Dear Theophilus

The University I attend held a vision clarifying contest. Students could submit their ideas for how to interpret the school's vision statement. Here is my submission - submitted hastily (sorry the flow is not obvious). This essay was awarded somewhere in the top 8 - but not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd :) It has been long believed that engaging the culture and changing the world meant taking on power and influence. This has been recently labeled "the captains of industry" model and it suggests that if only enough Christians were equipped to leadership positions in the realm of politics and business, Christians would be able to leverage enough pull for the kingdom of God to shape the culture. The allure of this idea is that it is at least partially true. If Christians become the majority deciders and main policy makers, the world will be changed. The goal, then, is to have followers of Christ become CEO’s, legislators, school board members, governors, mayors, teachers, and admi...

The goal of the Christian faith is not more independence, but less. "Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1). I saw this on campus here at Seattle Pacific University and thought it profoundly relevant: "Ours is meant to be a desperately dependent existence" God represents this in the fullest degree as example and proof. Where God is one, God is three. We bow and follow the Triune God, who exists as both-and. This model of relationship shapes everything about us. We, as one, make up the body of Christ where our selves are absorbed into the oneness of the Church. In marriage, the two become one. We are siblings, parents, friends, lovers, enemies. We exist only in relationship. Reject the lie that to be successful, to be norm...

I wrote 4 songs for school. I worked very hard on them and have decided to share them. I hope you like them. This is song 3 of 4. Here are songs ONE and TWO if you are interested. Now on to Song 3 - I Will Wait. This song may be familiar to some of you. I have been recording and messing around with it for a while. There is a new ending for sure. The reader's digest version on my opinion of this song is that I like it but I don't love it. I love how technical the song is and I spent a great deal of creative time on the song, especially adding the Taize part at the end, but its ok. The full effect of what I was aiming for is described below! “I Will Wait” Your love has hit me from the start, filled the holes in the deepest part I cannot wait but I will wait forever Hope for me I am not strong; tell me what takes so long I cannot wait but I will wait forever And I will faint in your presence Please I pray you come and meet...

Erin, Titus and I are thinking about moving for my schooling. Currently I am attending Asbury Theological Seminary online but we are getting ready to make the move to a physical campus. We have boiled it down (for now) to two schools. Seattle Pacific University and Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. We are going to be physically visiting both in the next month. I am interested in Seattle for the city. The M.Div program is relatively new but the city life is attractive. I have always wanted to live in a big city. We would also be closer to home. Driving distance at that. One of the pluses of the newness of the program is that could lend a sense of more contemporary ministry training. The school is also much more Free Methodist and I do like the idea of being apart of the heritage. I choose this one for the city and Free Methodism. Asbury definitely has the long-standing tradition of excellence that I know I can bank on. I have seen the fruits of the program and am blown a...