Chris Bean

Not sure if you can read the subtitle on this image, but it is “the call to daily dependence on God.”

That has been a challenging posture to thoroughly condition into the muscle memory of our lives. Of course we would always give lip service to the notion of trusting God for provision over the years, and have certainly seen God provide in amazing ways in our first 15 years of ministry. But it seems like we’ve entered some new territory lately.

Raising most of our support as we’re on mission to transform the lives of college students in Cincinnati is revealing some head trash, bad habits, and trust issues. This book was a helpful read for Debbie and I both as we become determined to trust God more than anything or anyone else.

One of our temptations has been to put our trust in the provision rather than in the Provider. Jesus didn’t really do us any favors when He taught us to pray for daily bread. That essentially means we are to live in a posture of constant dependence on God. At one point the author correctly points out “We enjoy provision. But we detest daily provision.”  Our materialistic and consumeristic culture does not submit easily to this Kingdom notion that God’s ability to provide far exceeds our ability to gather.

Some other quotes which caught my eye in this quick read…

God wants to teach us that His presence is what provides safety, not our resources.

Can we follow Jesus if it means abandoning a value system committed to accumulation?

Is enough for today enough for me?

As we continue moving further up and further in…on this journey of trust and transformation, I want to be much more mindful of the “manna moments” which God uses to teach me about His unlimited capacity as Creator and provider.

Occasionally I browse my way over to the Northumbria Community online to pray the daily offices. You can learn more about that here if you’re interested. Recently I also downloaded a dramatic and interpretive reading of the Psalms inspired by the Bible Experience. These and other tools help me do something which seems to be a necessity in order to daily walk with Christ.

It’s no secret that if I stop running and training regularly for marathons, several things will happen:

• Gain weight
• Lose endurance
• Perform poorly in the event
• etc

In the area of financial responsibility…careless spending, failure to save, and neglecting the behaviors which produce income will result in debt and financial ruin.

All these lessons are quite easily learned and without much difficulty can be applied.

Is it the same in the area of spiritual health? I often “preach” that it is…our spiritual health can appear to be directly proportional to the effort and time which we invest in appropriate Christian disciplines and behaviors:  prayer, bible study, worship, fasting, meditation, serving the poor, reading, etc. In fact, I was just discussing the need for “daily quiet time” with a student who has allowed me the privilege of discipling them in the faith. As I challenged him to incorporate this component of spending time with God, two issues began to irritate my own mind on the matter.

1. First of all, it was a reminder to practice what I preach. I’ve become lax, you might say, when it comes to my disciplined approach to a daily “quiet time” with the Lord over the years. That has been a reaction, in part, to the second issue.
2. There is a danger of cultivating a spiritual work ethic which can lead to pride and entitlement. A friend of mine shared a quote (or paraphrase) from Brennan Manning recently which suggested something to the effect of this…if he had his life to do over, he wouldn’t waste one minute on trying to develop his spiritual life.

So I come back to the analogy. Is developing our ’spiritual’ life (as if we have a non-spiritual life??) similar to mastering our finances, or our health, or any other area which requires discipline? Is our spiritual health directly proportional to the amount of time we spend “with God” or engage in the disciplines of the Christian life? Or are we compelled to engage in those disciplines as a response to the overwhelming grace of God?

Resolving that tension is perhaps not  the right question. Maybe the right question is this:

How do I live within the tension of grace and working out salvation?

How do I push myself to lean further up and further in to the Kingdom while avoiding a tendency towards pride, duty, or entitlement?

The CCO sponsors a fabulous conference for college students each February in Pittsburgh. The final session ended about 24-hours ago and I’m still processing and cataloging the experience in my head.

Joining me at my first official Jubilee as a campus minister was…Joey Dupps & Paul Harris (two UC students I’ve been discipling), Jamie Noyd (a fellow campus minister at the Edge House), Kalman Tinka (my backpacking Beavercreek bud who is interested in OLT ministry with the CCO), and my family (my wife Deb and two daughters–Jessica & Jaquey–were able to attend as well).

