Monthly Archive for August, 2011

College Students (and every other human) Need Balance

Published on August 25, 2011 by Chris Bean in Campus Ministry, discipleship, Faith and worldview.

Living well demands balance. (I prefer the image of the gyroscope over other static images because life involves motion…spinning…usually in multiple directions simultaneously).

For many college students, this is already their first or second week of classes. The University of Cincinnati perseveres with the quarter system for another year, so we have a few more weeks before the campus is fully inhabited and functional again.

My own collegiate years are not so far behind that I don’t still remember the excitement, hope, and anticipation I felt at the end of each summer. Of course, the first year of college was the most intense experience of freedom and apprehension. The following years it was more about the hope and determination to spread out the work load, keep up with the syllabus, generate enough income to survive, and take my “social game” to the next level.

Managing any season of life demands a balanced approach but the college student certainly has some unique challenges.

More and more, I see my role as a campus minister covering much more territory than just recruiting students for bible studies. Although I certainly want to get students into the Scriptures and charting a course for spiritual success, coaching them towards a fully integrated and holistic life of faith requires the ability to balance the many demands and expectations they live with daily.

Perhaps one of the best outcomes of my summer has been to recognize some of the imbalances in my own life and establish practices which keep me rooted and restored spiritually. When that rhythm is syncing up the moments of my day, all the other demands and expectations fall more cooperatively into place: relationship with my kids, ministry/work agenda, my own emotional wellness, financial stewardship/decisions, etc.

Apparently, Matthew 6:33 is as true as I’ve hoped it was all these years. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (ESV)

That verse/passage insists on an adjustment to my definition of “balance” however. And this is perhaps what separates the nominal Christian from one who passionately lives out of a Kingdom worldview. The “balance” I’m speaking of doesn’t mean that one distributes time equally between various compartmentalized segments of your day and time. Rather, seek the Kingdom of God so passionately and ruthlessly that even the combination of all other engagements and distractions fail to destabilize your “spiritual” core. With a strong core, it’s amazing how life becomes more blessing, opportunity, and adventure than curse, obstacle, and/or routine.

 

Comments: 0 Comments | Tags:

Soul Keeping at the Abbey of Gethsemani

Published on August 24, 2011 by Chris Bean in discipleship, Faith, Prayer and Uncategorized.

Never before have I felt so physically, mentally, and spiritually rested and prepared for a season of life and ministry. To some degree, I have the Trappist monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani to thank for that.

This past weekend, I spent about 3 days in the beautiful knob country of Nelson County Kentucky in the monastery of Gethsemani. It’s located about 12 miles south of Bardstown, KY on about 12,000 acres of beautiful land. After talking about a pilgrimmage to Gethsemani for several years, I finally made it down there.

Usually, retreatants spend either Monday thru Friday or Friday to Monday at the retreat house. You need to call several months in advance to schedule a spot in the retreat house. Or if you’re a dude and don’t plan quite that far ahead, you can stay in the “south wing” which is part of the monastic area where they’ve designated a couple of floors for male retreatants. Accomodations (including meals on the weekends only I believe) are offered for a free-will donation which you can tuck in an envelope and leave on your way out or mail to the Abbey.

The monks gather in the Abbey Church 7 times a day for prayers which begins with vigils at 3:15 am. I never actually joined them that early, but I did make it for Lauds at 5:45 am both mornings. The prayer liturgy combined with the sense of sacred space added much to my experience.

During the morning I set off on a couple of hikes and enjoyed absolutely perfect weather for the whole weekend.

As my retreat time came to a close, I sensed that God was teaching me about my need for contemplation, silence, prayer, and a more disciplined life/schedule in general. Returning to the world of common daily tasks, obligations, and routines…I hope to implement a kind of monastic “Rule” for living this Fall. Two days into the new routine, I can say that I’m batting a thousand!  ;-)

A View of the Abbey/Monastery from Monks Road

But whether or not a particular schedule is sustainable or not doesn’t change the fact that I need to be much more disciplined and intentional about my daily times of prayer, reading scripture, contemplation, worship, service, etc. With a new quarter of ministry to college students at UC right around the corner of the calendar, I know that my best hope of impacting and influencing college students will be to model a life of faith that demonstrates intimacy with God, compassion for those around me, and authenticity  with students.

Comments: 0 Comments | Tags:

From Our Recent Newsletter

Published on August 1, 2011 by Chris Bean in Campus Ministry, discipleship and Gospel.

From our recent newsletter…

As I share this campus ministry update with you, I am enjoying fellowship and training with other campus ministers in my CCO family. Several times a year we come together for training events which always remind me of how great it is to be partnered with a campus ministry organization that is passionate about God’s Word, the Gospel, and seeing transformation in the lives of college students and in our world.

One of the themes which has emerged at our training event this summer is sanctification. Part of being a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:13) is engaging the continual process of spiritual growth and maturity. Romans 6 encourages us NOT to live under the authority and power of sin any longer. We have been made alive in Christ. As justified and adopted children of God, Christians should be transformed daily through the finished work of Christ and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That is a tremendous truth for all of us to marinade in…college student or not.

As you might imagine, however, the cultural-social-academic-relativistic context in which college students (and most young adults) exist is not conducive to this kind of transformation. That makes it all the more important for college students to engage God’s Word regularly, and participate in a community which celebrates, worships, prays, & serves together (most people call this a church).

Comments: 0 Comments | Tags: