Element of encouragement – CCF Sharing Night (F08)

Friday’s program ran for almost 6 hours. Yes, it was long. A lot of people had a lot of things to say. As some of us grumbled at how long the night went, in many ways, it was a good thing. People feel comfortable enough within the walls of CCF to be sharing about their struggles and successes. About how they’ve ran away and how He has chased them down.

Another good thing I noted was the amount of Scripture quoted. It feels like, as a whole, many of the fellowship is reading more. I haven’t had a chance to pause and think to consider context and whatnot, but Scripture is good stuff.

Sometimes, I wonder, for many of the thoughts and stories shared on Friday...were they the first time that these people have had a chance to share with someone these ideas? These testimonies? We often get an outpouring of sharing and bondforming during these times, the end of term and SLC CCF studying. Why is that? Why can’t we spread the goodness throughout the term?

I think, everyone’s got something to say. Just a matter of them working up the courage, and us, giving them the time to do it.

I didn’t manage to catch everyone’s sharing, so if I missed someone, sorry =P. If I've misinterpreted what you've said, let me know and I'll correct it. The tags in the people's names are my addition, as I format my notes into a legible format, the things that came to mind as I think about what they've said. I'll write about what I shared about later.

Program start time: 7pm
CCF – Serving and Ministries
AW - Women Cell

• Touched by the bookmarks (made by Men Cell, for all girls of CCF)
• May not have been "successful" in Women Cell (low attendence) by world views, but knows that God is at work
• Might not be as united as the guys in CCF, but want to encourage that the girls of CCF to reach out to the other girls. Be bold!
• CCF is a great fellowship. But...your walk is your own. Don't neglect it, don't depend solely on others for it. It is between you and God

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

- Colossians 1.9-14

AL - Frosh Cell

• Are you really loving the people around you? Love your God...Love your neighbour...because everything hangs on those
• Even if something seems like it's got alot of people in a given ministry, but if that's your thing, go do it
  

• Thank you for helping her through her transition stage
• Thank you, Frosh Cell Leaders! and upperyears of CCF that made this transition period good. woot.
  

AE - Fall Retreat

• Was really scared for Fall Retreat preparation > learned to rely on Him, but how Retreat turned out was greatly beyond what he had imagine
  

• Starting to see the importance of having love as motivation
• Saw a lot of great things start up in CCF
• But don't neglect your relationship with God in replacement of your ministry. It is your connection with God that gives the purpose and push for the ministry:

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

- Matthew 12.35

• Have Him as first in your life. Should be good. It will be good.

SH - Outreach

• Outreach ministry > was good. Brought a lot of different people with different background and skills to it
• Coffeehouses went well
  

• Find your passion! Turn that into your ministry
• If you want to do something, support within CCF is definitely there. There is no idea that's too small or too insignificant. Trust God

VL - Men Cell

• Men cell theme was "doing hard thing"

1. Went to OASIS
2. Go for something that you can't do on your own > must rely on other people to achieve it
3. Going out of your social norm.

• Looked at 1 Peter
• Not really here to promote Men Cell...here to promote fellowship and meeting together under common interest. It's good stuff
• For sharing night, have a clear message to the fellowship
• Tending to your neighbours. Girls ministry seems to be weakening over the terms > tend to the sisters of CCF
• Build relationship with people and with God

CCF - The Fellowship
AS – to the apostles’ teachings

• Been in spiritual stagnation for a long time
• Be around with other Christians more > can absorb more knowledge and bounce ideas
  

• Herman: Knowledge isn't everything
• Elena: need to invest before you can get out of it
• Just do some readings once in a while. You never know when He's trying to speak to you

EY – put God first

• When you put God first, He surprises you with things that you don't expect
• During certain time segments, felt distant from fellowship. Stopping coming
• But was called back during Urbana. Giving fellowship another shot
  

• Joined Welcome team: expected to bless others...but was also blessed by it
• Encouraging people to talk to people. Instead of expecting service, serve instead
  

• Wanted to go for OT since second year, but now feel called to go in medicine
• Putting God first in career choices has given her new motivation
  

• When dating a nonChristian: Must count the cost. Might end up pushing people away from Him
  

• Put God first, attack your brothers and sisters with kindness

HL - !hermit

• We're the best at dealing with our own suffering. Sometimes its difficult for other people to understand
• God uses our struggles for His glory

• Don't be a hermit > Balance
• Don't over-obsess. Over school...or any other thing
• Was out of CCF for a while, but once he came back, felt good to be in the community
• Transformed a term of just his books to...books, but with people too!

