A little while back, I had the privilege of preaching in a small church in Massachusetts. It was a small Baptist church, so obviously, I spoke on infant baptism.

Just Kidding! However, I did pick a passage that draws on our helplessness within baptism, but I’ll let others decide how that applies to the sacrament itself.

I’m encouraged by this sermon, because I enjoyed every step of the process, and am excited to do it again!

I spoke on “Hope,” and what the biblical definition of hope is…I slightly edited some parts, but below is most of my transcript (I type it out verbatim, because I have a tendency to get lost and ramble…and blush):

What is Hope?
1 Peter 3:13-22

…I wanted to ask, and hopefully answer, the question, “What is hope?” What does hope mean? Why is hope important? Where can I find hope, for myself?
And before I go too far, I want to stop, and assure you that I am no expert on hope. I chose this topic, because I need hope. And I know that it is so easy to focus on OUR successes and OUR failures that we can lose sight of anything beyond OURselves.

…So what is hope? I hope it doesn’t rain today. I hope I have enough money to last me until I get paid. I hope I didn’t offend you. I hope you’re doing well! But there is also a very real question that we sometimes ask ourselves…”I HOPE that this whole Christianity thing is real, I hope that its true, I hope I’m not just wasting my time.”
Well, the bible tells you that Jesus is real. But the bible also seems to tell you that hope isn’t a wish. “I hope this is true, because otherwise, I’m stuck.”
Let me interrupt myself and say, that it is OKAY to question our faith. Why do children question their parents? To LEARN. It is through the questions that we learn the answers…and God will not ABANDON us in our questioning. And that is something we can HOPE in…
Hope is so many things, but it is not wishful thinking.
I love baseball. Specifically, I’m a fan of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs haven’t won a World Series in a hundred and ONE years! And if you pay any attention to baseball, you know they aren’t going to win this year. Not even close. So one part of me, the Cubs fan in me, wants to say, “I hope the Cubs win the World Series.” But another part of me, the Christian in me, must say “I cannot hope in something I don’t believe to be true.”
Hope is NOT wishful thinking. It’s not wishing truth where something is false. It’s also not wishing truth, where you have NO IDEA what is going to happen.
HOPE is a glimpse of the future. No one hopes in the past. Many hope in the present, the here and now, that there is nothing beyond us.
But Hope, biblical hope, is a hope for tomorrow, a hope for the future. That all that is wrong with the world will be made right; all that is sad, will be made happy. Even if there is only sadness in this life, there will be only happiness in the next.
That… is hope.

