But I wanted to share a few stories from Crossroads so y'all could celebrate with me! I'll probably have a few more details at the end of the week.
We had 120-130 students, from A&M, HCC, Rice, SFA, TSU and UH. 11 ministry partners volunteered to lead Small Group Bible studies. Another friend of IV led the worship team with a few SFA students (1 is a freshman!), getting to practice together on Friday only a couple hours before we began. They helped us praise God, and not just in English - we sang in Spanish and Chinese too.
Our Small Groups were a big hit. I led a few SFA and Aggie students. They quickly pointed out possible applications. One student saw that Jesus used what the disciples brought him to feed 5000; she wondered how God could use what she brought. Another realized when we assume things about people in church from their clothing, we're doing what the Pharisees did. Modesty is a good value - but we can use it to feel righteous when we're the ones who have the "defiled" hearts and are turning others away from God. And that was just the start. It was good to dig in deep and hear what God had to say with a community intent on doing it.
Almost 20 students, staff, and volunteers got stuck in an elevator for nearly half an hour. They actually tried to get the Bible study going while they waited! But of course, they struggled to concentrate with the heat and the lack of personal space.
Josh Howell challenged and encouraged us with Matthew 14:22-33. He shared that Jesus invites us to "come," to do what he's doing. The next day, he led us through Matthew 16:13-20, where Peter declares Jesus is the Christ, the Savior. He invited us to the big-ness that comes after making that same declaration, getting to have eternal impact. Lots of students made significant decisions, recommitted to following Jesus, or wanted to know more about opportunities for ministry with IV.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Crossroads Consternation
Our new student retreat, Crossroads, is this weekend. I'm so excited! 130 students are coming, some from our chapter plants at HCC and TSU, nearly 20 from SFA! What! They didn't exist 2 years ago!
But last week, I was full of consternation, preparing the Small Group Bible studies. I wanted to throw what I had across the room. I refrained; some of it was on my laptop and the other stuff was on paper, and Jack occasionally decides to eat paper.
The first passage, Matthew 14:13-21, seems straightforward at first glance. What questions could I ask that would get people discussing? Jesus performs a really cool miracle. Not to sound ungrateful, but so what? It's just that you get to see Jesus care for and provide for a crowd of strangers, when he had just gotten the heartbreaking news of his cousin's murder, and he uses the meager supplies the doubt-filled disciples bring him to do it.
The second passage, Matthew 15:1-20, was even more constern-ating (I know that's not a real word). It's kinda weird and hard to follow. There are quotes within quotes. Jesus brings up seemingly unrelated things in answer to straightforward questions. But you get down into it and sort it all out, and it boils down to this - following rules doesn't always make for a cleaned-up heart. You could find ways to keep sinning in the traditions the religious leaders of his day followed. And even God's laws in the Old Testament about how to stay ceremonially clean outwardly didn't guarantee a holy heart.
I struggled to come up with questions. I worried about how to set up our staff and volunteers well, since some will lead inductive Bible studies for the 1st time. Then it hit me - I could trust God to provide. Striving to make the leader guides easy to understand and full of good content, that was me trying to make things look good. I could depend on God to make things actually good. So I rested and read some commentaries, and it all seemed so much better and easier when I came back to it.
Just goes to show you - God provides. Pray we experience God's provision in unexpected ways at Crossroads, too!
Anyone else experience consternation trying to figure out what God's words mean, or how to help someone else dig into it?
But last week, I was full of consternation, preparing the Small Group Bible studies. I wanted to throw what I had across the room. I refrained; some of it was on my laptop and the other stuff was on paper, and Jack occasionally decides to eat paper.
The first passage, Matthew 14:13-21, seems straightforward at first glance. What questions could I ask that would get people discussing? Jesus performs a really cool miracle. Not to sound ungrateful, but so what? It's just that you get to see Jesus care for and provide for a crowd of strangers, when he had just gotten the heartbreaking news of his cousin's murder, and he uses the meager supplies the doubt-filled disciples bring him to do it.
The second passage, Matthew 15:1-20, was even more constern-ating (I know that's not a real word). It's kinda weird and hard to follow. There are quotes within quotes. Jesus brings up seemingly unrelated things in answer to straightforward questions. But you get down into it and sort it all out, and it boils down to this - following rules doesn't always make for a cleaned-up heart. You could find ways to keep sinning in the traditions the religious leaders of his day followed. And even God's laws in the Old Testament about how to stay ceremonially clean outwardly didn't guarantee a holy heart.