JT – growth in fellowship

• Fear of speaking...
• Wasn't always the greatest Christian
• But since CCF, definitely grew lots. CCF was encouraging
• God doesn't give up on you

JW – not for granted

• Good job to the old people in CCF
• Don't take people for granted

MC – blessings of people

• The one that laughs at things easily
• Easy to laugh...but also really easy to hide behind the laughter
• In trying to handle certain issues, this hiding seems to keep her at a distance from people
• Just last term, she went into the Word alot, and felt totally ready for the term, but things came up, and it felt like retrograde action
• Perhaps felt that she couldn't talk to people about it? But after praying and sharing with people like her DG group and close people, she realized that it's because she's got too much people she can turn to
  

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

- 2 Corinthians12.9

MT - sea of faces (Kutless)

• Came from a small church. Waterloo kind of reduces you to a number. But CCF helped against that. Good stuff

N - hands of CCF

• Not Christian. Doesn't really come out. Why would he want to ditch tennis to come to CCF?
• First found out about CCF via NSR. Went for a while. People were friendly
• So was looking for a job in first year. But had a crappy resume so couldn't get jobs. But CCF people helped him edit resumes into late at night, even though he never really done anything for them

R - Fellowship support

• Before Waterloo, was very introverted
• CCF and God help him to open up and become more confident

R - Fellowship support

• Amazed at all the blessing poured out by God
• Was happy that she was able to find fellowship

R - came to serve

• Prior to starting university, was told repeatly to keep up church and stuff
• Came into CCF with the mentality of being served...
• But Christ came to serve, not to be served
• Thus, we're not here to be served, but to serve

Health and mind
SF

• Had early morning classes (not a morning person), regularly attended CCF and first Men Cell (good support).
• Really focused on school work...sometimes didn't do as well. But there's more to it. Don't sacrifice your health, for...
  

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.

- 1 Corinthians 6:19

God over all
GL - stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13)

• Psalms 88
• Father recently passed away... > received peace -> but has been really difficult
• It's one thing being the encourager...but really another to be on the other side of it

JQ - will not leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6)

• Really like the book of Philippians
• Typically read the book when he's struggling
• Feels like sometimes that he puts alot into CCF, but never really gets much back

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold ou the word of life — in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

- Philippians 2.14-16

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

- Philippians 3.7-8

• It's all for Christ. Even if you don't get anything back.
• God's got your back

JL - do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3.20)

• Job applications > at start of term, looking for oil/gas, or consulting, and early in the term
• 3B chem engg has the lowest employment rate right now. Tied with nano. Haha
• All exp has to do with lab or manufacturing > not really in Toronto...
• Ended up with Colt Engineering (Ada, are you still reading this? haha)
• Even though things seems stacked against him, God ended up giving everything he asked for

SC - shall have no other Gods before Me (Exodus 20:3)

• Challenging term
• Always thought school was hard, never really knew how she did it...but knew that this term, His hands was in it
• Choose not to sacrifice her relationship with God over the term
• Relied on God's peace to get her through
• School is important, but there is more than just school. Do you show that God comes priority over everything?

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4.4-7

Walking the Way
CY - [they have] rejected Me as their King... (1 Samuel 8.6)

• Being Worship coordinator has been a big blessing
• Was a little hesitant, didn't know people in CCF well... but it was alot of fun. Committee, Worship and AV was good encouragement
• Had school with CCF people. That was cool

• Always worship. No matter what you're doing. At all times, you're worshiping something or someone...take a step back. Are you worshiping God?
• Was challenged at Fall Retreat to search for core support, friends that you can share 80% of your life with
• Noticed that, in his BIOL courses, that alot of things were being integrated together and overlapping...
• And saw similar themes in life. Ideas and lessons overlapping
• Don't isolate environments. CCF isn't just for spiritual feeding. School isn't just learning. God is everywhere, so seek many things in all things

• Perhaps relies on first impressions too easily. Perhaps they're too good (but they're human too), or made a bad impression (but never really given a chance to see more of them)
• Be there to listen

• Attitude is important. If you focus on God...on school...on people...that's what you'll get out of it.
• Who is your king? You can really only have one. Who is it? Does it change? By who's name and who's power do you act?

