4 years at Alvernia. 4 months at Albright. Crusaders versus Lions basketball game. Alvernia versus Albright. Years of loyalty on one side versus new budding relationships on the other side. Your wife versus your students. Who are you going to be loyal to?
This is the question Danny was faced with last week as Alvernia played Albright in men’s basketball. I (Gretchen) wasn’t about to let him wear an Albright shirt on Alvernia’s campus; but Danny wasn’t about to come with Albright students without sporting the Red and White.
We had students from both schools over for dinner before the game. There were introductions, handshakes, high-fives, bowls of white chicken chili, and light-hearted taunts. Which is different than the norm. Last year after these 2 rivals faced off, tempers were out of control. Innocent fans were beat up in the parking lot after the game.
Because Danny didn’t want to get beat up in the parking lot, and he didn’t want to lose friends from either school, I created a compromise for him:
Half Alvernia Sports shirt, AND half Albright Athletics. When Alvernia would score, he would raise his right hand, and when Albright made a nice play, he cheered with his left hand.
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In less than a month, I will direct our Winter Conference. There, students will Dig In to the words of the Old Testament, in order to see a God who is worthy of our complete loyalty. Students will be challenged to ‘no longer go limping about with 2 different opinions.’ (1 Kings 18:21). Many things vie for the loyalty of college students: classes, boyfriends, facebook, chemistry, girlfriends, internships, resume, sex, alcohol… but only one is worthy of worship: the Lord Yahweh.
Please pray that God would be preparing hearts of students to come to our Dig In Conference and lay down secondary loyalties. Pray that students will respond to Elijah’s challenge: if Yahweh is God, then follow him, but if Baal is god, then follow him. (1 Kings 18:21).
May they not choose to limp between 2 opinions like my husband did the night AU beat AC!
(There is only one clear answer here too!)
haha nice shirt.
ReplyDeleteNice tie-in Gretchen! Well done!
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog and shirt.....could you make us a Lehigh/Millersville one? This could be a business! Have a wonderful conference. We'll be thinking and praying for you. xoxo
ReplyDeleteYES! Only One is worthy of worship. Gretchen, your post powerfully hits the heart issue for college students considering Jesus. And really all of us. As Danny emailed recently "As it turns out, I am not the only one on campus with a loyalty dilemma!"
ReplyDeleteIn my own life I see a compounding sin is unbelief. Unbelief (the opposite of faith ... really something to repent of).
It is a LIE from satan and our culture that God is DISTANT, FAR OFF, POWERLESS, and UNWILLING TO ACT in our lives. That God is a set of principles, rather than a real FATHER. So we put other things on the throne of our heart, instead of trusting God with the secondary things.
Danny, I remember realizing the summer of 2004 that my pursuit of a wife/women had been the #1 idol on the throne of my heart - it had come before God.
Wow, what a tough decision to give it up completely, let go, and really TRUST Jesus Christ and make Him Lord of my life.
There was supernatural grace there, when I repented and said "yes"
Fast forward 7.5 years and I have the most beautiful custom wife, a treasure beyond my wildest dreams. She is radiant, loves Jesus Christ, is my best friend. And marriage becomes a vessel by which we (and others) can be transformed and know Christ's salvation, which we desperately need.
God brought her when I wasn't looking, but was trusting. I mean trusting that He is GOOD and letting Him be Lord; I don't mean trusting for a specific outcome.
A FATHER says, "Let go and trust me. I'll lead you. I have your good in my heart. It's a relationship. I'm REAL, son! I made you to depend on My leadership in your life."
A set a principles (religious spirit) says, "It's up to you. No one else is gonna look out for you. Gotta go get it yourself. God isn't really good. Oh, and as long as you try to be holy and don't sin, God is pleased and one day you'll go to heaven"
So different. One is an empty self-righteous voice. But the other is the Voice that shatters the cedars, and brings life to the dead, and salvation to us who need it.
So if baal is lord, or if the world's pursuit of pleasure is lord, or if girlfriends/boyfriends are lord, or if grades are lord, or if success is lord, if that is all we are made for then .... purposeless miserable life it is in the end. And so sad to see that LIE bear BAD FRUIT and DESTRUCTION in those who believe it.
But Yahweh IS LORD, He is the awesome Creator, and we are really desperately in need of Christ's salvation ... of His rescuing: so our lives can have purpose, JOY, and real salvation.
I love you two. You are right on the front line, doing Isaiah 61 with Jesus Christ.
so proud of you both! <3 Meredith
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