Free at Aston - day 4

On this final day of Aston CU's focus week, the campus was rather strangely deserted! But while flyering was hampered, conversations continued using questionnaires and at the stall in the uni' foyer, the lunchbar ("Is God a kill-joy?") was still mostly full, with great discussions afterwards, and Pizza Hut was so full for 'True Freedom' in the evening (around 80 people) that they had to send some CU members to the other PH in town to get more dough. This did leave a nice gap in the pizza consumption, just right for the talk, before the second round of pizza appeared.





A visiting crime writer was intrigued by our stall's display:
"But it's probably not what it says," he said. "It is what it says," I replied, "but it may not be what you'd think!"
A student of another culture asked the best question I heard all week: "The main things of Christianity," he asserted, "are that we can be forgiven, our sins atoned for, through the death of Jesus on the cross, that Jesus is the Son of God, and that God is Trinity." (At this, I wished that all Christians were so clear.) "Yet Jesus doesn't emphasise these in the gospels - he doesn't state them explicitly. Why do you give these such a key place if they aren't emphasised in the gospels?" As he had to rush off before the talk, I talked with Him about how Jesus reveals to his disciples who he is, in Mark's gospel - not so much in explicit statements, but in His words and deeds, gradually. The disciples spend much of the first half of their time with Jesus confused and fearful, wondering, "Who on earth is this?" Then when they 'get it' - he's God's promised King! - Jesus starts explaining that God's King must die. He gives it to them gradually, and all the time, every incident turns or focusses on who Jesus is and why he has come. The student understood this, but as the talk started and he dashed off saying he may come to the follow-up course, I wished that I'd said the obvious.

We don't get our understanding of Jesus and his work simply from the gospels. Jesus didn't come out of the blue (haha). God spent 2000 years setting up history so that we would have concepts by which to understand the Person and work of the Christ. 2000 years promising that the Lord, YHWH, would come, 2000 years of atoning sacrifices, 2000 years of failed 'sons of God' (we had discussed this earlier in the conversation). For all, there is enough information in the gospel account to get who Jesus is and what his work achieves. But if you're speaking with someone who believes the word of the prophets, you have it on a plate - even just with the opening of Mark, from Malachi 3-4 and Isaiah 40.

Far less importantly, I got my exercise of the day when the lifts broke down in one of the residence tower blocks. Having reached the 17th floor flat, I thought I'd show you the view (witness how deserted campus was, at a usually busy time of day!):

I was praying at the start of the week 2 Thess 1.11-12:

"To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

God has answered that prayer abundantly - friends of CU members on the point of trusting in Christ, many students signed up for the course following on from this week, Globe Café increased by 300%, and so many significant conversations and gospels been distributed. CU members have grown more confident in Jesus Christ, and more aware of the truth and wonder of the good news.

FREE at Aston - day 3

Today's FREE at Aston took the shape of freedom from suffering (lunchtime - a full room with both friends and people come from flyer invitations) and freedom from guilt (evening, in a large Guild venue). The CU also held an excellent British Culture event, with a gospel talk, fish & chips, and a viewing of Her Majesty's coronation! I suspect the talk was appreciated more than the traditional British fare! Tomorrow, final day, is Free to live: isn't God a kill-joy? at lunchtime, and True Freedom in Pizza Hut in the evening.

FREE at Aston - day 2

Free at Aston day 2 started with an early morning prayer meeting of course, and I discovered that it takes twice as long to get into town at 8am than for 9. The lunchbar on Free to choose: do all religions lead to God? was well attended by non-Christians, who listened well and asked good questions - and also discussed with Christian friends afterwards.

The quiz night in a local pub was well-run and well-attended, but difficult with background noise and some talking over the talk on the greatest question - what is our greatest need? And the answer from Jesus in Mark 2. Still, some listened, and heard the good news that Jesus is God become man, to forgive our sins, and may continue talking about it with their friends.

We're having good discussions with some Muslim students.

FREE at Aston uni: Day 1

Aston University this week, and the CU's first focus week in 6 or 7 years. It's a fantastic campus, compact and in the city centre, with halls of residence on campus, and friendly Student Guild and uni, making it easy to hold events and flyer with invitations to those events. In fact, the Guild even sent an email round the student body, advertising the week of events! The CU members are all actively engaged in various societies, in halls and on their courses. The courses are hard, with plenty of work and lectures, but many CU members have worked hard to clear their diaries as much as possible for this week.

