If we only do one thing this year...

2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

These verses have been running through my head since June. At National Area Director training, we studied the book of 2 Timothy. While it's always a treat to study scripture with InterVarsity staff, this study felt like a reminder of one of the core InterVarsity values that drives me: student leadership development. 

In 2 Timothy, Paul reminders Timothy of his legacy of faith which starts with Timothy's grandmother Lois and then his mother Eunice (2 Tim. 1:5) Paul reminds Timothy of the things that Paul himself passed onto Timothy: "fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Tim. 1:6). 

And what is Timothy to do with this legacy? He is to entrust it to others who are qualified to pass it on.

My job as an area director is to pass leadership on-- from staff to student leaders, from student leaders to student members. I am always looking to entrust God's good gifts to reliable people who will then entrust it to others.

I felt like once this job description clicked in my brain, all the other strategic planning fell into place. I always need to be thinking how to pass on what we do to the next generation. I always need to ask how to lead and teach in ways that others can replicate. Nothing in this job is about me, building a program or structure that I can run or feel successful in doing. I build with eyes to give away.

To that end, I've asked my staff to have one primary focus in the next year: develop student leaders who will find and develop two others. 

I sometimes stop and laugh at myself because I feel like I have the same job description now as I did when I was an intern with Intervarsity almost 15 years ago. And yet, that's also what I love-- the ministry we do isn't magic. It doesn't take a special personality or years of training. Instead, we "entrust to reliable people who will teach others."

Thank you Paul for the constant reminder of the lessons of ministry. Thank you to my fellow new ADs for the scripture study.

To God be the glory.

"When Jesus interrupts our plans"

talk given at Whitman College Large Group
September 21, 2017

Welcome to WCF and InterVarsity. I’m so excited to be here with all of you tonight. This feels like a special kind of homecoming for me. I graduated from Whitman many years ago and was deeply influenced by my time as a student with InterVarsity. I can still remember some of my freshmen small group discussions in Prentiss where I felt like I was learning about Jesus from Jesus himself through scripture study

After graduation, I moved to Moscow, ID (about 2.5 hours north) to work with InterVarsity, to help start a new chapter at the University of Idaho. I got to lead some of those freshmen bible studies, helping to introduce people to Jesus, the Jesus we see in scripture, just as I had been introduced to him here at Whitman.

I never intended to work for Christian organization after graduation. And yet, with the perspective of 15 years, I can’t imagine a better career for myself. Tonight, I want to tell you about the Jesus I discovered in scripture and how that Jesus changed my life’s purpose.

Before we get there, I want to talk about the classic question, “What do you want to be when you go up?” I have little kids and I’m amazed how early others start predicting what they might do in their adult lives. My son is 2.5 and he loves to bang on drums/tables/any flat surface. I’ve had multiple people say, “I bet he’s going to be a drummer when he grows up?” I smile and nod but internally I’m thinking-- he just likes to make noise-- this is just developmentally appropriate behavior-- nothing savant like about it!

When I was five, I wanted to be a ballerina.  Classic little girl story, right?  I carried about a teddy bear dressed like a ballerina and listened to the Nutcracker while falling asleep at night. I have no idea why I made this my career aspiration at such a young age-- there was just something magical about ballerina.

Turn to your neighbor and tell them one of your childhood dreams.  I’d like to hear a few from the audience.  

By the time I was a freshman in high school, I hadn’t taken ballet lessons in almost ten years so I moved onto a new dream: be a lawyer.  I took this career aptitude test in high school-- do they still do that?  Well, ‘lawyer’ was in my top 5. I job shadowed a lawyer for a project freshman year and I was captured by the power and prestige of being a lawyer. When I say that out loud it sounds selfish like I wanted to be a lawyer so I could be powerful. That’s not how I felt. I felt like I wanted to be a lawyer because I wanted to change the world and lawyers seemed to have the power and the position to change the world. And so, when I came to Whitman, I thought I would graduate and go to law school. Jesus interrupted my plans.

Tonight we are going to get in the shoes or the boat of Simon Peter who had a clear career path until Jesus interrupts him.

v. 1-3 SIMON PETER.

