Living strategically?
Hey guys
It's been great to read how stuff is going with all of you. I was happily surprised when I checked the blog yesterday and found three new posts! Second year is great, and now that I'm returning as a settled student (rather than a fresher like last year), I'm finding that I'm wasting less time twiddling my thumbs and wondering what to do next.
Recently, I have been challenged by a book given to me by a friend at church, called "the Fuel and the Flame" by Steve Shadrach. If you consider yourself serious about being a Christian on campus, I'd recommend it highly (so far) -- despite the occasional wincing caused by the various Americanisms. It's been reinforcing the message that God has been throwing at me from many different angles recently: you're at university primarily as a missionary, and then as a student, so start living like you believe it! I wasn't, before you start wondering, living a debaucherous lifestyle last year, and indeed was encouraged to be able to meet up occasionally with certain friends and be asked about Jesus, the Gospel and the Christian life.
It was a reasonable start, but perhaps God is calling us to be a bit more radical. To really prioritise his work, not just sort of... which is, well, sort of what I have been doing. This assumes, of course, that we're keen to see other people become Christians because it's the best thing in the world. How best to meet other people and share the good news of Jesus than to live with them? With 75% of my housemates already Christians, though, my house is a bit of a holy huddle.
Steve Shadrach writes: 'why do you live where you live? Was it a decision made from strategy or comfort? Many believers I know want to find a place where they can have their own bedroom, kitchen, stereo system and entertainment centre. They don't want any interruptions, curfews, or rules. When I see this, I can't help but think about Proverbs 18:1, which says, "He who separates himself seeks his own desire." [...] The point is if you and I really are Great Commission Christians, we're going to live in the *most* strategic place in order to impact students for Jesus Christ in the broadest and deepest way possible.'
That has really challenged me. I did not enjoy living in halls last year. I like living in a house. But, if I'm honest with myself, the reasons for this preference are mostly selfish ones of comfort. I have not finished my thinking on this one, just knew I ought to post and so wanted to share what God has been saying in the past few minutes.
Otherwise, today has been a good, if busy, day. I met lots of freshers as a PASS (peer-assisted study scheme) mentor, was encouraged that our departmental prayer group has quadrupled in size in the past three to four weeks (amazing what Facebook and a few texts can do!) and have enjoyed helping out on an Alpha course where I'm leading worship. Hooray. And now I'm off to bed.
Hope that post wasn't too heavy!
Much love
Dave
For praise:
* The challenge of a call to being a better disciple and disciple-maker
* Encouragement of Alpha, departmental prayer-mushrooming and CU stuff
* Lots of time for 'holy leisure', i.e. meeting people for breakfast/coffee/lunch/afternoon tea (at least 3 such appointments tomorrow alone!)
* I'm doing a module in New Testament Greek, which is great fun
For prayer:
* That more people would invite friends to Alpha -- we only had one non-Christian tonight
* That the head of department would be generous in giving us another room for our prayer meeting; we have run out of space in the current one and there are even more people who have told me they plan to start coming
* That I might be bolder in sharing the Gospel with people, cos I'm not the best at it!
* Guidance over the 'strategic living' issues outlined above
It's been great to read how stuff is going with all of you. I was happily surprised when I checked the blog yesterday and found three new posts! Second year is great, and now that I'm returning as a settled student (rather than a fresher like last year), I'm finding that I'm wasting less time twiddling my thumbs and wondering what to do next.
Recently, I have been challenged by a book given to me by a friend at church, called "the Fuel and the Flame" by Steve Shadrach. If you consider yourself serious about being a Christian on campus, I'd recommend it highly (so far) -- despite the occasional wincing caused by the various Americanisms. It's been reinforcing the message that God has been throwing at me from many different angles recently: you're at university primarily as a missionary, and then as a student, so start living like you believe it! I wasn't, before you start wondering, living a debaucherous lifestyle last year, and indeed was encouraged to be able to meet up occasionally with certain friends and be asked about Jesus, the Gospel and the Christian life.
It was a reasonable start, but perhaps God is calling us to be a bit more radical. To really prioritise his work, not just sort of... which is, well, sort of what I have been doing. This assumes, of course, that we're keen to see other people become Christians because it's the best thing in the world. How best to meet other people and share the good news of Jesus than to live with them? With 75% of my housemates already Christians, though, my house is a bit of a holy huddle.
Steve Shadrach writes: 'why do you live where you live? Was it a decision made from strategy or comfort? Many believers I know want to find a place where they can have their own bedroom, kitchen, stereo system and entertainment centre. They don't want any interruptions, curfews, or rules. When I see this, I can't help but think about Proverbs 18:1, which says, "He who separates himself seeks his own desire." [...] The point is if you and I really are Great Commission Christians, we're going to live in the *most* strategic place in order to impact students for Jesus Christ in the broadest and deepest way possible.'
That has really challenged me. I did not enjoy living in halls last year. I like living in a house. But, if I'm honest with myself, the reasons for this preference are mostly selfish ones of comfort. I have not finished my thinking on this one, just knew I ought to post and so wanted to share what God has been saying in the past few minutes.
Otherwise, today has been a good, if busy, day. I met lots of freshers as a PASS (peer-assisted study scheme) mentor, was encouraged that our departmental prayer group has quadrupled in size in the past three to four weeks (amazing what Facebook and a few texts can do!) and have enjoyed helping out on an Alpha course where I'm leading worship. Hooray. And now I'm off to bed.
Hope that post wasn't too heavy!
Much love
Dave
For praise:
* The challenge of a call to being a better disciple and disciple-maker
* Encouragement of Alpha, departmental prayer-mushrooming and CU stuff
* Lots of time for 'holy leisure', i.e. meeting people for breakfast/coffee/lunch/afternoon tea (at least 3 such appointments tomorrow alone!)
* I'm doing a module in New Testament Greek, which is great fun
For prayer:
* That more people would invite friends to Alpha -- we only had one non-Christian tonight
* That the head of department would be generous in giving us another room for our prayer meeting; we have run out of space in the current one and there are even more people who have told me they plan to start coming
* That I might be bolder in sharing the Gospel with people, cos I'm not the best at it!
* Guidance over the 'strategic living' issues outlined above
posted by Dave at
11:36 pm
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