Today is a warm-up day, starting with stalls in the Guild and Uni foyers 9-5, with separate flyering in the lecture changeover times, some use of questionnaires, and "tower raids" in the afternoon - visiting all the flats in the halls of residence tower blocks, to offer FREE gospels and chat about Jesus. Then there's a girls' night in the evening, with a film followed by a talk by a CU member, picking up on themes from the film, and sharing how she became a Christian.

Give thanks for the good relations with the student Guild and the uni, for CU members keen to be on the stall and flyer, and yet also good at inviting friends along. Give thanks to for the discussions already going on with friends, for those reading Mark's gospel already, and for the couple of friends who have recently become Christians, are engaged in local churches, and are now taking advantage of a mission week for the first time, to witness to friends!

Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday there'll be lunchbars and evening events, at which John Newton Webb is speaking, so pray for him and for the other CU Guests, that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be clearly proclaimed, and that God would work powerfully by His Spirit to bring life and fruit from the seed as it is indiscriminately sown. The student population at Aston appear to be around a third East Asian and a third South Asian origin - whether British or not is hard to tell, but please pray especially for all those from a Muslim background, that they would consider Jesus, seeing in Mark's gospel that He is the Christ, the Son of God.

And for now, back to the stall for some questionnaires!

FREE Wolves!

Last week Wolverhampton CU had their first ever week of FREE events, giving students on campus the opportunity to hear talks and ask questions on a variety of topics - Free to believe: is faith blind? Free from pain: How can a loving God allow suffering? Free to choose: Don't all religions lead to God? Free love: What does God say about sex? And Free to follow: What do Christians actually believe? Although it was small, we were encouraged as people came to all the events, asking good questions and engaging in discussion with Christian friends and coursemates during the week. We spoke to some using questionnaires, too. There's been a good precedent set for future events, and CU members continue to give their friends copies of Mark's gospel, some reading them together. So we look forward to more Wolves students seeing who Jesus is, and finding that to be ruled by Him is perfect freedom!

Jesus in College

Jesus in College - a lovely little book which will greatly encourage Christians in FE and 6th Form colleges. Steph became a Christian at university and then went to an FE college - and found no CU there. The fun started! And the discouraging slog. Steph shares with us her adventures with God in college, and encourages us to believe that as He promises in 2 Cor 4, God really does choose to work through the weak and foolish, to show that the power comes from Christ and not from us.

Thinking of the FE/HE college Cakes which I have the privilege of serving, I was encouraged and challenged by Steph's account, and plan to get more copies to pass round the CU!

It's easy to read - I read it on the 30 minute train journey to Wolverhampton... and it made me cry at some points (granted, in the middle of 3 CU mission weeks, I'm tired and emotional, but it's good anyway).

I recommend you get some copies to give to 6th formers and FE students in your church.

Free with BUECU - day 4

There seem to be a lot of francophones around this FREE week - a fact that Marion, Tom Trump & I are enjoying rather as we surprise them with witness in French! I spent the evening at the quiz event talking with a French girl about Jesus, faith, the cross, and Mark's gospel - one genuine question after another, from which she concluded that she really must read Mark's gospel. Brilliant conclusion! Jonti's mid-quiz talk on what it means to believe in Jesus was spot on and fitted exactly into our ongoing conversation.

The lunchbars continue to be well attended as Paul Clarke expounds the gospel from Mark - each day we rearrange the seating in the marquee to try to fit more people in, as today we hit 120 in one of the 2 repeated sessions. But more than attendance, people are really engaging with what's said, reading Mark's gospel, and spending time asking questions of Christian friends or CU Guests.

Free with BUECU - day 2

Following a hitch yesterday with the projector in the marquee (a lens cap was still on), this morning we had a heater breakdown! After much prayer and trial, it turned out it was just out of fuel. So, on with the show (and with trips to the petrol station with jerrycan), Paul gave us "Free from Guilt" from Mark 2, twice over, with around 90 in the tent each time. There were few questions this time, although we adopted the 'text a question' idea for those who'd be scared of the roving mic - but people were talking about what they'd heard with those around them, instead.

