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The superficiality of ALF (sorry Jamie but it is - and by the way once again your silly song for harry has once made it up on my itunes random list) hasn’t lasted long. I wanted to be in bed an hour ago - but my mind and emotions have been on running on speed. I just finished commenting (with many others) on a blog by Mike Cope. Since that was only a small fraction of what is actually running laps in my head, I will continue to write until I get tired of typing, my contacts get completely stuck to my eyes, or my laptop gets too hot to hold.
Here is a song that I was first exposed to the end of my junior year of college - at One Day 2000 - OnePure and Holy Passion (Words & music by Mark Altrogge1992 Dayspring Music, Inc./PDI Praise/BMI)
give me one pure and holy passion
give me one magnificent obsession
give me one glorious ambition for my life
to know and follow hard after you
to know and follow hard after you
to know and follow hard after you
to know and follow hard after you
to grow as your disciple in your truth
this world is empty, pale, and poor
compared to knowing you my lord
lead me on and I will run after you
lead me on and I will run after you
—————
Be careful what you ask for it might actually happen. I don’t really remember wanting to be anything in particular when I was growing up. Looking back, I don’t think that I ever believed that I would live to be that old (a little fatalist :)). As an undergraduate my plan was to become a pediatric physical therapist – working on a double biology and chemistry degree. At some point around my junior year (while talking the wonderfully exciting thermodynamics class) – my factors went into my decision not to go into the medical field. Now looking back, I can see how I was being prepared for and used in ministry since I was younger. (Will not bore you with the details now) I served as an associate campus minister at Christ in Action while I was completing a second degree (Chemistry got dropped for Psychology) and before I headed to do my graduate work at ACU.
I love campus ministry. Many churches have a small or no college program and this age group (often migratory) are not loved by communities of faith as much as other groups (they don’t often commit to one church, financially they don’t commit, they usually are not kids that have grown up in that church, they aren’t staying long, etc.) However this period of late adolescence and emerging adulthood (marked by independence emotionally, financially, etc) is a crucial time developmentally for these students formation. (tonight I am not up for the continued description of why college ministry – maybe later)
I have been gifted both in ministry and working with college students. I believe that God in himself gives us a model of ministry that is communal. I remember certain times such as the weekend in the field at Shelby Farms. I remember the desire for one passion and direction as I would run and follow hard.
So here I am and as I now look down the road … well its not even really a road, maybe a very light trail – for those few that have run it before me are dispersed and many are silent, the discussion is nonexistent. It sometimes leaves me at the point asking – can I have another one passion? Not that trading in campus ministry, but it the question lingers and takes many forms (one most recently do I stay in churches of christ?)
Recycling a quote from Leonard Sweet’s Postmodern Pilgrims, “I live my life between two metaphors: (1) the pioneer who has arrows in his back, and (2) the slow buffalo who always gets shot I am constantly aware that the difference between a leader and a martyr is about three paces.”
Theres more – maybe it will be here at a later point, but for now I am heading to bed. The camps office calls to me just a few hours in the distance.