The Questions Behind the Question

Today I met with a student who will graduate this May, and is trying to figure out what to do after college. A fairly frequent scenario. Like many seniors, the most pressing question in this student's mind was, "What should I do?!?!" It's easy to get a bit frustrated when God does not make the answer as plain as day, and quickly. Students get frustrated, and so do I as someone who wants desperately to say something helpful.

What I'm realizing, though, is that the seeming delay and silence on God's part often bring other questions to the surface, such as: How do I even hear God's voice? How does He guide me? What am I really passionate about? What are my gifts? Where am I being invited to trust Him? What fears are acting as barriers in my life?

I suppose God could dole out guidance and specific direction more liberally if He wanted. He'd certainly have fewer graduating seniors shaking their fists at Him! But He is always wanting to draw us into a deeper intimacy with Him, revealing truths and mysteries about how He has made us, and how we can know Him better.

That said, I'm learning that I can be more helpful if I resist the urge to simply give good career advice, but to help students press deeper into the invitations that God extends during times of decision. The senior I met with today left our time with a renewed eagerness to know God personally, to hear His voice, to be free of her fears, and to become a person who knows better how she has been uniquely created to bless the world. If she gets all that, a little career advice just sounds like icing on the cake!

Maturity?

Last week, we spent 48 hours with the other InterVarsity Area Directors in New England on a "spiritual formation" retreat. These times are immensely valuable to us in our ministry. As we call students to transformation, God does the same to us.

My major "a-ha" moment this past retreat was realizing my underlying belief that as I gain more experience and our ministry grows, I ought to be better able to "figure things out", to have more know-how and competency out of which to operate. That seems harmless enough at first glance, and is largely how the world operates.

But the underlying harm in this is believing that I should somehow need God less as time goes on, when in fact the very opposite is true. As our ministry grows and impacts more and more lives, I need more wisdom, more love, more power from God than I ever have before!

So often "maturity" is defined by becoming less needy and more independent. But in the case of spiritual life and leadership, I'm starting to realize that maturity means a deeper dependence and embrace of just how much I need from Jesus, apart from whom I can do nothing.

-Paul

Faith and Politics

This month I'll be giving a talk at a couple of our fellowships called "The Way of Jesus in an Election Year." I've never really spoken much about politics in a ministry setting, but given how much the election is on students' minds these days, it seems important to address.

My main hesitancy in combining politics and ministry has always been a distaste for ministers telling the congregations who to vote for, and using people's choices as a measuring stick for one's faithfulness as a follower of Christ. So I'm going to do my best to not tip my hand during my talk as to who I will vote for.

Instead, I'll be calling people to relate to one another in a Christ-like manner, even if they disagree on political issues. Senator John Danforth writes in Faith and Politics, "If Christianity is supposed to be a ministry of reconciliation and has become, instead, a divisive force in American political life, something is terribly wrong, and we should correct it."

I enjoy the fact that our InterVarsity chapters are comprised of both conservative and liberal students, drawn together by a common pursuit of Jesus. I pray that their diversity proves to be not divisive, but rather an arena for grace and reconciliation, qualities which would be a real breath of fresh air in our society during an election year (and any other time!)

-Paul

Satisfaction

This morning I was doing a monthly report of our ministry that is designed to help us take tome out to reflect on the past month and think and pray about the coming month and what we want to accomplish. One of the questions really helped me notice how much I've been enjoying ministry so far this year and I thought I'd post it here:

What has been your great joy or satisfaction in ministry this month? What has given you a sense of accomplishment?
Absolutely working at Mass College of Pharmacy!!! This is a special group of students. They are so missional and they have faith that God is going to do something big on campus. Working with them has increased my faith for God’s power to work on campus and increased my prayer for ministry and reliance on Jesus for wisdom, direction, and ideas. It’s hard to even explain how amazing it is to work there and with this group of leaders and how satisfying it is. I think part of it is that it is totally new for me to work with a group like this – commuters, incredibly diverse, science-oriented, etc – that I HAVE to rely on God in leading that I never have had to before and so I’ve really experienced him leading through me.

- Liz

Planting Seeds

Today I met with two students at UMass-Boston to pray for that campus in hopes of one day starting an InterVarsity chapter there. We reflected a bit on Jesus' comparison to a mustard seed. For a visual, I had us each hold literal mustard seed in our fingers. In holding one of these seeds, one can't help but think, "wow, this thing is SMALL!" It's tiny, barely even visible. Yet Jesus uses a mustard seed to describe the origins of something that eventually grows large and is a blessing to many.