One girl came to me on the literature table before the 2nd lunchbar, interested in the historicity of the gospels. She'd had a look on wikipedia about Mark's gospel in particular, so we discussed how the Bible was compiled, and the reliability of Mark composing using Peter as a source. But the main point was one Paul made yesterday in the lunchbar - these guys really thought that life & death hung on Jesus' words, action and ultimately, his Person - so however or not you agree with them, recognise that they were very concerned to record with absolute accuracy what Jesus said and did! They thought eternal life hang on this, so they must get the word out truly.

We used questionnaires in the afternoon to chat to people around campus about freedom and Jesus, with most willing to take a gospel and investigate it further. This evening is an acoustic night, where Churchy will talk us through satisfaction, music, and Jesus.

FREE 1 - BUECU

This week, see buecu.org/free

I may be able to blog something of what goes on during the week, but see the timetable on that site and pray for us.

It's not child's play

Hearts are trumps

Bish is at it again - a brilliant post on how to do unity in a Christian Union in practice followed a clear how to do unity in a Christian Union in principle. Well worth a read.

The Invitation

Luke 14.15-24
You’re in the middle of dinner, all sitting round in your flat – for once you’re all eating together! Someone’s filling you in on their view of a particular band, and you’re chatting happily about Astonbury. There’s a slight pause and someone says, ‘Tell you what – I’m looking forward to the Graduation Ball – meal, wine, music – can’t wait!” Everyone agrees. At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to be, isn’t it? Now what doesn’t happen, is that someone says in reply, “Well, I don’t know if you’ll be there actually! We can’t just assume we’re graduating! And to be honest, I’m not sure we’ll all bother to get tickets.”

But this is a leeetle bit like what happens here.

Jesus is at a dinner party. He's been talking about invitations, feasts, and the resurrection of the just. And “when one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed are those who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."” And rather than everyone chiming in in agreement (aw yeah – that’ll be awesome, I’m so looking forward to it!), Jesus responds with a story with a sting in the tale. Now, Jesus could provide wine for a wedding feast, but here he’s kind of spoiling the party. When someone looks forward to being in heaven, you’re supposed to agree with them. Especially here – everyone knew what the guy meant by the feast at the resurrection of the just. People have all sorts of ideas of heaven, but this is the real deal - they’d been told about it in Isaiah 25.6-9:

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God;
we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

So this guy was joining the dots right – Jesus mentions a feast, and the resurrection: that’ll be this – we were told about it 600 years ago, and been looking forward to it ever since! We’ve got our invitations!

So Jesus tells this story, in 3 scenes.
Scene 1 – invitations go out (15-17)

Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many
guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had
been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

You’ve had the invitation: yes, we all know about God’s resurrection day feast! And Jesus says, ‘Come, it’s all ready.’ The Jewish people he was among wouldn’t have missed the point. They’d been waiting for this 600+ years. Here he is, dining with them – the promised one, announcing the feast is ready. The King is here. Accept him.

Scene 2: the refusals come in (18-20)

Now we're used to giving excuses - and I'm sure our tutors have heard a fair few from our classmates. These are some of the excuses people have given on their insurance claim forms: 'I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought.' 'My car was legally parked as it backed into the other vehicle.' 'I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and headed over the embankment.' They’re not going to work, are they? They’re ridiculous. But what’s this? Not half as ridiculous as the excuses that come in to God’s invitation!

But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought
a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master.

- I’ve bought a field and must go and see it. Eh? You bought a field without seeing it? And what, is this some amazing magical moving field, that you can’t put off seeing it for one day? “I’ve just bought a house over the phone without seeing it, and I need to go check it’s really there.” Pull the other one.
- I’ve bought 5 pairs of oxen to plough with, and am going to go examine them. Riiiight. You’ve got a brand new combine harvester on ebay, and you want to see how it goes. Check it works. Cos again, clearly that can’t wait. If possible, this guy is even more rude than the first – he’s already on his way!
- I’ve got married, so I can’t come. He doesn’t even try to be polite & excuse himself. Or ask to bring his wife along!

