Ministry Quest

     What is your calling?  Where do you see yourself going in life?  What's next?
     If you're about to graduate from high school, these are probably questions that you are wrestling with.  These are the questions that I took with me as I embarked on CMU's Ministry Quest program this weekend.  Ministry Quest is a two day retreat which explores the vocational call of ministry.  It was a group of about twenty people, and the weekend included many sessions with pastors and professors exploring the idea of calling.  Present also was Dan Unrau, our pastor in residence from last year, and someone whom I really respect.  
     He shared his story of call.  It's interesting because his story is one of deliberate calling as he was asked again and again to join the church where he is now a pastor.  Dan's philosophy puts a lot of weight on the praying people in his community to discern where he should be going.  Dan also pays attention to when he feels restless in a place, asking himself whether this feeling is a bad attitude or God's call.  
    Another presenter, John, talked about three important puzzle pieces in discerning calling.  Firstly, look at your outside influences.  What are people saying about you?  Is the community you are a part of pushing you towards something?  This might tell you something about what you are good at, and where you would fit well.
     Secondly, look inside yourself.  Trust your intuition.  Our bodies don't lie, and whether you can't sleep at night or are feeling calm and focused, you should be paying attention to what your body is telling you.  Your natural areas of passion are probably very closely related to your vocation.  
     Thirdly, pay attention to areas where you have experienced loss.  These parts of your life are tremendously helpful because they can teach you a great deal.  Loss is an opportunity for growth, and this growth can help determine calling.
     I'm finding all of this talk about vocation exciting.  The most important thing I realized this weekend was that vocation can be a long journey.  The stories I heard from current pastors emphasized the unexpected bumps along the way and the uncertainly that often accompanies the journey, especially the beginning and at key points of change.  This common experience of uncertainty is, I think, one of the most important lessons of Ministry Quest.

Dance Competition!

Doesn't it look like it's taken straight out of a scene from West Side Story?

     Last Saturday, the International Student Committee went out to a break dance competition.  Sean, a CMU student from Saudi Arabia, was competing.  The competition took place in a large warehouse which looked straight out of one of those Hollywood movies.  You know the ones where a few young people decide they want to dance, work super hard at it for a long time and then make it big?  Yeah.  Those ones.  The competition was set up as a tournament, in groups of two dancers each.  The groups went up against one another in one minute dance breaks.  It looked very competitive and the dancers did a really good job.  

     The ISC works hard to create activities for the international students as well as anyone who wants to join their group.  It is a part of CMU's student council, which operates many committees including the Doxa (student newspaper), Peace and Social Awareness Committee and Social Activities.  Student Council also owns and operates the well-used coffee shop on campus, which is run by student volunteers.  

     We're about to start a new week of classes over here, and personally I'm looking forward to Ministry Quest, which is an event CMU is putting on next weekend.  More on that later!

New Semester!

     We have now been back for about 10 days.  Christmas was very packed for me this year with events almost every day.  I really enjoyed spending time with Niverville friends and spending some time doing absolutely nothing.  

     I am SUPER excited about this semester.  I am taking two Biblical & Theological Studies courses, both taught by Irma Fast Dueck, who is amazing.  The courses are "Marriage and Family in a Christian Perspective" and "Theologies of Power".  And I get to take Theories of Communication and Media, which is a course essentially about how communication works.  I can't think of more interesting courses.  On top of that, I'm looking forward to even more time spent with friends, and, I'm sure, even more growth.

     I've made New Year's resolutions of course, and I'm looking forward to doing things a little better than I did last year.  I'm very happy to say that 2011 was the best year I have ever had so far.  I led a more balanced life, invested energy in my friends, and became more confident in many ways.  If 2012 is just a little bit better than 2011, I will be ecstatic!

     I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family, and ALL THE BEST IN 2012!!!!