First Sunday of Advent: Hope

Hope.

The Old Testament is filled with stories of hope. If we had to sum up the Old Testament into a brief synopsis, it would go something like this:

1. Israelites are comfortable.
2. Israelites get caught up in some sort of sin, usually involving idol worship.*
3. Israelites get captured by some foreign nation.
4. Israelites repent and cry out to God.
5. God delivers Israelites.
6. Repeat.

It isn't surprising that hope is a common theme running throughout the Old Testament. The passages on hope usually refer to step 4. In fact, while it's easy to read many of the passages that we now know refer to the coming of Christ as speaking to that event, at the time, the Israelites would have focused on delivery from whatever country to which they were currently enslaved.

When Jesus came, most of his contemporaries thought he was there to free the Israelites from Roman rule. In fact, even after he'd died, resurrected, and was about to ascend to heaven, one of the disciples asked "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6)

So many missed the point of Jesus' death, resurrection, and ultimately the reconciliation between God and man. They were caught up in their political views, looking for freedom from the Immediate.

And I wonder... What are we hoping for? Does my hope rest in delivery from my immediate struggles, or do I hope for a deeper relationship with God? Am I getting caught up in the immediacy of my life and my longings, and missing the point... that Jesus came so I could have a living, breathing Relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

At Bible Study Lite on Tuesday, we will end the first semester and kick off the advent season with a passage on hope. I chose this one because it's how Charles Jennens chose to start off Handel's great oratorio on the story of Messiah.

Isaiah 40:1-5

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

1. Isaiah prophesied at a time when the Assyrians, much like Nazi Germany, stood poised to conquer the nation of Israel. How would they have responded to Isaiah's prophesy? What are the Assyrians in our lives?
2. How does the ultimate gift of reconciliation with God compare to the more immediate and tangible things that we wish deliverance from?
3. Living in the New Testament era, we have seen the full plan of redemption. What does it mean to hope now that we have access to God through Christ (basically, our hope has been fulfilled - do we still need to hope)?

*While idol worship in the Old Testament most frequently refers to the worship of some physical representation of false gods, we would be foolish to think this discounts any of our modern idols: anything that comes between us and God.

What is the Goal?

Right now, I should really be doing cases. But after Tim's Bible Study this morning, I want time to process some of the thoughts and takeaways that have been floating around.

For those of you who missed it, we covered Job 19:23-27. The story of Job is about a man who has it all: sons and daughters, livestock, land. Satan comes to God and tells Him that Job only loves God because God has blessed him so much, so God allows Satan to test Job. Satan then kills his sons and daughters, takes away his livestock and even takes away his health. Job is then told by his wife and his friends to just curse God.

But Job doesn't want that. Job GETS it: the blessings in life aren't material. Ultimately our lives are not about trusting that God will give us what we need in a material sense. Ultimately, the blessing in life is a relationship with God, and trusting that God will be victorious and nothing can separate our relationship with Him.

Over the past few weeks, as I've faced uncertainty and disappointment in the job search, I've been challenged with this in my own life. I've clung to promises that God works everything out for God and that He is in control and loves me and wants the best for me. But as I've looked to these passages for inspiration, I've been confronted with a new reality. My life is about a relationship with God and glorifying Him. If I graduated from Darden jobless, with nowhere to live and facing student loan payments, it wouldn't matter because what REALLY matters in life is my relationship with God. If I have God, I have everything.

And I say that, but it hasn't sunk deep in my soul. So my challenge this week is to seek out a relationship with God that trumps everything else. When all this world passes away, when there are no more investment banks or consulting firms, fancy cars, nice apartments, or even marriages, God will be all that's left. Are you living in such a way that the thought of an eternity with God excites you?

Too Busy Not to Pray

If you missed Hank Flint speak on Tuesday, I'll sum up his message simply: put God first. He talked about how our priorities need to line up properly if we want to figure out how to balance faith, family and career.

On a similar vein, I'm reading a book on prayer (A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World, by Paul Miller), and one of the most convicting parts of the book talks about how if we don't take the time to pray, we are effectively telling God that our own skills, abilities and resources are all we need to get through the day. Ironically, it is when we get busy that we become the most apt to forget to pray and to truly rely on God. The author mentions that some of the most busy and active leaders spent three or four hours a day in prayer, simply because they knew they needed God to accomplish all they wanted to accomplish.

This definitely resounds with me. I have been guilty myself of neglecting my prayer life and thinking that I've got all I need to make it on my own. So what does a prayer life look like?

The first few chapters of the book recommend coming to God as a child - being honest about what's on your mind, allowing yourself to get distracted, and not forcing yourself to pray in any particular way. I've been amazed at the transformation in my prayer life as I seek to pray honestly, rather than saying what I think God wants to hear. (Example: instead of saying "God, you know I'm going through the job search and I want you to do your will", I have said, "God, I really like Company XYZ and that's where I want to be. I know that everything's under your control, but to be honest, that's what I want.")

So... my challenge for the week: make TIME to talk to God, recognizing that you are utterly dependent on Him. When you do talk to him, just be honest!