These excuses are lame. They blatantly don’t want to go. “Sorry, I’m washing my hair.” “I’m feeding the cat.” They just prefer these things to going. They’re so pathetic they’re funny.

And yet they’re not funny. Because Jesus is talking here of people invited by God, to his feast, in the new creation following the resurrection of the just. Jesus is talking here of guests to the celebrations of God’s kingdom, when it finally comes in fully, and those guests are rejecting it! But if they’re not in God’s kingdom when it comes, then there’s only one thing for rebels against a King when he comes in power! It would be funny, but it’s tragic! It’s scary! People prefer other things and cry off with lame excuses.

What would bring people to reject God’s invitation to feast in fellowship with him? A field, a good job, 5 yoke of oxen, company shares, a new PS2, a wife, a boyfriend,… Other priorities. The old invite doesn’t seem quite so important now. It’s ok: I’m still invited – the invite’s in the drawer. I think… but for now I’ll get on with these things – the party’s a long way off yet. It’s ok, I’m still keeping that night free – I’ll still greet Jesus when he comes back. He wouldn’t want me to give up this relationship though – this job, this thing I like doing. And then suddenly, “It’s today? Already? Oh. Please give my apologies, I just can’t make it.”

Their excuses revealed their priorities, the true desires of their hearts. Other things had crept in. The invitation to God’s resurrection feast was a done deal – it was forgotten, issued long ago. It was presumed upon. Every now and then remembered: “Blessed is everyone who’ll eat at the feast in God’s kingdom!” And everyone was just assuming they’d be there.

Now Jesus didn’t say this into a vacuum. Luke tells us clearly what was going on. You can read it in what comes before – ch.13.22-14.6. In the run-up to this parable, we see other questions join our question of why would people reject God’s invitation like this? Who will enter through the narrow door? Why will people be shut out from the table of the kingdom of God? Why will those invited so long ago not taste the feast of God at the resurrection of the just? How could anyone get in that state? How can we avoid being like that?

The answer that is given each time is that it all hangs on what you make of Jesus. He’s the invitation, the King, the host. Would they gather to him for safety, like chicks run under the wings of a hen? No, they would not. Would they welcome him as Lord of the Sabbath, in charge of God’s law, as the Law-giver, the ruler himself? No, they would not – they’d rather keep in control of their own spirituality. They refuse him. They reject Jesus.

Now you might think, ‘Phew! I don’t ignore Jesus!’ But they’re just ordinary everyday things we reject him with. Put something else in front of treasuring Jesus – your pride in being good, your knowledge of the good news of the kingdom, your enjoyment of things, job prospects, a relationship, family, the desire for a relationship, friendships, money – put anything else in front of Jesus as what you cling to, seek after, and prize: and your heart screams out its pathetic excuses to God. Because Jesus is God’s invitation. To prefer anything to God’s invitation, to Jesus, is to bar to yourself the narrow door. All preferences must go.

Most people would want the life of God’s kingdom. It’s attractive. The feast sounds great. (The alternative doesn’t sound great – weeping, gnashing teeth, being shut out, never tasting the feast of blessing…) But the feast sounds great – the glory, the beauty, the new earth to play with, no corruption or war of guilt – remember Isaiah 25: no tears, only gladness, a huge party!

But the whole point is that it’s God’s feast. It’s being with Jesus. If we’re not welcoming Jesus, loving to submit to his rule, to trust in him like a chick runs to its mother when in danger, to let him define our ways of life and spirituality, then we are rejecting God’s invitation. In fact, it’s the fundamental of sin all over again: it’s wanting God for his gifts and not actually wanting him. It’s idolatry, and rebellion. It’s certainly not accepting the invitation. The good news of the Kingdom is God, and the invitation of the Kingdom is Jesus, to come to God.

Now how do we know that, check we’re not stretching the parable? The parable is the negative side: the danger of presuming to be ‘in’, without welcoming Jesus’ rule, prizing him. Then Jesus expands on it: [14.25-27 & 33]

Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even life itself—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ... those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

It’s all about Jesus. Cling to him, not anything else.
Look! He is infinitely precious. Not just as a bridge or a ticket to what we want. He is infinitely precious.

