Imitation Moment

In the book Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis there are times when he teaches through a hypothetical conversation between Christ and a disciple of Christ. I love this didactic strategy because he invites me in to identify with the disciple and to consider the words of Christ in a new way.

All the craziness associated with pulling together all the last-minute details for the Z2 Convergence that we begin tomorrow forces me to pause for a second to consider an interesting conversation between a disciple and Christ!

Disciple: Where are you, Lord, when I'm overwhelmed with all these details and all this stress?


Christ: I'm here with you, as you know already. I wonder what is overwhelming you to the point that you only now turn to me?


Disciple: I recognize that you have been here the whole time. At the same time, as my tasks continue to come at me with amazing vigor, my thoughts entertain the ever-present mountain called "things-still-to-get-done." I write them down "here" and "there." I forget about "this" or "that." I actually remember "the other thing" and manage to crank out pieces of randomness to add to the little hill called "finished." Are you just sitting there watching me? Waiting for something? What is going on?


Christ: Sure I see all that, my child. Actually, I feel how overwhelming it is for you. You take on so many things! I love that about you! I remember creating you like that on purpose. I also remember creating you to take delight in me, to experience peace in me. I see times when your faith in me alone carries you beyond this thing you are calling a mountain. You let go and sit at my feet as you breath your next breath, learning from me the way you must go. I love those moments that you are even unaware of yourself and so sensitive to my moving that it is as if I were directing your path according to my word. You do that so well, my child. Keep it up.

Brother Lawrence

Practicing the Presence of God is a good read for someone endeavoring to journey closer to God. Brother Lawrence sought to live life with God as a continual inward conversation with God done in humility and out of deep love.

This is an appealing endeavor for me, since I have been known to speak aloud to God as if he were a person in the room. The flies on the wall regularly asked me with whom am I speaking! As I read about my 17th Century Brother, I thank God for the reminder to talk with him and think on him regularly!

What is really cool about Brother Lawrence's admonition is that it is like prayer on speed! You are conversing with the divine, but you cannot stop at the Amen! You keep going. You must continue. It bleeds into your life. You must turn your mind to God as you do everything. It is a sort of OCD obsession with letting God in on doing laundry or homework or grocery shopping or driving or you name it! God is present...waiting to have that talk!

As you read his treatise, you get the sense that an inexpressible joy exudes from every pore! It is an attractive thing for me. To be so content with God...to be so aligned with his will...to be so one with his desires...to be so in his presence that the normal means that we have of accomplishing this oneness (i.e. times of prayer, worship) can be readily set aside. We are already there. We are already tasting the heavenly presence. Attractive isn't it? It is for me.

Well, at the risk of getting many of us checked into a mental hospital, I want to encourage us to spend our day talking aloud with God. Be aware of his presence. Ask him his thoughts. Wonder at his creation. Thank him for his blessings. Inquire what he would have you do. Experience his love.

Let me know how it goes.

Amazing Conversations

Well, today was filled with amazing conversations. I tried something that I haven't done too much of in the past. I guess I am calling them prayer bombs. They actually go off during the conversations that I have with my readers.

I will ask them to read the passage for the day. While they are reading, I pray for them. I pray that God open their hearts and minds to understand Him better. I pray that His word do great things during our conversation. I pray that their eyes open to see Him in me. I pray that I use the right words to give them understanding and that God give them the true understanding that they need to live for Jesus.

Do you know what happened today? God blew up the place. Our conversations were unlike anything I have ever experienced on an LST project...and this is my fifth project! Every one of my readers opened up to me or God's word for no reason. I didn't do anything special except throw these prayer bombs.

They asked me for advice concerning specific problems they were going through. They were brought to tears at not being able to read again. They were intensely curious about why I followed Jesus. They made new commitments to following Jesus. It was pretty cool to witness.

Kats for Christ Name Change

We are Kats for Christ.

In years past we have been called "The Bible Chair" (some still call us that) or "The Church of Christ Bible Chair" or "The Church of Christ Student Center."

Beginning this fall semester we are intentionally starting to make a move from "Church of Christ Student Center" to "Kats for Christ." While we have been using both interchangeably since the early 90s, the Lord has led me to help us make this much-needed transition official. There are several reasons this transition needs to happen.

First Reason

We need to point others to Jesus rather than to a particular denomination. This is shaped mostly by my meditation on the stories of Jesus. I hear Jesus' words burning in my heart. "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." "...any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."

The more I look at our students the more I see people who want to follow Jesus more than any particular denomination. Without rejecting their denomination, they do experience tension in contending that their denomination is the only one students should choose. They recognize that Jesus calls us to loosen the dividing lines of religiosity, to love our "Samaritan" neighbors with God's love, and to invite "the sick" in to be healed by our heavenly doctor. All of these help us fulfill Jesus' charge to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. Our students understand that Jesus transcends and permeates our dividing walls. That is why they feel this tension.

Second Reason

The students on campus are starving for the heavenly feast of Jesus. They need a safe place to come where they can encounter our Lord without any strings attached. And unfortunately (right now anyway) our church buildings are unsafe. Innocently, as students come to our church buildings we exalt the church building or being a part of our denomination rather than Jesus. We invite them to potlucks, to worship services, to whatever other events we can create. These are good! Hear me! At the same time, we force them to fill out this card so we can contact them later, we lock them in to hear our little spiel, or we stigmatize them as outsiders in the way that we talk about belonging to our group.

