The President's Corner
- Jun 6, 2010
By the time you receive this new online version of Koinonia, we will be enjoying (or have enjoyed) fellowship with colleagues and friends from near and far at the 2010 annual Association for Christians in Student Development (ACSD) conference hosted by Messiah College. Undoubtedly, every one of us was ready to spend time encouraging, comforting, challenging, and fellowshipping with one another after a very busy year on our campuses. It is always worthwhile to share testimonies about the amazing faithfulness of God with friends who “do what we do.”
Recently, I’ve been reading through a book by Gordon MacDonald called Ordering Your Private World with a recent alumnus from my institution who wanted to reflect on some of the issues addressed in that book. It had been many years since I last read this classic work and I must admit that I have been convicted as I think about the difference between a “driven” person and a “called” person. We are so easily consumed by our “to do” and task lists and I was reminded again about the importance of personal renewal and pursuing God’s call and purposes rather than our own!
In MacDonald’s book, he relates a poignant story told by L.B. Cowman who wrote such classics as Streams in the Desert and Springs in the Valley. Cowman tells of a nineteenth century explorer who had hired several African villagers to support him in his exploration of the continent of Africa. The group of explorers made incredibly quick progress during their initial exploration until one day when the villagers informed their employer that they would not explore that particular day, but would be ready to resume the quest the next day. When these villagers were asked why they wanted to wait, they responded that the trip was going much too quickly and they needed to “let their souls catch up with their bodies” (2003, MacDonald, p. 32).
I find the wisdom of these African villagers compelling as we think about the importance of rest and reflection after a semester that has probably moved much too quickly. May the annual conference and the summer months be a time for renewal as we are reminded about why we do what we do . . . out of our love for God and the students we serve.
It is our hope and prayer that you will enjoy this online version of Koinonia which is filled with thought-provoking articles from colleagues and friends. May God who is able to do more than we ask or think guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!
Brad Lau
President of ACSD
Vice President for Student Life
George Fox University
References
MacDonald, G. (2003). Ordering your private world. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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