The School of Hard Knocks

A friend of mine recently shared about some of his reflections during his convocation. According to him, university has been one of the most rewarding times in his life. It was in university where he learnt a lot about God and people. It’s always nice to hear testimonies like these. I felt the same way too when I completed my bachelor’s degree at MMU. It was in university where my spiritual growth curve shot sky-high. I never grew that much as a Christian in my entire life until I reached university. I believe that it is the same for many Christians. For a lot of students, spiritual formation occurs in their journey through university life, away from their parents, serving and leading in the CF, going through struggles in their relationships and studies, wrestling with the issues of faith as they become exposed to Christians of different denominations and backgrounds, mixing with all kinds of people… but it is also in university where many Christians lose their faith as well. Vincent Pee, the speaker in CF tonight, touched on it. By the time they go into the working world, the number of faithful followers of Christ would have been reduced to less than half of the original number.

This is one of the reasons why I feel that student ministry is so critical. This is my passion – that students will leave the university empowered and equipped to serve God, the church and the world; with a faith that would have gone through the school of hard knocks and survived with a story to tell. Of course, as our dear PhD in Bluffology was quick to point out yesterday, our schooling days do not end there. We continue to learn from ‘the greatest school of all – LIFE!’ The words of Stanley Grenz in the epilogue of his book ‘Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom’ echoes these thoughts. He talks about prayer, but it is true for everything in life. The road goes ever on and on…

The journey of discovering the work of prayer is never-ending. This pilgrimage is a life-long journey. For this reason, our goal ought to be that of allowing prayer to be a lifelong pursuit. ~ Stanley Grenz, Prayer: the Cry for the Kingdom

We can be launched into the life of prayer as we seek to continually be conscious of the needs of others. [It] requires that we be continually conscious of prayer, so that prayer becomes a part of our entire life… by making all of life a conversation with God. ~ Stanley Grenz, Prayer: the Cry for the Kingdom

Although God does intervene directly in our world, answers to prayer do not always come in dramatic and miraculous ways. God is also at work in natural processes. Prayer can release us to see this, insofar as prayer transforms our own attitude and outlook. Through prayer, we can catch a sense of the awesome and awe-inspiring presence of God even within the mundane, natural flow of life. ~ Stanley Grenz, Prayer: the Cry for the Kingdom

Ah… I hear tiny echoes of Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen here… time for another forage into the realm of contemplative prayer. My next book: ‘The Way of the Heart’ by Henri J. M. Nouwen, one of my favorite authors!

After the books have been read and the principles have been understood, we are left with the task of launching out into the unknown. It is there, however, that God waits, beckoning us to embark on the exciting adventure of prayer. For prayer is one significant means whereby we become partners with God in bringing the kingdom of God, which is the future of the world, into the circumstances of life in the present. ~ Stanley Grenz, Prayer: the Cry for the Kingdom

What we can say ABOUT prayer is of little consequence: what matters is what we say IN prayer. ~ Karl Rahner