So scene 3: the refusals are accepted (21-24).

Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

God is rightly severe with those who reject Jesus – his gracious invitation to be part of his kingdom welcomed as children, not punished rightly as the rebels we are against the King. Hearing the proclamation of the good news is not enough: cling to Jesus – he is the invitation in person, its goal and its joy.

For God is not only rightly severe with those who snub his invitation, but also so gracious that he invites all sorts. Jesus was being criticized for hanging out with a rough crowd. Not the sort of people who’d be invited to dinner with God. But the religious leaders, the ‘nice’ people, the people you’d want in your flat, the establishment, wouldn’t have him! And when people who trust in ‘knowing’ or being in on the invitation reject it – reject Jesus – he goes to the riffraff.

If you know that you should never be invited to sit down and eat a meal in the new creation, with a newly resurrected body, in the presence of a holy God – if you know that should never be you, then you are in a good place: embrace Jesus.

God’s generosity is not thwarted by people rejecting him. It spills out to others, so they can glorify him for his mercy. What an encouragement in telling our friends. And more, in telling people who weren’t the ‘privileged few’ to be our close friends – those different to us at uni, the weird ones, the workaholics, those from different cultures to us, the permanent drunks, the annoyingly intelligent,… Jesus is out in the roads and alleys of… the bars, the computer labs, the library, wanting you to tell people of him: the invitation to disgraceful rebels to have dinner with the King of Grace.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"”

That servant must've had beautiful feet! So go into the lost places and compel them to come in, because nothing can go wrong. Rejection doesn’t thwart God’s grace – it will overflow to many and the house will be filled.

“Won’t it be fantastic in heaven, when God’s kingdom comes in fully?”
“Yes,” says Jesus, “but make sure that you’ve accepted the invitation – that nothing comes before me.”

Cling to Jesus – everything else is worthless by comparison.
Beware of presuming you’re ok with God if other things take your attention and count for more with you than Jesus.
Go out and find people just as undeserving of God’s invitation as yourself, and tell them to come in, in Jesus. Because none of those who reject Jesus will taste God’s feast, but people will come in from the east and the west, from north and south, and sit down at the feast table in the kingdom of God.

[With thanks to Chris Hobbs for some illustrations & the 'scene' idea.]

Be there.

The market-place of ideas

The Birmingham university world is in turbulence. It's wild, I tell thee. Disturbing. The students are no longer apathetic: no! They're passionate. They're objecting. They may even be objectionable. They're certainly close to revolting. It's hard to place an exact timescale on it, but it's not a pretty picture:

Yes. Aston University got a new logo. The students rose up with one voice (well, one facebook group anyway) and said, "I strongly believe that the new Aston University logos are horrible." Revolutionary, but polite. It must be noted that a logo which can have a James Blunt song on Sesame Street is, well, of dubious quality. It has been likened to Doritos, or Napier Uni's triangle slightly tilted in EasyJet orange. So much for Aston.

Then the University of Central England. Now, perhaps some people wouldn't know where UCE is, not realising that Birmingham is the centre of England. After all, I think it's Coventry which takes the Awful Accolade of furthest from the sea. Either way, the University of Central England in Birmingham is now:

BCU students consoled themselves with the fact that their new logo couldn't be as bad as that of Aston.

And then the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies joined in. Now, little BCFTCS is a marvellous half HE, half FE college in the centre of Birmingham, notable for its chefs. Only in BCFTCSCU could one have a Bible study in a room with a live lobster scuttling round the adjoining kitchen. The rather cumbersome name wasn't a problem for BCFTCS students: they merely nicknamed themselves Cakes College, or College of Cakes. The Student Guild is known as Cakes Guild. The CU, rather than being BCFTCSCU, are, thankfully, Cakes CU. Kudos. But that just wasn't good enough for the powers that be. Oh no. BCFTCS now rejoices in the name University College Birmingham. The students, once again, are revolting. (Cakes are not.) They have reclaimed it: it may be UCB, but UCB is the University of Cakes, Birmingham.

So, just in case you got lost, Birmingham now hosts Aston University (aka EasyJet Doritos), BU, BCU, UCB, BC (Bournville College), and others. Clear? Good. Brand apathy, anyone?