I have to say, three people sitting around a picnic table praying in the midst of a giant campus feels pretty tiny, and barely visible. But could it be that in this small gathering lies the seed of something large that is a blessing to many? I guess we'll see.....

- Paul

Really?

Sometimes it amazes me how much I love my job. Sometimes I think. "Really? REALLY? I get to do this for a living!?! It's hard to describe the moments I feel this especially - whether it's right after an energizing prayer or planning time with students or during a meeting with one of the staff I supervise. Usually a time like this involves me sensing God working through me to bless, challenge, or empower students or staff.

I've especially felt this the last few weeks as I notice God working through me in my weakest of areas. It's hard to admit is as a ministry worker, but prayer has never been a strength of mine. But lately I've experienced God speaking to me and leading and guiding me while in prayer with students and staff. And when my connection to God leads me to bless, challenge, and empower others, that's when I especially love my job. :)

- Liz

From the Recent Reading List....

I'm always trying to get my hands on enriching books to help in my development as a person, leader, and minister. Here are five reads from this past year that have knocked my socks off and that I'd recommend:

Heroic Leadership: Best Practices From a 450-Year Old Company that Changed the World by Chris Lowney. Loaded with inspirational stories, the basic gist is that leadership is less about tactics and techniques as it is about who you are as a leader.

Not the Religious Type: Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist by Dave Schmelzer (my pastor!). To what degree does one need to adopt "Christian Culture" in order to follow Jesus? Hmmmm.....

Strategic Intuition: The Creative Spark in Human Achievement by William Duggan. It's often been hard to explain "what we've done" when things have gone well in our work. This book comes pretty close.

UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks of Christianity and Why it Matters by David Kinnaman. The truth hurts, but the truth also sets us free...

Surrender to Love by David Benner. All this guy's books are DEEP and this one's no exception.

- Paul

More than co-workers

This week I have been coping with the sadness and shock of my grandmother suddenly passing away last Thursday. Of course, the death of a loved one never comes at a good time, but in this case, I truly felt that this could not have come at a worse time for me.

The gatherings and ceremonies designed to help my family say goodbye to Grandma coincided with InterVarsity New England’s Regional Staff Conference, normally a highlight of each year. This meant lots of shuffling back and forth between Springfield, MA, and Rindge, NH. I feared that being torn between the two worlds would ruin both of them—that my grief over my grandmother would make staff conference miserable and that the bustle of trying to participate in the conference would short-circuit my grieving process.

As it turns out, though death never comes at a good time, in this case it came at the best time possible for me. Being with my staff colleagues proved immensely helpful during this week. They’re all well-versed in helping people “process” hard things and were full of hugs, listening ears, and encouraging words. And in how many other workplaces would people pray for me and my family in the middle of a meeting?

And while Grandma’s funeral caused me to miss some of the content of the conference, it vividly impressed upon me the truth of the good news we proclaim: that Jesus conquered the grave, and death has no hold on those who (like Grandma) put their faith in him.

I thank God for taking what initially looked like a lose-lose situation and making it a win-win. In the end He provided abundantly for me in a tough time by surrounding me with my fellow staff. And He infused me with a deepened appreciation for this wonderful community of friends and for the message that we lay our lives down to proclaim.

-Paul

Been a while...

Well, I guess we took a break from blogging over the summer. ;) Our work is in full-swing as we and our staff prepare for the new year. Students in Boston will begin moving back to school in the next few weeks!

Paul and I had a great vacation - 2 full weeks! - at the end of July. We went to the White Mountains in NH for a couple days at the beginning of our time off, but then we stayed at home and did the fun things in Boston we never get a chance to do. (That's us at the Museum of Science and at a Red Sox game on our anniversary).

While on vacation, I realized how much better I need to be at getting good rest this year. I started out well in that department last year, but by second semester I got off schedule and was working too much. I'm hopeful that this year can be different and that regular rest will make all the difference. It's easy for me to think I can do it all instead of seeking God to give me the insight and wisdom I need for this ministry. I can't expect that from him unless I stop long enough to rest and listed for his voice.

- Liz

Fresh Fenway Faces

On Monday we had our first Fenway Area team meeting in which our new hires joined the existing staff (see photo at left). I suppose that between all the time we’ve spent this past year recruiting people and reading applications, conducting interviews and making offers, I’ve been aware that our team is experiencing a growth spurt. But somehow it didn’t really hit me until I looked around the room on Monday just how generous God has been to us.