Growth and learning
BL - Finding Him

• First term to have felt God in his life in university

• 90% of his home fellowship is in a different country
• Always went to fellowship. But when his friends were not at fellowship anymore, lost motivation to go
• Even if he's at SLC, eating, sleeping or watching stuff, it felt good to have brothers and sisters around you
• Have checked out other places, but really. Nothing seems to match fellowship (and SLC. haha)

• The other thing He took away was his capability to serve
• Couldn't serve worship team, since had class during practices
  
• Took a step back. Saw the passion of other people in their serving
• Played piano at Coffeehouse...but...it was in the SLC Great Hall...everyone can see you -> challenged serve outside the church building (the safe environments)

• The last thing taken from him was his goals
• Can't do PT anymore since marks seems to be an issue. But...
  

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

- Proverbs 3.5-6

CL - chilling with the Father

• Family conflicts > things she didn't share about with many people, but she felt okay to share with Women's Prayer group
• Now chills with family on the phone. If God loves [her] so much, it should overflow and extend to other people
• So God, and the support of her Women's Prayer group, helped her to reconcile
  
• Share and pray with each. That's when God will change you
• Take the higher road. Forgive first, as God has forgiven you first

EW - Perseverance

• Came from a solid church (NTCBC!)
• Thought she was pretty solid, but was really inconsistent in fellowship in first year
• Too easy to use the church as your support, have them to push you along in things
• Didn't have that here. Harder to push yourself along
• Was really encouraging to see the people in Women's Prayer group grow
• Was scared to return to Waterloo, since first year didn't go that well
• Realizing that her walk wasn't going that well > has to actively search for Him

• Be the change you want to see
• Joined Welcome team
• You're not here to be spoonfed
  

• Been seeking and searching, for no good reason sometimes would feel terrible
• Will always be struggles

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

- Romans 5.1-5

MT - Love and logic

• Playground bullying. Things wasn't cool
• Family was fairly traditional. Didn't really show love to each other
• Love didn't draw him to Christ. Logic did. Christ's actions made logical sense
• Logically, it didn't make sense, the "love overflowing" bit
• Over time, began to note about the little expression of love from the people around him

PC - Every little detail

• Didn't make early admission to Med school...wasn't too happy about that
• Was called to attend Winter Retreat 08 > asked for more faith

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

- James 1.6-8

• Grown alot since...would not have traded this for Med school admission
• He's got a plan for you:

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will

- Ephesians 1.4-5

S - Pray pray pray

• Sometimes, you don't feel God's peace and joy. Pray anyway
• Have conversations with God, where-ever you go
• Knowing God is more important than knowing what will happen
• He's there, no matter what

Food for thought
BX - Changing the world

• Reflections and testimonies are good stuff
• Conversion stories tend to sound more epic
• But it's important to hear how God is real in your life everyday
• Take all opportunities to exhort and encourage each other

• The latest things he's been thinking about: Changing the world
• Do we grasp the vision of changing the world?
• We think about the campus sometimes...but the world. Man...
• What gives what pushes you? It's you. You're uniquely you

• Where does school fit?
• It's important. It might not be for everyone, but it's still important.
• There is so much life change here. It's developing you so you can go out and do something
• It's not about keeping things awesome at the university, but carrying that for the rest of your life (ie bring the experience here to other places)
  

• What is your legacy? How to change the world?
• Life is not always epic. It's the little things
• Think big. But always do the small things as well

DY - Passion

• It's always a blessing to talk to the people of CCF
• Definitely have grown from CCF, thanks to everyone who has served alongside with me
• For the frosh: God’s definitely blessed you, keep this passion/enthusiasm, life and university will throw a lot your way, keep challenging yourselves, and the others around you. Think critically about everything, including (and most importantly) your Faith.

• For the last little while, it's not the Christian side of his life that has been challenging him, but the non-Christians
• Feel that he can truly say that there are non-Christians that want to do good things
• Heard from "Save the Children" -> people can't get out of underdeveloped nations because they lack the education, you are in an educational institution – the power to change the world lies in the people around you.
• If you truly want to impact the world, reach out to the people around you. Your peers will be the ones changing the world
• everyone wants to change the world in their own way – talk to classmates/peers find out what they are passionate about – tell them about Christ.