I struggled to come up with questions. I worried about how to set up our staff and volunteers well, since some will lead inductive Bible studies for the 1st time. Then it hit me - I could trust God to provide. Striving to make the leader guides easy to understand and full of good content, that was me trying to make things look good. I could depend on God to make things actually good. So I rested and read some commentaries, and it all seemed so much better and easier when I came back to it.
Just goes to show you - God provides. Pray we experience God's provision in unexpected ways at Crossroads, too!
Anyone else experience consternation trying to figure out what God's words mean, or how to help someone else dig into it?
Thursday, September 19, 2013
A Night with Thrive, and Some Questions
We sat at Fuego's, munching on tacos and queso. Eight of us hung out after Thrive's Large Group, where 20 students talked about why we do Small Group Bible study and set meeting times for the men's and women's SGs.
Churches got brought up. One student described his denomination Mar Thoma, based in southwestern India, as a cross between Pentecostal, Catholic, and Baptist. I hope to experience that someday, because I can't fathom what that's like.
I shared my Bible church upbringing, which I joked is a bit like Baptist Lite. All the flavor with none of the calories! And the church we're at now feels a little emergent; my pastor can be super-serious or delightfully sarcastic, the worship is low key, and everything's supposed to happen "organically."
One student there was Catholic. Thrive's advisor described the Indian Catholic wedding he'd attended, where the bride and groom were lifted onto chairs and everyone was calling out something. He thought it was a shrill ululation, like a Xena war cry. Apparently not. We laughed as she shared what they were actually yelling.
A few others shared about their Pentecostal church weddings. Rings aren't exchanged at their churches. So they have Bible-bearers instead of ringbearers.
One of the students mentioned going to a cousin's wedding, where the groom was White. She shared how the aunties turned their faces away at the kiss. I stopped her, "Wait. Y'all don't kiss at the end of your ceremony?" "Oh no, that would be scandalous for all our aunties and uncles. They would be offended. And I can't imagine kissing in front of them." I blurted out, "But I went in for a second kiss!" After a split-second of silence, we all burst out laughing.
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It was good to hang out. I stayed super late. I'm grateful we can learn about each others' upbringings with humor and love. That's a glimpse of Kingdom life for me.
Monday, when I promised this post, that was all I had thought of writing. Then my Facebook feed blew up with Miss America. The juxtaposed experiences struck me. I've heard people say racism isn't an issue anymore. But we clearly still have hang-ups over race. I have misconceptions, stereotypes, and I live, often unconsciously, with benefits that come with being White in the US. I guess you could argue our hang-ups aren't racism. But the vitriol on Twitter (which I understand has plenty of vitriol, no matter the subject) over an Indian American winning a beauty pageant seems ridiculous to me. Plenty of people are pointing out the irony.
I have a lot of anger, deep, pit-of-my-stomach frustration and heartbreak, over racism. I also have questions.
How does racism like this affect my South Asian friends? Many struggle with their identity living in two very different cultures, with traditional Indian parents in a predominantly White setting like Texas A&M. Words like coconut get thrown around, making someone question if they're identifying enough with their South Asian heritage. And then something like this comes along. What does it communicate? I think most probably aren't surprised. They've experienced this kind of thing before. I feel like it'd smack me in the face with the message "You don't belong! You aren't really American! You aren't wanted here!" Whether in day-to-day life or on a national level like this, that message could be all they hear.
It doesn't have to be, though. Ask your South Asian friends how they're feeling, if they've experienced racism before, what they're praying about right now.
I have this glimmer of hope. Could God spur redemption, empowering South Asian Americans to find a new way forward for all? This wasn't the worst injustice ever. Most of the South Asian people I know are good at forgiving and forgetting. It may become another anecdote, laced with bittersweet incredulity. But God could also use it for good. Our country's racial divide is deep, shown again this summer with the George Zimmerman trial. Whatever your thoughts on the verdict and on Miss America, we've proven we have deep-seated fear, ignorance, anger, and apathy among every race. In other words, sin. We could use new voices in the mix, helping us navigate repentance, healing, and racial reconciliation. I hope my South Asian brothers and sisters will choose to be a courageous voice for change.
