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Shut - March 11, 2011 (Week 1 - Noah)

Reading: Genesis 7:11-24 "The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord shut him in." Genesis 7:16 I am not much of a woodworker. My father, on the other hand, is extraordinarily talented with any sort of tool. He is somehow able to visualize a finished product with all of its complexities, paying attention to the smallest of details, making sure that the evidence of his craftsmanship is hidden inside, nail heads tucked away where you cant see them, joints bound together seamlessly. If you asked either of us to build a boat, I can tell you whose boat I would trust to be leak-free. When we encounter Noah today, the ark is finally finished. The size is right. It has the right number of doors and windows. Its coated with pitch inside and out. Every last detail is in place. But in verse 16, we read something rather unexpected: "Then the Lord shut him in." After months, maybe even years of planning, preparation, and building, the storms are finally coming. But, it's not Noah's handiwork that protects him from the floodwaters. It's not the pitch that will keep the boat from leaking. God finishes the task. I like to imagine God locking the door and spreading the pitch into all of the places Noah missed. Noah faithfully followed Gods call and built an ark. God took that work, imperfect as it was, and brought it to completion and protects Noah from the coming storm. Sometimes, it's easy for us to feel overwhelmed when we consider the work to which God has called us. Sometimes we dont know where to begin or where to go next. We can feel lost, wondering why God has called us to this task. We look at the other people in our field and we feel unworthy, thinking that God cant possibly use someone like us. We face challenges at work and school and we begin to question our calling. "My dissertation is concerned with minute details that nobody seems to care about. How can this be what God wants me to do?" "I feel like Im failing at my job. Is this really where God is calling me?" "I'm trying my hardest, but it just doesnt seem good enough. Am I really cut out for this?" God doesn't call us to offer perfectly completed tasks. Instead, we are called to faithfully follow where God leads us. When the floodwaters come, God is the one who completes our work. God takes our incomplete and imperfect offerings and brings them to perfection, shutting us in and protecting us from the storm. Prayer: Do you ever feel like your best isnt good enough? Where might God be leading you? God, Where we are weak, you are strong. When the storms of life rage around us, you protect us. You take our incomplete and imperfect works and rejoice in the offering. You complete that which we are unable to do. Guide us and protect us as we seek to follow your voice. Amen.
so

So - March 10, 2011 (Week 1 - Noah)

Reading: Genesis 6:9-22 "So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out." Genesis 6:14 I love the word "so." Our entire world can change by the inflection given to this one little word. A child comes home after curfew, walks through the door and finds her mother standing in the kitchen: "So." A nervous young man finally works up the courage to ask a girl on a date. She thinks for a few moments. The young man swallows the lump in his throat: "So?" God tells Noah that the world is corrupt and that there will be a giant flood: "So." When I read the story of Noah I feel as though God is so matter-of-fact about everything. God has just given Noah the biggest news in world history and says, simply, So make yourself an ark. As God describes the ark, the magnitude of the problem becomes even greater. This isnt just any old building project. This is a small cruiseliner-sized project. God doesnt exactly beat around the bush. He just tells Noah, So make yourself an ark. During Lent we encounter a God of big plans. We encounter a God who comes to us with life-changing news and says to us, simply, "So." Over the next six weeks, we will meet God again and again in unexpected ways and be given the opportunity to respond by building an ark. Maybe the ark will be the chance to go out of your way to help someone. The ark might be a chance to show love to a friend who is going through a rough patch in life. It may even be a call to a new job, a new city, or a new academic program. God didnt stop with the instruction to Noah to build an ark. God doesnt leave Noah high and dry, hoping that everything will be okay. God promises to make a covenant with Noah and to protect him. As we hear Gods call on our lives, as we encounter God at work and school, as we connect with one another in relationship, with a promise of protection, God says to us, simply, "So." Prayer: Take some time to quiet your heart before God. Spend a few moments resting in Gods presence. God,You have created the heavens and the earth. You call us to your work and equip us for the job. You bring us to a need and you promise us your blessing. Help us discern your voice from all of those around us. Prepare our hearts to hear your directions, whether they be big or small, life-changing or natural, easy or hard. Amen.
ashes