• what do you dream? - live that, pursue it. God's given you your passions.
• how about your peers? do you know your classmates, have you really spoken to them?
• how do you balance your life?... maybe its about “balancing the right amount of imbalance”. The imbalance is your focus, it’s the thing that drives you. In short, don’t neglect your needs/responsibilities, but don’t be afraid to jump in deep into initiatives that you are passionate about.
• keep your passions real. Pursuit what has been given to you
• what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

PC - Not everyone who says Lord, Lord...(Matthew 7.21)

• Some of you may have grown up in the church. But might not feel that your faith might not mean much to you.
• There more than just going through university, chase a career, attending church. There's much more than that
• Christianity, just saying you're a Christian, doesn't cut it
• Or...if your life is going well and you don't feel like you need God, it's a bad position to be. Always needs God
• 2 Peter

TL - Focus

• God is sovereign. He created everything. Ephesians 1.
• God is becoming more dominating in life. Little problems are insignificant in light of God

• Focus on things that will give you eternal worth
• The Bible is eternal. So is God. Your options are pretty limited

VL - Purpose and variety

• Sat through a lot of sharing nights in the past
• Hear all about good stuff, all the struggles of people, kind of the same trends
• The words that we say can have an impact on anyone in this room
• Sharing on the second round has its disadvantages...everyone else already said what you want to say

• The "invincible upperyears" really aren’t that invincible
• Every term that pass, lose a little more of self. Find himself distracted by school and relationship > lose a lot of time, where did the time go, etc
• Just happen to have a different "date of entry" than everyone else. You have the same issues that we have/had. We just happen to have been there already

• Impact of CCF
• CCF is excellent
• Want to challenge people, especially frosh. CCF is good, but there is alot of other stuff out there too. Take control of your life, and what you want to do
• It's okay to do a lot of CCF stuff, but there is alot other stuff too. Figure out what you want

Outside the CCF

DAW - Scholarship

• School is important. You're here as students
• Christ was a scholar. He was learning the stuff He needed starting from the age 13. Didn't start to ministry until He was 30
• Scholarship is an attitude. Not everyone has the aptitude to do well in school, but the attitude is pretty key
• Story: One day, there was a nice sunny day outside...and sitting in front of him was a partial differential equation. Sigh... -> couldn't study well. So prayed. Was told that school was preparing him for the ministry to come

Reaching beyond

DT

• Most exciting year in her life (wow)
• CCF was encouraging
• Was a really closed person, due to family background
• The church environment was full of caring people. Wanted to know more and more
• God pulled her through, in all the ups and downs
• Amazing to be able to rely on God. Know that she never has to go through things alone again
• Did coffeehouse because, if it wasn't for her friends that reached to her, she wouldn't be here right now

HL

• Read from his Insight article (link here)
  
• Boasted of having the latest set of information
• Impressed by creation and the hands of God
• Good to be in wonder and awe of God

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

- Psalms 24

• The tendency of people to want to share what they think is awesome
• Why we want to tell people to take PSYCH101 with Ennis or ECON102 with Smith?
• So that's how we want to tell people to go to God
• Do you wonder why we lack outreach and evangelism?
• First ask about your relationship with God. Are you in awe of God?
• First and foremost, seek the Lord

JN

• Scary to enter first year and not knowing people
• But He's got plans, down to every little detail. Even when things are looking crappy
• Strongly felt for outreach. Wanted people to experience Christ
• The passage that he feels strongly for was the Great Commission...then found that CCF's focus of the term was on that
• Opportunity to do Coffeehouse was good. Confirmation that God is with him

• Its easy to get caught up in fellowship...but remember that your walk is your own. Prayer. Readings. Devotions.
• What's it all for? Why do you come to fellowship?
• Ultimately, it should be all to know Him more
• If He's not number one in your heart, it's easy to feel empty inside. Meaningless, even

Jack of all circuits, master of none

For my Electrical Circuits 3 course, my class has the fortune of being taught by Professor David Nairn. The man knows his stuff. He can write and talk about circuits faster than anyone can copy them down. There has been few professors in ECE that 1) spoke good English and 2) cared enough for students to want to participate for random socialization, but Professor Nairn is definitely up there in my books.

