OSU Campus Visit

We went to OSU three weeks ago on a campus visit. Going on this campus visit helped me to understand Asbury in a much better way. Asbury is a church that has invested heavily in student ministry, and it shows. These students have a heart for God, and a heart to serve God through missions. I heard story after story about students choosing to go overseas for the summer or the year after graduation to serve God in missions. I couldn't believe how ingrained it was in the students. My respect level sky-rocketed for the work of the student ministry at Asbury.

Jon Bon Jovi

Last night, Todd and I went on a campus visit to OU and on the way back met up with the Blagg who had free tickets to Jon Bon Jovi. Now, I am not a big Bon Jovi fan, but I can't pass up a free arena concert.

The whole experience was like I was stepping back in time. The guitarist looked like he was straight out of the 80s wearing a top hat and a long coat with tails. Bon Jovi was wearing a vest with nothing on underneath, and the sound was straight from I love the 80's.

I looked around the sea of people to see 16,000 40 year old men and women reliving their glory days as high schoolers. Many were rockin it out with Jon and making out and grooving with people around them. At one point Todd said to me that if I was around in ten years and ever saw him acting like that to quickly point out the ridiculousness of the action.

Liquor License

We went camping in Devil's Den this past weekend. Since we forgot to bring beer, Abby went into "town" to see if she could come up with some while I was setting up the tent in scattered rain. After over an hour she finally returned from West Fork, Arkansas empty handed. Turns out the beer couldn't be bought because the churches had bought up all the liquor licenses in that town. I don't know if that is even possible, but even the idea raises several points. First and most importantly, this is the classic case of Christ against culture. Normally this is done through political power. However, here it is done through the free market- capitalism at its best.
Furthermore, what a stand to take, churches! Good job on establishing the right standards.

Lent

From Churchmarketingsucks.com

We're playing telephone today: we got a link from the Cheapertising blog who highlighted the Got Religion blog who covered a story from the Telegraph. It takes a timely look at the season of Lent in the Netherlands, and a current re-branding that's under way. I'll quote:

"Dutch Catholics have re-branded the Lent fast as the 'Christian Ramadan' in an attempt to appeal to young people who are more likely to know about Islam than Christianity."

As the season of Lent has become less important for the Dutch over the past years, they feel something must be done. Martin Van der Kull, director of Vastenaktie, a Catholic charity, had this to say:

"The image of the Catholic Lent must be polished. The fact that we use a Muslim term is related to the fact that Ramadan is a better-known concept among young people than Lent."

Defining a Christian event in Muslim terms is a foreign concept, especially here in Protestant America. But thinking deeper, is it really so bad to explain Lent as a "Christian Ramadan?" It seems like at least a good way to communicate what happens during Lent to a non-Christian listener. Either way, it's sure an interesting way to market your church in a Muslim location, and it keeps with our international theme of late.

Prayer and Sex

from Prayer by Yancy p159

"I think prayer is analogous to sex. Most people would complain about their sex lives; a few do really well. Sex and prayer are intimate and over-glamorized relationships. We all are led to believe that we should be in the stratosphere in sex and in prayer. It sets up a false expectation. And breaks down intimacy.

Why Pray?

From Prayer by Yancy p56

Years ago, when I was beginning a writing career at Campus Life magazine, I used to discuss these problems with colleague Tim Stafford. He later wrote about them in his book. Knowing the Face of God, and I will simply quote him:

"Silently gazing into a friend's eyes may seem purer, and certainly more romantic, than mere talk. But conversation, not silence, builds relationships. Though I will never minimize the effect of beautiful eyes, I expect to talk to the people I care about- and to hear them talk back. We do not build relationships on a sentence or two spoken every few conversation between real friends is a constant stream.
So, I have a problem with God. I have never had a conversation with God; I have never heard his audible voice. Though I sometimes feel powerful religious emotions, I am cautious in interpreting my impulses and feelings as messages from God. I do not want to take the Lord's name in vain. i do not want to say, "The Lord told me," when in reality I heard a mental recording of my mother's voice. I have spent any number of hours talking to God, and he has not yet answered back in a voice that was undeniably his. "

Tim adds that he continues to pray, making requests of God and offering praise and worship, but questions persist. Why praise God who, unlike friends, does not need a lift? Why inform God of needs that God already knows about? Why thank God, who hardly needs a pat on the back?

"Some people say that we should pray not because God needs it, but because we need it. When we praise him, we remind ourselves of what is fundamentally important. When we thank him, we humbly remember our utter dependence on his care. When we pray for people, we are encouraged to then go out and do something to help them. From this perspective prayer is a self-help exercise.
No doubt prayer does these and other good things for me, but if they are the principle reasons for praying, my "personal relationship" is in trouble. Prayer that is only a useful exercise is not conversation. It is more like writing a diary, which is also good for you, but it is entirely private and one sided."

Married Prayer

Walter Wangerin Jr. tells of a time early in his marriage when he had committed some wrong against his wife, Thanne. Even though he was studying in seminary in hopes of becoming a pastor, he had always avoided praying aloud with her. It seemed too intimate, too personal an act. This time, with a riptide of guilt sweeping away his shyness, he agreed. They lay for a while side by side in bed, each waiting for the other to start. Walt began with a hymn like, formal prayer in the style he had learned in seminary. After a silence, he heard Thanne's simple, clear voice speaking humbly and conversationally to God about him, her husband. Listening to her, he began to weep. The guilt dissolved and he learned that humbling was no end in itself, but a necessary step to the healing.