Spiritual Formation

It was a simple enough question. “Would you like me to buy you one?” The thing in question was an official Urbana 12 T-shirt. It would be a keepsake for me from what had so far been an amazing experience in a foreign land at a great conference. 

I look like a pretty typical Christian girl. I grew up in a Christian family like most of my friends involved in campus ministries. My parents were missionaries when I was younger. I’m pretty sure I held the Sunday school record for flipping to the correct book of the Bible the fastest. And by the time I began college I had already been on two mission trips.

This week at the blog, just over six months since close to 16,000 of us gathered in St. Louis, we’re telling stories from Urbana 12.

Today we celebrate freedom as a nation. But how are we to view freedom as Christians?

God wants you to have a vacation. Seriously. Let me explain: Yes, God wants you to work hard and be faithful in school, at work, and in all of your responsibilities, whatever they might be.

God’s wrath is troubling. God seems to choose some people … and not others. He gracefully invites and intensely disciplines. The God of the Bible—our Father—is accessible … and terrifying. Ten years ago this month, I became a father. 

Remember your commitment to keep growing in faith over the summer? InterVarsity Press happens to have some great new resources to help you do just that: the LifeGuide in Depth Series.

If your life is like mine was, summer means leaving the support of your InterVarsity fellowship and church and living in the spiritual desert of your home environment. Without even a strong church tie at home, I spent my first two summers caught in a harmful cycle of sin, guilt, and little spiritual growth.

One of my favorite stories about Jesus happens in a packed house (maybe because I love packing out my house with friends!).

I am not a leader. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. The problem is, no one but me seems to believe it. Ever since my staff worker encouraged me to fill out that leadership application at the end of my freshman year, I have been surrounded by people who are constantly calling me to lead stuff.