I think one of the biggest things I appreciate is his patience. A few of us were complaining about how the TAs were holding the tutorial ("Here, check the circuit with this shortcut. What, you don't know it? Just take it by faith that it works...") and how there's a large gap in understanding. Basically, there is the normal (but time consuming way...small signal modeling for those of you that speak MOSFET), but there is also a handful of shortcuts that you can take to quickly return the voltage gain of the model (that collector/emitter resistance thing...shaves at least 20 minutes off analysis time, if you're slow like me). Whereas most profs would've just told us it's easy and do more questions, this is how Nairn replied:

I don't expect you to be able to pull stuff that off by the final exam. Once you've done this often enough, you'll start seeing things like that. There is nothing wrong with using the small signal model. In fact, there was a man I used to work with (at another university)...he must've retired by now...but when I took a look through his coursenotes, small signal (the long way) everywhere. Just keep at it. Circuits isn't suppose to be easy.

Then he threw in some remarks about eating, sleeping and exercising (of course, we all know students don't get enough of all three...but that's another story). I blinked for a bit, trying to comprehend what he had just said.

Right now, it's okay to be "inefficient" - Probably the most realistic thing any of our teachers have said to us to date. Not it's easy (yes, we know you think it's easy). And that even circuit masters (hey, retired circuit profs must be masters) take it nice and steady. Yes, I want to be ownage at designing and solving circuits...but there's finite understanding time between my level of understanding...and that of my circuits professor's. Until then, it's okay to be slow. It's okay to be inefficient.

Growth isn't achieved overnight. Understanding doesn't always come rapidly. This is a lesson often forgotten.

Neighbours of Christians

I had an interesting conversation the other day. I wouldn't have given it a second thought, if it wasn't for another conversation I had shortly after the first one concluded. And thus leading to this extremely long rant that you're about to read.

Christian vs non-Christian...
So a friend and I started discussing the concept of dating relationships between a Christian and a non-Christian. People who were around during certain CCF'ly events would know that I stand strongly against this concept. I've thought much about this, and has all the textbook answers. And so when this topic was brought up, I was ready to beat it down. But just before I was able to launch into my first argument, I was cut off. "But there are Christian guys that treat their girlfriends alot worse than non-Christian guys." I couldn't reply. It's true. I can't deny it. I do indeed have non-Christian friends that have stronger moral values then people that I know who claims to be Christian.

Marriage and Divorce rates
I've always wondered about the 50% divorce rate that is spewed at us. I've been told that Christian marriages' divorce rate is almost as high as the 50% non-Christian divorce rate. I took a quick spin on Google and came up with...

Religious Tolerance website: Protestants (25%), Baptists (29%), Non-denominational (34%). Not quite the 50%. Whew.

Another source, compiled from a series of surveys: Non-Christian (48%), All Christian (41%), "frequent" (people that attend church at least once a week) Christian (32%), "frequent" Protestants (32%). Okay.

So we're looking at values in the 30s percentile. 1 in 3 marriages ends in a divorce. Hmm. Still not cool...yes, we're lower than non-Christians, but shouldn't we? Considering we've got passages like...

"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

- Matthew 5.31-32 (Sermon on the Mount)

"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel...

- Malachi 2.16a

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

- Matthew 19.8-9

Back to that conversation...
I wasn't able to say much. I myself had issues against the Church during my High School years due to hypocracy issues. Still. Christian guys have to be good for something...right? Of course, a handful of Christian isn't representative of all of Christ (but...unless they see Him through our actions, how would they know? Faith without works is worth nothing...). I left the conversation, wondering what the Christians of our world are doing, and how it came to that topics like this is even worth discussing. We're held to higher standards...yet it would appear that some people doesn't care.

Annoyance amplified
Within an hour, just via random discussions, I found myself trying to convince someone else that not all marriages end in failure. I was astonished to hear her opinion...from things like TV drama and whatnot, she has the opinion that all men will want to leave their wife at some point. ALL men. That all marriages will end in divorce.

...what?