The weekend was a terrific time of reconnecting with fellow CCO staffers…these are truly some of the most intelligent, faithful, fun, Kingdom-minded people on the planet!

The general sessions were highlighted with a few of these faces:

Amena Brown shared several powerful spoken word vignettes.

She is a poet, speaker, and journalist.

Each time she would ‘do her thing’ I got chills!

Over the course of the weekend, the crowd of about 2500 engaged in some energetic and inspirational times of singing and worship.

It’s always good to gather as the Church and pour out an offering of praise and worship to the God who has so graciously reconciled us to Himself through the Cross.

It was a bit of a tossup for me between these two speakers as my favorites of the weekend (especially from an entertainment and comedic angle). Susan Isaacs (left) beautifully shared her journey and at one point said, “God ruined my life…and it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”  Bob Goff (right) is an amazing lawyer, father, professor, Kingdom advancer, etc who shows up in Donald Miller’s latest book (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years). What he shared was simply an inspirational life of “playing riffs in the key of Jesus.”

There were so many other great moments, speakers, and truths shared at Jubilee. Dr. John M. Perkins challenged the present generation of college-age “young folk” to take the baton of reconciliation and be the post-racist generation that becomes fluent in a language of love. The impact which that man has had on the urban America and the reconciliation movement is astounding. It was a great honor to be in his presence….especially as I listened in on a more informal session with him and student leaders who are seeking justice.

Besides the great content, programming, and speakers which all made Jubilee quite amazing…sharing it with Joey, Paul, Kalman, and Phil was especially good. I see that God is doing great things in each of their lives and look forward to seeing what kind of great adventure God launches their lives into in the coming weeks and months!

There is no Gospel which allows one to be reconciled to God while unreconciled to neighbor.

That statement sums up the content of this challenging book on racial reconciliation. Since day one of my ministry at the University of Cincinnati, I have felt the Gospel compulsion to pursue relationships with students of all culture groups on our campus. So far, I’ve had the great privilege of connecting with a young female African-American student who has a tremendous passion for music, worship, and serving God. I look forward to more opportunities to connect with Darienne and her friends from choir, church, UC, etc.

As I move forward toward that goal, however, Perkins & Rice have challenged me with the basic structure of their book: Admit, Submit, and Commit.

Although, as a nation, we have elected our first black president and made many advances towards racial equality, in the Christian community we have certainly not come as far as we might think. Admitting that we have at least some biases (if not outright prejudices) is a crucial first step in the reconciliation process. And whether this is with the black, Latin, Asian, Native American, or any other community…we must remember that the Gospel can never be reduced to “me and God.”

That was Jesus’ point when he responded to the religious lawyer who wanted Jesus to pick and choose for him: loving God or loving neighbor. We cannot pick and choose when it comes to the very nature of the Gospel, which is a ministry of reconciliation as Paul points out in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. We can’t even pick and choose which neighbor we do or do not want to be reconciled with.

Intentionality. At one point the authors challenged me with this statement, “We must be intentional, relentless, and forceful.” Now I believe as that progresses from intentionality to relentless to forceful…there must be a good bit of discernment and Spirit-guided actions. But it will certainly take action (not just loving with words and tongue–1 John 3:17-18) if we are to pursue reconciliation and model what the Gospel actually calls us to in our own relationships and ministry.

This has become a popular word in discussions of mission, culture, sociology, economics, and other similar studies.

One simple definition states: “to place in a context”

Within the conversation, challenge, and community that is campus missions (ministry) the word contextualization tends to represent an effort to communicate the Gospel in ways that are meaningful, relevant, and readily grasped by college students. This does NOT mean that we change the message of the Gospel, just the method of communicating and sharing that message (I know, the message-method statement is sounding very cliche these days).

