The Sacrifice of Christmas

Since attending the Winter Concert at BBC, this Christmas season for me has been full of meditation on the sacrifice that Christ made in coming to earth. As I think about what Christmas really means, my thoughts inevitably return to the fact that the Son of God emptied Himself in order to become a mere man. He gave up so much of who He was - power, omniscience, rights, omnipresence - in order to become Jesus Christ, the God-man. What a sacrifice! The Creator willingly limited Himself in order to walk and talk and live and breathe among the created.

Most of us know His purpose in coming to earth. As Matthew 20:28 reads, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." He came ultimately to give His life, dying on the cross for the sins of the world in order to restore mankind to right relationship with the Father. Ephesians 2:1-10 has much more to say about this restored relationship, but what I want to focus on is the initial sacrifice Christ made to become a man.

This morning, as I was meditating on that initial sacrifice, Philippians 2:5-8 came to mind:
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! "

If the Son of God can give up His God-like qualities to become nothing, a mere man, a created being... if He can become a servant, not even a rich man or a king, but a lowly carpenter... and if He can humble himself, giving up His rights, even the right to live, to the point of dying an undeserved death... if He can do all that for people like me.... what can people like me do for Him?

In comparison to what Jesus Christ has done for me, I can really do little in return. But because the Son of God was willingly and greatly inconvenienced.... because He gave up so much of Himself in order to reconcile sinners like me, enemies, to His Father..... because of these things I must be willing to give of myself for Him.

Therefore, day to day inconveniences, sacrifices, and the giving up of the things I want.... all these are privileges for me, one redeemed. A privilege indeed, but it's certainly not easy to surrender all things - hopes, dreams, family, friends. When I think about the things I want it seems unfair, even cruel to have to give them up. That is why it is so important for me to remember the sacrifice of Christmas and the fact that the Son of God gave infinitely more on that not-too-long-ago night when He became a human infant. With such an example of humility, I can only be inspired to give more of myself.

Blessed by BBC's Winter Concert

I arrived at about 7:50pm, with the concert set to begin in 10 minutes. Anxiously I walked to the ticket table to see if there were any available. There weren't, but I was hopeful when the woman selling the tickets told me not to go anywhere. It wasn't exactly how I had planned it, but this year the tickets sold out pretty quickly and due to my own procrastination there weren't any left by the time I got around to purchasing one. My dorm mom had told me to show up anyway, just in case someone didn't claim their tickets. Though I had planned on arriving half an hour early, so I would be first in line for any no-show tickets that became available, I now found myself waiting with only minutes to spare. Tonight was their last performance, my last chance to get in.

Soon the choir began lining up, ready to make their entrance, and as I looked once more to the ticket counter I couldn't hide my excitement when the woman turned and offered one of the last remaining tickets to me. I was in!

Quickly, I made my way into the library, where the concert was being held. If purchasing a ticket was the first half of the battle, finding a seat would be the second. There were only a few, dotted here and there. I spotted some friends, but the empty seat next to them was saved for another latecomer. My search continued, and I found myself making my way further and further towards the front. If I didn't find one soon I would have to stand in the back. The concert was about to start and I was running out of time.

That's when I saw a seat next to an international student friend. He was sitting in the fourth row, and as I got his attention I couldn't tell if he was saving the seat for someone or if it was in fact empty. I committed, walking all the way over and was both thrilled and relieved to find out that the seat was in fact available. With mutual friends in the concert, I knew it would be easy to enjoy the performance together. After chatting a bit, I settled in and breathed a prayer of thanks for the ticket and the seat. It was time for the long awaited concert to begin.

At this point, there's really not much I can say that will do any justice to the wonder that is BBC's Winter Concert. A week later I am still incredibly thankful for the opportunity to attend. I was blessed and encouraged over and over as friends, classmates, and dorm mates all used their talents to glorify God. Hours of practice and hard work went into a performance that warmed my heart and challenged me to be grateful for the incredible sacrifice Christ made in coming to earth as a baby. What a joy to see my peers use their gifts in such a way! What a privilege to thank them for their ministry and interact with them afterward! Thanks to everyone who was involved in making the BBC Winter Concert a huge success!

Though it's not the same as attending the concert itself, I've included a link to a video of one of the songs from that night. From there you should be able to see a few more clips from the concert this season. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/user/sangpibroadcast#p/u/5/4RIC52nBrKQ

Wish: To Excel in Educating for the Glory of God

The past couple days I have been reading a book for Effective Bible Teaching called "The 7 Laws of the Learner" by Bruce Wilkinson. It is a phenomenal book and I highly recommend it - not just to teachers. I wouldn't hesitate to go as far as saying that it is a must read for anyone who is even remotely considering teaching. By the end of the first chapter I was in tears, overwhelmed by the story of the impact one teacher had on a student. I felt inspired to be an excellent teacher myself. See what is this semester has done that to me?

Never before was I really interested in teaching. Though practically every spiritual gifts or skills test I have taken has included some form of teaching in my result (from "teaching", to "exhortation", to "pastor/teacher"), I never put much stock into it. In fact, more often than not I have laughed it off, finding the idea of me teaching somewhat humorous. I can't remember how many times I have said, "Yeah, but I don't really want to be in the classroom for the rest of my life," to my father. Thinking back, I can remember my fourth grade teacher pulling me aside and telling me that I should come back to my MK school and be a teacher, that I had the gifts and skills for it. Fourth grade. Seriously? And yet, I can still remember vividly the moment he told me that.

Today I find myself loving teaching. I have been an RA now for almost two semesters, and I love it. I love the relationships I have with the girls, the fun that we have together without having to hang out all the time, and the opportunity to teach and guide and watch them learn and grow. Preparing devos each week has been stretching, but also very rewarding. One advantage is that this semester I have been able to take things I am learning in classes like Effective Bible Teaching and Expository Preaching and Foundations of Ministry Leadership and apply them right into my interactions with the girls on my floor. The experiences of this semester have been life-changing to be completely honest, and I have a totally different perspective on teaching now.

As I continue reading this book I am becoming more and more aware of room for improvement, the need for a shift in my way of thinking. There is much to be learned about teaching and causing others to learn, but I also know that I have plenty of time to learn how to be the best teacher I can be. I am excited for the possibilities, and at this point would absolutely love to end up teaching in a Bible College overseas. Hmmm, Goroka Baptist Bible College perhaps? What a trip! Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would end up back there teaching alongside my parents, and never have I wanted it the way I want it now.

Truthfully, I will go wherever God leads me, but my college education has caused me to value education in such a way that I want to be a part of creating opportunities to learn where there aren't many. Here in the U.S. one can choose which Bible College to attend based on personal preference alone. In some countries around the world the option of getting a Bible College education doesn't even exist. While home on Thanksgiving break I was talking to a young man who casually mentioned the fact that he was thinking about going back to school to finish his masters degree. There is nothing wrong with what he said or how he said it, but when he did mention finishing his masters level education it struck me how easily he could do just that. The option to get a masters degree in Theology was there just waiting for him, but there are so many places in this world where that is not the case. That is why want to be a part of making the same kind of education I have so enjoyed and so benefited from available to people in places where it is not so readily available, places where it hasn't been an option.

In the meantime, I hope to learn all that I can about the art of teaching so that when the opportunity arises I can be the most effective teacher I can possibly be. I want to touch the lives of students, helping them to reach their full potential. Who knows what can be accomplished through the life of an individual who has been both loved well and taught well by a careful, God-focused instructor?

Today, having finished only through the second chapter of "The 7 Laws of the Learner" I am already left with this, my wish: to excel in educating for the glory of God.