The Christian Bubble. Just about every student who has sat in chapel or engaged in a conversation with friends has heard this term. When I was in my first year or two, I honestly found it endearing. I had my Christian friends, my Christian professors, my Christian mentors, my Christian hellos and goodbyes, my Christian smile, my Christian music, my Christian life inside my Christian Bubble.
The only times I really even left the campus during my freshman year were to involve myself in activities that didn’t fit into the Christian Bubble: clubs, parties, enjoying a cig on the curb outside the baseball field. I was so wrapped up in my life on campus.
Then, New York happened. My comfort level, my bubble, completely popped. I lived in Manhattan this summer, attending classes at New York University. The original plan was to determine whether or not I was capable of placing such a large distance between my mother and I.
But in the process of removing myself from the Christian Bubble, I found my limits tested. No longer did I have my Christian support system. No longer did I have worship service. No longer did I have my Christian (insert word here). I had nothing. And it was terrifying.
After I had been an emotional mess for about two weeks, I met Michael. He was my polar opposite. Extremely tall, super skinny and flamboyantly homosexual, Michael and I hit it off and became fast friends.
A few weeks later, I mentioned to him something I had heard at a church I was attending in Brooklyn. His mouth dropped. “You’re a Christian?” he asked. We didn’t talk any more about it that day, but one muggy, rainy afternoon, while we were holed up in the library, he began to ask me about God. Of course, having no real experience in this sort of situation, I stammered over my words and probably made way too many mistakes, but Michael just sat there listening to me.
When I was done talking, he said, “You know, every Christian I have ever met has made me feel like I was defective for being gay, like I had an incurable disease. I thought that was just what Christians believed. Why aren’t you like that?” I told him that I loved and cared about him because that is the kind of person God made me, that I wanted to be his friend to show him God’s love, and that my personal, ultimate goal was not to ‘cure’ him or make him straight but to show him the mercy and grace of a relationship with Christ (although, I am sure it didn’t come out so eloquently.)
He was astonished. He literally could not grasp the concept of a Christian loving that way.
How sad is that?
Sojourners’ Magazine profiled APU in an article titled “Bursting the Christian Bubble,” an article about the Ministry and Service Office and how members of our university are attempting to live their lives in a way that better reflects Christ rather than in a way that reflects their bank accounts, skin color or class. The article was pretty accurate in describing the way APU used to be and the changes that have been made in the past five or six years that have allowed APU to have a bigger impact on the surrounding community.
When I hear about what Azusa thinks of APU, I either hear “People in Azusa hate APU because the only people they care about are themselves,” or “People in Azusa love APU because they bring so much business to the area.”
I am sorry, but that is completely unacceptable. It is our responsibility as Christians to show the love of Christ to all people. It is our responsibility to provide for those who have been placed in situations more difficult than our own. And it is our job to love others in a humble, selfless way regardless of the outcome.
In the magazine it says, “Students are disturbed by their own ignorance and privilege and the deafening silences of their churches that often fail to connect the implications of injustice with active faith.”
We should be disturbed. But not simply by our own ignorance, but by the ignorance of generations before us that caused people to believe things like my friend Michael.
Matthew 28:18 says “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” But before we can use all of the training and Bible classes and hundreds of thousands of dollars that we have spent on an education, before we can make disciples, we must GO. Go downstairs if you live off campus and befriend your neighbors. Go down the street to the elementary school and get involved. Go somewhere!
Don’t allow yourselves to get caught up in the Christian Bubble. Force yourselves to follow God’s command, to love on others, and to serve in the way Christ did, so that maybe someday, if someone comes to Azusa to take summer classes, gets to chatting with an Azusa resident and builds a loving friendship, they won’t ever have to hear “I didn’t realize Christians were like that.”
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worship. Show all posts
10.26.2007
10.13.2007
changing the church to be what the world needs
I am currently writing my bitch long paper for senior seminar. I sat for 5 hours in Starbucks today just cranking away and popped out around 9 or 10 pages. What bothers me isn’t the length of the paper. What bothers me isn’t that I am having to sit for hours and read about Post-moderns and unchurched individuals and the best way to minister for them. What bothers me is the fact that for the life of me, I cannot get the words to tumble onto the page in the way that I wish they would.
I am really passionate about the topic I have chosen. I decided to write about something going on in my life right now: How the church stays relevant to this generation. I see, or hear about, so many instances where people have been asked to leave the church, rejected by the church, or not involved in the church for reasons that are far from legitimate. And it enrages me.
This generation has a different idea of what a relationship with Christ is, what leadership encompasses, what worship means, what community should be, what loving others looks like and what a church should provide. And no one seems to care! The church just goes along on it’s path to destruction, believing that the only way to be relevant to high school/college/young adult aged people is to be entertaining. But we are looking for so much more than that!!!
