Chris Bean

As I was sitting in a campus ministry training seminar today with my CCO peers, we were discussing ways in which theology should inform our understanding and application of the Gospel.

Faith & Repentance are the mechanisms by which we grow. Our guest speaker, David Kim from Gotham Fellowship in New York City (out of Redeemer Presbyterian Church w/ Tim Keller) pointed out that sanctification is the process by which we become more like Christ.

For some reason, images of Tony Horton and flashbacks of P90X workouts popped into my head. Tony calls it “muscle confusion.” That’s why those P90X workouts have so much variety and a 90-day rotation system. To make a muscle grow, you must force it to encounter resistance and in every-increasing doses. In addition to that, varying your routine keeps the muscle from becoming comfortable with a particular movement which results in a plateau.

This can certainly happen within the context of our sanctification and spiritual growth. Unless we are continually coming to a place of faith & repentance, the stream of our spiritual life becomes stagnant. Stagnant water stinks. There’s no flow…direction…energy.

Just a couple of evenings ago, I set aside some time for prayer and repentance. Over the past few months, for a variety of reasons, my sense of God’s presence and my own willingness to engage the Scriptures and prayer had become quite weak. This very lesson was being spoken to me by the Spirit and thankfully I responded (this time). The extent to which that time of prayer on Sunday evening restored my soul and transformed my mind continues to surprise me. In describing the experience to a friend, I likened it to the feeling of responding to God at a Thursday night youth camp service…when you walk away from a time of prayer and repentance feeling about 50 lbs lighter!

In order to continue a trajectory of spiritual growth…we must continually engage our faith muscles and do the heavy lifting of repentance.

Having just spent some time in the latest issue of Catalyst’s free online magazine, my passion is definitely stirred as I think about ministering to college students. There’s a good article/interview with Francis Chan who uses the analogy of surfing to talk about how dependent we really are when it comes to whether or not lives are changed.  In any kind of ministry setting, it’s easy to begin believing that “success” and results directly correlate to our efforts, gifts, programs, etc. I notice this in my own weekly and day-to-day schedule. Many times I fail to prioritize time with God or simply time with people (i.e. the students I’m hoping to see transformed). It’s often easier to spend time sending emails, posting on a blog, working on communications, putting together curriculum, studying for a talk, or any other number of things…than to prioritize time in prayer, reading Scripture, or loving on students.

The interview with Dallas Willard was brief but packed with some great points. I’ll on it another day or so before completing this thread on spiritual maturity.

Any thoughts on this topic? Good or bad experiences? Ideas for defining success when it comes to discipleship and spiritual formation?

One of the hats I’ve gotten to wear over the past year is teaching/facilitating as an adjunct professor in the Indiana Wesleyan University Adult & Grad studies program here in Cincinnati. The class I’ve been facilitating for IWU is Philosophy & Christian Thought. I am excited to begin another round of it tonight actually at the Dayton campus.

I was just reading over my end of class survey report and read one of the most encouraging pieces of feedback I’ve ever received from one of these philosophy students:

This response was under the section “What suggestions do you have for faculty improvement:”

THAT is a gift!  It’s often tough to inspire these students much about philosophy, but if I can raise their level of enthusiasm about Christ and the Gospel…success!  

When anyone asks how the ministry is going, I often begin with something like this:

“You know, this first year of being on campus is mainly about learning the culture and context of students here in Cincinnati.”

In some ways, that response is evasive and in other ways it’s completely accurate.

There is a learning curve of some sort involved with any kind of endeavor or career transition. Although there have been many transferable concepts and principles from my first 15 years of ministry, there are also particular lessons and skills to be learned as I position myself on a campus and in the lives of college students.

Today was one of those days that I celebrate and leave campus feeling so affirmed in my calling and my compatibility with this mission to the University of Cincinnati. The particular lesson I learned today was about being lovingly assertive. It really doesn’t take much for a college student to avoid an appointment we’ve made. They suddenly have to prepare for a lab, attend a meeting, study with a friend, take a nap, etc. There is seemingly no limit to the student’s creative capacity when it comes to responsibility evasion. But…there also maybe more room for assertion and compulsion than I had previously thought. My typical response in these situations is something like, “Hey, no problem…let’s try meeting up next week then.” Today I tried something a little different. With two different students today I responded with, “Okay…sounds like you have a lot going on. How ’bout if we just get together for about 10 or 15 minutes? I’d really like to spend a little time with you today and just see how you’re doing.”

Both students agreed and I was able to spend a couple of minutes just checking in, encouraging, and even praying for one student. I certainly believe you could cross the line from being assertive to pushy if you aren’t careful. But I have enough relational equity with these students to know where the line is and have a little cushion. And instead of completely missing the chance to connect I was able to spend at least a few minutes investing a little more life and gospel with both of them. (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

It’s one of those words that comes with its own set of luggage, right?

There are connotations… miscommunication… abuse…baggage.

I have recently set out on the task of engaging the idea (and calling) of holiness. Especially important to me is the need to communicate the truth of holiness and sanctification in ways which get at the real heart of transformation, grace, and discipleship.

Oord and Lodahl do a really nice job of describing the “core notion” of holiness as a response of love to God and others which really flows out of God’s call, God’s purposes, and the nature of God Himself.

Where much of the holiness “baggage” comes from is when peripheral notions (rule keeping, legalism, set apart-ness, consecration, etc) of holiness take the place of that core notion . I have a couple more titles to read on this topic so I’m looking forward to a renewed vision for and emphasis on faithful holy living as I challenge college students to pursue Christ-likeness and God’s mission to love.

