In The Land of My Sojourn...

InterVarsity Update Dec 2011

2011-12-14T12:39:00.000-06:00

InterVarsity Dec 2011 Update

How I Wish the Homosexuality Debate Would Go

2011-10-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

a snippet of a hypothetical conversation...

Host: So how do you reconcile the command to love all people with a position on homosexuality that some would say is radically intolerant?

Pastor: If you think my position on homosexuality is radical, just wait until you hear what else I believe! I believe that a teenage guy and girl who have sex in the backseat of a pick-up are sinning. The unmarried heterosexual couple living down the street from me is sinning. In fact, any sexual activity that takes place outside of the marriage covenant between a husband and wife is sinful. What’s more, Jesus takes this sexual ethic a step further and goes to the heart of the matter. That means that any time I even lust after someone else, I am sinning. Jesus’ radical view of sexuality shows all of us up as sexual sinners, and that’s why He came to die. Jesus died to save lustful, homo- and heterosexual sinners and transform our hearts and minds and behavior. Because He died for me, I owe Him my all. And as a follower of Jesus, I’m bound to what He says about sex and morality.

- How I Wish the Homosexuality Debate Would Go by Trevin Wax

I Am Second - A Powerful Testimony by KORN ex-guitarist

2011-06-18T12:31:00.000-05:00

Rioting

2011-06-16T18:05:00.000-05:00

#firstworldproblems

Conviction or Accusation?

2011-04-21T00:28:00.000-05:00

How can I tell the difference between the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit and the accusing attacks of Satan?

“He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8

“. . . the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down . . . .” Revelation 12:10

The Holy Spirit puts his finger on a specific sin I have committed, something concrete I can own and confess, but the accusations of Satan are vague and simply demoralizing
The Holy Spirit shows me Christ, the mighty Friend of sinners, but the devil wants me spiraling down into negative self-focus.
The Holy Spirit leads me to a threshold of new life, but the devil wants to paralyze me where I am.
The Holy Spirit brings peace of heart along with a new hatred of sin, so that I bow before Jesus in reconsecration, but the devil offers peace of mind with smug relief, so that I fold my arms and say, “There, that’s over with.”
The Holy Spirit helps me to be so open to God that I allow him to control the conversation, but the devil tempts me to take off the table certain questions I just don’t want God to talk to me about.

Conviction or accusation? by Ray Ortlund

The Mountain

2011-04-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

Multnomah Falls, OR

2011-03-31T10:26:00.000-05:00

Critical Question about Heaven

2011-03-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

A sobering reminder that as we pursue reconciliation and shalom on earth for kingdom purposes, our affections for Him who even makes it possible must increase all the more.

"If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you have ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you have ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?"

- "God is the Gospel" by John Piper

Spiritual and Secular Jobs are God's Work

2011-02-07T02:13:00.000-06:00

I recently helped lead a conference for UC-Berkeley seniors called Discipleship After College (DAC). One key theme most of the seniors wrestled with was 'how to think about their work after college'. There was a strong dichotomy between working in the secular world or being 'really spiritual' and going into full time ministry/missions. Like DAC, Pastor Tim Keller challenges a us to rethink this paradigm.

Tim Keller: Spiritual and Secular Jobs are God's Work | Christianpost.com:

"Pastor Tim Keller challenged a crowd of New York City professionals Sunday to rethink how they view work and to debunk the notion that spiritual vocations matter more to God than secular work."

There is no menial work. Jesus came not as a philosopher, not as a general. He came as a carpenter,” said Keller. “The Bible says that all works matter to God. All works. Not just works that make money.”
He cautioned against serving idols in work, whether it be profit in business or self-expression in art, instead of serving God.
“Therefore, because of the power of the Gospel, I call you to think like a prophet, serve like a priest, and plan like a king."

Lake Tahoe 2011

2011-01-17T23:25:00.005-06:00

A Bauble

2010-12-21T02:26:00.001-06:00

" I was in the robe-chamber, adjoining the House of Lords, when the King put on his robes. His brow was much furrowed with age and quite clouded with care. And is this all the world can give even to a king? All the grandeur it can afford? A blanket of ermine round his shoulders, so heavy and cumbersome he can scarcely move under it! A huge heap of borrowed hair, with a few plates of gold and glittering stones upon his head! Alas, what a bauble is human greatness! And even this will not endure. "

- John Wesley

Dec 2010 Update

2010-12-16T19:14:00.003-06:00

Into The West: Aug 2010 Road Trip Pictography

2010-09-05T19:11:00.011-05:00

Continuing the tradition of road trip pictographs, here are some highlights from our seven day, scenic route road trip from TX to California. I had never visited any of these places before, so I was pretty excited (click any pic to enlarge). The complete album can be found at Angela's Picasa Album.