Given the increase we’ve been experiencing in overall student numbers, we knew coming into this year that we’d need several new staff to sustain this rate of growth. It felt like Jesus’ words were aimed straight at us: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Well, ask and you shall receive, I guess—heading into next year, we’ll supervise three new interns, one of this year’s interns will come on full-time, and two other full-time staff will join our team!

Of all the staff we supervise, I can’t tell what’s more amazing… Is it the former students we’ve worked with for years, seeing them mature before our eyes into gifted leaders who we’re now proud to call colleagues? Or is it the people we never knew existed even while we were praying for people JUST like them?

I guess it doesn’t really matter; I’ll just be amazed be the Lord of the harvest!

Paul

Style Points

A few months back, I had the chance to speak at Northeastern University’s InterVarsity chapter. I was unaware at the time, but in attendance that night was a student who I’ll call Carrie; she was there to observe our meeting for a class assignment, in which she hoped to prove true that her many negative stereotypes of Christians.

In the paper she wrote for class, Carrie described my talk this way: “The talk was less like preaching than I had expected, and much more like a personal account of the speaker’s journey to faith… Instead of preaching, instead of telling non-Christians that they were on the wrong path or attempting to tell them what was right, (he) merely shared a story.”

What’s funny is that my talk that night was loaded with scripture, and even contained a call for Christian students to share their faith with non-believing friends. I had to double-check to make sure Carrie was describing the same message!

I take her feedback as a major compliment. I’ve believed for a long time that it’s possible to deliver a message that is substantial, deep, and Bible-based while at the same time accessible to skeptics and spiritual newcomers. This is what I aim for every time out, and it’s nice to receive a sign that I’m at least getting there…

As it turns out, that meeting was the first of many InterVarsity events that Carrie has attended, and as a result she now says, “At first I was a skeptic about the whole experience. I wanted nothing to do with Christianity…The one thing I'm not skeptical about anymore is God, and his refound role in my life.”

Paul

Who's the real winner?

I returned last week from a nine-day trip
to New Orleans with 14 BU athletes. We lived and worked in St. Bernard Parish, which the government declared 100% destroyed after Katrina, the most destruction on record in US history! About 1/3 of the residents have rebuilt their homes and returned, but even for these folks, most of their once-proud community beyond their physical houses is still in a state of disrepair.

I was so proud of our students, as they applied the strength and work ethic they've gained as varsity athletes to the work of rebuilding this community. The work was often not glamorous, but they devoted their full energy to it, without reservation or complaints of any kind. By the week's end, public parks had become usable for the first time since Katrina, and a new skate park and arcarde were ready for use by area children.

A local family tearfully told us how much it meant to them that they could now resume their tradition of weekly picnics in the park after a nearly three-year hiatus. They told us how grateful they were that their kids now have something fun to do outside the home. And they expressed that our team's mere presence their provided hope and encouragement in the midst of the dreary and wearisome process of rebuilding their Parish.

The students' hard work was clearly a blessing to those they served. And yet it's funny.... as we've returned to campus, all the athletes can talk about is how much THEY were blessed, how THEY experienced renewal in their lives, how grateful THEY are for the experience of serving.

By now I've led over a dozen teams of students on service projects in struggling parts of our nation and abroad. And every time, those who go to serve come back saying how they gained more than they gave.

I cherish these opportunities to build relationships between college students and those less fortunate. I marvel at the mutuality of blessing. In some ways it's counter-intuitive that those "serving" would end up feeling as though they've been served.

But this dynamic makes perfect sense in Jesus' kingdom, a realm in which he describes folks gaining true life by giving their lives away; a realm in which God uses the weak to show His glory to the strong; a realm in which greatness comes through being a servant, and glory through humility. The ways of Jesus' kingdom don't always make sense on paper, but they came alive to me and made perfect sense in St. Bernard Parish.

Paul

ps--the week in New Orleans was FULL of dynamic spiritual conversations between me and the athletes. Please pray for the continuation of these conversations back on campus!

A tale of two cities

Paul and I divided and conquered during spring break this year. We ran
two trips - one on Boston and one in New Orleans - for 25 BU students during the second week in March. Even though we were apart for 10 days, we treasured the opportunity to lead students into life-changing experiences.

Paul will explain in the next post more of what he was a part of in New Orleans, but though we were practically a country apart we saw God do some similar things in both places. We each saw God at clearly at work in the parts of the city we were in, we both got to see students partner with groups that do ongoing work in New Orleans and Boston, and we saw students wrestle with God over the realities of what they were seeing and how faith in Jesus was connected to the work they were doing.