i. Hope is Good.
Hope is not this distraction, this BLINDFOLD, that we say we believe in, so that we don’t have to face the reality that we only have this life. And that when we die, we are DONE.
…Now, in a general sense, when Peter says in verse 15, to always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you, he is saying it is good to know your faith. Know why you believe. So then, you can answer the objections of the world. This is a good thing, and is talked about at great length elsewhere in the Bible. But, what Peter is specifically saying is something a little different.
At the beginning of this letter, we see that he is writing to Christians who are scattered across foreign lands. They are a minority, and in a strange place. And because of this fact, we can understand that there is a very good chance that they will be persecuted and punished for being different. This is why much of the letter focuses on respecting authority (citizens respect governing bodies; slaves their masters; wives their husbands). Because God has given them authority.
So be good and obey, and you’ll stay out of trouble. Verse 13, who will harm you if you are zealous (literally, imitators) for what is good? By nature, we are not good, but if we imitate the goodness and mercy of God, and obey the authority of those who were given their authority by God, we shouldn’t be made to suffer.
But, sadly, some are made to suffer cruelty at the hand of authorities, and all man suffers the consequences of sin in the world, so imitating good is not good enough. Being good, more specifically, LOOKING GOOD will not save you.
So we must HOPE in something that can save us; and a future where there is no suffering.
So, when Peter says to be prepared to make a defense, it seems he means to be prepared to explain your hope when people inevitably question it.
After all, it must look absurd. Even in the depths of woe, the pain of suffering… even on one’s deathbed, the Christian HOPES for heaven. We hope for a future without sin, for a world without death, for no more suffering and no more tears. We hope for heaven!
…Our hope IS good. In many cases, it is the only comfort we have, this side of heaven. And it can NOT fail!
Even in our suffering we have hope!
Verse 18, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
Here’s our model. Christ suffered for us, the unrighteous. And Christ conquered death! And brought us TO God. For what is our suffering, if not temporary.
Don’t let the world, like the friends of Job, tell you that your suffering is for some specific wrong that you have done, and that only you can make it right. Even Christians get seduced by this idea. That you are punished because of karma, or some universal power balancing good and evil.
…Whether or Not our current suffering is because of some specific sin in the past is NOT our concern. It is our job to repent of ALL our sins. Not just the ones we THINK are the root of our suffering. Sin, with a capital S is the root of our suffering; (the condition of sin, the disease of sin) and not an individual sin, and not a single action, but that SIN that has penetrated the very world we live in. And strangely, the text tells us it is good for us to suffer, because we are being prepared for a life where our sin cannot ruin us!
Francis Schaeffer calls all of mankind a “glorious ruin,” created in the very image of God, we have fallen apart. Like a beautiful mansion left in disrepair…it is sometimes hard to see how majestic it once was. It is even harder to believe that it could one day return to its original state.
My wife and I live in an apartment in an old factory. Even though it is no longer a functioning factory, it has been renovated. But, just down the street is another factory that did not fare so well. Once the business left, the factory fell into ruins. That’s all it is, just ruins. All the windows are broken, graffiti is scribbled along the walls, parts of the building are falling apart, and other than the fact that it’s still standing, there is no evidence that it ever had a purpose.
How hard is it to even begin to think of this factory ever being useful again? Maybe someone will buy the land and knock it down, but this factory, in its squalor, is beyond repair. To ever see it renovated and alive would be miraculous!
If you ever watch Home Makeover shows, or What Not To Wear, you are familiar with the idea of taking something, for lack of a better word, ugly, and making it beautiful. But there’s a suspense to it. You don’t see the ugly house and then see it completely renovated; you don’t see the closet full of old frumpy clothes, and then *poof* one full of fashionable designer clothes. You see the process of gutting and purging, and then finally at the end of the show they remind you of what once was, and then amaze you with what now IS!
You need the knowledge of the shag carpet and the neon BUD LIGHT sign to ever appreciate the hardwood floor and the chandelier. We are glorious ruins, and we need the knowledge of our suffering to appreciate the lack thereof in the life to come.
It is GOOD for us to suffer, for we do not suffer because of our faults, but so that we can truly taste how sweet heaven will be. We are being prepared for heaven by having our idols of comfort and wealth destroyed.
…But, if hope isn’t wishful thinking, and God, some genie in a bottle, granting wishes, then what is it?
ii. Hope is KNOWING.
It is not wishing, or thinking, or even, kind of assuming, but not ever being really confident. Hope is KNOWING that heaven is real, and that all who believe in Christ are bound for promised land.
Of course, Hope and Faith go hand in hand. Faith is relying on Christ to forgive our sins. And Hope is knowing that he is able AND willing to do this.
…Imagine, if you will, being a child again. Now, let’s say you innocently, or not so innocently, are looking through your parents closet, or underneath their bed. Who knows what you are looking for, but what you actually find is important. You see, hidden away, that toy that you had been asking for for Christmas. Whether it’s a doll, or a game, or something else, it is exactly what you have always wanted.
Now, Imagine the Joy you would feel, knowing that you got exactly what you wanted. All of your anxiety and fears would disappear! All you had to do was wait…wait until Christmas morning to unwrap that present, that source of delight; and until then you’d rest in joy of knowing exactly what you would receive.
That is hope! That we know exactly what our reward is, and all we have to do is wait. Romans 8:24-25 says this clearly. “24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