You know things are bad if someone believes something like this as a fundamental fact. At first, I thought it was just that she's making a bad sweeping generalization (dangerous in itself, but not too difficult to refute)...but as I talked to this person, it became apparently she truly believed this. All marriages. Including Christians. All these seems to have arisen from Chinese TV drama that portrays people in this type of situation. I was tempted to write this off as a random blip, that this person was just disillusioned, but with the principle of the self-fulfilling prophesy, I proceeded to attempt to alter this person's point of view. Surely...there is some hope, right?

Often, in CCF, I feel that we're encouraging the bubble mentality. We speak as if we're isolated from the world, because we're called to be apart from it. We don't discuss the impact of how we are and behave due to things like our Chinese upbringings and culture, or the impacts of the modern consumerism mentality, or the influence, as I've briefly mentioned here, of mass media. Benefitial or not, we're physically here, and thus are very much influenced by the world.

Eric's talk, the things we learn
A few weeks ago, Eric came and gave a talk to CCF. He talked about learning from his non-Christian neighbours. Of how he's understanding fear of God from Hindu people. Of how he's learning charity from Sihks. Of how we as Christians, wither we realize it or not, have a self-righteous attitude.

I've never really thought too much about this stuff, except that they form the extreme of my arguments on points like Sermon on the Mount. I've got non-Christian friends who's far more compassionate and friendly than I am. Who's more devote to their faith (Islam classmates) than I am to mine. Etc.

Okay, what's your point?
This post is so all over the place...I apologize for my incohernet ranting. I'll try to summerize.

My point is that we're here. That we need to test what we hear (the whole divorce rate thing). That we're observed as we live our daily lives (working against hypocrasy). That we're influenced by our surroundings (cosumerism and media). That really, just cuz we're Christians, doesn't mean we're all that great of people (learning from our neighbours). Yeah so what if we know what to do? The difficulty in our lives has always been the translation of theory to application. We're not great because we follow Christ. Christ is great, so we follow.

Little, big things

Some time ago, I decided to embark on a campaign. "How little I know," I said, as I flipped to Genesis 1, "so I must read." And so I decided to read through the Bible, 3 chapters a day. It would take roughly 1.5 years to get through, but it's only 3 chapter a day. And I realized that, over the next 8 month, as I went from dedicating large amounts of time to reading and asking questions and looking up commentaries...to just reading and looking at commentaries...to just reading...to eventually, stopping reading all together, as life got more and more busy. As school and assignments and labs got to me. As work left me too exhausted after work to do anything but chillaxe and TV.

As I said, "God. I'm doing your work. I'm serving here. I'm tending to Your people. Surely it is enough..."and never really thinking about when I put down the Word and picked up the latest serving task, all in the name of God, that I have put down something far more important than the things I picked up afterwards.

And so as I lamented against the spiritual immaturity of the people around, bashing the Bible study leaders for not having prepared sufficiently, or how people would rather have fun at fellowship than talk about something serious...all while ignoring that sense of hypocrisy rising...

It's funny, how I had no idea that the sense of reservations I've had when I took up the biggest CCF serving position I've done to date and my reluctance to pray, hidden behind my knowledge of the Sciences, of Psychology. Of the Bible and its contents. That blinded by my self-righteousness and pride, held back by thoughts of constantly fighting in His name, that I've left behind the Book that gave any of this meaning...and thus the God that saves, any meaning.

Today, I was reminded all these lessons. I don't find cooking all that interesting, so I listen to music while I scramble the eggs and fried the noodles. Once in a while, I'd replace that with a nice dose of Ravi Zacharias. In the sermon I was listening to, he said that he'd have no problem studying the Bible everyday (4 chapter a day!), no problem serving. No problem doing the things he needs to do, except for praying. And that setting time apart for prayer to God was the most difficult thing he does in a day (cuz prayer is powerful, so of course the enemy wants to distrupt it). Well, that make sense. In prayer, you have to slow down. You have to stand against the rush and busy day. I guess even Ravi Zacharias is affected by our "rush rush" society. You're missing the point...what? I am?

And that's when Ravi drove the point home. He cited this passage as his case point example (Yes, I'm totally taking the wrong points out of his sermon, but that's okay). Gehazi had a front-row seat to Elisha's miracles. He should know right from wrong. Yet he took what wasn't his and he lied about it. He should've known better. If someone so close to all these things could screw up...if a man as knowledgable in Christianity as Ravi Zacharias need to constantly read and pray...how much more an ignorant one like myself? Elsewhere in the sermon, Ravi mentioned that...unless your own personal devotions are well, you would not be able to raise your family to be well either. Dang.