Exeter students vote in CU

The student body at Exeter University have voted to reinstate the CU to the Guild of Students, with the right that all officers and voting members of the society agree to its aims and values, expressed in a statement of belief. (The Guild now should ratify the vote of the student body.) The press release is here.

Also related are Julian Rivers on the legal rights of CUs and joint NUS - UCCF guidelines for faith societies on campus.

Pray that the Guild of Students at Birmingham University would soon follow suit, facilitating student faith societies existing and serving the student body with integrity of belief and action.

Quote of the day: being Church

CUs uphold the tradition that Christianity in essence rises above any denominational church. We see the spiritual significance of membership in a local church ... but do we see the spiritual significance of meeting with other believers as part of the universal church?

By identifying ourselves as interdenominational we are practising our belief in the community and fellowship of all true believers in Christ ... As student Christian Fellowships meet togehter week after week on campus, they are affirming and acknowledging the reality of this spiritual body - the church.

Angela Teo, for the Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Singapore, quoted in NB News.

Rockin' or rocky?

As final year students start to think about what to do next, and as not a few consider church apprenticeships and other year-long ministry schemes, I want to share some thoughts on why Relay rocks.

Specifically, finalists who want to test a calling into 'full time paid Christian ministry' (for lack of a better denominator) often think they should be a church worker / apprentice for a while. That may be so. But to help, if that's you, here are some questions I suggest asking, because I really want you to have the most effective year possible:

- How will you 'get a feel' for ministry in this year, more than you would do if you got a job and got stuck in in your church, serving more as a 'normal' member than as a student? Perhaps you should test your calling by serving as a normal member of the church (go read Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands). Perhaps you'll spend all your time doing extra activities (make sure that in this year, you're really trained, discipled, and equipped - see below) or maybe you'll just do what you should have done anyway as a full church member.

- Will you be discipled by someone committed to supervising you, in work skills, in applying your theology to your life and ministry, and overall in growing in grace? Will someone be investing in you, praying for you, and meeting up with you regularly to encourage and challenge you in growing as a Christian, as well as learning skills?

- Will you have a structured, intentional programme of theological study in which you get feedback and interaction with others? It's important to go deeper into God's word, not to run on what you already know and just learning skills to go with it. What is in place to make you study and help you learn and apply - or will you be able to let it slip when other 'more urgent' things crowd in?

- Will you be learning and growing and being trained in the main things of grace and gospel, or Things That We Think Are Cool Right Now (TM)?

- Will your year be equally useful for life no matter what you choose to do after, or merely significant for that year and deciding what to do after?

- Will you be trained on the ground, putting into practice what you're learning, ministering the gospel to others as you grow in it, being pushed and challenged in ministry so you have to grow more?

- Will you be pushed to think outside your cultural comfort zone, what church style you're used to, and encouraged to believe things because of the convictions you own, or just the company you keep? Will you have opportunity to think more about your part in God's mission for the world, the role of the workplace, and world mission, or will you be let alone to settle in the environment where you are?

And really, amongst many other things, the answers to those questions are some of the reasons why I think Relay rocks.

(There's also the experiential - I loved Relay Homestart, and I love my Relay Worker, meeting with her to reflect on God's grace outworked in our lives and the CUs and students we serve, digging into God's Word together, being gripped by it and encouraging each other in applying it,...)

But if you're determined to miss out on Relay, at least make sure that you've got good answers to the questions above! It'd be rather sad otherwise.

Christian Arrogance? 3

Aren't Christians arrogant to claim to know the truth?
[Lunchbar from Warwick CU - 3rd instalment]

Christians do claim to know the truth. But it’s not that we’re super spiritual and super intelligent and have it all worked out more than everyone else. No, as far as finding the truth goes, the Bible’s description is something like that we were like aspiring astronomers stubbornly sitting in a darkened room playing around with mud, while the teacher had set up telescopes outside. That’s how much we were super intelligent spiritual searchers. Christians don’t claim to know the truth because we were great, but because Jesus graciously stepped into the muddy dark room and blasted off the roof so we could see the stars, and then lifted our heads up so we’d bother, and enjoy. Jesus introduced us to God when we weren’t looking for it at all: he is the truth – he reveals God, he doesn’t just fit in with our search for him. Christians don't claim to know the truth because we were good, but because Jesus graciously stepped into our muddy darkness and took it on himself, so we could bear the light of God's presence without being destroyed. We know him and we want you to know him: not to know the truth as in to acknowledge that we’re right, but to know the truth as in to see that Jesus is true - we’re inviting you to see that and have the joy of knowing him.

