It’s fairly ironic that our country celebrates one of the hardest, never-ending, fatigue-inducing jobs with a day off for everyone except furniture stores and car salesmen. Happy President’s Day, everyone!

This past year, I’ve really begun to enjoy reading about the lives of some of these great men. During their time and era, each one of them exemplified the direction of the United States with strength and guidance, for better or worse. They were able to galvanize the majority of the country around their compelling vision, gaining the opportunity to become the most powerful leader in the land for four years. Each one is a compelling leadership story.

Leadership is an interesting thing, and we talked about this at our last Living On Mission last Thursday. It is my opinion that God has created each one of us to demonstrate and live out leadership. Obviously, every person has a different capacity and a different set of strengths. But I am convinced that God desires for each one of His children to grow into becoming a spiritual leader.

“The Bible shows us that when God does find a person who is ready to lead, to commit to full discipleship and take on responsibility for others, that person is used to the limit. Such leaders still have shortcomings and flaws, but despite them, they become spiritual leaders. Such were Moses, Gideon, and David,” J. Oswald Sanders once wrote. [1]

What God desires from each one of His followers is that they would love Him and love others. It’s not a far stretch to think that ‘loving others’ would include serving them, and putting their needs first. This is what spiritual leadership is all about. Being the one who is serving others so that God receives the honor. The one who is the spiritual leader is the one who is compelled by God’s vision, and makes himself a servant of others in order to help them move closer towards its realization, and help them see it for themselves.

George Washington, before he ever became our country’s first president, was a significant player in the effort for independence from Britain. He strengthened others with the vision of “the importance of the great Cause we are engaged in.”[2]

As followers of Christ, it’s not too hard to imagine what our ‘great Cause’ is to be. What would it look like if we caught the vision of the Gospel reaching the furthest corners of Cal? Of the world?

So here’s my question: Who’s ready to lead?

 -Dan

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[1] J. Oswald Sanders Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer, Second Revision, (Moody Press, Chicago 1967) 17

[2] David McCullough 1776, (Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York) 69

This Thursday (2/16) marks the beginning of our 5-part “Living On Mission” training times. Join us from 5-6pm in 242 Dwinelle to learn more about “Becoming a Leader Others Follow”.

February 14th-one of the most loved and hated days that is celebrated all around the world. Valentine’s Day, also known as Saint Valentine’s Day, initially was to honor three Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. Today, however, it seems to highlight our love life or lack thereof. This day of love can leave you feeling incredibly cherished or terribly alone.

But what if I told you that I think Christians have the most to celebrate on this day-single or not?

This day calls attention to one of our most basic needs which is to be known, desired, and perfectly loved by God. We as humans fear rejection. The idea of being alone or unwanted makes us want to stay in bed and never get out. We were made for relationships but most of all we were created to know and love our Creator. For those in Christ we have this perfect love. First John 4: 7-11, 18-19 says it well:

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another…There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.”

So whether you have a Valentine or not you have reason to celebrate. Christ is better and loves you more than any earthly Valentine could. Let this day be a day that boasts in the saving love we find in the gospel.

-Bethany

Sunday (2/12) at 8pm @ Grant St. Apts. (1922 Grant St Apt #5)

Come and help us design and plan our Thursday night weekly meetings! We want you to be a part of shaping our movement. We will be creatively brainstorming our next series of meetings and want to hear those genius ideas in your head (we know they are in there, you are Cal students!). Don’t feel creative? Come any way and be a part of executing a crucial part of Cru at Cal. Snacks will be provided!

I often find myself desiring to look like I follow Jesus based on what I do, what I say, what parts of myself I present to others. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar situation, substituting right actions for knowing Christ. The difference is deceptively subtle; it’s easy to fill up my schedule with ministry rather than actually seeking to know Him more deeply.

I’ve recently been reading Timothy Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage, and if you’ve read anything by Keller, a pastor and writer, you’ve probably noticed how frequently he quotes C.S. Lewis—his works, known and obscure, his personal letters, and even biographies of Lewis. In Keller’s book, he describes it this way: “When you dive that deeply into the life and works of a single figure, something interesting happens. You don’t just get to know his writings; you get to know how his mind works. You come to know what he would have said in answer to a particular question or how he would have responded to a particular incident…C.S. Lewis…is in there, he is part of my thought life.”