What we want is a relationship with Christ that is personal and unique from everyone else’s, something far from cookie cutter.
What we want is to have leadership opportunities that are a chance for us to break and grow in a safe environment, not a million rules that bind us and keep us from that growth that we desire.
What we want is worship that is focused on Christ and worshipping him, not on the band in front that we feel like we need to clap for.
What we want is community… period!... an environment that allows us to build friendships and love on others and learn from each other’s mistakes and successes.
What we want is for the people that surround us, that talk about serving and loving others, to go with us to hang out with the homeless, the rejected, the unsaved in THEIR environment, not a bunch of people who feel like going to a camp for one week or spending a day handing out food or trying to convert a friend, instead of really loving that person regardless of their salvation, is enough.
What we want is a church that stops putting up a fake face like everything is okay and provides a place for us to be broken and imperfect without judgment, not a place that makes us feel like we need to be holy and perfect whenever we step foot on the property.
But are we experiencing those things? Are we really being provided with that kind of environment? Does the church even care that those are priorities for us?
And are we doing anything to really reach out to people who don’t go to church? Are we really loving others with the realization that nothing WE do is going to save them? Only GOD can do that. We need to just BE there, to love them, to allow God to speak through us. How do we intend on being a light in the world of darkness if we don’t go INTO the world? We have it drilled into us that we need to be safe, that we need to surround ourselves with people that are good, Christian influences on us... but what about the people that don't have that? What about the people who need US to be that influence. The church needs to get off it's high horse, get its ass in the world, and start loving people in the raw and passionate way that Jesus did... or what the hell are we doing?
I am really passionate about the topic I have chosen. I decided to write about something going on in my life right now: How the church stays relevant to this generation. I see, or hear about, so many instances where people have been asked to leave the church, rejected by the church, or not involved in the church for reasons that are far from legitimate. And it enrages me.
This generation has a different idea of what a relationship with Christ is, what leadership encompasses, what worship means, what community should be, what loving others looks like and what a church should provide. And no one seems to care! The church just goes along on it’s path to destruction, believing that the only way to be relevant to high school/college/young adult aged people is to be entertaining. But we are looking for so much more than that!!!
What we want is a relationship with Christ that is personal and unique from everyone else’s, something far from cookie cutter.
What we want is to have leadership opportunities that are a chance for us to break and grow in a safe environment, not a million rules that bind us and keep us from that growth that we desire.
What we want is worship that is focused on Christ and worshipping him, not on the band in front that we feel like we need to clap for.
What we want is community… period!... an environment that allows us to build friendships and love on others and learn from each other’s mistakes and successes.
What we want is for the people that surround us, that talk about serving and loving others, to go with us to hang out with the homeless, the rejected, the unsaved in THEIR environment, not a bunch of people who feel like going to a camp for one week or spending a day handing out food or trying to convert a friend, instead of really loving that person regardless of their salvation, is enough.
What we want is a church that stops putting up a fake face like everything is okay and provides a place for us to be broken and imperfect without judgment, not a place that makes us feel like we need to be holy and perfect whenever we step foot on the property.
But are we experiencing those things? Are we really being provided with that kind of environment? Does the church even care that those are priorities for us?
And are we doing anything to really reach out to people who don’t go to church? Are we really loving others with the realization that nothing WE do is going to save them? Only GOD can do that. We need to just BE there, to love them, to allow God to speak through us. How do we intend on being a light in the world of darkness if we don’t go INTO the world? We have it drilled into us that we need to be safe, that we need to surround ourselves with people that are good, Christian influences on us... but what about the people that don't have that? What about the people who need US to be that influence. The church needs to get off it's high horse, get its ass in the world, and start loving people in the raw and passionate way that Jesus did... or what the hell are we doing?
10.05.2007
The Line at Seven Palms
Taken from the October 5th publication of The Clause:
“Worship isn’t confined to chapel or church or camp,” sophomore English major Taylor Hamlett said. “Worship can be a bunch of kids that love words. And yes, worship can be showing God’s love through words and music that contain obscenities and offensive subject matter.”
Tiny white candles glowed brightly setting the mood for a night of poetry, music and open forum, as the English department launched its much anticipated encore to last semester’s ‘The Line.’
“It’s an open forum for creative expression for the creative community on campus,” senior English major Lily Atherton said.
Atherton, along with alumnus Craig Christensen, planned and organized the event that took place on Sept. 27 at Seven Palms.
An estimated 150 people were in attendance. More than 20 people recited poetry, sang original songs, played instruments, or beat-boxed.
“Being able to express yourself promotes community,” Christensen said. “Finding out what our role is on the earth, learning how to communicate and being open creatively is really important.”
