The next 3 weeks literally contain the due dates for all my major projects, papers or presentations for the semester...Yippee! The only good news is that by Easter, except for finals which are no small things, but at least limited by in-class exam time frames, I will be all done with my major work for the semester. Ah...I knew I was looking forward to Easter! (Definitely for more than that. It's just a very happy coincidence!)
The other good part is that I have done more homework today than in a long time--and have gotten a great deal done, though there's twice that much left to do. Hmm...I'm pretty sure I'm moving forward...
Saturday, March 20, 2004
All the passions rolled into one
Last night I had the pleasure of speaking to our Graduate Christian Fellowship large group. A generally exciting thing is the level of relationship I have with each of the core GCF members keeps growing! So does the overall level of relationships we all have with each other. But, beyond that the combination of effects last night meant I literally got to experience or embody my three greatest passions all in one fell swoop.
1. I helped with singing for worship. (Passion #1 = Worship)
2. I was expositing Philippians 2:1-8. (Passion #2 = Word of God/teaching Scripture)
3. The topic was fellowship (small groups as witnessing communities), and my co-planners
and I worked to help us "do community" since we were talking about it.
(Passion #3 = pursuing right relationships)
It was absolutely glorious to realize that I really did have all 3 all at once in this evening.
Very, very cool.
1. I helped with singing for worship. (Passion #1 = Worship)
2. I was expositing Philippians 2:1-8. (Passion #2 = Word of God/teaching Scripture)
3. The topic was fellowship (small groups as witnessing communities), and my co-planners
and I worked to help us "do community" since we were talking about it.
(Passion #3 = pursuing right relationships)
It was absolutely glorious to realize that I really did have all 3 all at once in this evening.
Very, very cool.
Monday, March 15, 2004
God keeps opening doors
I had coffee with Nesrin and Cindy yesterday (my two International student, non-Christian friends) and we spent 2 hours in probably the best of all the Jesus conversations we've ever had! It began with some discussion of the Passion movie, though we'd seen it separately and went full into what it means to be a Christian, what the point of Jesus' death and resurrection means for us in terms of how God now views us through Jesus as the perfect one and that our sins/offenses against God are "paid for" by Jesus. I probably tried about 6 different ways of sharing the heart of the gospel...
We talked about what it means to go to heaven, and who might
"deserve" heaven and what it would take to be "deserving" of heaven. And
even Nesrin asked me, so who do Christians think are going to heaven? And I
looked right back at her, knowing full well my answer meant I think she is
not, and said, Only those who believe and depend on what Jesus has done.
She even agreed that Muslims believe only Muslims will go to heaven, so
Christians believe that only Christians go to heaven. It made sense to her.
We talked about Muhammed and Jesus and could agree on some fundamental and
huge differences, essentially surrounding Jesus, between Islam and
Christianity. From something she said I even "offered" the idea that where
as Muhammed never claimed to be God, Jesus in fact did, and so we have to
evaluate him by his own claims, and consider why he said that and what it
means (a bit of the liar, lunatic, Lord thought) So much....we even talked
about the Trinity as Nesrin said Muslims (we) believe in One God only (since
we'd been talking about Jesus and God) and so I talked about our belief in
One God expressed in 3 forms and tried to nail down that Jesus and God are
the same being...
Toward the end I also expressed my desire for them to let me know
if I go "overboard" ever as we talk, saying that because this is so core to
who I am, I know that's a real possibility. Both affirmed their comfort in
being able to talk with me about Jesus and see a warmth in my responses to
them...Cindy said that I today actually helped clarify and explain a lot
that she'd never understood before from her short time in church and that I
helped by offering a rationale for why things are or connect, not just "This
is true, believe it." but making sense of what it means and why. That seems
such a high compliment--on both fronts, that what I've said is helpful and
is openly communicated in such as way as will keep the doors open for future
conversations. But wow, oh wow. Where as this past week (Thursday) I was
feeling really down and lots discouraged about where Nesrin, Cindy and I
were--fearing that too many invitations to "Christian stuff" had
overwhelmed them, this was incredible at showing me how much God is doing
work in them. However, it was also a very clear picture that both are far
from really seeing Jesus as One who they'd follow as Lord of their lives or
love entirely and devote themselves to....So I pray on, and praise God
significantly for His watering and growing seeds that I could not see!
We talked about what it means to go to heaven, and who might
"deserve" heaven and what it would take to be "deserving" of heaven. And
even Nesrin asked me, so who do Christians think are going to heaven? And I
looked right back at her, knowing full well my answer meant I think she is
not, and said, Only those who believe and depend on what Jesus has done.
She even agreed that Muslims believe only Muslims will go to heaven, so
Christians believe that only Christians go to heaven. It made sense to her.
We talked about Muhammed and Jesus and could agree on some fundamental and
huge differences, essentially surrounding Jesus, between Islam and
Christianity. From something she said I even "offered" the idea that where
as Muhammed never claimed to be God, Jesus in fact did, and so we have to
evaluate him by his own claims, and consider why he said that and what it
means (a bit of the liar, lunatic, Lord thought) So much....we even talked
about the Trinity as Nesrin said Muslims (we) believe in One God only (since
we'd been talking about Jesus and God) and so I talked about our belief in
One God expressed in 3 forms and tried to nail down that Jesus and God are
the same being...
Toward the end I also expressed my desire for them to let me know
if I go "overboard" ever as we talk, saying that because this is so core to
who I am, I know that's a real possibility. Both affirmed their comfort in
being able to talk with me about Jesus and see a warmth in my responses to
them...Cindy said that I today actually helped clarify and explain a lot
that she'd never understood before from her short time in church and that I
helped by offering a rationale for why things are or connect, not just "This
is true, believe it." but making sense of what it means and why. That seems
such a high compliment--on both fronts, that what I've said is helpful and
is openly communicated in such as way as will keep the doors open for future
conversations. But wow, oh wow. Where as this past week (Thursday) I was
feeling really down and lots discouraged about where Nesrin, Cindy and I
were--fearing that too many invitations to "Christian stuff" had
overwhelmed them, this was incredible at showing me how much God is doing
work in them. However, it was also a very clear picture that both are far
from really seeing Jesus as One who they'd follow as Lord of their lives or
love entirely and devote themselves to....So I pray on, and praise God
significantly for His watering and growing seeds that I could not see!
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
Mel Gibson's "The PASSION of the CHRIST"
Again my priorities are realigned and my devotion is clear:
This Jesus, our Christ, is the man/God/Lord worth giving up everything for.
When and where He says, "Follow Me" may I be found there at His side.
This Jesus, our Christ, is the man/God/Lord worth giving up everything for.
When and where He says, "Follow Me" may I be found there at His side.
