I started off the month of February, despite the cold and snowy weather, burning with excitement. I had just graduated in December and I was beginning my first semester working with InterVarsity. I could not have been more thrilled to be giving my time to students, fundraising, and seeing God's kingdom come on Drake's campus. And it's been an amazing month! I finally had my official interview with intervarsity, gave an unexpected talk at our weekly large group, and have been taking big steps to becoming a fully fundraised, full time campus missionary! Going back into the last week of January, let's look at some of the highlights:
Student leader Cara Lutes setting vision at the Back To School Retreat
Interview and Placement
In the last week of January, I finally had my official interview with InterVarsity. At a Panera out in West Des Moines, I sat with five (thats right, five!) interviewers from campuses in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. Although many might be intimidated is such a situation, I remembered my High School football Coach Dave Owens, who said something like, "If you're prepared, butterflies just mean that you care and you're about to do something great." I then also recalled that in the past few years, when I have had butterflies, it's because I was about to go smash heads with 300 pound heathen lineman. So I can handle questions from a couple wimpy Christians, right!? Overall, I found the interview extremely enjoyable and pleasant. It was nice that, although in some interviews you feel like you have to put on a airs, I could be authentic and do what I do best: talk about Jesus. Three hours later, I was exhausted, but extremely happy about how it went. Within a week I received a call that confirmed their offer for a provisional staff appointment and within two weeks, I was informed where the regional directors felt I would fit best: Central College in Pella, IA! Although I would be working part time at William Penn in Oskaloosa as well and I would like to still visit Omaha in order to keep my options open, I am really excited about my possible fit in Pella and am actually visiting this Thursday! Everyone seems to think my gifts would really bring a lot to the table. Considering my High School mascot was the Dutch, it would quite an uncanny fit!
An Unexpected Worship Sermon
In the meantime, for the next semester I am still acting as an active leader with the Drake InterVarsity chapter. At the beginning of the semester, we began a new sermon series entitled "Follow Me" which was intended to be a practical look at spiritual disciplines and what it means to follow Jesus on a day to day basis. This meant talking about basics like Prayer, Worship, Sabbath, The Bible, and Community. I was excited to open up the series by giving a talk about Worship. As a worship leader, this is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about and invested in. So I would have loved to get up there and give a 40 minute talk about Worship. But as I prayed and fasted over the message, I felt God was calling me not just to "tell people about worship" but to "show them how to worship." This began to take shape through getting people out of their comfort zones, because we too often go through the motions when we fall into monotony. This began to mean breaking out of the modern evangelical "liturgy" of 1)worship 2)announcements 3) speaker 4)go home, and instead going back to a traditional liturgy from the Common Book of Prayer. But God wasn't done there. On the night of Super Bowl Sunday, three days before I was to give my talk, I got in the car and began to talk/pray through some of the things I might say. And it was strangest thing. As I began talking, things were coming out rhyming. When I went home, I began writing. Three hours later, my entire talk had come out in spoken word poetry form, of which I hadn't written any in several years! It was unbelievable. I was in awe of the revelation that God had poured into my mind. So finally, when it was all said and done, we followed the Rite of Eucharist (with communion), with modern worship songs, and a 12 minute spoken word sermon. It was an unbelievable night and I was amazed at how doing things a little differently allowed people to really engage with God. Click here if you would like to read my poem, entitled "The Throne Room."
First meet and greet of the new year.
A Part Time Job's Lesson in Trust
Around the middle of February, after fundraising was off to a slow start and my excitement was wearing off, I started to worry about money. I am in a unique situation, renting a room from my pastors, where I don't have a lot of expenses and they understand I will be able to pay them rent when fundraising starts to roll in. Yet, fear started to set in, and I began to feel guilty, according to the standards of this world, that I was wrong by being "unproductive" and not working. So I looked for a part time job to help with rent and food and I found one working as a server at a retirement community. It was OK. But after several weeks, I began to feel uncomfortable and discontent about the whole thing. On a monday off, I decided I would go on a "Pilgrimage" as a part of our week of Prayer and taken from the 19 different kinds of prayer I put together. I walked to a park about 15 minutes from my house, bringing all my worries and fears with me, with the intention of meeting with God and leaving them there with Him. I did exactly that, even burned a post-it with my fears written on it, and I felt God's presence overwhelm me, pulling me to quit my job. But that's crazy, right? Maybe according to the world. But when Daniel chose vegetables and water over meat and wine, he did so trusting that God would supernaturally provide. When he asked to meet the King about his vision, he did so trusting that God would speak to him in the night. Me getting that job was like Abraham and Hagar, getting impatient for the promise to come. So it was time for me to get out of the boat and trust that El Shaddai, that God will provide. Do you know what happened after that? Literally, when I got home, there was a $200 check waiting for me from a friend's parents. That Wednesday, another friend pledged $100 a month and to set up a meeting with a friend of his to give me more. How unbelievable is that!? The LORD PROVIDES! I am SO excited to keep going on this journey, to put all my trust in Him, to bring God's people into my mission, and see Him supernaturally provide.
An early draft of the poster I put together for our current series.
Three Quick Praises
1) After several years of Drake IV being 70% girls, God has brought more than several awesome men of God into the group who really love Jesus and want more of Him. We've started a Men's Group on Fridays and the turnout has been awesome with a lot of authenticity. It's amazing to see this answer to prayer happening, that men would rise up in IV, sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron, and be men of courage, righteousness, and influence in our group and on our campus.
2) As my schedule opens up after quitting my job, I will be spending more and more time at the International House of Prayer Iowa. I have been going there for 2-4 hours every week, just getting alone with God and bringing prayer for my future, Drake IV, and the city before God, trying to reflect the persistent widow. It is so refreshing and intimate to spend that time in His presence. As I get involved more as musician on Monday and Friday nights, I'm looking forward to seeing God grow that ministry and hopefully build bridges between them and IV.
3) After submitting my transcript to InterVarsity USA, I am really close to being able to fully fundraise through IV! Once that happens, people will be able to send money directly to IV in my name, which will then go to pay my salary. I am so looking forward to officially beginning that journey! Until then, I hope you will continue to pray for me, my impact on Drake's campus, the students there, my fundraising, and wisdom for my future location! If you would like to join my support team and receive monthly updates about pray and finances, please visit the "Support My Ministry" page.
Wow! It's fun looking back on the month like that! Praise God for all that He has done and will continue to do! Bring it on March!!
Seth
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