As I said before, I recently got married (three months ago today). So I remember the engagement process well. We were doing long distance; I was in Connecticut, and she was either in Baton Rouge, LA or Houston, TX. So we didn’t get to see much of one another. So in our separation, we grew to understand what hope actually meant.
Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world, where engagements are broken off, and of course that fear was in our minds at all times; but, we remained optimistic, and therefore remained hopeful. Our hope was that someday we wouldn’t have to say goodbye, that someday we’d be able to be together, and live together. And she can attest to it, we saw that hope come true.
Sin could have destroyed our marriage before it started. And it still can. But where this analogy falls apart , biblical Hope doesn’t. Our sin can separate us from God, but as verse 18 says, Christ suffered ONCE. And in that suffering, he kept a covenant that we can’t break.
This is the HOPE that we should be prepared to tell the unbelieving world. It’s not a complicated thing…Even small children can understand the basic message of the Gospel, and it is this basic message of hope that we should tell those who ask us. That we KNOW heaven is real and it is OURS!
J. R. R. Tolkien uses this simple image of hope in the Lord of the Rings. If you’ve seen the movies, this may be familiar. But, even if you haven’t, the message is clear enough.
Sam, the hobbit, thinks that Gandalf, the wizard, died in battle a long time ago. But when Sam sees Gandalf triumphantly return, ALIVE. Sam is amazed. Having thought Gandalf to be dead, and having endured much pain and danger, he now sees victory!
Sam asks Gandalf, in this epic moment, “Is everything sad going to come untrue?” Is all sadness, and all pain, and all death, and all deception going to cease to exist? And the answer for Sam is the same as the answer for us…
YES! Everything sad IS going to come untrue, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. and if you know this then you have hope!
…It is such a gift to KNOW that all of this suffering is WORTH it.
Would Jesus have suffered for our sins, if he hadn’t thought it was worth it? Would Noah have built the ark, if he hadn’t known that God would protect Him? Would John have baptized in the wilderness, if he hadn’t known Christ himself was coming? Of Course NOT! They acknowledged the value of their hope by their actions.
Look at Vs. 18, Christ suffered and was put to death, so that we might be brought close to God. Noah built the ark, so that future generations could be receivers of God’s grace. And even John the Baptist baptized as a preparation for the life to come! A baptism of Hope!
Surely when the rain started falling, Noah was reminded of his hope! God won’t let this boat sink; he will bring it through the flood! Though the sinful world dies because of its sin, Noah is allowed to live. And though Noah and his children may suffer, they have SEEN God’s grace first hand. They were saved from drowning as the world drowned, they were baptized and brought safely through the waters.
So what’s our hope?
Christ DROWNED in the flood of God’s wrath, so that we didn’t have to. So that we could be saved, like Noah, brought safely through the flood. That though we die, we are made alive in Christ’s death and resurrection.
One final note, on KNOWING your hope, that I found interesting. The Hebrew word for Hope is directly related to the word “to measure.” Even in the Old Testament there was this idea of hope as knowing the end from the beginning. Just as we measure something to find its length, and thus know the start and the finish, so too do we KNOW what awaits us at the end of this life.
iii. Hope is REST.
And by rest, I don’t mean laziness, or even sleep. What I mean is the putting off of worry and anxiety and the emotions related to our suffering. Rest means acknowledging that you are not the center of the universe, that you are not God, and therefore trusting in Him to be a good God.
…Rest is NOT this ceasing to struggle, but it is a ceasing to think that the suffering of this life could change anything about the next.
Jesus suffered ONCE, for our sins. That means we don’t have to keep attempting to secure our salvation. We don’t have to tread water as the flood rises, because our strength will only last so long. We don’t have to help Jesus help us. We just have to remember our Hope!
The great poet and theologian, Horatius Bonar has this amazing image about what faith truly is, and remember faith and hope are never very far from one another. He says, “Faith is not a climbing of the mountain; but a ceasing to attempt it, and allowing Christ to carry you up in his arms.”
I’d like to add that HOPE is knowing that Christ is strong enough and good enough to take us to the top. Hope is knowing that you will see the top of the mountain, even though you aren’t strong enough to make it yourself.
And this is what Peter is saying Baptism is! Vs. 21, “Baptism, which corresponds to this (the hope of Noah in the ark), now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
The water itself doesn’t save you, what saves you is that where you came through the water safely, Christ did not. We will not be CONSUMED by the flood of God’s wrath, because Christ was consumed. And in this, he defeated death, for our sake.
Vs 18 says he suffered, the righteous for the unrighteous, some translations say the just for the unjust. He was consumed by death for our sake. We traded our sin for His righteousness. He who was without sin became our sin, our guilt, our unrighteousness, so that we may be with Him in heaven.
Know that this is the truth, and rest in it.
…Can’t you see that hope is NOT deceitful, it is GOOD. “Sure,” the world will say, “too good to be true.”
Just because we don’t deserve it, doesn’t mean it’s not true. And once you get over the fact that you don’t deserve grace, and see that God gives it anyway, you’ll see this to be true. Once you get over the fact that you don’t deserve salvation, and see that Jesus DIED so that you could have it, and was RESURRECTED to make you ALIVE, then you will KNOW, and then you will REST.
And that’s what baptism is, it’s a sign of our hope!
…I want to close with a verse from the Hymn, “Jesus, I my Cross Have Taken.” It’s a personal favorite. It was our wedding hymn, and I continually need to be reminded of the truth it speaks.
Man may trouble and distress me,
It will but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.

