Seven of us met last night in a tiny apartment to share a meal and talk about the future of Resonate. Though I was the one doing the vision-casting, I was extremely encouraged. It wasn’t so much the excitement that seemed to be present, but rather who was showing the excitement. As I sat there talking, I realized the diversity we had in the room. A few came from a typical church background, while others, not so much. Nearly half the group was vegetarians. One student was born and spent the first 18 years of his life in South America. There were nearly as many traditions/denominations represented as there were people. Everyone is studying different things. Yet we were all had one thing in common – Jesus.
I think this is one of the reasons that I love college ministry so much. The college campus is such a unique culture. It is a time when many students are trying to figure out who they are, what they believe, and what they want to do with their life. Through college ministry, we can be there to help students come to realize that Jesus loves them, wants a relationship with them, and wants to love others through them.
These are exciting times. In just one week, 36,000 students will be beginning classes at the University of North Texas. Since this is Resonate’s first semester of ministry to UNT students, we are eager to begin. It is our aim to help students realize that God loves them, wants a relationship with them, and wants to love others through them.
I’ll be blogging about our adventures, so be sure to stay tuned to the blog for all the details.
The following is an excerpt from “A Little Exercise for Young Theologians” by Helmut Thielicke.
“Truth seduces us very easily into a kind of joy of possession: I have comprehended this and that, learned it, understood it. Knowledge is power. I am therefore more than the other man who does not know this and that. I have greater possibilities and also greater temptations Anyone who deals with truth – as we theologians certainly do – succumbs all too easily to the psychology of the possessor. But love is the opposite of the will to possess. It is self-giving. It boasteth not itself, but humbleth itself.
Now it is almost a devilish thing that even in the case of the theologian joy of possession can kill love. It is devilish because the truth of theology is concerned with the very love of God, with His coming down, His search, His care for souls…
In his reflective detachment the theologian feels himself superior to those who, in their personal relationship to Christ, completely pass over the problems of the historical Jesus or demythologizing or the objectivity of salvation… This disdain is a real spiritual disease. It lies in the conflict between truth and love. “
This short book was written with students in a setting like seminary in mind. However, I think his words of warning can be applied to anyone who embarks on the effort of studying the Scriptures, in whatever capacity that might be.