But maybe you’re thinking, “I’m sorry, but so & so claims to be a Christian and is really arrogant when she talks about it!” Sadly, some of us do still struggle with pride and can come across as arrogant. There’s no question! And it's revolting. You might be mistaken of course – maybe your friend is a really confident person, or happy, or nervous how you’ll react, and it comes across as arrogance! But for those who really do seem arrogant, now you know we have no excuse. And here I’d speak as much to those of you who call yourselves Christians. Because we need reminded that knowing the truth (knowing Jesus) leaves us absolutely no place for arrogance. No place for boasting. No place for pride. We need reminded – so listen up as I say this to Christians – this is what you can say to an arrogant Christian friend. “You’re coming across as arrogant when you say that – but you’re supposed to believe this – it’s inconsistent.”

The Bible describes how we are all completely on a level – we might try to do our best by our conscience, or by some religious law, but we’re no better off than anyone ultimately: we’re none of us reflecting God’s glorious design for our lives, living loving each other completely and selflessly, and living in thanks to God for everything. It’s not that some of us are further up a ladder than others. No. Some of us have shaken our fist at God and yelled in his face, and some of us have just quietly & stubbornly ignored him and got on with what we wanted to do, but as any teacher will tell you, the kid who quietly but stubbornly ignores you and gets on with his own thing is just as much rebelling as the one who’s screaming at you. Some of us have said, “There isn’t any God!” and refused to give thanks to him, not even considering Jesus. And some have done the spiritual thing and said, “I think God’s like this…” and refused to acknowledge the true God who revealed himself in Jesus. Some of us have said, “To hell with everyone else: I’m doing it my way!” and some of us have said, “I try to be nice to other people like I want them to be nice to me”, but none of us is so selfless that we love others even like that – the annoying ones, the pathetic ones, the arrogant ones(!), even the ones in our own family. No, we’re none of us reflecting God’s glorious design for our lives, knowing him, loving each other completely and living in thanks to God. We’re none of us any better off ultimately. We may be on different rungs of the ladder of goodness, but compared with God’s magnificence, the ladder’s lying flat along the ground in the mud. We’re completely on a level when it comes to knowing God, to knowing the truth. We can’t do it and we not even very interested! There’s no place for arrogance.

But that’s where Jesus steps in. He not only claims to know the truth, and be able to tell us the truth; he is the truth. As I said, he blasts away the roof on our hovel and shows us the stars. He doesn’t reject God’s glorious plan and refuse to thank God; he lives reflecting God’s glory, as intended. He doesn't rebel against God: in Jesus, God takes our rebellion onto himself and does away with it, punishing it. He announces that despite all our level best being level awful and full of selfish pride at the best of times, we can know God through him. We can have full life, through him. Rather than automatically doing wrong, hurtful things – you know, you wake up the next morning and say, “Why did I say that?” – we can know the truth, and the truth will set us free.

Where does that leave arrogance? Or boasting? There’s absolutely no place for it! That’s exactly what Paul says in the NT actually, after describing what Jesus did for us: he concludes, “So where is boasting? It is excluded!” You haven’t cleverly found the way to know God – no matter how nice a person, we all were level in the dirt as far as knowing God went, and yet we all can know him & enjoy his glorious life through Jesus. So if the Christian on your corridor comes across as arrogant, you can remind them of that!


We all fail, and can forget and get proud, or appear arrogant. It's disgusting. Which just shows all the more that it isn’t through better intelligence or goodness that we can claim to know truth and share it with you. But we invite you to know Jesus. We invite you to not be arrogant yourself as to presume to dismiss him without reading the accounts of those who knew him best and did a load of careful research to share it with others. They invite you to see what the best explanation of the evidence is – not to boast in your achievement, but to know Jesus and have life through his achievement!

