I am a fairly repetitive person. If you have been around me for any amount of time, you've probably heard the same stories 5,000 times over and over again. My top one is probably Allegra's butt being bitten by a mouse. If you haven't heard this story, you should ask me about it sometime. It's pretty great. But anyway, I think that this post is probably going to take a path that is typical for me. I'm going to talk about God. He is just SO incredible, and I love Him so much.
One of the things that the leaders of Aletheia have said multiple times that has made me think is that we should always be all about God -- not all about a movement, a bill, a person, or a church. It's not all about Aletheia. I in no way put Aletheia on a pedestal higher, or anywhere near God. It's not about Paul, our pastor, or even Paul, the apostle. It's not about any new environment/sustainability bill, or MRI, or about TWLOHA. I'm not saying that these are bad things, but we should NEVER EVER cast a shadow on God. It is hard for me sometimes, I'll be super honest. I'm just so pumped about Aletheia and what all they are doing -- planting churches in areas with unchurched college kids. Sometimes I wonder if I am more pumped about the church than I am about God and His movement. It's hard sometimes, especially when the thing that we are so excited about brings glory to God. But there is no way that I can bring glory to God by bringing people to church to show them how awesome the church is, not how awesome God is.
But I feel like so many times, EMU does not put God on the highest pedestal -- if He is even in the picture. It's always so political. It's always about the next cool movement is coming around. I often get the feeling that people who want to get involved will go as far as to blindly sign any petition that comes around. They want to make a difference in the world. People see who is leading the movement at EMU and go, oh, yeah, I believe about the same thing she/he does. I'll sign it! I even think people go as far as to sign things just because their friends want them to. Well, I'm sorry Rebekah, but if you had come up to me with an MRI petition, I would not have signed it for you. (I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be doing this though...)
I remember one time getting legitimately angry at a girl during lunch. She passed a petition at our table for MRI (Morally Responsible Investment). I didn't sign it. She asked me if I had already signed it, or why I wasn't signing it, and I said no, I hadn't signed it and wasn't going to. She asked why, and I told her that my main reason was that I don't ever want to sign anything that I don't know 100% what it is for. Even if it was something that I did believe in, I still wouldn't have signed it. Just because I am against abortion doesn't mean that I am going to sign every anti-abortion thing placed under my face. I don't always know where exactly my support is going. She then went on to, in about 2 sentences, tell me what MRI was all about. I still didn't follow completely/wasn't really paying attention, but I do know that it had to do with Israel/Palestine, and I know that I don't want an American's opinion on the situation. I just really don't know where I stand on the issue because honestly, I don't really know everything that is going on in the Middle East. So, I tried to politely turn it down, and she kind of scowled at me, rolled her eyes, and said, "I probably shouldn't say this, but I head this one time and really like it. Those who don't get involved are supporting the oppressor." Well, I don't really know who the oppressor is in this situation. Israel thinks it's Palestine, and vice versa.
I think that instead of signing petitions for a situation we can't truly have a grasp on, we should pray. We should pray for God to intervene in the way He wants to. I don't know. It's late and this is, as always, a very scattered post.
EMU has a lot of clubs on campus, just like any other university. Sadly though, we have more political clubs than Christian... I just think it's crazy that we don't have more about God or less about other things. Do we really think God should rule our lives? Or should the environment? Do you get more mad when you see someone throw a recyclable bottle away, or when an hour goes by without talking about Christ? I don't even want to know the percentage of time spent at dinner talking about the environment over God.
Well, I think that we should make a difference by spreading God's Word. Sure, if we other respectable things in the meantime, that's great. But our main goal, as clearly laid out by Christ, is making Him known to all peoples. The great commission.
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" --Matthew 28:16-20
Side note -- Can Elmwood please put a paper towel dispenser in our bathroom?? I have nothing at all against air dryers, but you can't really wipe off a wet counter with one...
One of the things that the leaders of Aletheia have said multiple times that has made me think is that we should always be all about God -- not all about a movement, a bill, a person, or a church. It's not all about Aletheia. I in no way put Aletheia on a pedestal higher, or anywhere near God. It's not about Paul, our pastor, or even Paul, the apostle. It's not about any new environment/sustainability bill, or MRI, or about TWLOHA. I'm not saying that these are bad things, but we should NEVER EVER cast a shadow on God. It is hard for me sometimes, I'll be super honest. I'm just so pumped about Aletheia and what all they are doing -- planting churches in areas with unchurched college kids. Sometimes I wonder if I am more pumped about the church than I am about God and His movement. It's hard sometimes, especially when the thing that we are so excited about brings glory to God. But there is no way that I can bring glory to God by bringing people to church to show them how awesome the church is, not how awesome God is.
But I feel like so many times, EMU does not put God on the highest pedestal -- if He is even in the picture. It's always so political. It's always about the next cool movement is coming around. I often get the feeling that people who want to get involved will go as far as to blindly sign any petition that comes around. They want to make a difference in the world. People see who is leading the movement at EMU and go, oh, yeah, I believe about the same thing she/he does. I'll sign it! I even think people go as far as to sign things just because their friends want them to. Well, I'm sorry Rebekah, but if you had come up to me with an MRI petition, I would not have signed it for you. (I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be doing this though...)
I remember one time getting legitimately angry at a girl during lunch. She passed a petition at our table for MRI (Morally Responsible Investment). I didn't sign it. She asked me if I had already signed it, or why I wasn't signing it, and I said no, I hadn't signed it and wasn't going to. She asked why, and I told her that my main reason was that I don't ever want to sign anything that I don't know 100% what it is for. Even if it was something that I did believe in, I still wouldn't have signed it. Just because I am against abortion doesn't mean that I am going to sign every anti-abortion thing placed under my face. I don't always know where exactly my support is going. She then went on to, in about 2 sentences, tell me what MRI was all about. I still didn't follow completely/wasn't really paying attention, but I do know that it had to do with Israel/Palestine, and I know that I don't want an American's opinion on the situation. I just really don't know where I stand on the issue because honestly, I don't really know everything that is going on in the Middle East. So, I tried to politely turn it down, and she kind of scowled at me, rolled her eyes, and said, "I probably shouldn't say this, but I head this one time and really like it. Those who don't get involved are supporting the oppressor." Well, I don't really know who the oppressor is in this situation. Israel thinks it's Palestine, and vice versa.
I think that instead of signing petitions for a situation we can't truly have a grasp on, we should pray. We should pray for God to intervene in the way He wants to. I don't know. It's late and this is, as always, a very scattered post.
EMU has a lot of clubs on campus, just like any other university. Sadly though, we have more political clubs than Christian... I just think it's crazy that we don't have more about God or less about other things. Do we really think God should rule our lives? Or should the environment? Do you get more mad when you see someone throw a recyclable bottle away, or when an hour goes by without talking about Christ? I don't even want to know the percentage of time spent at dinner talking about the environment over God.
Well, I think that we should make a difference by spreading God's Word. Sure, if we other respectable things in the meantime, that's great. But our main goal, as clearly laid out by Christ, is making Him known to all peoples. The great commission.
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" --Matthew 28:16-20
Side note -- Can Elmwood please put a paper towel dispenser in our bathroom?? I have nothing at all against air dryers, but you can't really wipe off a wet counter with one...
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