I believe that there are basically two ways of approaching our mission of engaging with college students:

• In ways that reinforce negative stereotypes of Christianity (see Unchristian by Dave Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons) and push students further from God and Church
• In ways that challenge, suprise, and attract students to the Gospel and to Jesus

As I understand Paul’s approach to sharing the Gospel with gentiles, (Acts 17 etc) he did NOT simply regurgitate the Jerusalem Church’s teaching throughout the Roman Empire and Asia minor. He contextualized the method in order to place the message in a particular context.

What makes any of us (especially campus missionaries) think that we can get away with anything less than that? And do we understand the Gospel thoroughly enough (via our own experience and study) to respeak it into our own contexts?

Apparently, John Piper would disagree.

Over this past weekend, I got to spend some time with a great crew of young adults on a retreat. We’re calling this thread of retreats and experiences for 18 to 20+’ers Element. 

Our hope is to connect the various college students and young adults in our Nazarene network of churches here into a community. As we connect and build relationships we also want to challenge, equip, and send these students into the world to make a Kingdom-sized impact on their world.

Element…

It’s about the basic elements of faith. In ancient times there were thought to be four basic elements which constituted the physical universe. We sometimes refer to someone or thing as being in their element. Perhaps you think of a heating element which connects and conduces heat or electricity. All of these ideas could contribute to or illustrate the purposes we have in mind.

JR Forasteros shared some insights from Matthew 25 which I found to be quite helpful. Recall the parable of the talents in which three servants were given a sum of money by their master. After some time the master returned (key point) and found two of the servants as faithful and productive. The third servant (out of fear, or laziness, or some other inhibition) buried his potential in the ground.

JR made the connect between this idea and the fact that most young adults are desperate to know what God’s will is for their lives. In fact, regardless of age and phase of life, we often want to ask the wrong questions. Our questions usually focus on specific felt needs or future developments in our life. God wants us to ask the kinds of questions which would lead to our transformation in the present. What are we doing with what God has entrusted to us right now?

As my mind was wandering a bit (not unusual) I began to think about how easily we bury ourSELVES in the ground. Often, we have a tendency in the church to bury ourselves in the world of church, programs, “ministry”, serving (the church/ourselves) and fail to see how God would have us invest our lives into others…especially those who are far from Christ. Instead of burying the master’s resources in a mayonaise jar in the ground…pour yourself out…and into the lives of those around you.

There were many times over the past few years that I was glad to say “I work at a coffee shop” or “I’m a personal trainer.”  It’s not that I’m ashamed of God or anything…just Christianity.

Whenever the conversation on the plane, bus, etc veers towards the topic of vocation my creative juices would start flowing…”What can I say that I DO this time?”

The baggage that often comes with “I’m a pastor” or “I’m a campus minister” or some similar declaration would often prove to be more pressure that I wanted to put on the conversation or relationship.

In my reading of Unchristian (by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons) I found a very relevant discussion of the issues which make identifying oneself with evangelical American Christianity problematic.

So the gist of the book is (in my opinion) coming to grips with the fact that Christianity in America often looks Unchristian (not like Christ) to outsiders. Two specific  groups of people are particularly scrutinized in their opinions, beliefs, perceptions, and values…Busters and Mosaics. Kinnaman describes Mosaics as being born between 1984 and 2002 and Busters between 1965 and 1983. Here’s a quick overview of some of the main themes representing the most common points of skepticism and objection: (p.29)

• Hypocritical
• Too focused on getting converts
• Antihomosexual
• Sheltered
• Too political
• Judgmental

Again, in the research presented, these themes represent the general perceptions of outsiders towards Christianity.

Now in terms of application (especially as I interact with college students) I believe that the future of Christianity in America is looking up. Being aware of these issues and knowing that a more biblically informed worldview is necessary, the stage is set for engaging in the right kind of ministry (so to speak). For me, this completely reinforces an approach to ministry which challenges college students to engage the scriptures, commit to lifelong discipleship, and join Christ his restoration of all things.