In Boston, 11 students partnered with a great organization called The Boston Project Ministries. The students were able to serve in a variety of ways from cleaning a church in Boston to driving books for children around Boston to playing board games with the homeless at a shelter. Their eyes were opened to whole neighborhoods of the city they had never been to and their hearts were opened to loving the city and the people that they met.

We were really impressed by the work of the Boston Project and it turned out to be a great week. Thanks to all who prayed for these students and this project in Boston. Here's a short note from the director of the Boston Project that we wanted to pass on:

...we had an amazing week last week – thank all of your team for us once again! I really believe it was one of the best spring break trips I’ve helped to lead in the last four years. It just seemed like God’s anointing was all over the trip... It was cool to see several people back at our church on Sunday, too :)

Blessings on the rest of your semester,

Keith

Thanks again for your prayers - they clearly had an impact!

Liz

Two weeks ago...

The two fellowships at BU put on a great outreach event two weeks ago. The topic was “Where is God when it hurts?” and 80 students came out on a Wednesday night which was a great turn out. The event itself was excellent and well put together. The atmosphere was inviting, there was great energy in the room, and our speaker was really engaging. One of our hopes for the event was that some students would respond to the call by the speaker to become followers of Jesus for the first time. However, that didn’t happen as no one raised their hand to indicate this when the speaker prayed and no one wrote this on the response cards we handed out either. I was very disappointed. However, after praying and reflecting and processing the event with students and other staff the past two weeks, we have come to realize that there were other great things that happened this night. We put on a great event and many of the fellowship students left feeling like they wished they had brought their friends. Comments on the response cards included:

• “It was interesting to hear different perspectives and it answered questions about why I doubt where God is”
• “It was good to hear someone actually try to talk about this question when most Christians try to avoid it!”
• “I wish I’d brought my friends.”
• “I wish my friend had heard this.
• “Why don’t these events happen more often? It’s perfect to bring friends to.”

Reaching the campus for Jesus is a big job and it’s like we’re fighting a war to do it. We won a battle in the larger war two weeks ago when the fellowship students realized how much their friends needed to hear the story of Jesus and how they could be a part of that. Thanks to those who prayed.

Liz

(Not) on my own

A few weeks back I was facing a particularly hectic week and began to notice how the ministry tasks at hand were collectively causing my stress and anxiety levels to rise much too drastically. I'm usually busy, but not usually so anxious and this bothered me.

A few days later things had calmed down a bit, but I was still a little confused as to why I had been so anxious. I've been using a read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan as I drink my morning coffee and came across Mark 6. In this chapter Mark records the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and the subsequent episode of Jesus walking on the water. The disciples had just seen Jesus perform a miracle by turning five fish and two loaves into food for thousands of people. A few hours later they are on a boat and freaking out because of a storm and the fact that they see Jesus doing something else miraculous - walking on water. "Immediately he spoke to them and said "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened" (Mark 6:50-52).

I had never really noticed the part of the disciples' hearts being hardened. They were likely tired from the ministry of the recent days, but even though they were with Jesus they somehow missed the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Why were their hearts hardened? Had they decided that they had had enough of Jesus that week? Were they "done" with being open to the things he had to teach them?

Do I do that - do I decide that I'm done with Jesus' care for the day or for the week? Do I try to care for myself? Had my stress from the previous week come at least in some part from my attempts to care for myself? Did the busy week show how much more I need to learn how to be refreshed by Jesus and not rely on myself for the strength I need?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

That week was definitely busy and more stressful than most. It taught me to be more watchful of my tendency to take on too much. But it also taught me about my tendency to rely on myself and my own abilities to get work done and accomplish ministry tasks.

The vision of our ministry is too big for me to try to do it on my own. I'm glad I felt that stress so severely that week because it showed me just how much more I need to rely on Jesus for strength and refreshment.

Liz

Starting out

I never thought I would want to blog, but then I read my sister-in-law's blog. Her blog is about the crazy, but wonderful time she has raising her three kids. I don't have any kids, but I love reading the blog because it lets me in to her life more than I would be able to be otherwise. I know her better - what makes her stop and think, what makes her mad, what makes her such a good mom - all because I occasionally read her blog.

I've got things to share too. I have a hard time putting a lot of my thoughts and feelings and insights "out there." Maybe it's because I've always been a little shy. Sometimes I don't have the right words to say in the moment. But the ministry that I'm part of with InterVarsity in the Boston Fenway deserves to be known. Too many things are happening - both amazing and to be honest, sometimes not-so-amazing. If I need to learn how to be a part of this world of blogging in order for these things to be known, so be it. Here it goes...

Liz