It's kind of funny. I used to be on the recieiving end of talks like this. Now I'm on the delievering end. I've only begun to ponder the possibility that...when I was listening to speeches like this, perhaps the deliverer isn't really some super Christian who's got it all covered and is walking awesomely...but someone like me now, having to be reminded over and over again, to not stray and wonder what would Jesus do...but actually pray to Him and ask Him what He would do.

Haha. Yesterday, I was chatting with Tim Li. There is this character in the Bible, a phophet named Nathan. King David's loudest voice of conscience. Do you know why Solomon fell? The wisest man in history, such that his name became synomonous with wisdom...you'd think that he would be awesome. He fell because he had no Nathan, to remind him of all these things. The big...and the small.

Inreach and teaching

Hahaha. I feel that I should throw in my own two cents. CCF has had a larger focus on Evangelism and outreach ministries this term. Not being a part of that, I'm not really sure how well those outreach attempts are working, just that I hear about their works once in a while. I've been part of too much "should we have Lifesong?" discussions to really want to get into outreach projects...haa.

I found it kind of interesting that, of all initiatives to start, the two newest ministries is Outreach (outward) and Caring (inward). And after listening Mikee talk about the importance of evangelism and outreach, in taking the Word to the people and being a lamp on campus, I feel that I should do a bit of the same for the ministry that I represent.

Lets start with the classic passage:
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

- Acts 2.42 - 47 (Fellowship)

It's a good passage, describing to us what the first church is like. There is actually alot one can get out of this. But just in case, I'll write them out.

• Devotion to the Word (so the Bible was important to them) and to the fellowship (so was each other), to breaking of the bread (significance of Christ) and to prayer
  
• Wonders and miraculous signs...yes, the Holy Spirit was very visual in the time period.
  
• All the believers were together...well. They obviously hung out together. This one took a little more insight. Matthew Henry suggested that they separated themselves from the nonbelievers and poured the time into each other instead. Yet he also mentioned that they spent time with the Jews (recall that this is all happening in Jerusalem)
  
• Everything in common...There was alot of communal stuff. Sounds like Westcourt. Hahaha.
  
• Lord added to their number daily. Hmm. This entire paragraph talking about the early church, and this was the only reference to any form of outreach. From reading just this, one would think that the people didn't really even do anything. Just stuck to taking care of each other and teaching and praying and whatnot...and God did all the heart-tugging and pulled people in.
  

...he asked [Jesus], "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

- Matthew 12.28b - 31 (Greatest Commandment)

• Love the Lord your God...the first 4 Commandments has something to do with this. Gotta be important.
  
• Love your neighbour...which pretty much encapsulates the remaining 6 Commandments. Assuming, that is, you don't steal or lie to people you love.
  

I think, ultimately, this is the point I want to get at. We can get so focused on the Great Commission's call for outreach, that we sometimes forget people don't know as much as we do, or are as connected in the church. "Seeker-friendly" environments may get people in, but if there is no followup, there is no growth. Oops. The environment we fellowship in must be one that is conductive to growth. For many (and I confess, myself included), CCF Friday nights is a time to hang out with people. I recognize the difficult for us to generate a program that will absolutely floor everyone. For many, the growth we obtain from CCF isn't in its Fridays...but from cell group discussions and non-official meetings, such as the Acts Bible study that's going on. But many people don't go to those things. How much do they grow then? Love your neighbour...yes, that means feeding them bread (or contextualized to Waterloo...hmm. It'd probably be Mikey's)...but shouldn't it include spiritual feeding too? And so if we can't take care of the people around us...and indeed ourselves either, how can we hope to rise up new followers of Christ?

"Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evil-doers!"

- Matthew 7.21 - 23 (Sermon on the Mount)

Jesus has spoken. This will happen. And the thing is...these people believed they were followers of Christ...my pastor once told me that this is the passage that he fears the most. It is his job to figure out who are "Christians"...and who are Christians.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not downplaying the importance of outreach. Ultimately, Christ came to die on our behalf. But in all His spare time, He was performing outreach. He was adding to His number of disciples. He was teaching. If we say that baptism or communion are things we do these days cuz Christ did it first, then we can't discard evangelism as something insignificant.