Austin, Texas

all my bags are packed, im ready to...... drive 2300+ miles from Austin, TX to Carlsbad, NM to Roswell, NM to Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Canyon, AZ to Las Vegas, NV to Death Valley, CA to Palo Alto, CA.

Carlsbad, New Mexico
Our first stop was Carlsbad Cavern National Park. Pretty cool place, elevator drops you 1000 feet into the ground and we went on a self guided tour. It took us about 2 hours to walk around the cave. Angela led the way in the darkness of the Carlsbad Cavern and we found time to make faces down there.

Roswell, New Mexico
The Truth is Out There, so we had to visit Roswell to find it. Unfortunately, we were a bit disappointed because we thought the whole place would be filled with kitchy alien paraphernalia, but sadly (for us) most of the town and its people looked very normal. Ralf - Roswell Alien Life Form, greeted us at the entrance of the International UFO Museum. I am also standing proudly and grinning geekily next to Mulder and Scully X-Files posters. Angela refused to have her picture taken here for unknown reasons.

Grand Canyon, Arizona
I had very high expectations of the Grand Canyon. However, as I was telling people about our trip, several mentioned they were let down by the GC. By the time I was driving out there, I was still excited, but fearful of being underwhelmed. When I finally saw the GC, I learned those people I talked to are moved by different things. =) Grand Canyon was every bit as awe inducing as I had hoped.

One of the best decisions we made the whole trip and was to rent bikes and ride the trails/roads along the rim of the canyon. The whole thing was breathtaking. Pictures and videos speak for themselves. It was a bit tricky trying to ride a bike, take pictures/videos on the iPhone, and avoid falling over.

Las Vegas, Nevada
For some reason all the pictures we took in Vegas disappeared once we left.

Death Valley, California

Death Valley National Park was surprisingly great. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I will definitely never forget seeing sand dunes in the distance, burning in 110 degree dry heat, standing 300 feet below sea level and feeling the strongest winds I have ever been in. Did I mention it was hot? Ignore the people that look normal in the background, they are faking it.

Palo Alto, California

We arrived into Palo Alto Sunday morning and made a beeline to In-n-Out Burgers for lunch. I also found out I get a free gym membership, eligibility to play IM sports and a Stanford ID card to prove it, all I had to do was marry well. =)

Scenery Change
We were blessed to have the time and freedom of taking a week long road trip out west. The gradual transition gave us a great cushion of space out of TX. Also, watching the landscape change before our eyes was amazing. Each state had its unique agriculture, smell and formations. Looking forward to what God has in store for us this upcoming year as we transition.

New Mexico Arizona Nevada

California

Into The West: Aug 2010 Road Trip Videos

2010-09-05T15:55:00.009-05:00

It's Been Two Years!

2010-07-13T15:30:00.005-05:00

Dancing in the Minefields by Andrew Peterson

"I do" are the two most famous last words, The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I’ve heard is a good place to begin
The only way to find your life is to lay your own life down
I believe it’s an easy price for the life that we have found

So when I lose my way… find me
When I loose love’s chain… bind me
At the end of all my faith, To the end of all my days,
When I forget my name, …remind me

We bear the light of the son of man, There’s nothing left to fear
So I will walk with you in the shadow land, Till the shadows disappear
Cause he promised not to leave us, And his promises are true
In the face of all this chaos, I can dance with you

Lets go dancing in the minefields
Lets go sailing in the storms
This is harder than we dreamed
But that’s what the promise is for

Returning Home

2010-07-12T09:36:00.012-05:00

One of the most emotionally heart tugging images in my life has always been the thought of soldiers returning home. Even as a kid during the Gulf War in 1991, I remember having an emotional response when I saw soldiers reuniting with loved ones. I don't know what it is - seeing a child run to their parents, seeing mothers crying, seeing families embracing. There is just something beautiful about seeing unadulterated joy for things like family.

We thankfully have a Father in heaven that embraces us as well.

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ" - Ephesians 1:7-9

June 2010 Update - New Adventures

2010-06-19T00:24:00.004-05:00

My latest prayer letter update to go with the blog redesign. If you have ever thought about supporting me, now is a great chance! =) www.intervarsity.org/donate.

A Response to J. Mack Stiles "Whats Happening to Intervarsity?"

