The Masses Descend on Pittsburgh

This afternoon our staff team took a prayer drive through Oakland (we were planning on parking and walking but that proved impossible) - slowly meandering down Forbes, around to Fifth, and over the hill where Pitt's upper campus rests. The air was crisp and fall-like, students were everywhere, parents in tow, activity everywhere. It was terrifically exciting, and hard not to throw the car into park and jump into the chaos.

Thousands of students are arriving as we speak, embarking on a new season in their lives - full of possibility, promise, and discovery, one which will set the course of their lives. Each student has a story behind him, each person is uniquely loved and sought by God. It's awesome to think of the possibilities behind each - leaders in education, business, government; future missionaries who will take the Gospel to far-off lands; future decision-makers who will set the world agenda.

As these throngs arrive, I'm itching to get on campus and meet students. To hand out flyers and Cru cards, to make friends, to share the Gospel. I'm also burdened to pray. Each of these students is an eternal being, an immortal if you will, who will end up in one of two eternal destinations: Heaven or Hell. In Cru, our heart is to make the Gospel known to every one of them, giving them multiple relevant opportunities to respond to Jesus and come to know Him. It's an impossible task, and we must start by desperately seeking God. As you get ready to come to campus yourself, or as you have arrived and are surrounded by the din of a thousand students moving in, take some time to ask God to overwhelm you with the need. Ask Him to drive you to prayer, and take time to do it. It's an eternal investment that won't return void.

Matthew 9:36 describes this reaction that Jesus had when He witnessed huge masses of people: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Ask God to give you the same heart.

Directly after this, we see Jesus' response: "Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."" (Matthew 9:37-38) What Jesus saw was a plentiful harvest, throngs of people hungry for a Savior, broken and hurting. He saw potential. He saw future worshippers. And He invites His disciples to pray that laborers would go into those fields and reap the crop of believers.

Not only are we to pray for laborers to come, we are those laborers in this harvest field. We who know Jesus are called to make Him known, and He's placed us in this place at this time to harvest for Him.

Our regional director compared these first 2 weeks of the semester as our tax season, our March Madness. To throw more analogies at you, it's our playoffs, our bowl game, our Fall harvest time. This is the time where students will make decisions that will determine their next 4 years, and by reciprocation their whole lives. This is the time to get into the crowds, to initiate, to make friends, to start spiritual conversations, to invite people to a spiritual community that could change their lives. This is the time to get in the game.

Over the next 2 weeks we'll have countless opportunities to influence the eternities of hundreds. Look for more encouragement and insight here, and if you haven't yet, follow us on twitter (@pghmetrocru) to keep in the know on what's going on. Let's run hard and get in the game together! May God bless and use us!

--Jason

Spiritual Truth at the World Cup

Like most of the nation right now, I’m fully immersed in World Cup fever. It’s hard not to be after the breathless affair the Americans had yesterday against Algeria.

I’ve watched replay after replay, pondered the goal’s historic significance, and reveled in what a glorious sporting moment it was. Last night, after seeing it for about the thirtieth time, I recognized that Landon Donovan’s last-minute goal is actually quite a thought-provoking spiritual parallel. One that’s not in any way an original idea - C.S. Lewis (of Chronic(what)cles of Narnia fame) and Philip Yancey (another well-known Christian author) both have written about it, and the fact I’ve recently read their words is why I made the connection.

A precise sequence of events had to transpire in order to make that goal as dramatic and exhilarating as it was. Algeria’s keeper fumbles an easy shot, allowing Slovenia to win and capture 3 points. England’s keeper also fumbles away an easy shot, giving the U.S. a fighting chance at advancing. England plays lackluster soccer, leading to a 0-0 draw with underdogs Algeria. The famous phantom foul that disallows the game-winning American goal against Slovenia. The two devastating early goals in that game. Even in this most recent game, the disallowed goal on an unjust offside call in the first half, followed by a maddening succession of near misses. If just one of those things goes a different way, there is no tension or drama left in the dying minutes of yesterdays game, no outburst of sheer joy upon the game winner. The group standings would have been different, meaning the U.S. need of a goal would have been eliminated. Every one of those events, and every other along the path to the final minutes against Algeria contributed to produce that moment. Some of those moments were grossly unjust (I’m looking at you, Coulibaly), and downright agonizing. The phantom calls. The near misses. But Donovan’s strike changed all that; in a sense it redeemed it all. All the prior events - especially the injustices, failures, and pain - were now able to be viewed through a completely different lens, and in fact they made that redemptive event so poignant and powerful. Viewing the past 3 games through what happened in the 91st minute yesterday makes all those heartaches and agonies worth it.

Our lives are full of painful, agonizing, unjust, even mundane and random events that often seem to lack connection or meaning. We face injustices, we make epic failures, we get broken and hurt. But the right redemptive event can change all that, and in fact make them all, in some way, worth it.

As a follower of Jesus - based on His death and resurrection, and the freedom and new life it purchased for me and all those who believe in Him - I believe that redemptive event has happened, and it is available for all humanity. It happened in the terrible moments of Jesus’ death and the glorious moments of His resurrection. I believe that I will, upon death, enter into a glorious new life - one filled with an eternal perfect union with my Creator and Savior, in a place of unspeakable joy and beauty, free from pain and heartache. And I believe that when I get there, all the injustices and failures of my life will be fully seen through the lens of Jesus’ redemption, and that kaleidoscope of events will be painted by it. I’ll be able to look back through that lens and say, somehow, “It was all worth it.”