Ashes - March 9, 2011

Reading: Job 42:1-6My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:6When I was a college student, I went to a school that held an annual Ash Wednesday chapel service. Every year, I would see students walk across campus with what looked like a dirty smudge rubbed on to their forehead. To be honest, I avoided chapel that day each year. I wasnt sure I wanted somebody putting ashes on my forehead. It just seemed, well, dirty.In todays reading, God has just finished speaking to Job, telling him, essentially, that Job has no place questioning the plans and ways of God. Job 38:1 tells us that God spoke to Job out of a storm. The encounter is so overwhelming, so breathtaking, that Job is nearly left speechless. Job has been brought face to face with a God who is so much bigger, so much more powerful, so much more awe-inspiring than Job could possibly have imagined. Job recognizes that he has encountered something more wonderful than he could possibly have known. The only thing that Job can do in response is to get dirty a sign of repentance and a symbol that he is not worthy of the God he has just encountered.Sometimes, we forget just how big God is. We confine him to be the god who agrees with me, the god who is there as our insurance policy, the god who we encounter only when were with the right people or singing the right songs. We cut God out of our professional and academic lives, believing that somehow this is a domain outside of Gods dominion.Lent brings us face to face with a God whose plans are bigger than anything we could have possibly imagined. At Lent we meet Jesus and a plan for salvation that includes death on a cross foolishness and a scandal, Paul calls it. During Lent, we encounter a God who loves us more than we can possibly imagine, a God who is more wonderful than we can know. Lent connects us to the God who is God of our good days and our bad, God of college administration and economic theory, God of all times and places.The only thing we can do in response is to get dirty.Prayer:Spend some time reflecting on the greatness of God. Consider ways in which you may have tried to put God into a box. Bring these things before God in confession. Then, marvel at the majesty of Gods love for us embodied in Jesus.God,You are greater than our words can say and more wonderful than we can know. Forgive us for those times when we try to make you less than what you are. Help us to use this time of Lent to reflect on you and the majesty of your plans. Thank you for the grace you have given us in Jesus.Amen.
misperceptions

Correcting Misperceptions - December 17, 2010

I recently attended a lecture hosted by the Center for Ethics and Humanities of Michigan State University on Misperceptions about Politics and Health Care: Can they be corrected? by Brendan Nyhan. Nyhan demonstrated that when people who hold misperceptions are presented with evidence from the media demonstrating the fallacy of their misperception, rather than correcting the false perception, the researchers tended to experience a backfiring where the people actually believed their misperception all the more. I was surprised by these findings, but their research demonstrated the same effects again and again over a broad range of topics. People generally resist changing their perceptions about a topic and a broadcast message contrary to their current belief will often hold those misperceptions more strongly in what Nyhan referred to as a defensive counter-arguing.In all of their research, Nyhan and his team found only one consistent way to counter this backfire effect. When someone in a one-on-one relationship affirmed the self-worth of the individual holding the misperception and recognized the validity of their opinion, the individual with the misperception was more likely to correct that false belief. After the lecture, I asked Nyhan if they had found any way to extrapolate the effect of this self-affirmation beyond a one-on-one relationship. They have been unable to do so.As I reflected on Nyhans lecture, I realized that he and his team have picked up on something very important for the church. If we wish to share the Gospel with someone, we cannot expect to simply send them an email defending the existence of God or mention at the beginning of the semester to our classes that we are a Christian. Meaningful change of perceptions happens in one-on-one relationships as we show people that we value them for who they are and that they have inherent self-worth and that we value their opinions. We share the Gospel, in other words, in the context of a dialogue, not a diatribe.On another level, I think that Nyhans lecture exposes a tendency we all have towards being overly self-confident. What topics cause you to start engaging in defensive counter-arguing? Medieval theologians emphasized the importance of teachability - a humble openness to correction comes along with living in relationship with God. When others try to correct our false understandings, do we respond with humble teachability or with prideful counter arguing? Do we exhibit the same spirit of open-mindedness that we want out of others? Are we willing to listen and to learn to what God may teach us from some of the most unexpected sources? The research suggests we still have a ways to go on this.
do it again