Keller asks what the effect would be if Jesus were the one we knew this intimately, if we so completely immersed ourselves in his words, teachings, and actions that we didn’t consciously think, “What is Jesus’s response to this?” Instead, Jesus and his Word would be deeply a part of us, changing the very way we think and the way we interact with God.

Remember those brightly colored “W.W.J.D.?” bracelets popular in junior high, asking people to consider “What Would Jesus Do?” I’m grateful that Jesus doesn’t just want me to know what He might have done, in an effort to make upright, moral decisions. He simply wants me to know Him.

The apostle Paul writes the same thing. He doesn’t want to know what Jesus might have done so as to make a righteous decision. Rather, Paul passionately declares, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

Is my goal to know Christ, or is it to look like I know Christ? How would my heart be different if I truly wanted my thoughts to be Jesus’s thoughts, my ways His ways, my heart His heart? I want to consider everything a loss in comparison to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

-Rebecca

As a rather recent transplant to Berkeley I’m learning my way around and beginning to explore the city and campus. It has been fun to figure out how to ride BART (I’ve only gotten on the wrong train once so far), learning how to get a Berkeley library card (Harry Potter and I have spent some quality time together recently), and finding my way around town on my new bike (never have I had so many close encounters with Priuses). Exploring a new city is simultaneously exciting and exhausting. Each day when I wake up and figure out where I need to go, I feel a little as though I’m on a hunt for buried treasure. The first time I came upon Local 123 I felt as though a sweet mystery of Berkeley was revealed to me. The same was true of my first trip to Tara’s to try salted caramel ice cream. Entertainment can come in the form of watching people on Shattuck or in simply driving down 80 at night. Have you ever seen the skyline of San Francisco at night?! I had never before. It is amazing.

A friend of mine encouraged me to take photos of everything that I find amusing because one day it will all be normal and even mundane. So I took his advice to heart and have been documenting everything from the once populous Occupy Berkeley group to the size of the squirrels on campus. Never have I beheld such giant squirrels. I’m not much of a photographer and I rarely feel motivated enough to get out my camera, but living here in Berkeley has been like one giant adventure that I don’t want to miss. My friend is right. One day I will wake up and my walk to campus will be normal. My trips to local coffee shops will be passe and I won’t be stopping to marvel at the fact that there is an “East Bay” stamp in the concrete sidewalk.

As I was thinking about the way I’m seeing Berkeley with fresh eyes, I happened upon this video by Francis Chan. One of the things he says in the video challenged me in my own relationship with God. Francis asks a worship leader how she continually has authentic and passionate experiences with God. Her response is what got me thinking. Each time she worships God, she prays, “God, you are a creator. Would you create something new in my worship experience with you? Would you give me a whole new perspective of you this time when I worship?” Francis goes on to consider what it would be like if we asked God for fresh experiences with him each time we pray or spend time alone with him. As a kid who grew up in the church, this kind of prayer would rock my world. I could have endlessly creative and exciting interactions with God if I ask him for it. My fresh perspective of Berkeley will fade in time, but I never want my relationship with God to become mundane or tiresome. My prayer is that I would always be enthralled with his creativity and beauty. He is the one who makes all things new for eternity.

-Sara

Oh the day after a big loss in the sports world. The rain perfectly complements the mood of the 49er faithful as the season came to a disappointing end last night… an overtime loss especially hurts.

As I was thinking about how boring the Super Bowl will be in a few weeks, I thought about how it is almost exactly the opposite for the fans and players of the teams who will be playing. And then even the fans of whoever wins this year’s contest.

But soon after, I remembered a quote I once read from Deion Sanders, a famous former NFL player, the night after his team won the Super Bowl:

“I remember winning the Super Bowl that year, and that night after the game I was the first one out of the locker room, the first one to the press conference, and the first one to go home. And I remember my wife, Carolyn, saying to me, “Baby, you just won the Super Bowl! Don’t you have a party downstairs or something to go to?” And I just said, “Nah,” and rolled over and went to sleep. That was the same week I bought myself a brand new $275,000 Lamborghini, and I haven’t even driven a mile before I realized, “No, that’s not it. That’s not what I’m looking for. It’s got to be something else, I’m so hungry.”

