Learning To Pray In Chi Alpha

Author's info: Sam Murphy will be a senior at American University. In addition to serving as the President of AUXA's student club, he is passionate about cooking, sports (especially pro-football and the New England Patriots), joining as many fantasy footballs leagues a person can handle, and having deep gospel conversations with his peers. You can connect with him on Facebook.

So I'm at work and my boss is coming down hard. Nothing is good enough, nothing is sufficient, everything must be better. I watch day in and day out as my work is pulled apart and burned like a moth in flame. I'm frustrated and I'm starting to panic every time I hear my name. That's when I remember Blane Young saying, “Make sure you aren't complaining about your miracle.”

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You see I'd been praying that God would make me a better worker for several weeks by that point. I'd been struck by how inefficient I was and wanted to work in a way that uplifts Jesus. I wanted to work in a way that made me a good witness that reveals the glory of God.

So as I sat there at my desk and recalled Blane's words, it dawned on me that my prayer had been answered. Yes my boss was riding me like a small horse, but my work quality was steadily improving, my apathy rapidly dropping. So my grimace was quickly overtaken by a grin and I got back to work.

“Prayer is such a profound gift that the only fitting adjective is magical.”

In Chi Alpha I have learned an incredible amount about prayer. I used to pray before the occasional meal, when I was broken hearted, when I was confused,  but I never really "got it." Prayer is such a profound gift that the only fitting adjective is magical. 

Through prayer we are able to seek God and to see his profound grace in our lives. We are strongest when we draw near to Jesus, alone or together, standing or reverently bowed, laughing or weeping, we are strongest when we pray.

Published on July 28, 2016 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/2ac5pQA

Key Questions For Gospel Conversations

Author info: As a recent graduate with her degree in Cross-Cultural Studies from Toccoa Falls College, Brittney has been on staff with Chi Alpha at American University since Fall 2015 with her husband, Josh. This small-town Georgia native has embraced urban life,  and become part of the big city. She has a heart for international students and a passion for exploring new cultures - specifically trying new international foods. In her spare time, Brittney enjoys taking short trips to new places and scouring local thrift stores for a new project. She is passionate about having deep conversations, and about creating home wherever she is. You can connect with her via our AU Chi Alpha Staff Page.

As campus missionaries working at American University, we are continually challenging our students to have deeper and more meaningful conversations. Often our default is to remain in the realm of small talk, surface level interactions become our normal, and in turn we suffer from a deplorable lack of depth in our daily interactions with those around us. There are many reasons that could be pointed out that create this culture of relational complacency, but I believe that we are often battling a simple lack of knowledge. We must realize that as Christians, when we allow ourselves to indulge in relational complacency, we not only penalize ourselves, we miss opportunities to engage others in gospel centered conversations. Simply put, we are missing opportunities to share the love of Jesus with those that we come in contact with on a daily basis! 

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We often find that students, once engaged and challenged to overcome the anxieties that cause them to disengage initially, are simply unsure of how to ask questions that create a gospel centered conversations. As XA staff we all individually have our go to questions to engage students in deeper conversation, and to help us personally take our relationships to a deeper level with those that we are walking with in discipleship relationships. Whether in conversation with a believer or a non-believer, we believe that there are a few questions that can help anyone to have greater success in creating conversational and relational depth that opens windows for the gospel. It takes a bold step to take a surface level conversation to a deeper level, but we know that the rewards can be great. 

We would love to share several of these simple questions with you below: 

Questions to ask non-believers or those who you are unsure of their religious background:

“Do you have much of a spiritual background?”  
Their follow up questions include:
-    “Does your background have any impact on you now?” 
-    “What people have most shaped your beliefs?”
-    “What’s most influenced you to come to your current conclusions?

“What do you think about Jesus?”
Other related questions include:
-    “What have you heard about Jesus/ Christianity?”
-    “Are you a spiritual person?
-    “Have you ever thought about God in your life before?”

Questions to engage believers on a deeper level: 

“What are you learning in your time with Jesus this week?”
Other related questions include: 
-    “What are you learning in your bible reading this week?” 
-    “Do you have a devotional time? Tell me more about it.”

