In my years with Young Life, I attempted to be a faithful student of adolescent culture. Speaking with teens, I found they were constantly driven by two questions. But I believe that it’s more than just teenagers who ask these questions. They are the questions that drive all of us.

The first question is, “Who am I?” It is a question of identity. People are trying to figure out who they are and what they are about.

The second question is, “Why am I here?” It is a question of purpose. For all the existential philosophy that has pervaded our culture, people can’t get past believing that they must have some deeper purpose.

But now I would like to add one more question to the list. “Do I belong?” It is a question of community. People are always looking, always searching, in the hopes of finding a place where they are welcomed, accepted and liked. People long to belong.

People look for answers for these three questions in a lot of places. Unfortunately, most people never find the answers they are looking for. Those three questions will continue to haunt them, leaving them as just a shell of a person.

The great hope and promise is that all three of these questions are answered profoundly in the Scriptures. We as Christians hold in our hands the answers to the questions that plague the people we know.

Who am I? First and foremost, you are the image of God on earth. There is no greater status a creature can hold than to be the likeness of the Creator. And what’s more, God invites us to be his children too. Image of God and child of God – that is who you are.

Why am I here? The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism answers this question succinctly when it says, “Man’s primary purpose is to glory God and to enjoy him forever.” Your purpose to worship and honor the God in whose image you were made.

Do I belong? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you belong to his church. You are part of the Body of Christ and that Body needs you – your gifts, your passions and your personality. Every affinity group, PTA, country club, fraternity, sorority and civic club may offer membership, but not the unconditional acceptance that should exist within the church. And the cool thing is that the church is comprised of a bunch of images of God coming together to fulfill their purpose of worship with one another.

The people in our neighborhoods are asking questions. And you are holding the answers. Won’t you go and be a friend to someone today, assuring them of who they are, that they do have a meaningful purpose in life and that because of the shed blood of Christ, they can belong to his church?

On Friday night, I graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.  It really was a great ceremony and I was honored to have Kim, my parents and Kim’s parents (and Nana) all there to celebrate with me.

During the ceremony, I was particularly struck by two things that I’d like to take a moment to share…

1. How beautiful is the Body of Christ – Twila Paris’ “How Beautiful” was sung.  The words of the chorus, “How beautiful is the Body of Christ,” ran through my head and heart the rest of the night.  See, I feel like there are times the things I write on hear come across as criticisms and frustration with the Church.  Really, that is not my intent.  My heart breaks precisely because the Church, the Body of Christ, is so beautiful.  It is God’s own people.  And he has given us an important mission which we dare not fail – to spread the glory of God to the ends of the earth, that the beauty of God’s people would shine throughout the earth.  On the night of graduation, I thought that song was an excellent choice to remind each of us that as we enter service to the King, we are going to find it ugly and painful at times.  But the Body of Christ truly is beautiful and we can hold to the promise the God is sanctifying his church, making it more beautiful each day.
2. In the commencement address, Rev. Sandy Willson of 2nd Pres in Memphis spoke on “Good News for the Poor.”  He asked a series of questions, but one in particular stuck out in my mind – Do our ministries have the poor in view?  James 1:27 tells us that “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this – to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.“  Does the way I approach ministry intentionally seek to minister to the poor and vulnerable, the outcasts and outsiders?  Isaiah 61 anticipated the coming of the Messiah as the one who would “preach good news to the poor.“  As one who was has called and commissioned to preach, am I preaching good news to the poor?

The nice thing about finishing seminary is that, for the first time in a long time, I’ll get to choose which books I read.

The Multi-Site Church Revolution by Warren Bird

• Had this hanging around for some time, but with finishing seminary I finally had the opportunity to read it. It’s an excellent primer the variety of strategies and approaches to being “one church in many locations.”
• Buy.com ($10.17) | Amazon.com ($11.55)

Church Marketing 101 by Richard L Reising

• Just starting the book, but I appreciate that in the first chapter he both defines his terms (what he means by marketing) as well as (in his own words) Biblical charge for marketing.
• Buy.com ($10.97) | Amazon.com ($11.55)

Recreation and Sports Ministry by John Garner (Ed.)

• Our culture worships sports and recreation. I like the potential that sports ministry meets people where they are with the love of Christ.
• Amazon.com ($18.25)

It’s hard to believe, but graduation is tomorrow!  Tonight, RTS officially welcomed us into the alumni association, with a real nice desk clock as a gift.  All the pages read, words written and lectures listened to are all coming to an end.  It’s weird, I don’t even know what to write.  I started taking classes several years ago while with Young Life.  To reach graduation is amazing.  I have learned so much and can’t wait to see how God uses all that I have learned for His glory.  Pray for Kim and I as we takes our next steps of faith…

For my class, “The Church and the World,” I wrote a paper on how the debate roaring within the Southern Baptist Convention (especially the Missouri state convention) over the emerging church and how Baptists should respond. Some people have mentioned they were interested, so I have posted the paper below.

The Emerging Church and the Southern Baptist Convention (pdf)