Unwanted Disciplee

Why do they find you when you least want to be bothered?

50 minutes. I just wanted to get in and do my cardio & reading multitasking routine. I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to read. And I didn’t lug my 5lb text and quarterlie along with me to the gym for no good reason. I just wanted to catch up on the Sabbath School lesson and then get a head start on my reading for class.

He just appeared. Richard Simmons type minus the hair. He’s the guy with the lavender tank top and shorts. “Oh, no. Please don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” I quickly recollected our conversation sometime within the last 6 months. I continued to read my lesson holding it as if to ward him off, and then I couldn’t register one more letter without being interrupted by his political rant. I just nodded and smiled and kept moving, but he just kept yapping and cussing and laughing at his own not-so-funny jokes.

I guess Obama started it. He was on one of the televisions airing The View, and so this stranger started in on how the republicans are whining about democrats who are really the ones who actually do something for our economy. It always happens to me at random. I’m not the most approachable person in the gym. I get in and get out – minding my own business. But occasionally these random quirks will start discussing politics. Maybe it’s the law books (I should leave them at home). So anyways, in an aggravated tone I quickly prayed “God, tell me what to say or make him go away.” I was hoping for the latter being more concerned about getting through the lesson and on to my assigned reading.

I tried to listen intently over the high tempo music and weights clanking all around us. He spoke with a raspy tone and said about 10 miles a minute. I didn’t catch everything, but pretty much everything was about conspiracy and how education and wealth are foolish aspirations. I finally jumped in and offered a few lines of hope trying to steer the conversation towards Christ. He responded with, “Yeah, but that’s the thing about republicans. If you are going to say Christianity is the right thing, then you ought to actually strive to be that way.” I had an answer for that, but what he said (as one-sided as the statement may be) hit me when I finally got rid of him and opened my quarterlie with the big bold print on the cover “Answering Christ’s Call: Lessons on Discipleship”

My cell phone had interrupted us, and I thought “Hmm, maybe this is God giving me my out.” Of course I said “Excuse me,” and he went away. 31 minutes. Before I could gripe any further, a sense of guilty irony broke my sweat with a chill. “What was that Janice? God practically had to force the words from your mouth.” We are on lesson 13 – the end of the quarter and you still haven’t swapped out your frames. Rather than seeking out disciplees, I was more invested in getting rid of an odd one. I could have stayed there scolding myself, but God must have planted that stranger’s words in my head “…strive to be that way.” We won’t always have the desire, but we need to know enough to call on Him to give us the passion for reaching lost souls – even when we don’t feel like it. I thought, “At least, I prayed.”

I’m not sure what all I said to that man, but I know when I started talking about what we have to live for being more than a political tug of war he started asking me to repeat myself as if I wasn’t enunciating well enough. I had a tug of war going on within my own heart. One part of me was feeling like I need to help this guy see things differently for his soul’s sake, and the other part of me just wanted to maximize my 50 minutes. Being a disciple as a young adult is challenging when really important priorities call us to manage our time strictly. But God’s call can come at any time, and if we don’t want to answer – we need a light. Call on Him to burn within you a compassion for humanity like only Christ can ignite.

Although, I didn’t get around to reading about business organizations, I made it through the rest of the Sabbath School lesson. But, my unwanted disciplee had already helped me refocus on the object of the lesson.

Ignition, so what?

Since Ignition…I’ve been silent. The question “So, what?” is hung on my mind. I guess I’ve been waiting on God to show me what new thing I need to start after being empowered at such a resourceful summit. What do I do with this? What’s the next step?

I finally began to look around at what’s already here. Yes, I have dreams of an Adventist presence here at my commuter public school. Yes, I have dreams of a vibrant Young Adult mission-based church inside the city loop. But what about the here and now?

And then there’s my campus community. I’m attending law school and the thought of sorting through the thousands of undergrads and graduate students here on campus to weed out the maybe 100 Adventists/Adventist-lites studying here within feet of me seems way past overwhelming. Yes, I’ve met a handful of SDAs at church events who claim the cougar spirit but I’ve never seen a hint of them on campus. Sometimes, I’d just rather stick to my books & carrel.

Of course, that’s not how I was feeling Saturday night in Dallas a few weeks back. And when it comes to YA ministry at church and at school, when I really think about it there are initiatives already in place that simply need to kick it up a notch. Like church, for instance – within the past year we’ve created a YA Sabbath School class and it’s awesome to see new people consistently showing up and getting involved. I believe God is using this YA space to attract skilled young adults of all walks to our already diverse atmosphere. Once they’ve hooked up with the SS crew, we get them involved helping with AY and then maybe the choir. The question is what can we do more?

