be faithful

This is the second year that I've attended an Ash Wednesday Mass at a local Catholic church. Just like last year I was struck by the words that the priest spoke as he marked my forehead with a smudge of ash: turn from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.

Being faithful to the Gospel is taking on new meaning for me as I devote more of my schedule to evangelism on campus. Today I had lunch with a non-Christian student and we talked about his spiritual background and some of the questions he has about the Bible. I asked if he would like to meet with me over lunch for four weeks after Spring Break to look at some passages in Mark and talk about what we see the text saying about Jesus. He agreed. Please pray that his eyes would be opened to the hope that we have through Jesus as we study small sections of Mark's Gospel together.

On Friday afternoon I will be striking up conversations with strangers on campus. Three of my student leaders will be joining me and we're excited about the chance to practice some of what we learned during an evangelism training last weekend. Please pray that Jesus would give us boldness as we share his story and that we would encounter people who are truly seeking.

the doctor will see you now

Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm hear inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually fit." Mark 2:17 from The Message

This is really good news and as a person willing to admit my sickness I qualify! No insurance needed.

Urbana is coming

Check it out.

light

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1-5 TNIV

Urbana is still several months away, but in preparation for my role as part of the Scripture teaching team I am trying to spend as much time in the first four chapters of John's Gospel between now and December 27. I decided that I will meditate on the same 4-5 verses for a week and then move on to the next section. My roommate and I did that together this morning in an attempt to practice spiritual discipline in community. It was so encouraging and I am looking forward to more as we continue.

I was struck by the truth that the beginning of each of our stories is not the actual beginning. God is the beginning. That gives me a lot of hope!