Christian Arrogance? 2

Aren't Christians arrogant to claim to know the truth?
[Lunchbar from Warwick CU - 2nd instalment]

To claim to know some truth we want to share: it’s not that we know everything. But we can know some things truly. We look at the evidence and match up the best explanation. That’s how we all live, isn’t it? We don’t any of us claim to know the whole truth about life, the universe, and everything (unless it’s 42) – but we know some things truly enough to operate, to live our lives. That’s not arrogance: that’s just reality. We know some truths of history, by examining source material. (Our historian friends will tell us it's complicated: but we do know some truths of history in the end.) We know some truths of biology, by examining the body. Actually, most of us know those things on the basis of others telling us – testimony (whether a friend, a textbook, a lecturer or because it was mentioned on CSI!).

So while we don’t know everything, we know some things truly: we know some truths, and can trust them enough to live by them – enough biology to know what to eat and what meds to take, enough history to know never to start a land war in Asia, enough maths to be amused at Birmingham Uni’s engineering dept, who designed a carpark, which when built, proved not to be able to bear the weight of cars on the 2nd level. [NB to Birmingham students - sorry: but we are all amused by it, aren't we?] It’s hardly arrogant to claim to know some truth – we all do it and live by it.

To claim to know truth about Jesus isn’t any different. It’s not that we’re saying “We made up a nice system we know isn’t true but we’re going to impose it on you because we think it’s best and then we’re in control.” Not a bit of it! Not a bit of it. We’re saying, Look: there was a man Jesus who lived 2000 years ago who showed such authority in teaching, in healing, in making storms stop at a word, in raising the dead: this was no ordinary man. People concluded that he revealed God. That was the best-fit explanation! He died and came back to life himself, and he claimed on that basis to have authority over everything. We’ve looked at the evidence and we’re sure enough to trust him and wait for him to rescue us when he comes back to judge – and that transforms our lives. Here, take a look at the accounts for yourself, see what you make of him.” It isn’t arrogant to want to share that. But it would seem foolish not to consider it, or dismiss it out of hand.

Christian Arrogance? 1

Aren't Christians arrogant to claim to know the truth?
[Lunchbar from Warwick CU - 1st instalment]

Imagine you’re in debt. No wait, that won’t take too much imagination! But I don’t just mean SLC debt and a student bank a/c overdraft. I mean that, and 13 credit card accounts frozen, your parents & friends have stopped answering your calls, and you can’t get a job. You just can’t get a job. Why didn’t anyone tell you career prospects were so bad with a Warwick degree in… maths?
One day you’re walking along outside, trying to think how to pay the rent on your room, when someone approaches you:
- Hey! You were in my year at uni, weren’t you? You were down the corridor from me in halls. Anyway, listen: I’ve got this ace job! They give you a house, a fab salary, they pay off your loans, they…
- What an arrogant… going on about what he’s got. “Who d’you think you are?!”
- No wait, I mean, I’m trying to say – you can have it too! It’s not as if I was qualified, mate – I did Classical Civilisations; remember? I couldn’t get any job, I was a mess; but they just gave me this one!
- Now look here, you say, I don’t need anyone’s charity! I’ll make my own way!
- Oh. But… um… you don’t seem to be doing very well at that, and truth is, it’s really great – it’d be wrong not to tell you…
- What an arrogant ejit! Who’s he to judge me? “Look, that’s your perspective. I’m not going to sell myself to some benefactor. I’m glad you’re happy in it but you can keep your charity & keep your truth: I don’t want it.”

That's far-fetched. But that’s something like what a Christian feels like when someone says, “Christians are arrogant to go round telling people their opinion.” Your Christian friend is thinking: this is great news – I’ve got to tell everyone: they could have it too! And you’re thinking, how arrogant to think you know what’s what and that I need anything!

But the thing is actually; your Christian friend isn’t claiming to know everything about what’s what. They’re not claiming to be sorted. They’re not claiming they know more than you, are more intelligent than you, or are better than you. They’re not claiming exhaustive knowledge, as if they know the definitive answers to everything and you don’t. But they’re just wanting to share with you that they’ve been brought to know God through Jesus – not through their own intelligence or skill – and he said he’s the truth. We want you to share that: it’s too good to keep to ourselves!