Faith is letting Jesus carry you up the mountain. Hope is knowing you’ll make it.

So, I was reminded today, by a student, that I hadn’t updated this dusty old blog since December. For those, like myself, who were unaware, it is now November, nigh on a year since my last posted. (Does anyone say “nigh” anymore?)

Tenacious D fans may appreciate this, but this is not the post that I had hoped to write. This is merely a tribute to the (hopefully) forthcoming post. Consider this the John the Baptist of the posts, preparing the way for (and this is where the analogy falls apart, if it hasn’t already) the greatest of all posts! After a long silence, I’m back…

Hold me to this. I’m not one to focus on this things. My wife says I’m stubborn.

Dear Friends and Family,

The school year is off to a great start, and marks the end of a busy, eventful summer. For starters, I got married! So my wife, Mary Jo, has joined me in Connecticut. She wasted no time getting a job, and conveniently, she’ll be doing most of her work from home. This is great, because it gives her the freedom to be an active part of RUF and build relationships with the girls. In some ways, she can be a de facto female intern (if she chooses to).
Unfortunately, we did not get a new female intern this year. Jenny, my former co-intern, got married and moved to Chicago, and the girl who was to be her replacement wasn’t able to raise her required funds. So without a female intern, my campus minister, Joey and I are hoping for strong female leadership from within. We’re asking our girls to be intentional with new students as well as each other in their relationships; in hopes of pursuing a strong community. Again, this is an area that Mary Jo is excited to be a part of, even though she’s not working for RUF. This really is our ministry!
This semester just started, and already we’ve had a number of events worth writing home about! On the first day of classes, we rented out the Dairy Bar, a local ice cream store on campus, and invited any and all to come out for fellowship. I personally had the opportunity to meet and greet nearly twenty new students! Overall, this event was a huge success. It was good to see a real blend of students; freshmen and upperclassmen, believers and non-believers, Caucasian and Asian! All were represented and enjoying fellowship with one another.
Our first large group was also a huge success. We had sixty people show up the first week! Optimistically, I made 50 copies of our song sheets, and obviously, we ran out! It was just a blessing to see so many new faces, as well as all of our returning students. Joey’s topic this year is “The Gospel Changes Everything,” and his first lesson was on a personal God. I was encouraged by his message and by the students’ reaction to it, especially some of our non-believing students.
I’ve had the privilege of getting to know a handful of atheists, and I’ve had the opportunity to talk with them about Christianity in a friendly environment. I really feel like they trust me, and trust that I’m not trying to trick them, but that I’m trying to love them. One student, a regular at RUF, said that he loves RUF’s sincerity. He is still militant and unconvinced, but he loves that RUF doesn’t push some political agenda or some worldview other than what the bible claims to say. It’s refreshing, when so many students are willing to fight and debate, I get to be the one who listens and doesn’t fight back. That’s not to say that I don’t talk, I just don’t try to win the argument (and thank God for that, because surely, that is not me).
We also had our back to school Chili Cook-off at church. Mary Jo and I went head to head in competition. She made Texas-Style Chili, and I made Oyster Gumbo Chili. Neither of us won (though, I’ll admit, hers was awesome!). A good number of students came out for the event, so it was encouraging to see them interacting with people from the church. As one deacon put it, “students spend their college years surrounded by 18-21 year olds, and just a few miles away you can get infants and the elderly in one small building. Welcome to America!”
As you can see, I’m excited about the upcoming year! Our students are equally excited, as we continue to blend the group to be a single unit. In case you don’t remember, last year RUF merged with an Asian fellowship (Faith Christian Fellowship), and it has been an amazing experience. However, there is always more room for community. So please pray that our students embrace one another for what they have in common, instead of making divisions because of obvious differences.
Also, please pray for my conversations with students, especially the non-believers, that I can “boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20).
Please pray thanksgiving for one student who became a Christian this summer. He had been questioning his faith and seeking its genuineness, and seems to have found his hope in Jesus! Pray that the Lord will strengthen him and protect him.
Finally, pray for Mary Jo and I and the ministry here at UConn, that the Lord will bless this year and bless us with good friendships and patience with one another.
Sincerely,

Paul Major
pmajor@ruf.org
225.772.5882

So, I like words, but I also like pictures! People seem to respond better to a picture, than a thousand words, so I’ll post some pictures!

Dear Family and Friends,

You’ll be pleased to hear that I have survived my first semester at the University of Connecticut. It’s beginning to get cold, but the students assure me it will get much, MUCH colder. I’m starting to see snow every once in a while, which is exciting, but I must reiterate the, obvious, cold. As the semester winds down, we don’t have much on the horizon. Aside from the students’ various exams, papers, and projects, we do have our Christmas party! There will be dancing, decorating ginger bread houses, and if all goes according to plan, an acapella rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. This will be the guys’ gift to the girls of RUF, let’s just hope we can keep a straight face.

Since my last update, we had our big Fall Retreat in New Hampshire! It was a great retreat, and New Hampshire in autumn is beautiful! The students responded well to the guest speaker’s message. Jason Harris, the RUF Campus Minister at Northwestern in Chicago, spoke on the topic of Scripture. I can attest that many students were challenged and encouraged by Jason’s presentation of the Gospel. I look forward to seeing those students grow in their faith and understanding of the Scriptures.

Part of our retreat was climbing Mount Cardigan. By some miscalculation, we ended up taking the “hard trail” straight up the mountain. This involved a lot of actual rock climbing, as well as “bouldering,” or sort of crab walking up and down the rock face. By the time we could see the top, we got news that the rock was iced over, and too slick to continue climbing. Sadly, we had to turn around and get back before it got too dark. But the view from where we stopped was breathtaking (granted, I was already out of breath). Needless to say, we were all a little excited to be back at the retreat center on “flatter” land.

