαγγέλια — see the Greek] should move us to make a sacrifice to our goddess! I suggest we should slaughter one hundred cows!”

And also in his play Wealth (Plutus) line 765 – (this translation is also from Translator at Work)

So, come on, now, folks! Dance! Come on, all together now: dance and sing and march and be happy because the day will never come again when you come home and find your flour sack empty!  Dance!

Wife:

By the goddess Hekate! What wonderful news! [εὐαγγέλιά — see the Greek] Just for that I’m going to hang a long necklace of bread rolls around your neck!

Aeschines (4^th century BC) Against Ctesiphon section 160

But when Philip was dead and Alexander had come to the throne, Demosthenes again put on prodigious airs and caused a shrine to he dedicated to Pausanias and involved the senate in the charge of having offered sacrifice of thanksgiving as for good news [εὐαγγελίων] (namely that Philip of Macedon had been assassinated by Pausanias) (see the Greek)

Isocrates, Areopagiticus (4^th Century BC) section 10.

As if this were not enough, we have been compelled to save the friends of the Thebans at the cost of losing our own allies; and yet to celebrate the good news [εὐαγγέλια] of such accomplishments we have twice now offered grateful sacrifices to the gods, and we deliberate about our affairs more complaisantly than men whose actions leave nothing to be desired! (see the Greek)

Xenophon (4^th century BC)

Hellenica 1.6.37

This they proceeded to do; and when they were sailing in, Eteonicus began to offer sacrifices for the good news [τὰ εὐαγγέλια], and gave orders that the soldiers should take their dinner, that the traders should put their goods into their boats in silence and sail off to Chios (for the wind was favourable), and that the triremes also should sail thither with all speed. (Glen’s note: this good news was, in this case, fake. Eteonicus was pretending that the dead Callicratidas had instead won a great victory over the Athenians). (see the Greek)

Hellencia 4.3.14

Now Agesilaus, on learning these things, at first was overcome with sorrow; but when he had considered that the most of his troops were the sort of men to share gladly in good fortune if good fortune came, but that if they saw anything unpleasant, they were under no compulsion to share in it,—thereupon, changing the report, he said that word had come that Peisander was dead, but victorious in the naval battle. [14] And at the moment of saying these things he offered sacrifice as if for good news [εὐαγγέλια], and sent around to many people portions of the victims which had been offered; so that when a skirmish with the enemy took place, the troops of Agesilaus won the day in consequence of the report that the Lacedaemonians were victorious in the naval battle. (see the Greek)

Menander?

Supposedly the word is used by Menander (Peric. 993), (4^th century BC), but I can’t find the Greek text online anywhere to verify that.

Homer

Homer used the term twice in The Odyssey (8^th century BC) in 14.152 and 14.166, but The Odyssey was so ancient by New Testament times that I don’t think of it as much help in determining contemporary usage. I’m stretching it to include 4^th and 5^th century references. Homer was as ancient to them as Chaucer is to us. Which, in case you’ve forgotten Chaucer, reads like this: “Whilom, as olde stories tellen us, Ther was a duc that highte Theseus; Of Atthenes he was lord and governour, And in his tyme swich a conquerour…” – not much help to a scholar from the year 4,000 in determining how a word is used in 2010. Bringing in stuff from the 4th century BC is about as ancient as I care to get.

If I learn of more references (or if I have any mistakes pointed out to me) I’ll update this post.

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Every morning before my daughter heads to kindergarten I read her a Bible story. This morning I read something Jesus said and asked her if there was anything she didn’t understand.

“Well…. where was Jesus when he said this?”

“In Israel. Why?”

“I was wondering if he was on earth or in heaven when he said it.”

“He was on earth, honey.”

And then my three-year old son said, “Or on fire.”

That’s almost certainly not as funny to you as it was to me, but I present it here for your consideration. Whenever Jesus said something, he was either in heaven, on earth, or on fire.

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