farewell thoughts part 1

April 4th Toronto Campus4Christ had their year-end banquet. It was a nice size in attendence, probly over a hundred.. i'm not very good at estimating numbers. i used to tell people our church could hold 12 000... it's morel like 1 200.

Anyhow, Lydia and I gave farewell speeches. I spoke about the need to have a faith grounded in the gospel. Campus4Christ is a fast-moving, action-loving organization. That's something we don't get to experience in the church, it's a priviledge. It's also a burden. Failure is inevitable and pretty constant when you have a million responsibilities, many of them beyond your natural capacity. There's a need to tackle everything in the power of the Holy Spirit. But there's a need often glance over in the rush to meet challenges. The need to find our worth and self-esteem first and only in the cross. This year more than any in my university experience I've experienced the esteem-eroding effects of failure. Failure to love, lead, disciple, witness, perform well in class. On the outside my "performance" may be looking good, but I know my heart and those unseen and wasted opportunities. But the glory of this year and of God has been to see all the more clearly the unconditional love of God. I've been forced to find more of my worth in Christ, in the grace in which I stand. The "grace in which [many of us] stand" is a platform outside of the judgements of the law, and inside the unconditional acceptance and love of God. This is an attitude that gives glory to God. It's also an attitude that can breed actual love for others, and kill the self-condemnation that can destroy our faith. So I did as best I could to articulate the need for Christians to "preach the gospel to themselves," as John Piper says.

The I said something to men, but I'll write about it later, it's pretty heavy too, and the gospel is way better.