Perhaps, we should take a look at our general call for outreach:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

- Matthew 28.18-20 (Great Commision)

• All authority...Jesus is in charge. Awesome. I serve Someone ownage.
• Go and make disciples...it has been pointed out to me that this chunk doesn't say "go and convert"...but "go and make disciples". What's the difference between a disciple and a convert? The same difference between people who only come on Friday nights and people who attend random Bible studies. The same difference between people who want to be spoonfed, and people who serve. The same difference between people who reach out, and the people who stay within their circles. What is the cost of discipleship?
• Baptizing...name of the Father...Son...Holy Spirit...and so we're instructed not to do this on our own powers. My blab is only so effective. It's really God at work here.
  

At the end of the day, Mikee could rant about outreach and I can rant about inreach, but seriously. We're only university students, nothing we have to say is really all that new. Our ideas are all at least two thousand years old, when Christ walked on this Earth. Our words are simply that, a bunch of words. A few references to the Bible. Alot of hand waving. All this is meaningless with the His conviction in you to drive you to want to tend to your neighbours, both inwardly and outwardly. Building His kingdom in the ways we've been called to...one person at a time.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

- 1 Corinthians 12.7-11 (Spiritual Gifts)

This is a large chunk of the Bible study passage that will happen at CCF this week. A few remaining things...

• Although this passage is often cited as one regarding Spiritual Gifts, it actually talks more about Unity instead. If you keep reading in Chapter 12, the "One Body" passage is found. Things like inreach vs outreach. Charismatic vs Evangelistic. All these things are good and Biblical stuff. But without balance, without that unity, then they are pointless.
• And just as how the Spirit grants very crazy (tongues, prophecy, healing) gifts...He also grants some rather ordinary gifts (knowledge...in other passages, administration, mercy). Are any of these gifts better than others? No. They're all from the same Spirit. Same God. Each of them have their own place and purpose. And same goes for this inreach vs outreach bit.
  
• Actually. I take that back. There are actually three gifts that are better than the rest.
  

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

- 1 Corinthians 13.13

Gears of the engineer

A few of us got talking about how engineers think differently than non-engineers. I've never really understood that. I figure that all the other engineers out there are getting the same type of education that I am. A bunch of calculus. Some circuits. Block diagram reduction. Some imaginary values. Throw in a few microvoltage IC boards and megavoltage motors. In terms of design, we're pretty much left to our own devices. So it doesn't really feel that much different than high school, where it's just massive amounts of knowledge jamming, and figure-out-your-own-application type situations.

Apparently, I'm so submerged in the Waterloo culture that I assume everyone in the outside world is like this. After all, I fit in rather well when I was in Western. I didn't really stand out when I was in Calgary. So when I generate my random analogies (latest: a dime of focus...quite a bit of focus, I'd say) and goes off on my tangents like I always do (woot. non-linear thinking. haha), or pull knowledge that I thought was common (WHAT?! You don't know Euler's formula?!), it always suprises me when it's not easily understood.

I also got to rant a bit about communication. One of the most annoying thing about being Communications back in my 2B was the fact that I had to go make announcements. Planning NSR was okay, the speech was hard. A few days ago, CCF had a QA session, where I had make a few comments. I think, as poor as my stage articulation skills are, it's alot better then what it was before. When I shared this with a second year who told me that she really doesn't like public speaking, she was surprised. After all, I had, earlier that week, answered a handful of questions over a microphone in front of about 60 people. Hmm. So I did.

I guess, what I'm trying to say is...we often speak of growth. People who are focused on physical growth. People who focuses on mental growth. Spiritual growth. Sometimes you don't know that you're growing. Sometimes the situations are too mundane, or the battles are too insane. Sometimes, all you're focused on is to hit the next checkpoint. I was told that, since we're poor assessors of ourselves, we should look to the people around us to tell us how much we're growing. That, even if we can't tell ourselves, we would know when we're not growing at all. That's pretty much when complacency sets in and we all get gg'ed.

Hmm. Perhaps this molding process is too slow. But I suppose one shouldn't ever rush an Artist at work, however tempting.

Haha. I still don't quite get it. What exactly is it that we engineers think about that is different than everyone else?