Landon Donovan’s goal changed the agonies of the group stage for the U.S. from terrible heartaches to tremendously exciting developments on the pathway to glory. Jesus’ redemptive work changes the pains, failures, sins, and injustices of life from sufferings and heartaches to tremendously exciting developments on our pathway to Glory.

Often we ask the question, “why do suffering and evil exist?” It’s an uncomfortable question with no real satisfying answer. But life sometimes produces an event or moment that allows us to glimpse a bit of deeper truth beneath the surface. I think Donovan’s memorable goal can serve as a parallel to this deeper, spiritual reality. Suffering exists, we don’t really know why, but redemption certainly transforms those sufferings into sweetness. And somehow it will all be made worth it.

--Jason

An Athiest Shares His Thoughts on Evangelism

Apologies for not posting last week - things got pretty busy and it got lost in the shuffle. 

I was sent this video on YouTube a few weeks back and found it to be very thought provoking and challenging. Most of you have probably heard of the comedy and magic duo Penn and Teller. Penn is the big, long-haired guy who does all the speaking, and Teller is the silent, small sidekick. They're pretty good. Penn apparently does a series of weblog-style videos called "Penn Says", and this is one of them. He is an avowed atheist but has some very interesting and profound things to say about Christians sharing their faith. Watch the video first before reading on - it's about 5 minutes long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM

(you'll have to cut and paste - I don't do sophisticated tech things like embedding videos)

Challenging, huh? Here is a proclaimed atheist encouraging us to share our faith, even going so far as to say that if we don't we're showing hate, not love. That if we truly do believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world, God's Son who rescues us from tremendous eternal danger, then we have a moral obligation to tell that message to others. 

I don't know about you, but that makes me regret missed opportunities and motivates me to be bold in sharing the Gospel. It's easy to make excuses - "they won't receive it well", "I'll lose this friendship", "it'll be awkward and out of place", "they'll think I'm weird" - and I've made just about all of them; but hearing words like these from a person who doesn't at all believe in Jesus causes me to recognize just how important it is to toss excuses aside and open my mouth to speak about Jesus. 

In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Taking up our cross and denying ourselves means to be willing to die little deaths and make sacrifices to obey and follow Jesus. It could be risking being laughed at or made fun of, or being looked at differently by friends, or even being persecuted by undergoing physical harm. Are we willing make these risks, to lose part of our lives, even emotionally, to share the Gospel with those who have no idea of the spiritual danger they're in? Or will be stand by silently as they continue headlong into an eternal destination separated from God?

Believe me, it's hard to write those words, because I know I have to live it out, to practice what I preach. I want to, even though at times it will be difficult. But as we do this God gets glory, we grow and are changed, and souls are transferred from death to life. Let's join in it together.

--Jason

The Beginning...

The first 2 weeks of school are absolutely crucial for incoming freshmen.  Research shows that it is during this time that students create their social life for the coming year and often for the next four.  It's become the cultural norm that the party scene is the social scene - it's what's portrayed in movies and other media, and even on the news as what "college life" is.  So thousands of Christians who were involved in church or youth group through high school bury their faith in the closet and run into the party lifestyle, many thinking that it's just what everyone does.  And lots of non-Christians students dive into the party life too, even though many (most? all?) are dissatisfied with their choices and empty inside.

So where does that leave us, people involved with Cru?  It means that the first 2 weeks back are the time for ministry, the most important 2 weeks of the year.  We have the opportunity to help Christians find true meaning and purpose for their college years, and help non-Christians see that there is a meaning beyond the emptiness of the party scene.  This is why we have so many events through the first 2 weeks - we're seeking to connect with as many people as we can.

What we offer Christians is an opportunity to be a part of an authentic community of believers, growing together and impacting the lives of other students for eternity; a college career full of meaning and growth.  Some of the freshmen we meet may become missionaries, Christian leaders in government or business, or someone who influences thousands in some way for Christ.  Connecting with a body of believers at the start of college is a huge step in whatever path God may have for them.

What we offer non-believers is an opportunity to escape the empty, depressing, dissatisfying life of partying, broken relationships, and addiction.  We offer them hope for their souls, forgiveness, and eternal life.

Our influence and opportunity is huge!  It's corny, I know, but that quote from Gladiator, "What we do in life echoes in eternity", comes to my mind when I think about this stuff.  And it's true.  

So, my encouragement to you as you get ready to come back to school is this: be ready.  Spend some time with God, ask Him to fill you up and prepare you to be used by Him on the frontlines of the first 2 weeks.  Pray for the freshman coming to school.  Dream big and think about what an amazing impact you can have in people's lives.  And when you get to school, make the most of those 2 weeks.  Meet people, love them, build friendships with them.  People on your floor, in your classes, in the cafeteria, wherever.  Invite people to come with you to Cru stuff.  And take opportunities to tell them about the hope you have in Jesus.  I'm convinced that if people see the quality of the relationships we have in the body of Christ, they'll desire more, and God will use it to draw them to Jesus.  Isn't it cool that we can be a part of it?!

I'm excited, and getting prepared.  How 'bout you?

Can't wait for school to start,

Jason