So this is pretty much the first time I've been able to just sit down on a computer (with internet access) and I do have some stuff to put down so I will write it.
I haven't really been able to process too much yet so this is likely going to be pretty rough but hopefully still coherent and not blasphemous or anything.
So far my time here has been pretty great. I hate to hesitate to use superlatives even though I actually do quite often when I talk and I honestly don't feel like my entire life has been changed through this like I've heard from some people's experiences. Urbana just hasn't quite had the feel of an "amazing" or "awesome" although I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I tend to process things logically, I like to think through them (I am an ISTJ after all) so I generally don't get too caught up in extreme feelings or emotions. Having said that I am learning a great deal even if I don't always realize it. I've been to a couple seminars that I didn't really think I got too much of until I started thinking about it and talking about it with other people.
It's really neat to see how God has been using His servants as the speakers and seminar leaders share about their experiences. It's been a lot of fun learning about how God works and also being challenged as well. I don't often feel challenged by speakers so to have that happen is a really neat thing.
One of the main things that I've been really hit with is the greatness of the Gospel. It's great in the sense that it's an awesome truth, so complex and deep yet simple and understandable as well. It's also great in that it is so big and applicable to every person and people group in the world. I've kind of held a viewpoint in the past that the Gospel is the good news for everybody but more of a take it or leave it kind of thing. I'm learning a lot more about contextualizing the Gospel, bringing it to people in the way that they want and need it, not how I want to share or feel comfortable sharing with them.
The speaker of the first seminar said something which I thought was pretty neat. To roughly paraphrase she said that the Gospel is God's dream for the world. To have His Kingdom and salvation brought about through the birth, life, death and resurrection, and return of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit as we respond and participate.
It's so awesome that what we believe is such a simple truth that we can share with others. And of course part of sharing anything is to do it in a way that meets the needs of the people you're sharing with. When you share food, you don't give someone the portion that you know they don't like or else that's not really sharing. It's just dumping off the scraps.
In light of learning about the Gospel I feel challenged to go out and do this. But first I really want to solidify what the Gospel is to me and hopefully learn what the Gospel is to others as well and find a way to effectively take it to them.
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