‘The Line’ was one of the most refreshing events I have ever been to during my years here at APU. The most striking and painfully genuine part of the evening, which is what made the night border on brilliance, was the brutal honesty that flowed from every piece of work.
Not one person got up in front and pretended that their lives were all together and perfect. There was no façade.
They read about bad relationships, sex, drugs, failures, doubts, regrets of the past, uncertainty of the present, and fears for the future.
APU needs more of this honesty. On a Christian campus, it seems the norm for people to walk around with their heads high as if their life is going directly down the path God had planned.
But we are all far from that. This kind of honesty, the ability these students had to get up and be vulnerable in front of their peers, is a quality that Christians should feel comfortable expressing on a regular basis.
A big question I found myself asking through the night, however, was what affect does this sort of open outlet have on the APU community?
Being fairly liberal when it comes to my views, and seeing APU as semi-conservative when it comes to theirs, I was happily surprised that students were able to speak so freely with their word choice and subject matter. The reactions from students and staff were mixed.
“Most Christian campuses wouldn’t let us have this platform and I am really happy about it,” Christensen said. “By letting us do this, they are facilitating the creative process. Its great to be somewhere that lets us do that.”
Senior biblical studies major Johanna Chase had a different take on the evening, seeing the rebellious nature of college students on a Christian campus as an effect to the outlet that isn’t always positive.
“Because APU is so tight on the edges of everything, when we have opportunities to express ourselves as students without any sort of block or boundary, we go a little over the top,” Chase said. “But, I hope it keeps happening. Everyone was able to really express themselves, which was so amazing.”
English professor Ralph Carlson, who attended the end of the show to support his students, echoed Chase’s statement.
“Given our community ethos in general, it is often a good thing to do a little self censoring,” Carlson said. “I am still getting used to this century, but I heard some good voices.”
Some hope ‘The Line’ will go from a once-a-month event to a bi-monthly event. “Students have something to say,” Hamlett said, “and it’s usually pretty damn good.”
“Worship isn’t confined to chapel or church or camp,” sophomore English major Taylor Hamlett said. “Worship can be a bunch of kids that love words. And yes, worship can be showing God’s love through words and music that contain obscenities and offensive subject matter.”
Tiny white candles glowed brightly setting the mood for a night of poetry, music and open forum, as the English department launched its much anticipated encore to last semester’s ‘The Line.’
“It’s an open forum for creative expression for the creative community on campus,” senior English major Lily Atherton said.
Atherton, along with alumnus Craig Christensen, planned and organized the event that took place on Sept. 27 at Seven Palms.
An estimated 150 people were in attendance. More than 20 people recited poetry, sang original songs, played instruments, or beat-boxed.
“Being able to express yourself promotes community,” Christensen said. “Finding out what our role is on the earth, learning how to communicate and being open creatively is really important.”
‘The Line’ was one of the most refreshing events I have ever been to during my years here at APU. The most striking and painfully genuine part of the evening, which is what made the night border on brilliance, was the brutal honesty that flowed from every piece of work.
Not one person got up in front and pretended that their lives were all together and perfect. There was no façade.
They read about bad relationships, sex, drugs, failures, doubts, regrets of the past, uncertainty of the present, and fears for the future.
APU needs more of this honesty. On a Christian campus, it seems the norm for people to walk around with their heads high as if their life is going directly down the path God had planned.
But we are all far from that. This kind of honesty, the ability these students had to get up and be vulnerable in front of their peers, is a quality that Christians should feel comfortable expressing on a regular basis.
A big question I found myself asking through the night, however, was what affect does this sort of open outlet have on the APU community?
Being fairly liberal when it comes to my views, and seeing APU as semi-conservative when it comes to theirs, I was happily surprised that students were able to speak so freely with their word choice and subject matter. The reactions from students and staff were mixed.
“Most Christian campuses wouldn’t let us have this platform and I am really happy about it,” Christensen said. “By letting us do this, they are facilitating the creative process. Its great to be somewhere that lets us do that.”
Senior biblical studies major Johanna Chase had a different take on the evening, seeing the rebellious nature of college students on a Christian campus as an effect to the outlet that isn’t always positive.
“Because APU is so tight on the edges of everything, when we have opportunities to express ourselves as students without any sort of block or boundary, we go a little over the top,” Chase said. “But, I hope it keeps happening. Everyone was able to really express themselves, which was so amazing.”
English professor Ralph Carlson, who attended the end of the show to support his students, echoed Chase’s statement.
“Given our community ethos in general, it is often a good thing to do a little self censoring,” Carlson said. “I am still getting used to this century, but I heard some good voices.”
Some hope ‘The Line’ will go from a once-a-month event to a bi-monthly event. “Students have something to say,” Hamlett said, “and it’s usually pretty damn good.”
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