2010-02-11T10:13:00.016-06:00

J. Mack Stiles, an esteemed author and former InterVarsity colleague, recently wrote an e-journal article at 9 Marks called “What’s happening to Intervarsity?” In the article, he raises several piercing concerns about InterVarsity Christian Fellowship that has caused quite a stir in many different realms. Friends, supporters, staff within InterVarsity and even staff from other para-church ministries have all asked me about it. My students will probably start asking after this blog post (which I think is great). If you want to grow in a healthy way - listen to what others are saying, be brutally honest with yourself, and respond appropriately. This is my personal perspective as a sixth year IVCF campus staff in the Red River Region (TX, OK, AK) and not an official response in anyway of IVCF.

The short response:

I wholeheartedly agree with the truths that Stiles brings up, but I don’t necessarily agree with all the conclusion he reaches about IVCF, I have never once heard from national or regional leaders:

"move beyond evangelism”
“creation care counts as missions”
“deeds not creed”
“Gospel is the whole bible”
"a distaste for God killing his Son”

The long response:

A Primer on College Culture

A dramatic shift has occurred on the college campus scene for both the Christian and non-Christian alike since the days I was in college. A few years back, the "social justice" student generation emerged and it has now become the norm on most college campuses. You walk out onto any student organizational plaza and a majority of groups are advocating to feed the hungry, end poverty, AIDS awareness, stopping human trafficking, etc. It is also undeniable that this student generation sees the world from a completely new perspective. With the connectedness of the Internet and technology, worldwide communication and information is instantaneous. The combination of these two has accelerated this cultural shift at an astounding rate. Students are making an important and tangible difference because they now have the knowledge and resources to respond like never before.

InterVarsity can be a very organic structure in some regards because of the nature of our mission field. Anytime culture changes, it’s going to have an effect on an organization like ours because the members of our body (students) and our entry level workforce (campus staff) are all born out of this culture. This means that every 4 to 6 years there will be a large turnaround.These facts are simply the reality of the changing nature of campus ministry and the students we are trying to reach.

As evangelical Christians, we have been set apart to preach a message that does not change. As a member of InterVarsity, a missional organization to the university, my call is to preach this message to student generations that are always changing.

1. Know the Mission.

I completely agree that we must know our mission. Any organization that doesn’t know its purpose is impotent. For about the past 5 years, God has been challenging IV in understanding our mission better.

As we have grown since the early days, we formed a large number of value and vision statements. A few years back, a company came in to evaluate our mission effectiveness, the conclusion was shocking and definitely convicting to national leaders. Since then, there has been a healthy course correction. At our last national staff conference in ‘08, Alec Hill, our president, brought this to light and reaffirmed our main purpose - to reach students and faculty for Christ, in order to renew the campus and send graduates out to change the world for Kingdom purposes. Hill preached from Romans "We are not ashamed of the Gospel, we are obligated to pray and act to take the Gospel to the college campus, we can do no less"

However, I don’t identify with Stiles' concerns about InterVarsity forgetting its mission because of secondary doctrine issues. Of course these conversations come up between individuals within IVCF, like it would and should for any maturing believer, but it is not a systemic issue that has undermined the primary purpose of IVCF on campus, which is to reach and transform students through the Gospel. When I engage students in these conversations, it is to help form and develop a theological acuity, but I have never confused my primary campus work as establishing secondary doctrine issues vs. proclaiming the good news of the Gospel and the implications of discipleship.

2. Guard the Gospel

Any Christian organization or church needs to be cognizant of unhealthy trends born out of a response to culture and not from a biblical worldview. As an organization that is very much in the midst of an evolving campus culture and trying to proclaim Christ, it can create blurred lines to what that exactly looks like. As I have experienced different parts of InterVarsity over the years, my own concerns have risen up over the "Gospel being assumed, confused, lost". I certainly don't think it’s intentional, but it is easy to fall into, especially with the cycles of college ministry and the culture as described above. I pray this great reminder would be received by anyone inside and outside of IVCF with humility, and the Spirit would convict where appropriate.

It’s my role as staff and shepherd to be aware of these potential and subtle changes, in order to respond accordingly. I am proud of my students over the past few years for the growth we have had in proclaiming and inviting others to the Gospel message of God’s redemptive love for broken people through his son, Jesus Christ. However, this does not mean that we mute our voices about justice issues like poverty or human trafficking because it is a part of my discipleship to be more Christ-like. What a great opportunity it is to introduce students that already seek justice apart from God to the very creator of Justice in God.

Speaking from my own experience in Red River, I am not so sure that we necessarily downplay evangelism and add something to it in a way that is entirely unique than before. From what I have seen, I believe that the same fears that have always plagued our desire for evangelism are still present (inadequacy, fear of man, apathy, etc.) As the new college culture of social action has risen up, Christian students can mask those fears through the medium of advocating for social justice issues in order to identify with other students, without ever actually talking about the Gospel itself. Its an “easy out” to feel like we had a great spiritual conversation because these are very spiritual things.