Churches got brought up. One student described his denomination Mar Thoma, based in southwestern India, as a cross between Pentecostal, Catholic, and Baptist. I hope to experience that someday, because I can't fathom what that's like.
I shared my Bible church upbringing, which I joked is a bit like Baptist Lite. All the flavor with none of the calories! And the church we're at now feels a little emergent; my pastor can be super-serious or delightfully sarcastic, the worship is low key, and everything's supposed to happen "organically."
One student there was Catholic. Thrive's advisor described the Indian Catholic wedding he'd attended, where the bride and groom were lifted onto chairs and everyone was calling out something. He thought it was a shrill ululation, like a Xena war cry. Apparently not. We laughed as she shared what they were actually yelling.
A few others shared about their Pentecostal church weddings. Rings aren't exchanged at their churches. So they have Bible-bearers instead of ringbearers.
One of the students mentioned going to a cousin's wedding, where the groom was White. She shared how the aunties turned their faces away at the kiss. I stopped her, "Wait. Y'all don't kiss at the end of your ceremony?" "Oh no, that would be scandalous for all our aunties and uncles. They would be offended. And I can't imagine kissing in front of them." I blurted out, "But I went in for a second kiss!" After a split-second of silence, we all burst out laughing.
.jpg)
It was good to hang out. I stayed super late. I'm grateful we can learn about each others' upbringings with humor and love. That's a glimpse of Kingdom life for me.
Monday, when I promised this post, that was all I had thought of writing. Then my Facebook feed blew up with Miss America. The juxtaposed experiences struck me. I've heard people say racism isn't an issue anymore. But we clearly still have hang-ups over race. I have misconceptions, stereotypes, and I live, often unconsciously, with benefits that come with being White in the US. I guess you could argue our hang-ups aren't racism. But the vitriol on Twitter (which I understand has plenty of vitriol, no matter the subject) over an Indian American winning a beauty pageant seems ridiculous to me. Plenty of people are pointing out the irony.
I have a lot of anger, deep, pit-of-my-stomach frustration and heartbreak, over racism. I also have questions.
How does racism like this affect my South Asian friends? Many struggle with their identity living in two very different cultures, with traditional Indian parents in a predominantly White setting like Texas A&M. Words like coconut get thrown around, making someone question if they're identifying enough with their South Asian heritage. And then something like this comes along. What does it communicate? I think most probably aren't surprised. They've experienced this kind of thing before. I feel like it'd smack me in the face with the message "You don't belong! You aren't really American! You aren't wanted here!" Whether in day-to-day life or on a national level like this, that message could be all they hear.
It doesn't have to be, though. Ask your South Asian friends how they're feeling, if they've experienced racism before, what they're praying about right now.
I have this glimmer of hope. Could God spur redemption, empowering South Asian Americans to find a new way forward for all? This wasn't the worst injustice ever. Most of the South Asian people I know are good at forgiving and forgetting. It may become another anecdote, laced with bittersweet incredulity. But God could also use it for good. Our country's racial divide is deep, shown again this summer with the George Zimmerman trial. Whatever your thoughts on the verdict and on Miss America, we've proven we have deep-seated fear, ignorance, anger, and apathy among every race. In other words, sin. We could use new voices in the mix, helping us navigate repentance, healing, and racial reconciliation. I hope my South Asian brothers and sisters will choose to be a courageous voice for change.
Monday, September 16, 2013
From the Trenches
Wow, once again, a long time in between posts. I thought it had been a month, maybe 6 weeks. It's been 11. Oops. Thank you, readers who stick with me!
New Student Outreach (NSO) is winding down. The first 6-8 weeks in fall, IV focuses on reaching out to new students. And I mean focus - we stand outside for hours handing out icy pops and getting to know anyone who walks by. College Station in August is so humid that walking outside feels like swimming, but instead of feeling refreshed, you end up hot, dehydrated, and disgusting. I'm proud IV students make the sacrifice. During NSO, we give away free food, play board games, spend a day at the lake, paint pictures. All with people we just met who may not stick around. But we hope they do, so we keep at it!
First week of school, SFA IV handed out 1400 fliers for Large Group, their new meeting to build community, cast vision, and worship God. SFA has 13000 students. They invited more than 10% of campus. They're seeing fruit from the hard work planting the new chapter. When I spoke at Large Group, a student who joined this spring helped me lead an ice breaker, a new student was leading worship, and another (gifted!) musician said she had always wanted to lead but had never spoken up. I'll share more from my talk in my prayer letter this month. Let me know if you don't get that but would like to pray.
