Mission Partner Update: International College Student Ministry

Kevin is one of our former student ministries interns.  He did a fantastic job serving students and families at FPC a few years ago, and now he's taken his passion for the gospel to a college campus in the Washington DC area.  Specifically, Kevin (who comes from a Chinese background) is reaching out to international students at American University through an organization called Chi Alpha.  Kevin shared this update with me earlier this week, and it's written from the perspective of one of the leaders of their ministry - not Kevin himself; I doubt he's having grandchildren anytime soon. :)

My Chinese friend Rou Zhang and I are continuing our [ministry] relationship. It is a very productive one and we've done many things together. She has been in my home several times and to church for our Lessons and Carols Service and brought a male friend. She has also attended, once, a Chinese Fellowship where I teach a Bible study for Chinese professionals, professors, and graduate students that is loosely connected to George Mason University. She has become close to my little grandson, whom she loves, and I think feels a special affinity for us because my daughter-in-law is Chinese, although they, themselves, have not met. 

I feel that she's open spiritually but not yet questioning much about Christianity. I have shared a great deal with her about how the Lord helps me, which has been made very natural because my husband, whom she had met and likes, was struck with a catastrophic illness in January, and she has watched how we have dealt with that. She says that now she feels that she has two grandmothers, one in China and one here. I'm planning to take her up to Skyline for the day next Saturday. We are also Facebook friends.

I have been praying about connecting with another student and since you have some that need to be matched with American friends, I feel that I'd like to have one more. I don't necessarily feel that I need a Chinese student because of my background and focus - I would certainly be willing to have a student from any country. We have traveled extensively and have interest in many places. If you have a student who is particularly eager to have a friend, let me know. I know that Rou very much wanted a friend and was waiting for one when we were connected.

So, let me know if you have a student you'd like to give me. I have prayed that the Lord will bring me together with one that He wants me to have. My husband is now in long term care, so it is only me at home right now.

Several things to keep in prayer:

-Pray for this woman's husband

-That current partnerships, (over 60 in total) will be just as life changing

-There are 15 students still waiting for an American family, so we need more volunteers from partner churches

-We have a Christian beach retreat for the campus ministry that many international students have signed up for (most of them are not Christian). Pray that God will meet them in a meaningful way

- For the women, men, and families involved in the shooting at the Naval Shipyards.

--
Kevin Kusunoki
Chi Alpha Campus Ministries @ AU | auchialpha.org
American Friends Director @ AU | auchialpha.org/americanfriends

Bike Crash Update and A Special Event

I’m writing this blog update from the waiting room at the radiology department at Community Hospital.  I had a good visit with our family doctor this morning, and she checked out my knee and made a couple of observations.  Because she could manipulate my knee pretty well and also because I’m hobbling around somewhat successfully, ligament damage may not have happened.  She did send me over to Community to get a x-ray because I may have broken my patella (the kneecap) or done something to the bursa – small sacks which help pad the tendons around my knee.  If nothing else, my Scrabble vocabulary has been enhanced today. :)

After I get my x-ray, my doctor will take a look at it and draw conclusions from there.  If she thinks it’s possible that I hurt my ligaments, I’ll go in for a MRI, but not for a while.  My knee is still pretty swollen, although the soreness and tightness goes down like the mercury every day.  Until then, I’ll be wearing a knee brace (a hand-me-down from my brother, James – thanks man!) and keeping to what has become my ‘normal’ routine since my bike crash: ibuprofen, ice, and elevating my knee whenever possible.  Thankfully, I’ve been able to swim a few times a week, and last Saturday I did yard work.  Self-propelled mowers are a wonderful invention.  :)  Also, I’m grateful for health care, doctors who are willing to take their time with me, and a very patient wife.

UPDATE: My x-rays came back negative.  Nothing seems to be broken!  The next step is to keep taking care of my knee and allowing time for the swelling to go down.  I’ll have a follow-up appointment with my doctor in 3-4 weeks, and we’ll go from there.

On a somewhat related note, a movie will be shown this Saturday evening at 7pm to benefit the Colorado Mesa University cycling team.  The movie is called Right to Play, and you can watch a trailer for it below:

http://vimeo.com/m/32346872

From the press release from CMU:

Right to Play is a documentary directed by Frank Marshall for ESPN Films. It aired on ESPN 30 for 30. It is the story of Norwegian speed-skating gold medalist Johann Olav Koss, who founded the non-profit organization, Right to Play, which brings sports to children in third-world and war-torn countries.

As we partner with ministries like InterVarsity on campus, it’s important for our church to be a supportive presence at events like the cycling movie.  Students will know they’re loved and cared for, and you can support the national champion CMU cycling team as you enjoy a great film.

Hope to see you there.  And thanks for continuing to pray for me as I recover.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Always Wear Your Helmet!

Two Saturdays ago, I was riding my bicycle with a friend.  It was a lovely morning, and we were nearing the end of our ride through the wine country and orchards in Palisade, just east of Grand Junction.  We took a side trail off of the main road to get to the riverfront pathway heading back to the city, and that's when the trouble started.