Job Job Job

Let's be serious... the job search is on everyone's mind. Even those fortunate to have offers which they have accepted (or plan to accept) have invariably been brought in to help the rest of us land our dream jobs. For the first years out there, this past week brought the first push of the dog and pony show that is recruiting at Darden.

If you missed hearing Craig Colberg on Tuesday, I'm going to attempt to recap a little bit about godly goals and godly desires, specifically as they relate to recruiting.

Godly goals are those which honour God, and are in our power to achieve. Godly desires are things that we want, but are out of our control.

The job search can be viewed through the lens of godly goals and desires. I don't think there's anything wrong with desiring to land a job which allows us to gain influence and be in a position for God to use us. That would be the godly desire. We may even have more specific desires related to how we want God to specifically use our gifts, talents and experiences. There is nothing wrong with having these desires. We just need to recognize that while we can work hard to achieve them, we can't control the outcomes.

What we can control, however, is our own goals throughout the search process. We can choose goals such as learning to trust God's plan, being a person of integrity, committing to learn more about the job search process, honouring others through the process, and maintaining hope. These are things which, regardless of where we end up working, we can always control.

Water Into Wine

The first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine.

For many, this miracle may sound frivolous at first pass, and may even offend our conservative values. But a quick history of Jewish weddings and culture reveals the significance of this first miracle.

Weddings were a big deal in first-century Jewish culture. It was a family's moment to shine and lasted for days. It was shameful to run out of wine or food at such occasions. When the wedding Jesus attended began to run low on wine, it wasn't an inconvenience, it was a complete and utter shame.

There are two things that stand out to me every time I read this story. The first is that the master of the banquet complimented the host on bringing out the best wine last. What this tells me is that God wants the best for us. Jesus' miracle would have been miraculous enough if he would have simply created wine from water. But God doesn't do anything "good enough," He desires the very best for us. So as we look for God's direction through our year at Darden and in our upcoming careers (and lives!), we should learn to expect the best. I can say from personal experience, that even though I had a run-out-of-wine situation in my life last year, God's plan worked out and it was amazing.

The other lesson from this story is one that really hit home during a sermon from a few weeks ago. Jesus met the host of the feast at his very moment of shame and redeemed it. This has two implications for us. First, whatever our "shames" are in life, we need to trust that when we bring them to God, he brings healing, glory and redemption.

The other implication is that we need to look for where God can use us to turn water into wine. Our classmates are each going through their own struggles, whether it's as simple as DA classes, as existential as "what do I want to do with my life", or something as deep and hidden as past hurts. As tempting as it may be to simply keep our heads above water getting through school involvement, classes and recruiting, we need to be looking to where we can play a part into turning water into wine.

Surviving and Thriving at Darden

It was only a year ago that I finished my first week at Darden, but it feels much, much longer ago than that. Watching all the First Years in the halls takes me back to the start of the crazy adventure that has been Darden.

This week, I am gearing the devotional specifically toward the first year students, though hopefully there is value to be gleaned for everyone. Without further adieu, I present my biblically-rooted tips for surviving at Darden.

• Observe the sabbath... Deuteronomy 5:12

The biggest temptation you'll face at Darden will be to work too hard. The truth is that there is ALWAYS more to do: more analysis on a case, more social events to attend, more tweaking that can be done on your resume and more networking calls to make. My Sabbath manifested itself in two ways last year: I went to bed by midnight, even if there was more case work to do; and I took Saturdays off during the first three quarters (switched to Sunday after LT ended). The Sabbath may look different for everyone, whether it's taking a break to go for a run or setting aside time to read your Bible. Whatever it is that recharges you, though, make sure to do it! I promise; it will make the rest of your time more productive.

• I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made... Psalm 139:14

My first few months at Darden were incredibly humbling. I was suddenly not the smartest person in the room, I struggled through recruiting, and it took a while to find my grounding in the classroom. Worship services on Sunday morning at church became absolutely vital to me. I stood with a congregation of people singing songs about how awesome God is, and that gave me the perspective that I needed to realize that it's not about me, it's about bringing glory to Him. And beyond that, I needed to remind myself that no matter where I fall on the spectrum - whether I'm the most capable or the least - God created me in my own special way to be used as He chooses for His glory.

• If one falls down, his friend can help him up... Ecclesiastes 4:10

One of the greatest blessings during my first year at Darden was having a friend who shared my faith. Our friendship was one of mutual encouragement and sacrifice and kept me going on days when I didn't feel like reading another LO case or submitting yet another cover letter. I encourage you to seek out close friendships at Darden, and know that the best kind of friendships are the ones that you pour into. I know this sounds like something you need to learn at kindergarten and not the start of your MBA, but I can't emphasize how important it is to develop mutually encouraging relationships. Ultimately, I hope that DCF can provide a forum for you to do that, and encourage you to reach out if you ever need anything.

Anyway, those are my first year survival tips. Hope you enjoy this well-earned weekend!

Small Groups

Men's Small Group: Wednesdays, 1:30 to 2:30

Women's Small Group: Thursdays, 1:30 to 2:30

Intro to Christianity: Thursdays, 1:30 to 2:30

Small groups will begin the week of September 6.