“How does your Christian faith impact your life on a regular basis?” 
Other related questions include: 
-    “How does your faith effect your work life?”
-    “In what ways do you practice your faith regularly?” 
-    “How big of an impact does your faith have on your relationships?”

We hope that these help you to engage someone within your influence on a deeper level this week!

Published on July 27, 2016 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/2ak2M1n

Living Generously: What It Means And How It Shapes You

Author Bio: Currently working full-time in the marketplace, Hannah loves the thriving, fast-paced city that is Washington, DC. A proud alum from the University of Alabama, there's very little she loves more than college football, her husband Blane, and their son Jeremiah. You can find her around the city exploring bookstores, drinking coffee, or taking walks with Jeremiah, and follow her on Twitter at @hannahfyoung. 

The other day Jeremiah and I were taking a bus ride. He loves buses. We got on the bus together- my hands full of baby, stroller, metrocard, diaper bag, etc. People graciously moved out of the way so we could sit in the preferred seating in front. Next to me was a man who looked down on his luck- very possibly homeless. He noticed Jeremiah’s wide-eyed stare and excitement to be on a bus. Side note: bus rides are possibly the most exciting thing in the world if you are 20 months old. 

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The homeless man asked him, “Is this your first bus ride?” He told me Jeremiah should have something to mark the occasion. From one of his bags he pulled out a well-worn, well-used plastic box and from it, gave Jeremiah several pennies. “No, wait,” he said, “you need more than that.” He then proceeded to give Jeremiah a huge, heaping handful of pennies, nickels, and dimes.

The bus arrived at my stop and I thanked the man profusely for making the experience so special and for his gift to Jeremiah. I left the bus feeling overwhelmed by his generosity. He took the time to truly see the people around him and live generously - regardless of his own circumstances. 

“In fact, how you give now determines how you will give later.”

This experience reminds me that we are never too poor to give. In fact, how you give now determines how you will give later. Are you waiting to get out of debt, to get a better job, to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck before you start giving?

If so, I challenge you to read the story of the Widow’s Mite (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4). It’s pretty clear she had no savings, no back-up plan, and no streams of revenue, yet she was willing to give all she had. Prayerfully ask God where, when, and how much you should give. He knows your financial situation. He also knows people who need blessing. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:34

Take a minute. Examine your heart. How can you live generously today?

Published on July 26, 2016 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/29XUWFg

Why We Keep Talking About Devotional Life

Author Info: A Buffalo native, Natalie Kate "Kate Hill" Hill (of the Modern Nomads) is best known for her unique vocals and indie style. Yet it's her heart for seeing students lives transformed by the power and love of Jesus that makes her a quality leader. She serves on the staff team at American University Chi Alpha. You can connect with her via our AU Chi Alpha Staff Page.

There’s this thing in the church I grew up called Bible Quiz.  It’s probably exactly what you’re thinking, on steroids.  It’s a competition between teams from all different churches where you’re asked questions about the Bible, all ranging in point value.  Some require answers with direct quotes and scripture references (known as “quotation questions”), you can interrupt the question and complete the question and the answer (to beat the other team to it), and the competition is complete with buzzers and strategies on how to hold your hands for the quickest “beep.”  I don’t mean to brag or anything (actually I do),  but my team won first place in the Junior Bible Quiz state competition in sixth grade.  All of that to say, I knew a lot of things about the Bible.

I learned a lot and knew the answers and memorized the facts.  I take great pride in how quickly I can recite the books of the Bible and the 12 tribes of Judah in order.  And growing up in church, people always talked about devotional life, but in my head, I thought I already knew everything I needed to know.  I knew what was in the Bible backwards and forwards, literally.

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It took me many years to realize how misguided I was.

I think there will always be a season in our lives when we learn that knowing about the Bible and knowing Jesus are not the same thing.  I learned it my sophomore year of college in a season of depression where reciting the 12 sons of Jacob didn’t change the pain or the loneliness.  I knew what the Bible said but I didn’t have a daily relationship with Jesus.  I wasn’t letting the words of scripture come to life and speak hope into my bones.  It took hurting to understand that Jesus wanted to be with me every day, reminding me of who He was to me and how much He valued me.  And that took a daily devotional life, reminding myself of who God was and how the Jesus of the Bible is the Jesus of today.

