Thursday, December 19, 2002
Well, the party season is officially over at Biola. I attended the last of I believer five Christmas lunches. It's been fun. School is almost over--I have a few more enjoyable essay questions on the last final exam and a few more hours of work, then I'm outta here... at least until January 6. I may blog in the meantime, but the 56k at home just isn't the same as the T1 at work, ya know.
Wednesday, December 18, 2002
 | Legolas Greenleaf If I were a character in The Lord of the Rings, I would be Legolas, Elf, a son of the King of Mirkwood. In the movie, I am played by Orlando Bloom. Who would you be? |
Well my year is nearing an end; so let’s look at the rest of the questions.
Have I maintained a genuine awe of God?
My awe of God is genuine, even though not always as deep as could be—but then this isn’t heaven, and all my stuff is still here.
Is my lifestyle distinctive?
Somewhat. Though having had a few slams this year, I know there is room for improvement. Getting my nose out of the books every now and then would be good.
Is my "spiritual feeding" the right diet for me?
Less fast food. More nutritious meals. By the way, I found a great resource the other day for just this thing. Check out “Daily Passion” on the IVPC website.
Is obedience in small matters built into my reflexes?
Improved, but a few ‘knee jerks’ remain.
Is there enough celebration in my life?
No.
Final comments on the year
This year has been full of epiphanies. Merriam-Webster defines ‘epiphany’ as “3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery.” Here’s a few:
Telling my faithstory is part of my job, even if I work at a Christian university and mostly know Christians.
Getting to know people—in the church and outside the church—is ministry.
It is more important for my students to meet Jesus than it is for them to hear my wit and wisdom—shocking, eh?
Ministry is about doing ministry with, not ministering to. Merely ministering to people without supporting their ministry demeans them. That’s bad.
Knowing, loving, and becoming like Jesus is more important that learning a bunch of really good stuff in seminary.
Sometimes, one must stand up for what is right.
Developing godly character is more important than graduating summa cum laude.
Well that's the scoop for today.
Have I maintained a genuine awe of God?
My awe of God is genuine, even though not always as deep as could be—but then this isn’t heaven, and all my stuff is still here.
Is my lifestyle distinctive?
Somewhat. Though having had a few slams this year, I know there is room for improvement. Getting my nose out of the books every now and then would be good.
Is my "spiritual feeding" the right diet for me?
Less fast food. More nutritious meals. By the way, I found a great resource the other day for just this thing. Check out “Daily Passion” on the IVPC website.
Is obedience in small matters built into my reflexes?
Improved, but a few ‘knee jerks’ remain.
Is there enough celebration in my life?
No.
Final comments on the year
This year has been full of epiphanies. Merriam-Webster defines ‘epiphany’ as “3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery.” Here’s a few:
Telling my faithstory is part of my job, even if I work at a Christian university and mostly know Christians.
Getting to know people—in the church and outside the church—is ministry.
It is more important for my students to meet Jesus than it is for them to hear my wit and wisdom—shocking, eh?
Ministry is about doing ministry with, not ministering to. Merely ministering to people without supporting their ministry demeans them. That’s bad.
Knowing, loving, and becoming like Jesus is more important that learning a bunch of really good stuff in seminary.
Sometimes, one must stand up for what is right.
Developing godly character is more important than graduating summa cum laude.
Well that's the scoop for today.
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
One final down and one to go.
A few days ago on the Greenline, I experienced a moment of clarity. I saw a part of my soul that I would have preferred remain in dim hiddenness. There was a gentleman on the train who likely had not seen clean water and soap in about a year. He sat down across the aisle from me. A young man— judging from the gear and the young man’s apparent age probably a high school athlete—sat down next to him. The older man engaged the young man in conversation. The young man was polite and gentle. Then came the crisis moment: as the train pulled into a station where the young man was to disembark, the older man held out his hand for the young man to shake. There was a moment of hesitation. The young man made a fist and rather than shaking the older man’s hand, he did a fisted ‘gimme five’ (for lack of a better term for the action). Suddenly the question came into my mind, “Would I have shaken the older man’s hand? If I did shake it, would I not touch anything until I could get to soap and water?” Honestly, I would have dodged the hand completely. So, does love really stop when the icky-o-meter gets too high?
A few days ago on the Greenline, I experienced a moment of clarity. I saw a part of my soul that I would have preferred remain in dim hiddenness. There was a gentleman on the train who likely had not seen clean water and soap in about a year. He sat down across the aisle from me. A young man— judging from the gear and the young man’s apparent age probably a high school athlete—sat down next to him. The older man engaged the young man in conversation. The young man was polite and gentle. Then came the crisis moment: as the train pulled into a station where the young man was to disembark, the older man held out his hand for the young man to shake. There was a moment of hesitation. The young man made a fist and rather than shaking the older man’s hand, he did a fisted ‘gimme five’ (for lack of a better term for the action). Suddenly the question came into my mind, “Would I have shaken the older man’s hand? If I did shake it, would I not touch anything until I could get to soap and water?” Honestly, I would have dodged the hand completely. So, does love really stop when the icky-o-meter gets too high?
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