Do It Again - December 1, 2010

I have five little nieces and nephews, ranging from one to six years old. Those children abound with excitement and energy. From the moment my wife and I walk into my parents house, at least one (sometimes more, depending on their mood) will yell and come running into our arms. Eventually, we will start to play and almost inevitably, playing involves some sort of lifting, tossing, flipping, or flying. As soon as I start to play with one, the others line up, shouting My turn! Their cries alternate between My turn! and Do it again! No matter how many times we fly like an airplane or shoot into the sky, they say the same thing - Do it again! - until my arms tire and my all done is met with crestfallen faces.Many people tend to reduce the world to little more than a set of natural processes. The sun rises each morning because of the earths rotation; seasons follow one another because of the tilt of the earths axis and the rotation of the planets; plants and animals are limited to their genetic coding which dictates the form, color, and size they will take.Certainly we can rejoice at the natural processes of the world, but what if theres more to it than simple continued, ongoing action? What if these natural processes are not simply ongoing actions that plod slowly, surely to rhythm of time and space, but the tireless excitement of a creative God who delights in order and repetition? In Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton wonders if we ought to picture God more like a child:Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.*Like my nieces and nephews who seemingly never get sick of flying, flipping, lifting, and tossing, God celebrates again each night when the sun sets, clapping and shouting, Do it again! Imagine God revelling in his creation for millenia, delighting each and every day in the rise and fall of the sun and moon. Imagine God admiring the way he placed the moon just right so that the sunlight reflected in the shape of a crescent, growing every day until the full orb of the moon shone bright at night. And every night, God cried out with joy and said, Do it again!As we admire, study, and enjoy Gods creation, we rejoice and delight in our creative God who cries out night after night, Do it again! As our studies teach us more and more about the way God governs creation, I hope that, like a child, our faces shine with excitement and we pray with joy, Do it again, God, do it again!*Chesterton, G.K. Orthodoxy. John Lane Company, 1909. 108-109. Available for free view on Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=p7UEAQAAIAAJ&dq=orthodoxy%20chesterton&pg=PA108#v=onepage&q&f=false
response-ability

Response-ability - October 19, 2010

A pretty common objection to the doctrine of the Trinity is simply that it isnt important for anybody to know. It doesnt make any difference in my life, so theres no reason for me to worry about this mysterious doctrine, right? The Trinity is just another example of theologians making Christianity way more difficult than it needs to be. All that matters is Jesus and my relationship to him, so Im not going to worry about the Trinity.As tempting as this line of thought sounds (imagine the number of heresies we could avoid if we didnt have the doctrine of the Trinity!), I have to object to the idea that the Trinity doesnt make a difference in the daily life of the believer. As I reflected on Titus 3:1-8 this week, I saw anew just how much of a difference this mysterious doctrine makes. Paul writes: 1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. 3At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.In verses 4-6, we see all three persons of the Trinity at work in our salvation. God the Father saves us through His mercy by the washing of rebirth that comes through the Holy Spirit, who is poured out on us through Jesus Christ. Our very salvation is tied up intricately with all three persons of the Trinity at work together. Since all three persons work together, we have the hope of eternal life (v. 7).Yet, this is not where Paul stops. In verse 8, he continues on. He wants us to stress these things so that we may be careful to do what is good! Our salvation, so integrally intertwined with all three persons of the Trinity, naturally spills over into a desire to live a life that pleases God. We have the ability to respond (response-ability) to the outpouring of love we have been shown by the Trinitarian love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity can and should make a difference in our daily lives. As we recognize the way Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together we too respond out of love to the God who saves us. While we will never fully understand the Trinity this si
capital campaigns

Capital Campaigns - October 13, 2010

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Chip Steinfield, chair of the department of Telecommunications, Information Studies, and Media at MSU. As Dr. Steinfield and I talked about some of his recent research, he told me about one study in particular that investigated the impact of social network sites, such as Facebook, on social capital, which is the benefits (real or virtual), one is able to receive from a network of acquaintances.Dr. Steinfields research had some interesting conclusions. He and his team discovered that higher levels of Facebook resulted in a greater level of perceived social capital. Interestingly, this effect was even more pronounced among students who reported lower levels of self-esteem. Dr. Steinfield noted that the benefits of Facebook use seemed to positively effect both bridging social capital (the ability to maintain a broad network) and bonding social capital (the ability to maintain a close and reliable support network). The majority of students who responded indicated that most of their Facebook friends had some sort of basis in offline life - not just someone they met online by browsing Facebook. In short, it seems as though students who spend a considerable amount of time on Facebook believe that they have more friends they can rely on.As I reflected on Dr. Steinfields findings, I wondered at some of the implications, particularly for Christians. Where do we find our social capital? Do we find assurance and comfort in a large network of support or in the loving arms of our Savior and the community of the church? How do we as the church respond to the needs of those with lower self-esteem and give them a needed support network? How do we perceive our own use of Facebook and other social networking sites? How can we use sites like Facebook to meet the spiritual needs of those around us? If one of your Facebook friends was in need, would you help them?I hope that we wrestle with our use of social networking sites and are willing to ask ourselves tough questions about whether or not we would be willing to help those in our Facebook friend networks.Read the complete study by Dr. Steinfield, et al.
tempted