Slowly, but surely, my relationships with the students are growing, and I’m finally able to have deeper conversations with some of the guys here at UConn. We don’t have many freshmen, but of the ones we have, they cover a broad territory. I can’t wait to return in January to continue my ministry to them, as well as the older guys in RUF. If you would please pray for these guys, that they may find TRUTH in a culture that preaches truth as fallacy, and opinion as truth.

One freshman, Dave, has recently had a faith crisis. He simply doesn’t believe the way he used to. But, he continues to come to RUF, and he continues to read his Bible and pray that he may find his faith again. He has faith in his faith, but please pray that the Lord gives him faith in Jesus.

Another, Mouseboy (his real name is Dave, as well; but I swear, he told me to call him Mouseboy), is learning for the first time, how his faith translates in the secular culture. Most of his friends are non-believers, and he doesn’t know how to live his faith in front of them, without pushing them away. Please, pray that Lord can give him wisdom and understanding, that he can live his faith in every facet of his life, that he can be a beacon of hope to his “hope”-less friends.

I thank you all for your prayers and your financial support. You will be pleased to hear that I am doing quite well with my support, as long as the monthly pledges continue to be consistent. If, you do feel so inclined, this giving season, to give additional gifts, they will be greatly appreciated, and come in handy as this school year draws to an end (and my balance grows smaller). I wanted to remind you that in order for gifts to be considered tax-deductible for the 2008 calendar year they must be postmarked by December 31, 2008; or given online (ruf.org) by then.

And remember, prayer is free, and very helpful. This is not just MY ministry at UConn, this is all of y’alls, too. I hope the holidays are pleasant for you and your families.

And finally, keep in touch!

Sincerely,

Paul Major

Since the initial purpose of this silly little site was so that supporters, friends, stalkers, etc. could see what’s going on in my life here in New England, I’ll go ahead and indulge you.
As an addendum to the previous post (hard-copies have been mailed to all of mailing list), I’m excited to tell you all about other events and happenings. I may even post some pictures, if I can figure that out…
*If you aren’t on my mailing list, or just want to double check, please email me, and I’ll remedy that situation.
This weekend, we are having our Fall Conference with all of the RUFs in New England. So not only do I get to meet and hang out with more Yankees, but I also get to travel to Hebron, New Hampshire! And if I understand correctly, I get to drive through Massachusetts and Vermont, so I’ll get to add two new states to my list (NH and VT). I’ll be leading worship, which is always a blast. Otherwise, I’ll just be trying my hardest to keep warm.
Last Thursday, I went camping with one of the students. Corey, is a modern day lumberjack, literally. He started the timbersports team at UConn, and is always looking for an excuse to be outside. So, I went camping, under the stars! I found out in the morning that it was the coldest night thus far. I woke up covered in frost…dropped to 26 degrees that night. Surprisingly though, it was a good time!
Last night, I had a guys night at my apartment. In hopes of building a more cohesive group of guys, I made a big pot of white beans, and had the guys over for FREE food and fellowship. Nine guys showed up, which is HUGE! We ate and talked and listened to records, and it seemed to be a good time had by all. I was thoroughly encouraged to have such a turnout. It may have been the free food, but I’d like to think they all came because they like me…it was probably the food. It was very reassuring to see the guys talking amongst themselves and laughing and making noise. I’m of the school of thought that louder really is better, and we were loud, my friends.
On Columbus Day weekend, we went apple picking at this big orchard. It was a great experience. I never thought that picking apples could be so rewarding. I had apples thrown at me, I had hornets threaten me, and I also gave a lecture series on how pumpkin pie tastes absolutely nothing like an actual pumpkin (which is a giant squash)…I should clarify, they also had a pumpkin patch at the orchard.
Other than that, I’ve just been hanging out with students and helping RUF run smoothly. Most of the students are open and willing to make fun of me, which I take as a compliment, and further proves that I am fitting in here in Connecticut. I will keep you posted on further fun events and what type of produce we’ll pick next time!

and now I will attempt to insert pictures with witty captions…

This is our A-Team for Apple Picking (also, those subjected to my opinions on pumpkin pie)

This is me explaining to Lucie, my campus minister’s daughter, that as soon as she gets teeth, she can taste the difference between pumpkin pie and an actual pumpkin. She remains uninterested. Notice the apple is almost the size of her head!

This is just a taste of what the fall in New England looks like. So many colors!