It seems like Jesus allowed people to belong to him publicly without forcing himself into their "space." He fed thousands and seemed to be okay with this. Even those who come looking for him afterwards in John 6:25ff. (presumably at their own initiative) are met with more admonitions to work for eternal life kind of food. In Luke 7:1-10 Jesus could have easily forced himself into the centurion's house; he was even on the way. Yet, when he hears this, he stops and reveals the surprising example of faith (rampant in Luke) to the crowds following him!

Jesus never told the centurion to fill out a card if he wants to really belong to the faithful. Jesus never admonished the centurion that he needs to have more faith. He simply and safely meets people where they are and allows them to belong without any pharisaical strings.

Interestingly enough, simply changing the name on our building from "Church of Christ Student Center" to "Kats for Christ" will tremendously help us create a safe place for those looking simply to belong to Jesus.

Third Reason

We have to change our initial conversations to focus more on Jesus! We must spread the fragrance of Christ wherever we go! We must stop creating a hurdle for students in their search for Jesus! Our name has been creating that hurdle!

Consider the hypothetical (yet incredibly normal) conversation below. Notice the trajectory of the conversation, even if we say the exact same thing after their first question.

NEW STUDENT: "What group are you with?"

KFC REP: "I'm with the Church of Christ Student Center."

NEW STUDENT: "Oh...okay. Well what do you do?"

KFC REP: "Well, we do everything we can to follow Jesus."

NEW STUDENT: "Do I have to be a member of the Church of Christ to come?" ....

Notice the subtle tendency in the conversation toward Church of Christ rather than Jesus. I see the new students thoughts in their question. They think (always to themselves), "I smell the fragrance of a denomination here! I better explore this!"

In today's campus environment all kinds of red flags go up for students when they sense exclusiveness from anyone...even if they are part of a particular denomination. It makes them incredibly uncomfortable to know that someone would reject another believer's beliefs based solely on their denomination. And they will avoid any Christian group that even "seems" to give that impression with their name.

Change the name, change the conversation! Change the name, change the fragrance!

Consider these new conversations that I anticipate becoming normal:

NEW STUDENT: "What group are you with?"

KFC REP: "I'm with the Kats for Christ?"

NEW STUDENT: "Oh...okay. Well what do you do?"

KFC REP: "Well, we do everything we can to follow Jesus."

NEW STUDENT: "Like what?" ....

This conversation explores the ways that we seek to follow Jesus in our service, our Bible studies, our conversations, our activities, our friendships, our mission trips, and in our relationships with everyone. The denomination conversation takes a back seat.

Sure, if someone wanted to know, they will eventually ask. We have no reason to hide that we are supported by Huntsville Church of Christ and carry many of its traditions. What is important in today's campus culture is the center of the conversation: Jesus! The fragrance of Christ is spread more readily with something as simple as a new name.

Name Change

Our name is an expression of our character, our values, and our focus. We seek to train and mature disciples of Jesus.

We are Kats for Christ.

The work continues

Lee Ann and I are in our second day of reading. We are working hard. There is a wide variety in our readers' level of English. Some have more difficulty than others. Even some of the one's who can't speak well, however, are receiving the seed of God's word in their hearts. We can only praise God for this. Here I am reading with one of my readers, Felipe. Our conversations normally last about one hour. We read with up to eight people per day.

Not enough time

I want to ask God for more time this week! There is just not enough of it.

Today was filled with conversation with students. All of them were good! They were conversations that needed to happen. A lot of ministry happened. I would like to think that God used these conversations for his glory. He probably did!

But, looking back on the day, I find myself wishing I could have gotten more things done! I did read the Bible. I continued preparing for class on Wednesday (on Jacob). I made some headway on our LST information meeting coming up on Wednesday. I thought about Thursday devo. I thought about what the Lord might want to say through me to a big group of teenagers on Sunday. I gave our intern some assignments, our secretary some paperwork, and our dog a trip to the vet. But, I feel like I didn't get anything done.

It is one of those things that I experience more than I like to admit. I am working on things that have an end, but most of the time they don't actually get completely finished until the day of or the day before. I don't like that!

It is easy for me to ask for more time. I hate to say this, but I won't get any more time. It is not going to happen. I will just keep using the time the Lord has given me. I continue to pray that He use it for His glory. May you be glorified as I offer myself to you and others. Please give me words to say at the appropriate time.

Connections

It is such a good thing to have good conversations with those to whom you have felt disconnected. Last night I had a wonderful conversation with my mom. I know it might be weird, but there has been something there that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Maybe Christmas, maybe Thanksgiving, maybe Tanya, maybe Kayla, maybe something else. Something was weird. Well, we were just able to talk about stuff. We weren't mean; we weren't defensive; we weren't blaming anyone; we weren't doing anything...except talking...reconnecting. I look forward to talking to her again today.

I praise you, Father, that you have helped me connect again with my mom. Your streams of living water are now flowing in our relationship.

Let me ask you now...who do you need to re-connect with? Do it now before you don't have the chance.