A Trojan Cookout and T-shirts

One of the ministry areas I requested here at Mosaic was college ministry since I seem to be sucked in a vortex of campus ministry since I left for Edinboro and truly eat it up. So it has turned out that my summer Tuesday's will offically be USC day as I head onto campus from 12:00PM in the afternoon to the late hours of 10 or 11PM when the frisbee is worn, the temperatures drop and the burgers sizzle upon the grill.

One imprtant and essential aspect of campus ministry is just being on campus. It's an element, I personally feel, that lacks in the ministry in Edinboro. Presence on campus. Just hanging out. It's similar to being in the office. Sometimes it's so much easier to just be in the building. The same is true with campus outreach.

So we started with a meeting yesteday afternoon with just five interns and three USC campus staff at Mosaic at a little coffee joint outside of campus for soup, a sandwich, and "a game plan", which consisted of having fun and establishing relationships. Who knew that just being yourself and having a great time really does something productive in a strategic manner. So we headed off to campus, took a walk, headed to the bookstore, and even viewed the countless Heisman trophies among the awards in the football adiministration building.

If you're a football fan, I know you're jealous, and yes, I am snickering.

So we headed back to McCarty Quad which appeared to be a picture right out of the brochure. Blue skies. Green trees. Fountains. Bicycles. sidewalks. Students reading. And the intern gang, throwing around the offical weight ultimate frisbee. This took place for quite sometime, just the three of us, chucking around the plastic disc with the fling of the wrist.

Then we had frisbee neighbors. So we invited them to play. I had to piddle from the tasty Jamba Juice delicasy that was sampled earlier, and when I returned, the crowd had multiplied, doubled, and we now had a team of Ultimate. A game started. Sweet moves were made. Ultimate is a great way to learn people's names. "PAT!" I yelled as I moved across the side of the field. You have to be quick on your feet with names when on the field. Without it, the thrower will never know if you're open.

After an epic game to 10 (which my team triumphed 10-8 woot woot) and then we headed back to the architect frat house on the row for the weekly cookout. For awhile it was just the Mosaic gang bringing out fruit cabobs and burgers to throw on the grill. Then our new-found frisbee friends showed up, and we ate together, exchanged names, swapped stories, used our hands to show people the map of Pennsylvania (ok, maybe that was just me), and made a date for next week's UF match-up.

Just show up and have fun. Bring down the walls. Be real. Talk to people. And listen to their story, because we are all on a spiritual journey. We're just at different places on the map.

So today I wear my USC t-shirt with pride. Not only was it the cheapest in the store (for which I always brag about the deals I get), but it rings true with having a kinship with USC. A weird analogy.

T-shirts.

There's this sense of "ownership" or "pride" in wearing t-shirts. Ladies know that wearing their beau's t-shirt is a sense of honor and connection even if it's two sizes bigger. There is sentiment. My Penn State shirt isn't the prettiest but I brought it to LA to represent. I don't attend PSU and pay their outrageous tutiton, but it's as if I live vicariously throught that university because of their pride and spirit. Today I represent USC because I believe in them. If you believe it in, you wear it somehow.

I believe God moves on campuses, Christian or not. Big or small. Expensive or cheap. Warm or cold. It's just a matter of getting out there and having fun, and inviting Him too.

And I make the commitment of putting on the clothing of Christ each day. To wear my Beloved with pride, passion, and commitment. From this I strive to make Christ more than apparel to a lifestyle, a part of my skin, flesh, blood, and soul. Wanting to be fashioned by Christ, never going out of style.

So here's to you, USC, for cookouts and t-shirts. I believe in you.

(photos now accessible in the link bar to the right under "Facebook Pictures...")