Chris Campus Ministry, Faith, Life Lessons

Reflections On My Calling

Freshman year at AU with some Choir buds

During my freshman year of college at Anderson University in Indiana, as I was majoring in chemistry and physics and looking towards a career in chemical engineering…it happened.

Being called to ministry wasn’t a new idea for me. My dad was pastor. My grandfather had been a pastor. Even my great grandfather had been a pastor and district superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene. But up to this point, although others had encouraged me with comments about considering full-time ministry, I had not directly sensed God was calling me to the rank of clergy.

But then just a few weeks into the second semester of calculus, chemistry, physics and few other fun classes…through some confirmation I experienced within the context of my church community, God made it clear that my path was about to change.

Fast forward about 15 years and I find myself packing up all my books and office accoutrements at Beavercreek (now known as Be Hope) Church of the Nazarene and putting a season of youth ministry in the rear view mirror so to speak. What should’ve been a great final chapter in my youth ministry career at a great church with a fantastic team of people was cut short. For a variety of reasons, we chose to leave Beavercreek after just over a year of ministry there.

And the Calling became quite blurry during the next 12-18 months.

Fast forward again about 15 years. My time in college ministry is about to catch up with the time I spent as a youth pastor.

A couple of nights ago, I found myself at the church that represents the end of my identity as a youth pastor. We celebrated the ordination of several young pastors which included my kids’ current youth pastor, Blake Swanson (at Springdale Nazarene Church). As Blake and these others were prayed over, ordained and commissioned to live lives worthy of the calling, I was re-inspired to consider my own ordination which occurred in Columbus, OH back in 2000. I am still called to preach, teach, evangelize, disciple, and shepherd those whom God entrusts to my care.

Not everyone is “Called” to vocational ministry. But as Os Guiness points out in his book “The Call” all Christians are called to find and fulfill the central purpose of their lives. That is the primary calling, whereas vocation is one’s secondary calling. The primary calling infuses ones secondary calling (your vocation, career, “job”) with significance, meaning and purpose.

As I walked through the doors of Be Hope Church of the Nazarene and drove back to Cincinnati, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for God’s sustained and sustaining Call on my life. Ever since 2006, when I left Beavercreek the first time and began to question my calling, I have wrestled with a sense of failure and regret for that season of life and ministry. But maybe some healing happened there this week as I was reminded of how faithful God has been and how I still want to be like Jesus!

 

Chris currently serves as the Campus Mission Coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene while working for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, helping churches engage more effectively and intentionally in college ministry.

To Partner Financially with Chris’ ministry or find out more about InterVarsity: https://donate.intervarsity.org/support/Chris_Bean
Chris Faith, Prayer, Random

Praying With Your Feet and Lectio Divina

Prayer.

It’s a crucial practice in the life of any Christian, right?

Matthew 6:9-13

This, then, is how you should pray:  “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Psalm 17:6

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

These are just a few of the scriptures that teach us about and call us to prayer.

The Appalachian Trail headed north from Max Patch

Perhaps my most profound experiences in prayer have come while I’m on a long hike or spending time enjoying God’s good creation. While I was hiking a long section of the Appalachian Trail this past summer, I learned how to “pray with my feet” on a whole new level. I’m sure the fact that I was hiking for 6-8 hours a day with little human interaction contributed to the sense of God’s presence. But it was also because I was intentional about praying along a certain theme or passage of scripture each day.

Often, as I am talking to college students or young adults about prayer, I suggest that they use scripture as a tool. Lectio Divina is a sacred practice of prayer-full scripture reading that I have found to be a great practice. Because, often times, we don’t know what or how to pray. Typically, the “beginner” level of prayer that most Christians practice is basically asking for things. So when you get through your list, then what?

Scripture can often be a guide and even a short of mirror that allows us to reflect on our lives in light of the Word.

Dallas Willard would frequently share his practice and habit of beginning each day praying the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father…”) or the 23rd Psalm and I have adopted that practice myself. Usually, I’ll break one of those “prayers” into bite-size chunks and meditate on the meaning and application for you life.

This is also where the Lectio structure provides great assistance. It’s an experiential hearing of God’s Word that often begins with a time of silence and preparation. We invite the Holy Spirit to speak…calling our attention to a particular word or phrase. Then we move from the Lectio (reading) to the Meditatio (meditation) and reflect on this Word, laying aside distractions. This then leads us to Oratio or response. Take time to respond in gratitude and worship. And finally, we come to Contemplatio (contemplation) and just spend some time with the reality of God’s presence and how that forms us throughout the rest of the day.

For many, putting prayer into practice like this can lead to real transformation…a sense of God’s presence continually. And when you’re aware of God’s presence throughout the day, life is prayer.

My own journey with prayer has taught me that it’s not so much about asking God for things (to change circumstances) but asking God to change us! To pray is to opt in to God’s agenda. Prayer is like an alignment of the soul. Yes, intercessory prayer should be a component of our praying but not the extent of our praying. And like any spiritual discipline, it takes practice.

Maybe that’s why “praying with my feet” has been such an effective way for some to grow in their faith and their sense of intimacy with Christ. Integrating prayer with the rhythm of my feet along a path teaches me to be aware and open to God’s Word and words as I journey further up and further in to the life of Christ.

Chris Adventure, Campus Ministry, Community, Faith

One of My Appalachian Tramilies

When I arrived at Deep Gap Shelter on Day 6 of my AT pilgrimage, Alex had already arrived a few hours earlier and was reading Doestoevsky in his tent (not kidding). Alex is a student at

Wright State University just an hour north of Cincinnati and I had sheltered with him the previous evening as well. Alex is the 3rd from the right in this photo.

The 3 gals in picture had become known as the “Gossip Girls” on the trail (they were southbound…just hiking 4-6 miles a day and enjoying the woods together).

As the sun was setting, we were all firing up our stoves and preparing various types of trail cuisine. I believe I had a pouch of beans and rice along with a packet of chicken.

We had a great time sharing some trail stories and then the conversation turned my direction. “What brings you out on the trail?”

It was the typical question you expect once you spend any amount of time with a fellow hiker and my response that evening was pretty direct. “I’m on a quest to hear from God.”

Well, what followed was an engaging, lively, sometimes tearful discussion of God and faith as 2 of the 3 “Gossip Girls” shared vulnerably about their own stories of faith, or lack thereof. I shared a good bit of my story and how I desperately needed God to nudge me in the right direction as a result of this extended wilderness experience.

The next morning, as we had breakfast and coffee together you could tell that these strangers had bonded into what we call “Tramily” (trail fam) and we said our goodbyes. But I left with a renewed sense of calling to these college-aged young adults who have varying amounts of adventure, joy, brokenness and potential to change the world as they encounter the Real Hope of Christ.

On this day (or week) of Giving Tuesday, would you consider partnering with us on this new journey with InterVarsity? Together we can see some serious transformation in the lives of college students. We can see entire campuses renewed. And churches equipped to reach nearby campuses. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do over the next few years. We’d love to have you as part of the team. Follow this link for more info on donating to this ministry. Thank You!