Chi Alpha @ New Student Orientation

Welcome to AU and New Student Orientation! Stop by the Chi Alpha table during the Campus Life Service Fair today (Tues.) from 12 - 1:30 pm in the Tavern. We'd love to meet you, give you a few freebies let you know a little more about what we do. Got questions on the campus, finding friends or exploring faith? We're here to help. See you there!

Summer Bible Study Starts This Week

The days are getting longer, temps are rising, you're reading fiction again--it must summer! Every year AU Chi Alpha hosts a summer Bible study and we'd love to have you join us. We'll be starting this week, Thursday, May 28, 8:30 pm @ the Godzwa place. For more info join the facebook group or email Mike. See you there!

It's worth it

I spent this weekend in Bozeman, Montana. It's a little college town nestled on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. I've never been to Bozeman before, and I wanted to look around a little bit so I strapped on my running shoes and hit the streets. On the second day I was there, I took a right on Main Street and headed toward the mountains on the edge of town. At one point the road started climbing. As I struggled up the hill, the wind started gusting into my face. With this and the fact that Bozeman sits around 5,000 feet above sea level, it was tough going (Oh, did I mention the 17 degree temps?). I planning on running a total of 4 miles and the 2 mile point was a stop sign @ the top of the hill I was climbing. I really wanted to stop early, but I kept pushing forward. When I reached it, I stopped and turned around. I couldn't believe my eyes. Streched out before me was the entire mountain range to the west of Bozeman. The view was spectacular!

The walking with Jesus can often seem like that uphill struggle. It's as if the world has arrayed its forces against us and we're going nowhere fast. In those moments we realize we can't do this on our own. In fact, we were never designed to. But when we tap into Christ's limitless strength we can continue on to the goal. Rely on Him, keep moving forward and remember, it's through the struggle that something beautiful is produced.

Good things come...

"..being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Philippians 1:6

A little more than a month ago, Starbucks surprised me with a new product announcement. They introduced their first instant coffee. The claim, "Our new instant coffee is changing what people think about instant coffee." I have to admit, I was skeptical, but because they offered me a free sample, I thought I'd try it. The envelope came in the mail last week and I've got a cup in front of me right now. While it's some of the better instant coffee I've tasted, it's still instant coffee. Translation: Starbucks Via isn't very good.

Instant goodness is hard to find. The Bible often uses agricultural metaphors to describe the transformational process. It's not something that can be rushed, in fact, there are times when it looks like nothing is happening. But as long as the right conditions are present and the crop is cultivated it will grow. Paul is sharing the same idea to the Philippians. Don't worry, this process that Jesus started, He'll keep it moving along. There's more going on than what we can see. Even though it seems like nothing is happening, it's encouraging to know that He's still working. The change may not happen today or tomorrow, but it will happen and unlike a particular brand of instant coffee, it will be good.

A Change of Plans - A Great Opportunity

Unless you've been locked in a closet for the past week, you already know that AU's playing in the NCAA tourney tonight. The start time is @ 7:20 pm which puts the game smack dab in the middle of our regular TNW start time. I really believe God has given us an incredible opportunity to be salt and light!

With the hectic pace of life in Washington, DC, it is very rare that the campus gathers for anything. Last year I watched our tournament game from the Tavern and I saw AU come together as never before. It was amazing! As part of the AU community, I think we should be there cheering right along. Here's where the opportunity part comes in: when lots of people gather together in one place we have the chance to make connections where we never could before. We can also show AU how loving, welcoming, and fun the body of Christ can be up close and personal.

In order to make this possible, we'll shifting around our TNW schedule. We'll be starting @ 9:15 pm and we'll be delaying our spring break reports to next week. But I think we should gather far before the TNW start time. I suggest we get together to grab dinner and seats in the Tavern by 6:30 pm. Let's show up to the Tavern in our Chi Alpha t-shirts carrying signs and cheering like crazy! Whatever we do, we need to be present in the crowd doing what we're called to do: be Christ's ambassadors to American University. We've got some poster paper and makers so you can come by the office now to make signs. I think it's going to be a blast!

Finding Inspiration

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

John 13:15

We all set goals. If you're like me, your record of success is mixed. At the first TNW of the semester, I talked about my goal of getting healthy. This has been on my New Year's resolution list several times before, but, like most of the others on the list, it was forgotten by February. This year it's different. I'm staying on track and I've lost 13 pounds since Christmas!

Last night, as I was inspecting the nutritional info on a box of doughnuts (which I didn't eat), a friend asked what I was doing. When I told her about my goals she was surprised. She had thought that I had been blessed with an overactive metabolism. That got me thinking--why have I been so successful this time when I've failed so many other times before? I think part of the answer is found in external motivation. Last year, my father had a heart attack. A few months ago, my twin brother informed me of his blood pressure issues and the cholesterol medication he was taking. That's when I knew I needed to make some changes. On the positive side, both my brother and my wife have started to change their habits too. I also found a website that helps me chart my progress. That's a lot of external motivation!

This Wednesday we begin the season of Lent. It's 40 days (counted Ash Wednesday through Easter, not including Sundays) of preparation for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Although it has a biblical foundation (Jesus fasted for 40 days before he started his public ministry), Jesus never told us we had to do it. So why have his followers been observing Lent for centuries? One simple answer is that it works. Setting aside a period of time every year to grow closer to Jesus and serve those around us has a way of helping the image of God become more visible. Are you struggling with finding time for God in your schedule? Lent can be a great motivation to carve out a few moments every day for prayer and study. Are you finding certain things are distracting you from growing more like Jesus? Lent can be a great time to fast, or take a break from these things. Are you struggling with selfishness? Committing yourself to regular service over the next 40 days can go a long way in changing your heart. Observing Lent is starting to sound like a pretty good idea to me! Give it a try and see if a little external motivation will work for you. Need some more motivation? Millions of Christians all over the world will be joining you in your pursuit!

A Little Help

"I get by with a little help from my friends."

Paul McCartney, John Lennon

If you stopped by the Chi Alpha office or popped in to TNW this week, you may have noticed that I wasn't around. To put it simply, I was sick. It came out of nowhere and knocked me flat for three days. Not fun. But, in His usual fashion, God used the 72 hours of nausea to teach me a lesson. It's great to be a part of the body of Christ! Each time I had to cancel a meeting or ask for help the typical response was, "Is there anything else I can do?" That's amazing! Right before my eyes I saw Paul's (the apostle) words to the Galatians being lived out, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." The funny thing is that I never would have seen this kind of love unless I was in need.

We live in a culture that encourages self-sufficiency. From early childhood on, our desire is to do it on our own. Many times that urge to go it alone causes us to become overwhelmed because we've been conditioned that it's wrong to ask for help. We struggle on until we figure things out for ourselves or it develops into a full-blown crisis. It doesn't have to be this way. Are you dealing with an issue this week? Big or small, ask for some help from a friend. Chances are you'll be quicker to the solution and you'll give someone an opportunity to fulfill the law of Christ. And to all those who pitch in last week to help me out, thanks for reminding me how wonderful it is to be a part of God's family!