Thursday, December 3, 2020

Context & Community—Striving to Be Good Missionaries

“What would you say to people in 2030?” I was asked for a video during InterVarsity’s National Staff Conference in January 2020.

I didn’t really know; only Creator God knows what the future holds. Eventually, I said, “I don’t want to be a bad missionary.”

As soon as I said that, it hit me—I believed I wasn’t serving Native students and their community well. It reminded me of being back home on the reservation, where I saw missionaries sharing the gospel but who weren’t very relational. Others would try to be, but then they wouldn’t stay for long.

November 24, 2020
By Nathan Peterson
White-knuckling It through 2020

As this year draws to a close, I realize I’ve too often been white-knuckling my way through it, just trying to hold on, keeping my grip for just a little longer. And that’s just not healthy.

November 19, 2020
By Stephan Teng
Jesus as Prophet—Repentance & a New Reality

What roles does Jesus play in your life? In college, I would have said things like “Savior,” “Lord,” “Friend,” and “Redeemer” due to my church upbringing and perhaps whatever worship songs were sung that Sunday. Out of all the possibilities, however, I’m convinced that “Prophet” would have been on the bottom of my list. And I don’t think I’m alone in this either.

November 12, 2020
By Sarah LaLond
Post-Grad Reflections: An Identity beyond Labels & Routines

As I accepted my diploma, a chunk of my identity flaked off: “student.” I’d worked hard and anticipated the day when I wouldn’t have this label anymore. But as I entered the new year as a graduate, I felt untethered.

October 29, 2020
By Kelly Aalseth
A Prayer for Lingering in Racial Discomfort

This Welcoming Prayer has significantly helped me in processing strong emotions, and I’ve adapted it for this season. This type of prayer helps us to welcome the emotions and learn from them, to let go of the things that tempt us to leave too soon, and to open ourselves to God.

October 22, 2020
By Drew Larson
Feeling What Fills: The Ambience of Psalm 148

Knowing that we live in an ambient world is an invaluable posture for life with God when everything seems empty. It’s a life that the world of Psalm 148 pulls us into and invites our imaginations to absorb.

October 19, 2020
By Gordon Govier and Nathan Peterson
Thriving Chapter Planting & Partnerships in the Middle of a Pandemic

In the spring of 2018, Suburban Philadelphia Area Director Justin Tibbels agreed with regional leaders to expand his area’s reach to include northeastern Pennsylvania, largely in response to InterVarsity’s 2030 Calling to reach every corner of every campus.

October 08, 2020
By Alexis Barnhart
Thriving in the Matrix: A Call to Social Media Breaks

Sometimes it feels like we live in the Matrix. These days, what’s real or simulated blurs into confusion. We’re Zoom Zombies submerged in social media, navigating the news as we confront new constrictions.

October 02, 2020
By Nathan Peterson
The Ministry of Physical Presence

God had a clear plan for making us physical beings—there’s something more to gathering together than just breathing the same oxygen. 

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