In a worst case scenario, I do think it's a possibility that we become strictly a Christian social action organization and no longer remain a missional one. Stiles addresses this, but I believe its more of a loss of mission and not necessarily because of confusion over the Gospel. On the other hand, I believe that we can become strictly a Gospel preaching one without any regards to discipleship or sanctification which is just as unhealthy in other ways. I don't want to think through the paradigm that we must do one or the other because both are important and I firmly believe there is a way you talk about both without them being at odds with one another.

3. Organizational Fear of Man

I have never felt any tension in the relationship between IVCF and the University the way Stiles describes it. I feel with a large degree of certainty that none of the other staff I know has felt this either. In fact, I can think of several times that IVCF has gotten in trouble with the University for mandating that a student leader must be a Christian.

I don’t understand Stiles comments concerning Bono speaking at Urbana’06 about AIDs. Bono is one of the leading voices in the world in this particular area and a tireless advocate for those that are in physical need. We did not randomly ask Ozzy Ozbourne to be our spokesperson for justice issues. Bono is a guy who genuinely cares about the plight of others as far as I can tell. He was one person among several others that talked about AIDs that evening and it was through a video recording that lasted maybe 10 minutes. Stiles jumps to far-fetched conclusions about pandering to the world based on a 10 min talk at a 5-day conference.

(For the record: I’m indifferent towards Bono’s celebrity status or music)

4. Focus on Pragmatism

Again, this is a great word for us to be reminded of. We don’t want to fall into the trap of being a result driven organization. I am sure its happened in different pockets of IVCF and it is something we need to watch out for if that becomes the driving force for everything we do. but this is not a blanket truth statement that you can make about all of IVCF. I make no apologies for spending time praying, planning, and preparing well for the Glory and Kingdom of God.

For Christ and the University,
Andy

Verge Conference - Day 1

2010-02-04T23:57:00.011-06:00

The Verge Conference is bringing together a lot of church and ministry leaders to challenge the Church to be a missional community. This word gets tossed around by everyone and I have seen it in many different forms, so I wonder what will come out this weekend.

General Day 1 observations:

Its good for my soul to be at a conference where I have no primary teaching/leading responsibilities.
Other signs I was not at an InterVarsity Conference: there was overwhelming majority of Caucasians and most everyone was an out of college adult
free coffee = awesome
Twitter is popular around here, the opening announcements had an encouragement to take out your cell phone... not to turn them off, but to tweet.
I've been compared to Francis Chan already because I am Asian and have a bald head

Teaching Observations:

I went to a pre-conference seminar called "Breaking the Discipleship Code", which was led by the author/pastor who wrote the book and a co-pastor at his church.

I appreciated the call to the church leaders to make disciples and ways to think through it, but I couldn't help but think that much of what they described about discipleship making was the life of a typical para-church campus staff worker.
One of the Pastors shared that many of his well known Pastor friends, that we normally think of as great teachers, have people in their congregation that tell them they do not feel like they are being "spiritually fed". He said these people were more interested in being impressed for their own self-centered reasons and gave permission for pastors to rebuke them.

I thought it was a bit strange that at conference about missional communities, that there was little attempt at defining what exactly is a missional community from the get go. I can definitely infer from my own foreknowledge and the way its been talked about so far, but i know many people have a wide range of what this exactly means.
I was greatly surprised and thankful that at a conference like this, where there might be a huge temptation to talk about all the latest methodologies, the seminar I went to and the first two main talks by Matt Carter and Francis Chan very much put primary emphasis on the centrality of the Cross and Jesus as Lord.
Carter and Chan are very gifted communicators and teachers
Matt Carter Paraphrased

Missional Community has a chance to define this generation, however don't let that be the only thing that we are remembered for
Make sure you don't love the mission more than the Savior. (ouch)
Revelations 2 - Ephesus Church had many great things going for it, but Jesus rebuked them because they lost their first love.
If Jesus is not at the center of what we are doing, whats the point
If God took all your ministry success away from you, would Jesus be enough?