Dear Family and Friends,
I’m excited to be able to share with you about my ministry with Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Connecticut! First and foremost, let me thank all of you for your prayers, and for your financial support. The LORD was very gracious to me over the summer; I was able to move to campus on schedule, and despite difficulties with the moving process, I made it here and settled in quite nicely. My support raising is going well. I’m thankful for the support that has come in, and the pledges of what is to come.
Since school has started, I’ve been working to get to meet students and be a part of university life. I helped to put on a concert on the campus, which attracted a good number of new students to hear the beauty of the gospel through the beauty of music. Also, I’ve been leading the worship team for our RUF meetings, which has been fun. I’ve been working with two upperclassmen to help organize and lead our guys’ bible study (based on a curriculum written by my co-intern, Jenny Orndorff). Also, I’m sitting in on leadership team meetings, which help me to get involved in the lives of the students who dedicated to RUF and its purpose – it’s refreshing when students actually KNOW why I’m here.
It is at this point in the semester that I’m really starting to get into the groove. Please pray that I’ll stay there! We have a small, but great group of guys who are involved with RUF. I’m pleased to report that I have gotten to know all of these guys fairly well in the short time I’ve been here. I just pray that these core guys will start to share the message with their friends, and even invite them RUF functions. I’d also like to brag about my students a bit. We went from two students one week at our guy’s small group bible study, to eight students the next! The dorm room was packed, people were sitting on the floor, but it was incredible to see that many people crammed in a tiny room diving into the gospel. Thank the Lord for such a blessing!
Also, other prayer requests are for the non-believing students at UConn (especially those in the RUF community). Please join with us at RUF in praying that the Gospel would transform them. It is obvious that they are searching, and that they have ended up at RUF. We hope that our presentation of the truths of the Gospel would answer their questions and dispel their doubts. Please pray with us for the growth of our ministry. Please pray that the wondering, the wandering, the curious, the convinced, and the unconvinced may all find comfort in the community of RUF at UConn, and in our message. And lastly, please pray for me, that even when I get discouraged I remember that I LOVE THIS JOB.
On a final note, check your address books, cell phones, rolodexes, etc.:
I may have some new, different contact information.
cell – (225)772-5882
email – pmajor@ruf.org or p.a.major@gmail.com (both go to the same place)
physical address – 252 Willington Hill Rd., Apt. D, Willington, CT 06279
blog – http://thousandhills.wordpress.com

I LOVE THIS JOB!!! Thanks so much for being a part of it!

Paul Major – RUF Intern – UConn

Patience is a virtue. The cliché goes as far back as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales; (“Pacience is an heigh vertu, certeyne;” Patience is a high virtue, and that’s for certain.) The actual concept goes as far back as the story of Jacob; waiting seven years to marry Rachel (actually, seven years and one week). What’s so virtuous about it is that Jacob carried on the lineage, which became the twelve tribes of Israel (who themselves have to wait 40 years before entering the promised land); though Christ himself came from the lineage of Leah (Judah).
The apostle Paul writes to the Galatian church that patience is one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). What’s striking about the language is the idea of fruit, something that grows. Patience doesn’t just appear, ironically you have to wait for it. Just as we hope for that which we don’t yet see, “we wait for it with patience” (Romans 8:25). It’s somewhat circular logic, but we have to wait for patience (among other things) with patience.
So what I’m getting at here is that I am not a patient person. It is one of the most striking sins I have had to face in my growth. At some point in my life, I have made an idol for myself; one of comfort and entitlement. My impatience seeds from, and further feeds (again with the circular logic), my self-centeredness, cynicism, and what’s worse, my sour disposition towards those that test what little patience I actually have.
But my impatience doesn’t accomplish anything. In fact, my impatience usually makes the clock tick slower. But sadly, no one else has sympathy for me in these moments.
What sparked this epiphany was a simple, innocent incident. I was at Starbucks (it’s the only coffee-shop by campus, so don’t judge me) and I ordered my usual; black coffee. I’m not a fan of bells and whistles. I’m sure part of the reason I like black coffee is because it’s quick (nothing fancy, so I don’t have to wait). God forbid, I have to wait for anything…
So in the midst of the afternoon rush of mocha latte crappuccinos with a shot of soy-milk, I was going to be simple. Two bucks in hand ($1.96, atleast for now), I order the simplest thing on the menu; black coffee. And then, I wait…
People come and go, fancy drinks are thrown around, people leave satisfied; all is well. And there I stand, uncaffeinated and on the verge of melt down (really I only waited for five minutes, but still it’s the principle of the matter). The sweet lady who took my order is running around like crazy, making drinks, taking orders, etc. It was at this point that I realized that my frustrations were pointless. She wasn’t doing it on purpose. She was doing her job. When I placed my order, she called it out to the other baristas, but it fell on deaf ears (at least I heard it).
In the midst of the chaos, she caught my eyes, and like a deer caught in headlights, she stopped. “Are you still waiting on your order?” She apologetically handed me my coffee, and I genuinely thanked her. And immediately, she was flung back into the chaos. I was not the center of her worries, nor was I the root of some sick joke. She was doing her job as best she could, and she unintentionally forgot about such a simple order.
Patience is a foreign language, and I’m having to learn by immersion.
Just like being in a foreign country, I can insist on being stubborn and only speaking English, but what will I accomplish? I can stand firm and remain impatient and visibly fly off the handle any time I am inconvenienced or my precious time is wasted. But there is no love in that. There is no growth. There is only my self-centeredness abounding all the more.
Temper tantrums weren’t cute when I was three, why would they be when I’m twenty-three?
Sadly, my impatience doesn’t stop there. It definitely spills over into all facets of my life. I can’t even enjoy a book or movie without wondering how much more I have until I’m done. It doesn’t matter how great it is. In the end it’s all a matter of page numbers or minutes until the credits.
In all of this, God is (though not always gently) reminding me that I am not the center of it all. William Henley was wrong, when he wrote Invictus. He famously touted: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” And though he may have championed an “unconquerable soul,” I sure haven’t.
All of this to say, I pray for patience. It is indeed admirable, and definitive if I am to lead a life of love. After all, “Love is patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4). And that of course, is Agape, the Greek term for “charity.” This of course applies to the love of a married couple, but it is so much more. “If I speak…, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). So if love is patient, and patience is to me as a foreign language, pray that I can learn to speak in love. That I can learn patience.