“At a certain point, we can’t be satisfied with where we’ve been.”

We can know all the facts, but God wants to bring us to a deeper place with Him.  When I got to college, there was knowledge but not depth.  At a certain point, we can’t be satisfied with where we’ve been.  When we spend daily time with God and in His word, we start to delight in His commandments (Psalm 119).  We start to find hope in our brokenness (Lamentations 3).  We start to understand just how much Christ values us (Luke 12).  We can stay where we’ve been or we can want more.  And we can have a fuller, deeper, more rewarding relationship with our savior.

I keep talking about devotional life because I know what it was like to not have it, and I know what it’s like to have it.  And I could get by just fine for a while.  I could explain my religion with a list of facts, and my faith looked a lot like a to-do list with things to check off and things to know.  I think that’s how the majority of self-professed Christians view it too.  

But there’s more to be found.

There’s a God who longs to give us a hope and a peace and to show us grace.  His laws are there for our good, because He loves us.  He wants to show us this every day.  And He just longs to be in relationship with us.  But like any true relationship, it takes work.  It takes showing up each day with all our baggage and saying, “Let’s be together.”

Published on July 25, 2016 • Short Link: http://bit.ly/29YZaNG

Divine Appointments

Bonnie Duncan is the pastor for Georgetown Chi Alpha. Proudly raised in Texas, Bonnie graduated from Georgetown University in 2013 and never left. She loves iced tea with a ton of lemons (some would say she has a problem), adventures involving potentially dangerous amounts of cliffs and ice (or both) and is an avid fan of weenie dogs, giraffes and women's gymnastics. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@Bonnie_Duncan), and Instagram (bonnie.duncan).

In my high school economics class, my future life was determined by a draw from a hat and a roll of the dice. 

I drew a career from a hat: professional surfer (naturally)
Rolled two dice to determine my salary: $70,000 per year (so I was a really great professional surfer). 
Rolled one dice for amount of kids: 3 of them—all under 5.  
Rolled one for marital status: single mom. Well then. 

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That would be my life for the semester. I had to learn to balance a checkbook. Plan meals. Scout out daycares I could afford for my imaginary 3 children. All determined by the role of the dice. All seemingly random. 

In some ways, it would seem real life isn’t much different. In college, our paths—in some ways—seem random and left to chance. What college will accept me? (was the admissions officer tired when they read my application?) Who will my friends be? Who will my roommate be? What opportunities will I stumble upon? 

We can all think back on those important moments in our lives that seemed like a coincidence. For me, I’ll always think back to my first day of college, when I walked by a table of friendly people passing out snow cones in front of my freshman dorm. I picked the cherry flavor, and took the gamble to attend Chi Alpha’s first service of the school year—12 people crammed in an 85 degree basement in a sophomore dorm (still better conditions than the early Church I’d imagine). 

7 years later, I’m the pastor for that group. And in a couple of weeks (8 first day of schools later), I’ll pass out some snow cones to wide-eyed freshman wondering what their years at Georgetown will hold. 

If I could tell them one thing, I’d tell them nothing is ever random. 

I’d tell them they may feel overwhelmed and under-qualified here, they may feel like Georgetown made a mistake in admitting them, but God has a purpose for their lives. 

I would tell them their identity is not in things left to the luck of the draw (where they will work, who they will marry, how many kids they have), but rather their lives are hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3) and no thing can have access to their identity. 

“If I could tell them one thing, I’d tell them nothing is ever random. ”

I would tell them they could choose to live a life that feels random and left to chance or they could have a live orchestrated by the author of life lived in community. 

This would all be fairly awkward to tell someone I just met over snow cones. But significantly less awkward to live these things in friendship and community over 4 years and a lifetime after that. 

Every snow cone a divine appointment. Because nothing is ever random. 

Published on July 24, 2016  • Short Link:  http://bit.ly/29Rc8Nd