A patch of gravel sat at the top of the trail, which the heavy rains had brought across the path the night before.  I skidded for a moment on the gravel but regained my balance.  Heading down the side trail, I barely noticed another patch of gravel before I began to pick up speed.  Actually, it was too much speed on the short downhill switchback, and by the time I'd applied my rear brake, it was too late.

Have you ever had that sickening feeling in your stomach that the thing you've been treating like part of your body - a bike, skateboard, skis, etc. - isn't actually part of you but could actually hurt you?  That's what crossed my mind as gravity took over and the inertia of my body overmatched the movement of my bike.  I flew over the handlebars as my tire skidded over the second patch of gravel, landed on my face and right shoulder, and dragged my right knee under my body.  Dirt spilled into my mouth, and hot blood began to run down my face and chest.

My helmet saved my life.  I landed on a relatively-soft patch of dirt and mixed gravel, which provided me with a better cushion than the asphalt trail - although it still put quite a few scratches and cuts on my face.  I immediately felt around my body and checked my teeth, all of which were miraculously intact.  My riding buddy, Michael, saw the whole thing and hollered for me to stay down and try to relax.  Lying on my back for a moments, I felt my muscles tighten, so I picked myself up, then moved over to the shade and tried to rinse my mouth with water.

After we figured out that I could walk (my knee was skinned up pretty well but wasn't swollen just yet), we hobbled over to the main road while Michael called for a ride.  I noticed that my lip was split, so I asked Michael to watch me and see if I demonstrated any concussion symptoms, which thankfully I didn't.  About 30 minutes later, I was sitting at urgent care, talking with a great doctor and caring nurse who helped me get cleaned up, stitched up, and wrapped up.  I'm very grateful for their care and patience as we figured out what I needed to do.

Urgent care selfie.  I feel and look a lot better now.

Since then, I've been watching my face heal up nicely.  The knee is still swollen and sore, and I'd be grateful for your prayers for continued healing and that no tendons or ligaments would have been damaged in the crash.  I keep telling people, "It could have been so much worse," which is true.  My helmet saved my life, and my sunglasses took all the damage instead of my eyes.  I couldn't have made it to the finish line of crash and it's aftermath without Michael, his family (who picked us up after the crash and saved me a $1000 ambulance ride), and the staff at urgent care.  I thank God for them.

In one of his letters to his young friend Timothy, the missionary and church planter named Paul wrote these words: "Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Tim. 4:8).  That's been my prayer lately: focusing on recovery from my injury while keeping the pursuit of godliness as primary.  I love to exercise and keep in-shape, which I'll be able to do by swimming as often as I can.  But I also need to be reminded that the pursuit of Christ is immeasurably more important than even the best physical training - like riding a bike through Palisade on a late summer morning.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Mission to Families

When I first got my car, it came with a free 1-year subscription to satellite radio.  This just happened to be the same summer that I was driving across the country from my home in Houston to a new chapter in life in Gig Harbor, WA.  All throughout my drive, I was thrilled to have satellite radio in my car because I could listen to any game, any time, for any team.

Somewhere on the drive, I caught a broadcast from the Los Angeles Dodgers' home announcer: the legendary Vin Scully.  If you've never listened to him call a ballgame, it's a tremendous experience.  Scully doesn't just call the game and give you the plays; he tells the story of each player, the managers, the strategies, and everything else on the field without for a moment becoming dull.  He knows how to do this so well because he's been calling Dodgers games for 65 years, and he just announced that he'll be back for a 66th year.  I'd go so far as to say that listening to Vin Scully call a game is better than watching it on TV, and only second to seeing it in-person.

Vin Scully is a masterful storyteller.  Ministry to children and students (and their families) is all about telling God's story in faithful, innovative ways.  Our children's ministry tells kids over and over again: God keeps His promises.  Our students are learning to tell the story of their lives with Jesus as the hero.  We do this through a variety of ministries, events, small groups, and mission opportunities.

This Sunday at 4pm, Brad, Janet, and their teams will host a fall kick-off here at FPC.  We'll have desserts and games, as well as the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming year and our ministry to students, kids, and families.  You won't want to miss it!

See you Sunday,

Travis

Millenials, The Church, and Goodwill Sweaters

A few weeks ago, you may have seen a blog post via CNN.com with the following (intriguing) headline: Why Millenials Are Leaving the Church.  The link is below.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church/

The author, Rachel Held Evans, is an author and regular contributor to the ongoing discussion about faith and gaps between generations.  I've heard her name in different conversations, but this is the most high-profile piece of her material that I've encountered.

While I appreciate her critique of the church, after reading her post, I felt like something was left unsaid.  Of course, that's always the case - especially in the world of blogging, instant-messaging, and Twitter-feuds.  I wouldn't characterize her language or approach as 'feudal,' but it did garner a lot of attention, particularly from millenial Christians (full disclosure: techincally, I straddle both Generation X and the Millenial generation, but I'm not proud of that or anything... :) ) in my Facebook news feed.