Tempted - September 29, 2010

My wife and I recently got a puppy - an adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Toby. Like all puppies, Toby loves to chase his tail, chew on his toys, and explore the house. He will sniff all over the floor and when he finds something interesting, he backs away a couple of steps and then pounces forward to attack whatever it is he has just found.As you might expect, there are a number of things in our home that we would rather not become Tobys chew-toys. Already Toby knows pretty well what is off limits in our living room and does a pretty good job of not destroying our furniture.Some days, however, Toby will suddenly become intrigued by something on our living room floor. Perhaps its the table leg, the strap of my backpack, a shoe, the edge of the rug, whatever. He knows he is not supposed to chew on these items. But some times, he will just sit and stare. I dont know what is running through his mind exactly - perhaps he is wondering if he can get away with it, maybe hes just wondering what it would taste like in his mouth. What weve noticed is that the longer Toby stares at something, the more likely it is that hes going to pounce on it. The longer he thinks about it, the more likely he is to give in to temptation.Its amazing how easily we can act like Toby. Even when we know that a behavior is right or wrong, we still give in to the temptation. The longer we stare at it, the more likely it is that were going to give in. When we see a tempting situation, what do we do? Do we sit and think and try to rationalize what we know is wrong? Or do we make a quick decision and stick to it?Jim is celebrating the end of the week by joining his colleagues for Happy Hour at a bar across the street from campus. He knows that if he drinks anymore, it will be too much. He is trying to decide whether or not to go home. His friends try to convince him to stay. The longer he delays the decision, what is more likely to happen?Emily is the T.A. of a large lecture class and is grading student papers in a group. One of her colleagues pulls out a bong and lights up marijuana. As the bong passes from person to person around the room, Emily wonders whether or not she should take a hit or pass when it comes to her. The longer she waits to make her decision, what is more likely to happen?It seems to me that the longer we wait to make our decision, the more likely it is well be pressured by the temptation of the situation. What if, instead of acting like Toby, we made our decision quickly, decisively, and stood by it, even if it meant walking away?
agnostic freedom

Agnostic Freedom - September 16, 2010

The term agnostic comes from a Greek word and means lack of knowledge. Most modern-day agnostics are those who claim to have no firm belief in the existence of God one way or another. He might exist, he might not, it is not something that human beings can understand. Often, someone who professes to be agnostic will relentlessly pursue truth in other areas of life, whether in the sciences or another discipline.At a recent Bible Study, we were discussing what it means to be set free from the tyranny of the Devil in todays world. As we talked about the pressures of academic life, we saw the relentless pursuit of intellectual truth as an oppressive tyranny. For those who profess a naturalistic worldview, scientific processes must be able to explain all of earths intricacies. Unfortunately, the world is much bigger than the intellectual capabilities of any one person. Thus, many academics can be trapped by a tyrannical drive to plumb the depths of the earth and explain everything.For someone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, however, there is a freedom to not know. Faith in God says that He works in ways beyond natural explanation. While we can certainly take joy in uncovering the way God works in His world, we are not driven by a need to explain every last detail. We can rest in the comfort of a loving God who is incomprehensible and beyond intellectual understanding. As we do so, we find joy in the freedom to not know, secure from the tyranny of the Devil.
eggs

Eggs and Spider Webs - September 1, 2010

For the past few weeks, I have been meeting with graduate students and faculty from a wide range of departments. From Cereal Studies to Philosophy to Surgery, it feels like I have met with them all. While every professor and graduate student has their own area of focus, I have been perpetually amazed by the interconnectedness of the fields of study here at Michigan State University.For example: a professor of philosophy has a joint appointment in philosophy and agriculture. He studies the ethical treatment of animals, in particular, egg production. If he pushes for a change in the living conditions of the egg-producing chickens, this has an immediate impact on the fields of agriculture and veterinary medicine. The ripples do not stop there, however, for such a change will likely have an economic impact as well. This economic impact will likely mean higher prices, resulting in potential hardship for lower-income families, a matter of both ethics and development studies. If there is to be a change in methods of egg production, this can start at the grassroots level, the businesslevel, or the policy level. Each of these corresponds to study in the fields of psychology, business, and political science. Of course, the implementation of any policy changes will have implications for the study of law as well. We could continue to trace the effects of this one issue throughout the rest of the university. In this way, the areas of study of Michigan State University begin to resemble a spider web where, if someone plucks one strand, the whole web shakes.As I reflected on these connections, I gained a better appreciation for the importance of holistic campus ministry. While ministries devoted to a single discipline are important, they do not connect scholars from one building with the people they influence in others. I hope and pray that Campus Edge is a ministry where people from all fields and disciplines can come together and explore Gods world on a broad and interconnected level.
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