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Last Saturday I found myself sitting in another church sanctuary. I realize that this isn't a big shock for those of you who know me well. It is not uncommon for me to be sitting in a church any day of the week. However, this day was different. I slipped into the very last pew. Greeted very few. Found myself hiding close to the sound board. I was not in this place for the typical church service. I was here to pay my respects to local 16 year old Sawyer Peterman and his family.
As I sat in this room, filled with people ranging in age from young children to grandparents who were all hurting, I realized very quickly that if Jesus were walking the streets today this is probably the type of place you'd be most likely to find him. He would not be among those following all the rules. I don't think he would be in a church office. He would be found among the broken and hurting. He would be holding the hand of Sawyer's mother. Or playing ball with his little brother. This is the kind of Savior who amazes me over and over.

Growth

"Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. Cancer has no purpose but growth; but it does have another result – the death of the host.” Edward Abby
This is a quote I read today that I believe we must continually be mindful of in the church. Growth for the sake of growth will do nothing but suck the life out of us. We must seek God and seek relationship with Him. If growth is a result of this, awesome! If not, maybe God has another plan.

Blessings

Lately, I have started attending our college age Bible study The Fold at Bloomsburg Christian Church. In order to get a full understanding of this, you must understand that the church is located about 10 minutes from Bloomsburg University. To most, the school is known for its great teacher education and ASL programs and the crazy parties that are held each year.
Lately, I've gotten to see another side of BU. Every Thursday night 20-30 current students and alumni gather at BCC for worship and Bible study. Everyone grabs a Bible and we open to a passage. We share and discuss. There is no "teacher," no set curriculum. We simply allow God to guide our discussions and we learn from one another.
During our prayer time at the end of study on Thursday, I realized that I have no idea what these students go through. Sure I went to a public high school, but I was still highly supported by other Christian. For the past three years I have been living inside the Johnson bubble. As much as I hate that label, it is true. I have no idea what it is like to be a Christian student at a state university.
These students amaze me at the strength of their faith and their dependence upon God. They are continually seeking Him and sharing Him through their words and their actions. This weekend was a great example of that. BloomU CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) set up a tent on one of the lawns on campus and had a period of 24 hour prayer. Here is just one photograph of the prayer tent.
We continually talk about being salt and light. However, it has very little impact to be a light in an area full of light. How much brighter does the light shine in a dark place? So to CRU and Christian students on campuses everywhere, let your light shine. God is working in you and through you in mighty ways.