A pastor I know personally and also respect deeply is Richard Dahlstrom, senior pastor of Bethany Community Church in Seattle.  He taught my final seminary class on preaching, and I've been deeply impacted by his approach to preaching and ministry.  He wrote a blog in response to Evans' blog, which is linked below.

http://bodysoulspiritlife.com/2013/07/29/rearranging-the-chairs-a-response-to-rachel-held-evans/

Because he published his response a few days after her post, Richard (in a sense) 'gets the last word.'  Regardless, I think his critiques and affirmations are valid.  [Sidebar: It's interesting to see this kind of conversation develop online, and I feel a little bit of my skeptical heart melting toward the importance of having these dialogues happen in an e-format and still be effective.]

Hope you enjoy both perspectives.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

Danish Postage

Hearing someone's name thrown around - especially in fields that interest us - usually means we should check out that person's work.  A lot of my theological and pastoral 'heroes' mention Danish philosopher/theologian/psychologist Soren Kierkegaard in their writing or speaking.  So, I picked up a slender volume from the library called An Introduction to Kierkegaard by Peter Vardy and started working through it.

In a word, it's brilliant.  Or rather - Vandy's summary of Kierkegaard's life and ministry is fascinating, and he makes it easier to understand a mind steeped in such difficult (and often seemingly-conflicting) subjects such as theology, philosophy, and psychology.

Here's a small sample of what Kierkegaard brought to the discussion about faith and reason - a tension we continue to live in today:

"1.  The truth that is revealed in Jesus' life is not like that of Ghandi or Socrates - Jesus, as God, can reveal Eternal Truths...which cannot be revealed in other ways.

2.  The incarnation, in which God became human, is a decisive event in human history.  It is not merely a matter of another baby being born who affected the world in a major way.  If Jesus is God, then Jesus' birth is the moment when God decisively intervenes in creation.

3.  If this is true, then for an individual to come to accept the message of Jesus is not like acquiring one more piece of information.  It will have a decisive impact on the individual which will affect the whole of his or her life.

4.  The moment when a person accepts the incarnation and decides to take seriously the Eternal Truth that Jesus brings will be decisive.  It will affect the individual's whole life.  It marks the passage from error [which Kierkegaard equated with sin] into Truth.  If Jesus is God and if the message that Jesus brings is decisive for all human beings, then Jesus is effectively the Teacher as he brings truth that could not be known elsewhere, and the Savior of those who take on board that message as he brings people from error into Truth." - Peter Vardy, p. 12-13

So what does this have to do with faith, or with anything in the real world?  I've found that some of the best works I've been able to encounter - theology and philosophy being my cup of tea - don't immediately branch into my life.  What they provide is fertile soil for thinking about real-world issues.  Or, they provide a more adequate architecture for faith in Christ that is both personal and discuss-able in winsome ways.  

And I also recognize that for some people, this kind of thinking just doesn't make a lot of sense.  Believe me - I don't understand all of it, either.  But it's good to have a variety of insights into what we believe, and it looks like Kierkegaard might become one of those conversation partners for me who - even posthumously - helps me grow in my faith.

May God lead you to someone who helps you grow as well.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis

PS - If you're a K-12th grade student's parent or grandparent, don't miss the Children's & Student Ministries' Fall Kickoff event next Sunday - August 25 - at 4pm at FPC.  We'll have goodies, games, and plenty of opportunities to connect with the staff and teams behind these vital ministries.  And just for fun, we'll have a slide show of pictures of our leaders from their glory days of high school and beyond.  Three cheers for Big Time 80s hair!  I'll see you there.

The Soul of Wit

I've mentioned a pastor and author named Timothy Keller several times on this blog - the entry right before this one, actually.  Keller is on my list of pastoral 'heroes' because of his laser-focus on the gospel, his thoughtfulness, his scholarship, and his modeling of leadership in Christ.  Although he's also Presbyterian, his tribe - the PCA - has a couple of theological distinctives that I wouldn't share.  I can learn from him even if we disagree on a few issues.  He's a great example for my generation of leaders of how to humbly listen, speak the gospel to power within culture, to cherish what Christ has done for us and to steward the good news for the sake of others.
 
Twitter is a relatively new phenomenon for me.  It's an social-network communication program similar to Facebook, but with one key difference.  Users are only allowed to post their thoughts within the space of 140 characters - the same limitations placed on a regular text message.  The challenge, then, of good communication on Twitter happens within those 140 characters.  Like Shakespeare once wrote, "Brevity is the soul of wit."


Recently, Tim Keller used Twitter to host a live question-and-answer session.  The transcript is below:

http://storify.com/timkellernyc/asktk

It's fascinating to read the questions, Keller's responses, and then to consider his limitations: 140 characters (including spaces) to answer.  I hope his thoughts (and the questions being asked) help us consider how to reach out to our friends and neighbors for the sake of Christ.

Solo Dei gloria,

Travis