Oh Seattle ...

Home is strange. It's familiar, and yet so distant. And visiting home is such a quick and delicious moment. I mean honestly, it's like getting to lick a popsicle and then having to give it away. A nice lime popsicle too. It's weird because it feels like it was a lot longer of a trip than it actually was, but I think that's because I pack in as much as I can in one weekend. So on to the events ... Picture please!

Yup, that's me and Roderick going to see Spamalot. FAN-tastic. It was pretty hilarious, I mean sure they used a lot of the same jokes as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but they are pretty funny jokes. And the songs are hilarious as well. Good time had by all. As for the rest of the weekend, it included movie watching, guitar hero playing, pancake serving and soup making. Plus some coffee grabbing near the end, which is a great example of my ambitious 'I need to see you before I leave' nature - Monday I got up at 6:30 so I could fit in about 4 different catch-ups before leaving for Pullman at 11:30. Pretty ambitious. The only bummer thing was that although I spent my whole Sunday at church, it was all spent in Larson Hall, none of it at a service or visiting The ROCK. Thus, bummer.

And now back to Pullman ... We came back Monday afternoon, which was just kind of weird because it felt like the weekend but wasn't the weekend, and of course ... Hello Tuesday! You have lots of work for me to do? Dang ... Needless to say, there was a lot to do Tuesday, but it all gets done. I'm much more efficient now that I've gotten into the swing of things, and this ministry thing is really pretty much awesome. To be in relationship with students, as friend/mentor, also doing admin type work, and constantly engaging my mind to think of new ways to encourage students or reach out to them and invite them in. Sometimes I feel like I'm not really experiencing ministry because I'm supposed to help with the 'sending out into the world' rather than the 'being in the world' thing. Not like I'm not experiencing ministry, but it's not hanging out with non-christian friends and things. It makes me think of Rob Bell as he operates in ministry, while still being acquainted with the world outside of church. Same idea with intentional communities. I think it is so beautiful to realize that within the work place you can be the presence of Jesus. But I feel more called to be in these relationships, to be in these places, to be engaged in our youth or young adult communities, because they need that encouragement, and to be asked some hard questions!

Speaking of which, I started up a Bible study last week. It's a drop-in deal, but its also an apologetics themed study. So, it kind of builds on itself week after week. Which can be difficult for a drop-in. Well, this is all experimental but here it is - it's important to me that students know how to respond to people that aren't Christian. That we can sound like intelligent people and still be spiritual. You know? And how exactly do you advertise that to students and make it sound worthwhile and attractive? Maybe I should just say it like that. Although now we're two weeks in ... oh, and I suppose you're wondering how it went? Well, one guy came, not really for the study but really because he stayed around after something else. We did however have a pretty good two hours of discussion and study, but still, come on guys, I know this is interesting stuff, most students I've talked to have already agreed. So show up already. And isn't that funny, what is made available to us when we just show up. Such a simple principle that can change your life.