As far as school is concerned, I’m already involved in the Christian Legal Society. Perhaps this will be a launch pad for some future campus ministry with an Adventist flare. As a matter of fact, at the end of this month our chapter will be “Feeding the 500″ right outside in the law center breezeway. We’ll spend a few hours over lunch serving the student body as a simple act of service. It’s an effective means to a Godly end. Just Tuesday, CLS heard from 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jennifer Elrod who encouraged us with a speech entitled “This Little Light of Mine” based on Matthew 5:14-16. I think that’s what it boils down to. Ignition may have lit, sparked, or refueled the passionate flames within us. It’s now just a matter of keeping that desire burning.

God has major plans for young adults like me here at home in the midst of anti-SDA reality and far from the commodious halls of the Adam’s Mark. I’m not quite ready to launch a new do-it-yourself-from-scratch initiative, and I’ve come to accept that there’s nothing wrong with that. I believe God has responded to my earnest waiting with one word “persevere”. Persevere in your studies, persevere in your church ministries, and persevere in your spiritual walk. I’ll ditto that, “Persevere IGNITIONites.”

He Found Peace @ Ignition

Before leaving for Dallas, we’d been praying about his grandfather. Over the holiday break he underwent quadruple bypass surgery and by now things were looking up. Only, he recently developed an infection, and Saturday night in Dallas my friend received a text stating his grandfather had 3-5 months left.

Just the night before, we’d paid a visit to the cross. We all had index cards and on them we wrote things standing in between us and God. We took the index cards and tore them to pieces scattered at the foot of the cross. While the experience was personally freeing, I didn’t realize my friend was leaving his grandfather there. Sunday morning he told me what he’d done, and how he was at peace – God could do whatever He saw fit.

So last night when my friend phoned and said, “I’m really glad I went to that thing this past weekend” I smiled at God’s incredible timing. The doctors say his grandfather’s expiration date is closer than they’d thought and within a week he may be gone.

He’d been angry and unable to really speak about losing his grandfather, but now he’s swapped all the frustration out for perfect peace.  What we took away from Ignition is just as sweet as what we left behind.

Out of the Mouth of YAs

What do Doritos, Sprite, and gum have in common?
You probably didn’t guess it, but…sexuality.

***

We found ourselves on the road somewhere around daybreak when normal people know better than to be out of bed. And then as the clock cornered 11PM, I found myself lightly chatting at the encounters café with a fellow from way up north. It’d been a long day.

The truth of the matter is that I wasn’t sure what to expect here in Dallas this weekend. I’ve been to many of these events and was even here a year ago for JCI. But the young adult component has really added a flare and pre-registration seems worth it after less than 24hours away from the usual. We went from a deep discussion on sexuality to rolling off the edge of our seats laughing about chicken and fish. Don’t worry, I’ll start explaining some.

Of course in between servings, we’ve hugged old friends, matched faces with screen names, and gathered plenty of resources to take back home. IGNITION for me so far has been about recharging, reconnecting, and getting hooked up with the right resources. This is definitely an effective use of my weekend, and I’m not just saying that to make myself feel better. I’m saying that because God is present here. I feel Him and I am excited about what He’s got in store.

***

So that sexuality thing…yeah, a touchy subject right before lunch. Well, Adrienne Townsend brought it down to earth and laid things on the table. Together in small groups we faced the issue with open discussion on the impact of the media and the various ways we come to understand sexuality through our life experience. “This is a hard topic for guys,” a man at my table remarked. I was thinking this is a hard topic for strangers making first impressions. But that’s the unique thing about our Adventist gatherings, we’ve already established the fact that we’re family.

But anyways, the Doritos & Sprite idea was presented as a practical technique for presenting sexuality to teens in church. There was a general call for those with ideas implemented in their local area to come to the mic and share how young adults can combat the messages the media influentially sends to our young people regarding sex. It’s simple, place everyone in a line and give them some Doritos to chew on without swallowing. Then add some Sprite and have them savor in the tasty moment. Next step – spit it into a cup and pass it to your buddy next to you in line. How’s that for a visual aid?

Just as you can piece the above object lesson together, Townsend illustrated the before and after effects of giving yourself away with pieces of gum. Even when we collect all the pieces of gum and try to form the stick again, the change is visible. But that’s where Jesus comes in – He can make us whole.

***

And maybe that’s what Eddy Hypolite was getting at with his hilarious enactment of “The Nasty Lit’le Girl” who Jesus used to educate the self-righteous unwilling to cast the first stone. He spoke to the heart about the Truth, “Truth isn’t a teaching, Truth is a person.” Hypolite was fresh, but more importantly real. By the end of the message, I believe we were all ready to exchange the 28 Fundamental approach for the commonsensical Truth.

There’s much more, but getting less than 5 hours of sleep is not the most ideal writing situation. I’ll be back with more of what’s charging here at IGNITION later tonight, but in case you were skeptical…it’s worth the $115 and long weekend.  My new friend at the cafe put it nicely, “I’m not used to this. It’s awesome to see people my age, of my faith, and so ready to serve God.”