Archive for the 'Faith' Category

Page 2 of 15

The Goal: “Perfect” Disciples

Published on November 28, 2011 by Chris Bean in Calling, Campus Ministry, discipleship, Faith and Gospel.

There’s a quick easy read on discipleship by John Stott, which ended up being the first title I tackled during my most recent retreat for study and prayer. Stott called attention to 8 neglected aspects of Christian discipleship. For more information on his book, The Radical Disciple, check out this link.

One of the chapters discussed maturity from the context of Colossians 1:28 and I was reminded of the significance of my own calling to disciple college students. Some scholars believe that Paul was addressing an early form of Gnostic heresy in his letter to the believers in Colossae. The problem was manifesting itself in a false dichotomy between average and elite Christians. (Get a quick overview of Gnosticism here).

I find that this particular heresy continues to be quite rampant in Christianity today. Many believe that there are varying degrees of Christian commitment which are acceptable to God and He doesn’t actually require holiness or “perfection” from everyone. But Paul sends a kill shot right into the heart of this heresy when he reminds the Colossian Christians what he is all about:

“Him we proclaim, warning EVERYONE and teaching EVERYONE with ALL wisdom, that we may present EVERYONE mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”   Colossians 1:28-29 (ESV)

The Greek word for maturity or perfection is teleios and shows up 19 times in the New Testament. Whenever it is used, there’s a comparative not an absolute sense of the word which is in play. A mature/perfect disciple is NOT absolutely mature/perfect without any further room for growth but mature/perfect in comparison to a newborn…or a spiritual infant. So the implication is that Christian maturity is an expectation of a disciple (“radical” as Stott points out in the root sense of the word).

In the context of campus ministry, this goal or calling can be quite challenging because of the complexities, transitions, competitive demands which characterize the average college student or young adult. However, that could be said of high school students and senior citizens just depending on the day. The deeper challenge is helping a student have a grander vision for their own spiritual journey than occasional church attendance or participating in a weekly fellowship/bible study. Following Christ demands a singular focus and commitment which leaves many Christians occasionally saying “Lord, Lord…” but mostly living for “Me, Me…” (Matthew 25:44)

Comments: 1 Comment | Tags:

Lessons From A Night of Sushi

Published on November 18, 2011 by Chris Bean in Campus Ministry and Faith.

During our Journey 2:8 bible study/fellowship on Thursday nights we’ve been discussing simplicity as spiritual discipline and topic for discipleship.

Occasionally, we like to incorporate some great food with our conversations together and the idea of “make your own sushi” occurred to me as a simple kind of food to launch us into this study of simplicity.

So we had a great time rolling up sticky rice in sheets of nori (seaweed) with slices of cucumber, raw fish, & wasabi. One of the first lessons for me, however, was making a distinction between simple and easy. Sure, sushi is a pretty simple food as a concept, but preparing and rolling the ingredients (not to mention FINDING all the right ingredients) proved to be quite challenging.

As we studied Matthew 6 that first week and chewed on the implications of trusting God with our basic needs and “seeking first” the Kingdom, we learned a similar lesson. Following Christ can be a simple concept but quite a challenging proposition in terms of daily practice.

On the second week of this study, we learned a few more lessons from Luke 18:18-25 (the rich young ruler) and Luke 10:38-42 (the story of Mary & Martha).

  • The rich young ruler had grown so attached to material things, that the simplicity of Jesus’ call became too sacrificial
  • The “one thing” which was lacking became the “everything” that was missing
  • For Martha, distractions and obligations became the “main thing” instead of prioritizing the “one thing” which was all important.
  • There’s often a big difference between “serving” Jesus and actually sitting at the feet of Jesus

The complexity and chaos of our lives truly demands a counter-cultural pursuit of simplicity. That has implications for the way we spend our time, our money, and our lives.

Comments: 0 Comments | Tags:

Move-In Week at UC

Published on September 16, 2011 by Chris Bean in Campus Ministry, Church, discipleship and Faith.

This video clip from News 5 in Cincinnati gives a little taste of what move-in week is like at UC but it doesn’t really capture the gravity of what’s happening in a college student’s life as they pack up a dorm room’s worth of belongings and start their new life on a college or university campus.

As I had lunch with one young freshman girl and her parents, I was reminded of all the little questions and concerns that parents have in the process. And for many parents who have raised their children in a particular faith environment, one of their greatest concerns is whether their student’s faith will grow or be dismantled during these all-important course-setting years of campus life.

I often try to encourage parents. There’s a healthy and natural process that most college students go through which usually involves deconstructing the faith & value system they were raised with in order to reconstruct the faith and worldview which they can own from this point forward.

That’s why I believe my calling is so significant…to come alongside of college students and walk with them through this process. It’s not my intention to prevent students from asking the tough questions or even laying down their faith for a time. I’m sure it can unnerve parents a little to hear me say that (which is why I usually don’t say it quite like that), but in the long run, the journey towards a fully integrated life and faith is just as important as the destination.

That’s what I’m doing whether I disciple students one-one-one or facilitate a similar experience in community (Journey 2.8). If I can help a student engage that process and plug into a healthy faith community (church) during their years at UC, I believe they will actually be transformed by Christ and prepared to transform the world.

Comments: 0 Comments | Tags: