GroshLink

I've adapted the below post from illustration regarding the importance of asking the question upon what is the church founded? -- see Review - Flickering Pixels.  My purpose in posting the story here is to address the re-occuring question of Now tell me again, just what do you do?  The short response is I bring the Gospel to the campus, a place very much in need of it!

As to my job description, I identify, encourage, and equip Christian scholars to be redeeming influences in higher education by blogging on issues related to higher education (http://blog.emergingscholars.org), leading (and participating in) conferences/retreats on topics of relevance to following Christ in higher education, and preparing for campus conversations (through prayer, the Word, networking, various weblinks/articles/books).  AND yes, I regularly visit a number of campuses weekly (Millersville, Penn State Harrisburg, Penn State Hershey Medical Center), 2x a term (Elizabethtown College, Franklin & Marshall College, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola College, Messiah College), as asked/needed (Carnegie Mellon, Dickinson, Penn, Pitt), and hoping to expand to 2x a term visits on a few more (e.g., Bucknell, Lancaster Bible College).

But just because I'm scheduled to go to a campus for a lunch discussion of The Truth Project with a small group of faculty, doesn't mean that I can walk past two elders from the Church of Latter Day Saints chatting w/a student on the sidewalk!  The two elders were standing in front of a mainline denominational church adjacent to the campus. Was it the Spirit, my compassion for the young woman, and/or my desire for dialogue (or should I say debate) which led me to turn around and enter the conversation even though I knew I'd be late for lunch discussion? Note: My 30 minute conversation caused me to be 25 minutes late for The Truth Project discussion, but the faculty were doing quite well on their own exploring the issues of being considered by Dawkins and company ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked) for not embracing evolutionary theory.

Back to the sidewalk chat ... my first question to the elders was whether they were part of the church they were standing in front of (No). Second, I asked whether they considered themselves Christians and believed Jesus to be the Son of God (Yes). Third, would they agree as to what Christianity is with the church we stood in front of ... In response, the elders turned their attention to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the contents of the The Book of Mormon which broke the power of apostasy in the church, present since the passing away of the apostles.

I asked whether they trusted the Bible (Yes) and if so what they did with the writings by apostates (they affirmed Paul as an Apostle, i.e., one who saw/heard from God, but equivocated on the value of writings by Mark, Luke, Jude). They were willing to admit some light passed on to Timothy, Silas, Titus, Philemon, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica. ... But without a Prophet (i.e., Apostle, one who had seen God) apostasy had taken the church well before the Church counsels which wrote the creeds and selected the canon. Did they carry a Bible with them? (No, they confessed I had caught them red handed), I suggested they get in touch w/the Gideons. They remembered an encounter with them awhile ago, but had not seen them on campus for quite some time.  Note:  Due to a recent conversation with a Gideon regarding the difficulty of setting up on campus, I was not surprised by their lack of interaction. I wish that I had a pocket Bible with me to share, I'll be sure to have one in my bag for next time.

In addressing how some light would be taken into the Spirit world (after our death), they developed space for some Christians in the early church and beyond starting off further ahead in their Spirit world journey.

They wrapped up by asking whether I had a personal experience with God (note: the woman had left earlier). I answered yes. But the elder continued by sharing how he had been raised in the Church of Latter Day Saints, but chose his own path. Since his return to the church, he has experienced joy and fellowship unlike any other time in his life. In summary, that's why he was on campus sharing about The Book of Mormon. He passed along a copy of The Book of Mormon and a tract on Jesus. They wanted to know what I thought.

I pointed them back to reading the New Testament through the lens of the work of God the Father through his Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit, initiating a kingdom/church which not only spreads through the apostles, but is passed on from generation to generation. They gave me their contact information and asked if they could connect with me again (possibly) and pray for me (yes and I for them).  

Pray for me as I visit Penn State Hershey Medical Center's Christian Medical Society for Tuesday lunch and Penn State Harrisburg's C.S. Lewis Seminar for Wednesday lunch.  Pray for fruitful interactions before, during, and after the meetings.  Pray for the Spirit's discernment not just in the ministry structures, but in sharing the Word in a manner which penetrates the lives of those present at the gatherings and to the campus context by which they're surrounded.  A campus prayer request of another form: pray for Eden's for adenoidectomy on Friday Penn State Hershey Medical Center to go well.  Pray for God to guide the hands of the medical staff, for Eden's quick recovery, and Theresa's strength (received from the Lord and light to those around her) through the whole process of once again standing with Eden through another visit to the medical center.