Aggie IV grilled and chilled. We invited new students to head to a park just off campus for hot dogs, Ultimate frisbee, and good conversation. Our dog Jack was a big hit. We let him roam, begging for petting from everyone. I talked about food in Bryan/College Station with 2 new students. I love IV's multi-ethnicity - one of the new students was white with 2 adopted Korean siblings, the other a Latina from Laredo; both wanted to know where the good tacos were in town, learned about sriracha from me, and got excited to cook bulgogi in my kitchen.
Okay - last story! A&M IV held a joint Large Group with 120 students attending! My boss, Josh Howell, challenged us to trust that Jesus would get us to the other side, even in the midst of storms, to have faith, and to be loved by the Father. I've been wrestling with what it looks like to trust God. It's pretty cool when you're ministering to others and God speaks to you too.
We do all this because the first 2 months of college are crucial; students make decisions that affect the rest of their lives. Like who they hang out with, how they spend their time, and whether they'll follow Jesus. If they haven't considered the gospel before, they're more open, and those who grew up in church are at a crossroads - will they own their faith, or let it slip away?
Speaking of Crossroads, that's our new student retreat coming up! Sept. 27-28 Gulf Coast area schools (A&M, Rice, SFA, UH, maybe others) will dig into Matthew 14-16 and explore how to "Travel with Jesus." I'm planning our Small Group Bible studies and coordinating lots of details. Please pray for grace and wisdom for me!
Later this week, I'll share about my late-night, cross-cultural story-swapping with Thrive South Asian American students. We were all cracking up!
New Student Outreach (NSO) is winding down. The first 6-8 weeks in fall, IV focuses on reaching out to new students. And I mean focus - we stand outside for hours handing out icy pops and getting to know anyone who walks by. College Station in August is so humid that walking outside feels like swimming, but instead of feeling refreshed, you end up hot, dehydrated, and disgusting. I'm proud IV students make the sacrifice. During NSO, we give away free food, play board games, spend a day at the lake, paint pictures. All with people we just met who may not stick around. But we hope they do, so we keep at it!
First week of school, SFA IV handed out 1400 fliers for Large Group, their new meeting to build community, cast vision, and worship God. SFA has 13000 students. They invited more than 10% of campus. They're seeing fruit from the hard work planting the new chapter. When I spoke at Large Group, a student who joined this spring helped me lead an ice breaker, a new student was leading worship, and another (gifted!) musician said she had always wanted to lead but had never spoken up. I'll share more from my talk in my prayer letter this month. Let me know if you don't get that but would like to pray.
Aggie IV grilled and chilled. We invited new students to head to a park just off campus for hot dogs, Ultimate frisbee, and good conversation. Our dog Jack was a big hit. We let him roam, begging for petting from everyone. I talked about food in Bryan/College Station with 2 new students. I love IV's multi-ethnicity - one of the new students was white with 2 adopted Korean siblings, the other a Latina from Laredo; both wanted to know where the good tacos were in town, learned about sriracha from me, and got excited to cook bulgogi in my kitchen.
Okay - last story! A&M IV held a joint Large Group with 120 students attending! My boss, Josh Howell, challenged us to trust that Jesus would get us to the other side, even in the midst of storms, to have faith, and to be loved by the Father. I've been wrestling with what it looks like to trust God. It's pretty cool when you're ministering to others and God speaks to you too.
We do all this because the first 2 months of college are crucial; students make decisions that affect the rest of their lives. Like who they hang out with, how they spend their time, and whether they'll follow Jesus. If they haven't considered the gospel before, they're more open, and those who grew up in church are at a crossroads - will they own their faith, or let it slip away?
Speaking of Crossroads, that's our new student retreat coming up! Sept. 27-28 Gulf Coast area schools (A&M, Rice, SFA, UH, maybe others) will dig into Matthew 14-16 and explore how to "Travel with Jesus." I'm planning our Small Group Bible studies and coordinating lots of details. Please pray for grace and wisdom for me!
Later this week, I'll share about my late-night, cross-cultural story-swapping with Thrive South Asian American students. We were all cracking up!
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