Over at Scott McKnight’s blog…Jesus Creed…I found a fabulous ‘liturgy of espresso’ by Billy Kangas. You can catch up with Billy via his blog here, or Twitter.

I have always considered coffee as a great metophor for many things spiritual, social, etc…but over at Billy’s blog…that consideration is cemented into a beautiful liturgy. Great stuff.

The cappuccino as a representation for the trinity makes a lot of sense to me. The cappuccino is technically 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, and 1/3 silky microfoam…blended artfully into one textured and delicious sip.

Properly brewed espresso has triune qualities as well. The heart, body, and crema (crema is the lighter reddish foam that floats on the surface) make up the “pulled” shot and when a glass is brewed, all three parts should be seen as three different layers.

“While the making of a good espresso drink is a complicated process; enjoyment of a good espresso drink is one of life’s simple pleasures.”

And when the simple pleasure of artfully brewed coffee mixes with the sharing of conversation, story, and friendship…ahhh, an Edenic experience of hospitality ensues.

Being on staff with the CCO provides some great opportunities for fellowship with other campus ministers as well as professional development.

First of all, I will comment on how enjoyable and encouraging it is to hang out with other CCO staff and campus ministers in general. People who work with college students tend to be, well…cool. Obviously I’m biased. I remember thinking similar things during my years of youth ministry and, yes…youth workers are usually quite hip and cool as well. But out of the hundred or so campus ministers that are here…seriously…there’s not one person I’ve met who I would avoid in a social situation! 

The theme of our little gathering this week near Ligonier, PA has been transformative opportunities.

Evan Hunter, with the Ivy Jungle Network for campus ministry, presented some statistics and key elements which they’ve discovered in research over the past 10 years. Basically, they have found that the most significant kinds and amounts of lifechange tends to happen when students are given opportunities like a mission trip, a retreat, spring break trip, etc. These opportunities tend to provide the following experiential elements:

• Intensity of Time (it’s more than just a block of time here and there)
• Intensity of Experience (encountering disequilibrium…experiences which challenge worldview…e.g. poverty, disease, human trafficking, etc)
• Intensity of Community (significant relationships develop…also barriers between student and leader are often broken down)

Another component of the research which Evan presented indicates an increase in the interest that college students have in service-oriented experiences and justice efforts. We are serving the “justice generation.” Many college students want to have a significant impact on a community or culture and might even be reluctant to participate in something which isn’t outwardly focused. How does all this impact our ministry at the University of Cincinnati? What kinds of opportunities can we provide for students which will optimize their impact and transformation? I have some ideas, but these are definitely some questions I need to ask (and answer) as the plan for this and the next quarter emerge.

I’m always amazed to find how many lessons from the world of sports translate into other areas of life. Jamie is one of my campus ministry peers here at the Edge House. We just had a great conversation in the kitchen (where MANY great Edge House conversations take place) about things we are both learning as we minister to college students. As we were reflecting on the process through which a few students have connected with her bible study/felllowship deal on Monday nights, we both recognized the need to have a light grip when it  comes to planning and programming for relational ministry (as if there’s non-relational ministry?)

So I was reminded of a golf lesson I had a few years back while visiting Hilton Head during the PGA event at Harbortown. Two buddies and I were treated to some time with one of the most sought-after golf instructors on the island. The first thing he corrected was my grip. He showed me a few places where my glove betrayed my bad golfing behavior…gripping the club too firmly. It didn’t take him long to find my next fundamental error…tension and tightness in my arms. Most golfers know this simple lesson: relax! As soon as you try to muscle the club at the ball…you’re likely to turn the hands over too quickly or make any number of other potential errors. The greatest golf shots often feel effortless…like the club just ’smoothes’ its way through the ball.

That’s the lesson I’ve been learning so far in my short time of ministering to college students: lighten up, relax, and let the club do the work. Perhaps that translates into ministry and relationships like this: lighten up (the expectations), relax (in prayer and in faith), and let the club do the work (realize it’s God who transforms students lives…not our effort or intensity).