I met with a college student for lunch today who has been a friend and someone I have hoped to influence for several years now. As we shared a meal at one of my favorite little spots near campus, I was mindful of how our conversations have deepened over the past few months. We were no longer in that awkward stage of not really knowing how to connect, what topics are safe, how far can I press, etc. The foundation has been laid for me to be able to speak encouragement and guidance into his life while asking the kinds of questions which help sort out issues, values, beliefs, etc.

This “3 x 50 Project” in which we’re engaging for the next 50 days or so will provide the prayer and financial support we need to continue ministry like this with many other students at the University of Cincinnati. Both streams of support are necessary to keep me on campus and effectively serving students. When it comes to fundraising, we are often warned against asking for prayer instead of or at the same time that we ask for financial support. Perhaps it’s easier for someone to offer prayer support rather than the monetary variety. On the other hand, to truly carry a burden of prayer for someone or some ministry can be quite a difficult challenge as well.

I am thoroughly convinced that we need both types of support, but I’d say that the primary need during this 50-day “event” is to find individuals who would answer the call to pray daily for our ministry at UC. God is truly sovereign and more than capable of providing the financial resources that will keep me on campus meeting with students. God is also the source of transformation and salvation that we’re praying to see in the lives of college students. If we have a team of people who are seeking God daily on behalf of our ministry, all these other things will certainly be added to the mix as well (Matthew 6:33, My Paraphrase).

“Frankly, twentysomethings are perceived by most leaders in churches as a transient demographic, people who don’t tithe and who need to solidify their faith on their own.”

Reading this statement was not as shocking as it was disheartening. From my conversations with pastors over this past year of ministering specifically to college students and various twenty-somethings I would completely agree that most have this hands-off approach to this demographic.

I swiped this little sound bite from Chuck Bomar’s blog as he was bringing attention to a new book on the subject which he co-authored. The book is called Slow Fade and you can find some more information about it here.

The positive side of this observation, however, is that the churches and pastors who I see really connecting and discipling college-age folk are doing some pretty simple things.

• They’re loving college students and young adults
• They’re giving them a sense of belonging and significance within the Body
• They’re sharing life beyond casual conversation and helping these young adults see what faith looks like in real life…and in a variety of vocational settings.

The covenant formula–you will be my people and I shall be your God–formed the essence of the covenant relationship from the beginning (Ex. 6:7).

One of my tasks as a campus minister is to communicate the biblical story to students. What is God’s Word all about? What is God’s plan? What is the Gospel? How do we read God’s Word…study it…live it?

There are a few books on my 2010 reading list which help me towards this goal and Michael Williams Far As The Curse Is Found falls into that category. Perhaps the most helpful aspect of this particular book has been the emphasis on covenant as a lens through which we can see the drama of Scripture unfold.

God has indeed, completely of his own initiative, covenanted with his Creation…certainly including humanity. Sin is the disruptor of covenant…the barrier which makes it impossible for us to keep covenant with God. Through the cross of Christ, death is put to death and the righteousness of Christ becomes the righteousness in which we stand. The church becomes extremely significant as the community which cooperates with sovereign God to mediate His covenant to the world (the ministry of reconciliation which Paul speaks of).

Williams skillfully unpacks the idea of covenant in a way that makes sense from beginning to end. Within the context of this robust view of the Gospel…from Creation to Fall to Redemption to Consummation…God’s covenant relationship with Creation and all that He has done to maintain that covenant stirs the heart to respond in love and obedience. And as we live into this covenant relationship with God, we must be very careful not to divorce internals (heart) from externals (law/obedience) as Israel often did but look to the cross and the resurrection as our means for living as people of God.

Thousands of people around Cincinnati are participating in a journey with Crossroads Community Church in Oakley/Cincinnati. What they call their “all-church journey” this year is a series called “Free*” and it has been a great opportunity for many believers around the city to connect and be on the same spiritual page.

No piece of curriculum or teaching series perfectly meets everyone’s needs but they’ve certainly touched on a crucial life issue with this material. Many of us live out of brokenness and have our identity more shaped by that experience than by our experience with truth and the Gospel.

For me, the great lie has to do with my performance…comparisons…competition…fear of rejection and/or failure.

The great truth is this: In love, God has chosen us way ahead of time to be adopted into His family and that adoption has NOTHING to do with our performance (what we do) and EVERYTHING to do with trust (in what Christ has done).

At the Edge House we’ve been hosting a monthly Friday night conversation that we call the “Theology Throwdown.”

Typically, this “throwdown” is just an opportunity to host a conversation and discussion which has some sort of theological or philosophical flavor to it. So far we have tackled such simple issues as…

• The Problem of Evil
• The Two Natures of Christ (humanity/divinity)
• Who needs the Church
• The relationship/tension between faith & science

Last night was probably my favorite conversation to date. In addition to a good topic, we had an interesting mix of students who all contributed fabulous perspectives and experiences. Everyone’s input combined for a really rich mixture of interaction.

A highlight moment for me was when one of the students (coming from a very atheistic/pluralistic worldview) commented on his experience at the Edge House so far. He said something like this,

It’s cool to have someone say, “I’m a Christian…so let’s talk’ instead of ‘I’m a Christian…and you’re going to hell.”

The atmosphere of hospitality and faith discovery we are developing at the Edge House should continue to grow. I hope we’ll have many more conversations take place like that one!