At the behest of my sweet mother, I’m updating my blog! I apologize to those who have been waiting with bated breath for the next post. But, alas, the wait is over!
I guess I’ll just briefly run roughshot over my ministry here at UConn (because, I’m about to send out my first letter from the field, and then duplicate here…so no need to actually triplicate it). But, I will say that I love my job! Thanks so much for your prayers and pennies (lots of pennies!) that got me here. I’m helping lead a guy’s bible study, still leading worship, and generally just being a part of the community here at UConn!
As sort of an aside, I want to share a piece of my brain/heart with y’all. Tonight(Tuesday) we will have our large group meeting. Needless to say, I’m very excited. Among other reasons, tonight we are singing the hymn “Come, Ye Sinners,” which is one of my favorites. To those who aren’t familiar with the song, or even those who are, I’m posting the lyrics (If you aren’t interested in sifting through the lyrics, but for whatever reason want to read what I have to say about them, skip ahead, I’m not done yet!(But, really though, read the lyrics, they are great)):
Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus, ready, stands to save you,
Full of pity, joined with power.
He is able, He is able;
He is willing; doubt no more.

Come ye needy, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.
Without money, without money
Come to Jesus Christ and buy.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and broken by the fall;
If you tarry ’til you’re better,
You will never come at all.
Not the righteous, not the righteous;
Sinners Jesus came to call.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requires
Is to feel your need of Him.
This He gives you, this He gives you,
’Tis the Spirit’s rising beam.

Lo! The Incarnate God, ascended;
Pleads the merit of His blood.
Venture on Him; venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.
None but Jesus, none but Jesus
Can do helpless sinners good.
A special thanks to the hymnist, Joseph Hart, for writing such powerful words.
Some of you may not know this, but while at LSU, I led a bible study on the theology of hymns. Basically, we read through (or played) some of the songs we do at RUF, and discussed why these songs said what they said, and why we still sing them today. Joseph Hart died in 1768, and to this day, people still sing his words with reverence and joy. This being one of my favorite and theologically rich songs I’ve encountered, I wrote a bible study on this song.
Because we are playing this song tonight, I went and dug that up. To the relief of many, I won’t go into my admiration for this song in front of the students. But here, well that’s a different story…
Actually, the song really speaks for itself, but some of the nuggets of biblical wisdom really stick to my ribs. In the very first verse, we see that we are “poor and wretched, weak and wounded, sick and sore.” On top of being called sinners, we should be offended by the choice of adjectives, but really I think too much of our energy is wasted trying to tell ourselves that we aren’t exactly that; poor, weak, sick sinners. The beauty of the song is that Hart didn’t try to add suspense, the first verse can stand alone as a bit of truth. Sinners need Jesus, and Jesus stands ready to save us, ”filled with pity, joined with power”! He is not only able to save us from the consequences of our sin (power), but also he is willing (pity). In the first verse alone, we see that Christ is our willing and powerful savior; “doubt no more”!
As much as the first verse is a solid introduction, it’s the third verse that I feel carries the song. The original line is “come, ye weary, heavy laden, lost and ruined by the fall.” And though, I feel “bruised and broken” works better as an alliteration (while also remaining theologically accurate), there is something gut-wrenchingly powerful about the idea of being “lost and ruined.” Created in His image, without the stain of sin, then comes the Fall. We weren’t merely shaken up, or dented a bit, we were lost and ruined, in need of someone to find us and fix us.
“If you tarry ’til you’re better, you will never come at all.” What an image! If we wait until he are perfect, or even minutely better, we will never come. What’s worse, is that when we do hesitate before going to God, we are in effect, trying to do it ourselves. By our own merit, we are trying to move away from our sins, by ourselves. It’ll never happen, and we’ll never come. “Not the righteous, sinners Jesus came to call.”

