Sharing our Stories

Stories are powerful. Jesus was a master storyteller. My students and I on the other hand - we're still learning. But two of the women I discipled this year shared their testimonies in the last two weeks, and it was powerful.

Cristina shared her story at our Annual Fundraising Banquet in Houston. She came to Christ a year and a half ago at a national LaFe conference (LaFe is IV's Latino specific ministry). Her story was moving, and she shared it all - growing up in a broken family, a family friend blaming her parents' impending divorce on her and her brother, trying to grow up quickly and be in control, it all being too much, attempting suicide twice. Friends reached out to her, and she moved into her RA's dorm room. Her RA was Ebay, one of our Small Group Leaders. Cristina sat in the Bible study and experienced loving community. She stuck around, despite her doubts and fears. This semester, she went to IV's Mexico mission trip over Spring Break, she's been reaching out to her coworkers and old friends, and she danced to a worship song in front of over 400 students at Breakthrough, our spring weekend training conference. Next year, Cristina will be a Small Group Leader.

Shannon came to the Banquet and heard Cristina speak. She thought God was calling her to finally share, so she did at our Core Meeting last week. Next year, Shannon will help with worship team and hopefully disciple some freshmen.

I foolishly shared Shannon's story without her permission, so I've now deleted it. If you read it before I took it down, please don't pass it along. As I said above, stories are powerful, and I don't want Shannon's story to be used in any way other than what God has called her to use it for. Please forgive me for my rashness in publishing it. Thanks for your understanding.

It's been humbling and exciting to be a part of both of their stories. Thanks for supporting ministry to these two, and to many other students!

The End of Sexual Identity

Before Sexy Pizza, I looked through my bookshelves to see what I could brush up on. I found several books on sex and relationships I've read this year but haven't discussed on the blog.

So here's the first: The End of Sexual Identity by Jenell Williams Paris. Paris' main point is that sex is a big deal, but it isn't, too. Sex is meant as a good gift from God, for reproduction and intimacy, powerful to bring happiness or disappointment. But it's also not such a big deal - it's not meant to be part of our identity. On our calling, she wrote, "We're responsible not only for what we do sexually, but for what we make of sex. In working together to make meanings and practices that demonstrate sexual wholeness and holiness in our time and place, we extend an invitation to acknowledge the myriad ways that sex is (not) a big deal" (13). She asks us to think critically and looks at different cultures from an anthropologist's perspective, offering insight and asking out-of-the-box questions. She discusses sexual desire, sexual holiness, heterosexuality, homosexuality, and celibacy.

Two things still stand out. First, holding up perpetual sexual bliss in marriage as the reward for pre-marital chastity is unfair and unhelpful. It's not guaranteed. Sex, like any part of life, can sometimes be wonderful, and can sometimes be hard.

Second, we've allowed the pattern of this world, the way our culture thinks, to shape the conversation. We use labels (heterosexual, homosexual, virgin, celibate, adulterer) to identify ourselves and others. But "what you want is not a message about who you are" (96). Our identity is beloved human being. "Even though changing sexual desire may seem to be a thoroughly Christian approach, it often eclipses other biblical teachings about desire: that it is fickle, often conflicted and, even for devout believers, not always under our control... When desire is uncoupled from identity, we can consider the question of change in a more straight-forward way" (99-100).

It's a short read, but looking over it again, I'm reminded of tensions I was left with. After reading a paradigm-challenging book like this, I wonder - how do we go forward? If you're ready to consider sexuality from a new perspective, asking new questions, not debating the typical hackneyed issues, this book might be for you.

A Fool for Christ Conversation

I just met with one of my students to help her think through how to share the gospel with a friend of hers. He belongs to the Baha'i Faith; they've already had a conversation about some of what he believes about truth, morality, and God, and she's hoping to talk with him again tonight.

It was really enjoyable to talk about all the different topics she could approach with him - the nature of man (good or evil), the physical reality of Christ's resurrection, and our need for grace. She's hoping to ask him why Christianity would need to be reinterpreted by the Baha’ullah, their original prophet. Their basic premise is that all religions are reinterpreted by the Baha'ullah, who provides the truth we need for our time to move forward in our "evolution." I think it's interesting Baha'is believe they must do things to try to get closer to God; another works-based religion seems like a step back from grace and the free gift of salvation in Christ, instead of a step forward "evolutionary"-wise.

Do you have any resources or advice or stories about sharing the gospel with Baha'is I could pass onto her?

Sexy Pizza

Students gathered last Thursday to ask questions about sex and relationship while grubbin' on some pizza. Their biggest questions were about relationships; many of them haven't heard much about how to even pursue a relationship, much less what to do once you're in one. And many of the messages they've heard, even Christian ones, seem a little off. So we got to give them some good, Biblical advice on loving each other whether you're dating or married, and God's perspective on relationships.

It was really great to have 3 different panelists to talk with them: my staff partner with Asian American InterVarsity, Jeff Mabute; my chapter building coach and Associate Regional Director, Andrea Thomas; and my husband, Kyle Boatsman. They all had different perspectives and built on each other's answers well. Andrea plugged 3 books: Real Sex by Lauren Winner, Sex God by Rob Bell, and Wired for Intimacy by William Struthers. I got to moderate, and I'm excited to continue the conversation with students in weeks to come.

Fools For Christ

Being a fool doesn't sound great. But 1 Corinthians says folly is the way to go!

Students fasted and prayed yesterday. Then they gathered at my house to watch some training videos on how to transition into gospel conversations, why we should actually invite someone to follow Jesus after talking about spiritual matters, and how to make a clear invitation. They've committed to risk looking foolish, share the gospel, and make an invitation to follow Jesus with at least one of their friends before April 15.

On Thursday, April 5, we're doing something to help students have those conversations. We're inviting our friends to "Sexy Pizza" that night to grab a slice and ask their questions about sex and relationships. Our students struggle to invite their friends well, so I'll be working with my students in the next couple days to do that.

Last year, Seth invited Ryan to movie night, and he started attending a Small Group. A summer coworker called David out of the blue minutes after we left dinner to begin our fast, asking David to share the gospel. Since November, Hannah had led a GIG with Jason who wanted to know how you can believe God is in control when bad things happen. During Fools For Christ, she asked, "Where do you see yourself at this point?" He responded, "I'm ready to jump in."

Please pray for:

• students to be courageous, see and take opportunities, and share the Truth in love
• their friends to listen and maybe even decide to follow Jesus
• the Sexy Pizza panel members, for peace as they address hard questions and to have good, grace-filled answers that get students thinking