Francis Chan Paraphrased

Encouragement to a new church planter: don't look at what everyone else is doing around you and tweak it to your liking, instead read the bible and learn to model your church in the same way. Francis concludes he wouldn't even think much about gatherings but a lot more emphasis on disciple making
The church of Acts was able to live so radically because they actually saw first hand a man crucified and resurrected. Does the American church live in such a way? If we saw that first hand, how would we respond?
We try to convince the world through apologetics. Jesus says we convince the world through unity and love.
We need to take Jesus' words literally about going out to make disciples and not just memorize biblical truth. A great analogy he used: If i told my daughter to clean her room, she better not come back to me a few hours later and say that she memorized exactly what I said, or that she got a group of friends together to just talk about what I said.

God has already used the speakers and worship to convict me of sins, bring renewal in my joy in Him, to rest, to worship fully and to affirm what I have been learning from God. One of the unique set up in the conference schedule tomorrow is that they will give 4 speakers, 15 minutes back to back to back to back, where they will each share their main idea. Should be interesting/fun to see.

Biosphere meets Lost

2010-01-26T02:47:00.005-06:00

Does anyone remember the Biosphere from back in the day? When I was in school, I remember hearing about it and thinking how cool it would be to live there. Its was a ground breaking science project, where many different ecosystems were created in an enclosed structure and scientists would then live off the land indefinitely. It was also during a time in our world that we began understanding the ramifications of a depleting ozone layer and the finite amount of natural resources we had. The potential for this experiment was huge. It even spawned a crappy Pauly Shore movie called Bio-Dome that I embarrassingly watched and enjoyed. (all my visual memories of inside the Biosphere came from this movie)

I stumbled upon this article that gives an updated account of the Biosphere. Apparently, it has been sitting dormant for over 16 years. Many of the pictures are eerie to look at and its weird to think this massive structure is just sitting out in the middle of nowhere. What I found really interesting was slide #6, its caption reads:

As one could imagine the conditions were emotionally challenging. Prior to the first closure mission’s midpoint, the participants had split into two groups and those who had once been friends became enemies.

Its fascinating to think that these world renowned scientists, who must have been really excited for such an opportunity and understood the importance of the mission, would devolve into two factions that were at odds with one another, thus hindering the purpose as to why they were there. The creators and scientists of Biosphere must have had a grand vision for this Utopian land by carefully planning out each ecosystem, however I bet they never once took into account the human condition. I am definitely reading into this short description, but its not hard to imagine that petty disputes or personality differences played into the split. In the midst of a "perfectly created world" with the most intelligent of people, humans are still susceptible to the simplest of sins. We can not get away.

Systemic Injustice - How Some Companies Prey on the Poor

2010-01-21T14:37:00.009-06:00

The idea of going to a payday loan shop is a foreign concept to many of us. I've never given much thought to these places when I see them, usually in the poorer areas of Austin. This chart posted at mint.com is eye opening to some of the deeper systemic issues the poor face beyond what we typically think of. It reminded me of the story in John 2 where the businessmen of the day preyed on the poor.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Lost Generation

2010-01-21T09:46:00.005-06:00

This is one of the coolest youtube videos I have seen in a while, it was a submission in an art contest. I am having trouble finding the real name of the creator.

Haiti: Prayers and Responses

2010-01-15T16:15:00.006-06:00

As most of you are aware, Haiti was hit with one of the worst earthquakes in history leaving behind a devastating toll. Let us mourn with those that have lost loved ones and pray unceasingly for God's love to be displayed in the midst of tragedy. It is already amazing to see the outpouring from around the world; many countries have sent their search and rescue teams and over $5 million has been raised from text messages alone. I have listed a few articles as encouragement/understanding and also a few ways we can respond.

Does God Hate Haiti? by Dr. Albert Mohler
Haiti: God’s Love is Greater by Tony Compolo
Haiti's Song of Hope by ABC News
The Underlying Tragedy op-ed by David Brooks

Our Responses:
1. Prayers

People of Haiti: physical and emotional healing; daily necessities met; to find and be with loved ones; to mourn for the dead
Country: civil government to be restored; electricity and clean water systems to fully function
Relief Aid: quick and successful operations; their own safety and health (water and food)
Compassion: a right response of compassion in the short and long term
God's blessing to be recognized in the relief efforts and love to be shone through by all believers

2. Give Financially: Charity Navigators has composed a list of trustworthy organizations already present in Haiti and assisting with relief efforts. Consider giving directly to one of these orgs.

3. Do not send supplies. Money given to organizations already working in partnership with local Haitians before the earthquake and have a long term plan is the best tangible way to help right now.

(orginally posted at texasaacm.com)

Hook 'Em

2010-01-08T19:42:00.001-06:00

Gonna miss ya Colt, Hook 'Em.

Urbana'09 Photos

2010-01-05T17:45:00.003-06:00

This is a spectacular shot of Urbana'09 taken by Wayne Yuan, the official photographer.