For us, this is a strange scene.  In a modern era, Jesus would just get a microphone but given the lack of technology in Jesus’ day—Jesus gets into a boat so the water will act like a natural amplifier and more people can hear his message. It's a very practical solution.

I’ve often wondered why Simon lets Jesus get into his boat.  But, what does Simon get out of it?  Maybe he’s just being a nice guy?  Maybe he’s honored to be asked by this rabbi he’s about it?  

Letting Jesus into their boat is a small step toward the most amazing moment of their lives. And yet, maybe it’s accidental. Maybe it’s just luck.

The same is true for some of you. Coming here tonight is like letting Jesus into your boat. Checking him out. It’s being brave and courageous, especially for those just checking out faith or maybe trying to figure out what you believe, not what your parents do but what you truly believe. I remember those first encounters with Jesus-- they felt a little bit crazy. I didn't grow up in church. I wouldn't have called myself a Christian. I was the poster child for being 'spiritual and not religious.' And yet, a persistent friend kept inviting me to church. When I said yes, I was captivated by what I experienced there. The Jesus they talked about was not what I expected.

v. 4&5 Jesus, what do you know about fishing?!  Remember, this is Peter’s career, what he has spent his life up to this point perfecting.  What could this rabbi know about the ins and outs of fishing especially in Peter’s lake-- the place he’s been fishing most of his life. In these spots Peter probably had fishing down to the a science.

Up through v. 5, this is just a nice story. A chance encounter between two average people just living their lives. But there is nothing average about what comes next… this is miraculous:

Vs. 6&7  

DREAM

Growing up, we all have dreams.

• As a little girl, I thought the ultimate dream of a ballerina was to dance the role of the sugar plum fairy in the Nutcracker
• For me, when I was thinking about being a lawyer, I thought about arguing a case in front of the supreme court
• If you are a Basketball player….March Madness. National Championship game. 3 seconds left, you are down by 2, 3 point shot, all net! Dream comes true.  

Peter is about to see a dream for a fisherman realized.  A catch for the record book.

v. 7 This is the dream catch. This crazy dream IS happening. Their boats ARE sinking.

Simon got his dream because he let Jesus into his boat. This isn’t the way dream are achieved, right? It should be hard work mixed with just a bit of luck. Did Peter work hard? Yes but it had nothing to do with this catch. Could this just be luck?

So often, especially if you grew up in church, you walk around thinking you KNOW Jesus—what He can and can’t do.  Jesus doesn’t just teach us to pray or study the bible. Jesus is an expert on your major, your career, your dating life, your summer internship, your hopes for grad school.   You may try to tell yourself that you know better than Jesus how to handle these important topics.  Simon tried to play that game.

Once Jesus is in our boats, he will NOT be relegated to the few things we already think he ‘does.’ He wants to transform and redeem all parts of my life   

C.S. Lewis quote

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building a different house from the one you thought of —throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

Many of you here want a few minor adjustments to your life.  “Jesus, fix this little thing.” My friends, Jesus is turning your cottage into a mansion!

Let’s look at Simon Peter’s response:

In v. 9, they were amazed at the genius catch. Their dream had come true!  But now, standing on the shore, they have a new, life-changing choice.

Option A. This is my dream catch! Go with the pile of fish and sell it at the marketplace. I have always wanted this. I will be the talk of the town

Option B. Go with the Dream Fulfiller Himself.

v. 11 Simon chooses wisely. Later Simon becomes a world changer, leader of people, willing to die for Jesus and the Gospel.   

In a few minutes, I’m going to give you a chance to respond, a chance like Simon Peter had when faced with the miraculous catch of fish, to believe that the fulfillment his dream was the pinnacle to having an awesome life or to follow the one who is the Dream Fulfiller himself.

I thought I had my life figured out-- I would change the world through the legal system-- righting the world’s wrongs through the courts. I came to college not knowing how that would work but very sure it would. Jesus interrupted my plans and asked me to trust in Him to right those wrongs. And then, He started the righting the wrongs within me. You see, I thought that all the brokenness existed out there but Jesus gently showed me that I had to start dealing with brokenness inside me first. I thought I said yes to following Jesus so I could have a decent little cottage. Yet Jesus started building a castle inside of me: a life full or purpose, adventures and peace where I followed him. What might He be inviting you to tonight?