This reminds of an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees (because it’s almost an exact quote):
Matthew 9:10-13
10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Moving on to the fourth verse, “All the fitness he requires, is to feel your need of Him. This he gives you…” We need not be strong or fit, either physically or spiritually when we first come to Christ. The only fitness he requires is that we feel the truth that we actually need Him. We don’t have to have the bible (or theology) memorized. We don’t have to have all of our sins in order. All we need to have is the desire for Him, and he will give us the strength and love to then grow more fit (this is called sanctification, and I’m a huge fan!).
“This He gives you!” God’s grace is a gift to us, but so is faith! We are not faithful by our own will, it is this gift of “faith alone” that has justified us.
Romans 9:30-32
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So that no one may boast, “I tarried until I was better! I made myself more appealing to God, he loved me more because of what I did!”

Not the righteous, Sinners Jesus came to call; weak, wounded, sick, and wretched sinners. He is willing and He is able to save those sinners, those who come when He calls.

***I think that made for the wait, I could be wrong though.

Hey Y’all!

I finally made it to Connecticut; alive no less. It was good to finally get here and start unpacking. Seeing as the school year hasn’t yet started, I haven’t gotten a chance to start working with students. I have, however, been busy. Over the next year, I will be helping with music for the Tuesday night large group meetings for RUF (Reformed University Fellowship). Also, I am in helping to advertise RUF’s back to school concert. This year, we will be hosting My Brightest Diamond; some of you may be familiar with her from working with Sufjan Stevens. Opening for her is Jonny Rodgers, from the local (New Haven, CT) band, Ten Shekel Shirt. We hope that this will attract Believers and Non-Believers, alike. I am very excited about getting the school year started, and I look forward to keeping y’all posted with all the highlights (and even lowlights; i.e. prayer requests) of my ministry to the world of UConn.

Check your address books, cell phones, rolodexes, etc.:
I may have some new, different contact information.
cell – (225)772-5882
email – pmajor@ruf.org or p.a.major@gmail.com (both go to the same place)
physical address – 252 Willington Hill Rd., Apt. D, Willington, CT 06279
***these are not merely for posterity’s sake, please feel free to call and/or write. I not only appreciate it, I encourage it!

Thanks, and remember to send in that support!,

Paul Major – RUF Intern, University of Connecticut

P.S. – At this point, I assume most people have stopped reading, so I’m willing to attempt to explain my title for this blog. As some of you may know, Locomotive Breath is a song by Jethro Tull, and a great one at that. But for the longest time, I had the wrong song under the title for Locomotive Breath. In actuality, I had a song called “Wind Up,” which is an equally powerful song as the actual “Locomotive Breath.” And for whatever reason, the substance and the lyrics of “Wind Up” always seemed to appeal to me in the same manner as the actual title of “Locomotive Breath.” In “Wind Up,” the lyrics of the first chorus:

“So I asked this God a question
and by way of firm reply,
He said — I’m not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.”

The remaining choruses are similar, repeating the theme of not having to “wind up” God on Sundays. And though no one can be too sure of the true meaning intended by Ian Anderson (mastermind behind Jethro Tull), I feel something in his argument rings true. There are two images that stand out to me. The first one is that someone, somewhere thinks that God needs to be wound up (turned on, activated) in order to BE (as in God IS, as in “I AM”). This seems to be Anderson’s anger at those he feels “acknowledge God with their lips, but deny Him with their hearts.” Thus, I come to my second point. That God is the kind we wind up on Sundays, means we have a tendency to leave God at the church doors as we run out on Sunday, or maybe we leave Him on our bedside table as the Monday morning alarm stirs us from our dream of a weekend.

This is the very thing I want to avoid; both in my personal life, and with my interactions with lost, confused, typical college students. I don’t want God to become something that is itemized on a cell phone calendar, as a two hour block, once a week. God has invested too much into us (ALL of creation) for us to consider him a mere inconvenience we must take care of before we can watch football on Sundays. I don’t know how effective I’ll be. Please pray for me, that I’ll remember that God is not my “wind up toy” for Sunday morning activity, until I get bored with one toy and move on to another.

P.P.S. Let me clarify: I have nothing against Sunday afternoon football. In fact, if anyone in the Connecticut area is reading this, and you need a football watching buddy, I may be your man. Be forewarned, I may over-spiritualize Jethro Tull songs.