Today is Christmas Eve Eve, better known in our house as Christmas Adam. Over the past few days, ALL of us girls (plus some brother-in-laws) who no longer live at home have gradually trickled in for Christmas. It's nice having everyone home, and it's nice being away for a while and having the chance to chill. Don't get me wrong - I've had plenty to do. I'm working on Bible Study planning for next semester, and trying to discipline myself to get some of my reading for December finished, instead of only hanging out around the house. I complain, but I really do enjoy it. Really.
And in the midst of my Christmas excitement, I'm hearing from some of my students who are really struggling to be at home for the holidays. The email I just read in response to my "how's it going/merry christmas" message nearly broke my heart. And there are others, too. So many girls from disfunctional and broken families, where Christmas, more than anything, is painful. Some girls have asked for my advice on how to handle their situations. It's weird, sitting here in Starbucks, trying to lesson plan, and feeling so helpless, and like I'm going to burst into tears any second. Really. I know. So I'm asking you to take an extra moment out of your holidays and join me in prayer for these sweet students.
Probably my favorite hymn ever is "Come, thou long expected Jesus", and I'm really sad that people hardly ever sing the middle two verses. Here is the third:
Come to earth to taste our sadness,
He whose glories knew no end.
By His life He brings us gladness,
Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.
Leaving riches without number,
Born within a cattle stall,
This the everlasting wonder,
Christ was born the Lord of all.
Of course, that's the Christmas story. That Christ entered our broken and sad world to experience our pain and sadness, and to suffer for us. But that's not the end of the story either. He's coming back to finish the work of redemption, to finish making everything right and wipe away every tear.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Ministry....defined?
So it's probably time for a new post. Just maybe. :-)
What does ministry look like at Davidson? What really is my job? Yes, I'm here to carry out RUF's goals "To reach students for Christ" and "to equip them to serve." Okay, okay, you've probably heard me say that before. What does that really look like? Here are some glimpses of where my job has taken me thus far. Somehow, I'm beginning to see that they really are all part of that nebulous term, "ministry."
Thinking about Christ's work here on earth, especially during this season of Advent, we remember that Christ incarnated himself: that is, he became one of us so that he could eat with us, talk with us, walk with us, ect... so that he could relate with us and bring us salvation.
So with that in mind, just maybe, one part of ministry looks like...:
-getting invited by freshmen girls to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, complete in costumes
or maybe
-sitting in the Student Union for hours on end during exams so that students can show up and sit down and take a welcomed study break
-tutoring students in Spanish and German
-spending a night sitting in the ER with a student, talking and hanging out while we waited to figure out what was wrong
-getting together with students to watch Davidson's annual Christmas Parade and shivering through the snow with them:
Maybe "ministry" looks like this, like entering into their world to develope relationships so that they can see that RUF, that us interns, that the Church, ultimately, that Christ, is a safe place where they can come and bring all their burdens and struggles, their questions and doubts, and be encouraged and transformed by Christ.
Yes, God is most certainly at work on this campus. Some of my students are beginning to really open up and ask good questions. Some of them have showed me how seriously they are hurting. Others have been willing to discuss just what keeps them from believing the Gospel, and are looking for answers. Some of them are beginning to invite friends, Christian and non, that I haven't yet had the opportunity to meet, to events, because they know RUF is a safe place. And for some reason, God has me sitting in the midst of all of this, which is an incredible place to be. Please keep praying that He would give me (and all of us working here at Davidson!) the wisdom I need, and the love for the students to be able to love them and point them to Christ.
What does ministry look like at Davidson? What really is my job? Yes, I'm here to carry out RUF's goals "To reach students for Christ" and "to equip them to serve." Okay, okay, you've probably heard me say that before. What does that really look like? Here are some glimpses of where my job has taken me thus far. Somehow, I'm beginning to see that they really are all part of that nebulous term, "ministry."
Thinking about Christ's work here on earth, especially during this season of Advent, we remember that Christ incarnated himself: that is, he became one of us so that he could eat with us, talk with us, walk with us, ect... so that he could relate with us and bring us salvation.
So with that in mind, just maybe, one part of ministry looks like...:
-getting invited by freshmen girls to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, complete in costumes
or maybe
-sitting in the Student Union for hours on end during exams so that students can show up and sit down and take a welcomed study break
-tutoring students in Spanish and German
-spending a night sitting in the ER with a student, talking and hanging out while we waited to figure out what was wrong
-getting together with students to watch Davidson's annual Christmas Parade and shivering through the snow with them:
Maybe "ministry" looks like this, like entering into their world to develope relationships so that they can see that RUF, that us interns, that the Church, ultimately, that Christ, is a safe place where they can come and bring all their burdens and struggles, their questions and doubts, and be encouraged and transformed by Christ.
Yes, God is most certainly at work on this campus. Some of my students are beginning to really open up and ask good questions. Some of them have showed me how seriously they are hurting. Others have been willing to discuss just what keeps them from believing the Gospel, and are looking for answers. Some of them are beginning to invite friends, Christian and non, that I haven't yet had the opportunity to meet, to events, because they know RUF is a safe place. And for some reason, God has me sitting in the midst of all of this, which is an incredible place to be. Please keep praying that He would give me (and all of us working here at Davidson!) the wisdom I need, and the love for the students to be able to love them and point them to Christ.
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