It’s a New Day

I played Michael Buble’s Feeling Good a couple months ago at church.  Can’t remember the text at this point but it was about the swagger.  There’s a certain swagger to Michael Buble and this song and I think there’s often a certain swagger to the new day that was created in the resurrection.  When Easter came -” it really was a new dawn, a new day, a new life.”  Not that I’m actually picturing Jesus swaggering.  Can’t imagine him in a rat pack hat.  Not even “Buddy Jesus” a la Dogma.  But there is a certain swagger to this new day that has been created.  A day where we have hope.  A day where we aren’t just talking in metaphors and imagery, but we are God’s people here on earth trying to live into the already and not yet of God’s kingdom now.  Among us.

That is a powerful thing.  We’re not just all hanging out down here and doing the best we can for the heck of it.  We’ve been charged with bringing God’s kingdom to earth – that’s pretty weighty and scary and awesome and humbling.  It’s a new day – “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or fre, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galations 3:28)  No more do we have to bow down to classism or sexism or racism or whatever else.  No more do we have to just assume things are going to go on being and doing as they always have.  No more do we have to wait for someone else to stand up and make a difference.  It’s a new day for each of us.  It’s a new time for each of us.  It’s a new opportunity for each of us to really know each other and meet needs and get connected and become community.

Shane Claiborne’s article about inter-dependence day said it much better then I could so here’s a link http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shane-claiborne/this-july-4th-lets-celebr_b_633710.html.  In thinking about college campuses and what gets someone through the door of a campus ministry – what gets folks to seek community – what makes that connection – I can’t help but look towards the fall semester.  I know that having that community around you is vital in college life.  Having fellow journeyers with you is essential and I can’t fathom not having that support.  But how in a world where everyone feels connected (hello facebook, twitter, myspace, whatever the latest trend is) do you actually show the importance of real relationships and the vital news that we as a community, as a body of believers can make real change in the world?

I love Michael Buble’s song because of it’s implications for our Christian walk, but I also love it for this coming school year because we’re doing some things a little bit different at Winthrop Wesley.  Change is scary people.  Let me tell you.  I love how we’ve done things.  I love the students that have been here and are here.  A campus minister friend of mine shared an image that a campus minister shared with him about what campus ministry is like.  It’s like building sand castles in the sand.  As soon as you have a really good looking castle, the waves come and wash it away.  There are pros and cons with that – our “congregation” changes roughly every 4 years and even with students you’ll get the “but we’ve never done it that way before even if it’s been 2 years instead of 30.”  This past year we had a large group of seniors graduate and with some changes to Winthrop’s schedule and with the opening of the new Student Center, the Student Leadership Team and I thought this might be time to make a change.

So we are.  We’re going to mix up our meeting times, we (meaning the lovely Jonathan and Marissa) have painted some of our space, we’re going to do small groups differently and who knows what else differently.  Can’t wait for God to show us how this is going to look because it’s a scary thing stepping out and not doing the same thing that you’ve always done.  The familiar and the natural rhythm can’t be underestimated, but when you know it’s time, you know it’s time.

The main thing we’re doing differently this year is that we’re going to have a mission focus.  We will continue all of our work with social justice in terms of Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, CROP Walk, and the Potato Drop…it wouldn’t be Wesley if we didn’t have that as our backbone.  But we’re going to spend this year with a focus on Human Trafficking.  I’ve been hearing about this for a couple years now and it is something that has captured my heart.  There is so much information out there and so many different organizations and books and people lifting up this issue it’s unbelievable if you start digging around and yet we’re not hearing about this from the media.  It’s not something commonly talked about.  That is frustrating.  So this year we’re going to learn about human trafficking and then we’re going to do something to help combat the problem any way we can.  This means inviting speakers in.  This means reading books and educating ourselves.  This means we’re going to New York City over Fall Break to the Church Center Building and are going to do a United Methodist Seminar with the amazing folks that coordinate the Seminar Program there.

A song and story that has captured our vision for this is from the band Bluetree and the song is “God of this City.”  If you watch no video I ever post on this thing, watch this one.  Seriously.  It is powerful and he can say it a lot better than I can write it.  It is powerful coming out of the mouths of these Irish folk asking each of us – what are we doing to combat these things (hunger, homelessness, child soldiers, human trafficking) in our world?  If this is a new day, what are we doing to show a hurting world the God that loves them and is very much alive?

Here is a video of the whole song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgQccYki-9Y&NR=1

Here are the words:

You’re God of this city, you’re the King of these people, you’re the Lord of this nation, you are…

You’re the Light in this darkness, you’re the Hope to the hopeless, you’re the Peace to the restless, you are…

For there is none like our God, there is none like You, God!

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here.

You’re the Lord of creation, The creator of all things you’re the King above all kings, you are…

You’re the Strength in the weakness, You are Love to the broken, You’re the Joy in the sadness, you are…

For there is none like our God, there is none like you, God!

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
Where glory shines from hearts alive with praise for You and love for You in this city.

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here.

For there is none like our God, there is none like you, God!

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
Where glory shines from hearts alive with praise for You and love for You in this city.

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here.