Sanders went on to describe how he had finally achieved one of the greatest accomplishments that our nation can possibly think of, and yet he felt as though he hadn’t won anything, and was just as unhappy as before.

Now don’t get me wrong… how I would have loved to cheer on the 49ers to a Super Bowl win this year. I’ve experienced favorite teams of mine winning big events, and it’s amazing. But I can easily forget the reality that no matter what we are pursuing, everything seems to fail us… except Christ. Christ is the only one who can ultimately fulfill this longing. So it shouldn’t surprise us to read story after story of athletes, actors, lottery-winners, and others who have achieved some high award, and yet cannot seem to find the joy they were seeking.

So keep your heads up, 49er faithful (or those of you whose team already lost, or those of you who could care less about football). We have a greater joy, a higher purpose.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

 -Dustin

The second deadline for 2012 Summer Projects is quickly approaching. Submit your app by January 24, and hear back about your acceptance by February 28. To apply, or if you have any questions, visit www.gosummerproject.com or ask any Cru at Cal staff.

So I’m engaged! On New Year’s Eve, I sang her a song, pulled out a ring, got down on one knee and asked the wonderful and beautiful Rebecca Chambers to marry me. And she said yes! I can’t believe how blessed I am.

Leading up to the proposal, I got pretty nervous. I realized how vulnerable I would be while I was down on one knee after confessing my love and pulling out a shiny token of my commitment to her. I was putting it all on the line!

I was reflecting on my commitment to Rebecca earlier this week and was struck by several things in a row. One, I was going to marry Rebecca. That’s a huge deal! Two, I took a big step in telling her how I felt about her and asking if she wanted to marry me. Finally, I thought about Jesus, and how He’s committed to me.

It was a staggering thought! Jesus has already not only confessed His love for me, but also done so much out of His affection for me. He’s put Himself in the ultimate position of vulnerability so that I can know Him and have a relationship with Him. He’s paid for me – not with money, but with His own life.

I’m humbled by that and so thankful that He loves me. It’s weird to think of myself as part of His bride (the end of Ephesians 5 describes the church as Christ’s bride), but as I look forward to Rebecca and me getting married I understand a little more of the anticipation the metaphor conveys.

I’m so looking forward to marrying Rebecca. As we get closer to the wedding, I’m also looking forward to understanding more what it means that Jesus loves me as a husband loves his bride. I hope this encourages you to reflect on His love for you too!

-Justin

My last winter break of college is almost over… I can hardly believe it! I’m entering my last semester at Cal, and I’ve been challenged to redirect my thinking away from “how to spend my time well” toward “how to invest my time well.” There are several lenses that I’ve been personally challenged to think through regarding investing my time and ways that I would love to challenge you too!

1. College is a gift of four years. The Lord has blessed us with the privilege of studying at Cal for four years, give or take a few semesters. Though I often think that I earned my way to Berkeley and that I deserve to study here, it’s actually all a gracious gift that the Lord has entrusted us with. As with other gifts, it is a rich opportunity that we have to use God’s gift in a way that is honoring to Him.

2. Stewardship. Because God has blessed us with the opportunity to be at Cal, I believe that we are to steward our time well. I believe that stewarding my personal time at Cal includes stewarding my resources, my mind, my classes, my relationships, and my time alone. I often find myself wasting time, and before I know it, I’ve spent an hour looking at my friend’s friend’s sister’s Facebook pictures (whom I’ve never met). It seems ridiculous when I write about it, but I know you’ve probably done it before too! Anyways, long story short, God has entrusted us with time at Cal, and we are to steward each part of it for His glory and purposes!

3. Be ready for Christ’s return. My scope has been limited to “these four years at Cal”, but a pastor recently caused me to alter my scope. After all, my purpose is not just to steward my time at Cal, but to steward my life. Why? Because we are to always be living in light of Christ’s return. We are to live with urgency and expectation of His return.

When the pastor who preached the sermon about living in light of Christ’s return, he ended by asking the question: If Christ returned today, would you be ready or would you be rushing to do things that He had called you to do? So my challenge for you (and for myself) is to pray and consider how you can best be investing your time in light of eternity and Christ’s return. First, think about how you can invest your final week at home. Then, think about your next semester at Cal. Lastly, think about your life. My hope is that you don’t see this as a duty, but a beautiful privilege of stewarding God’s gifts that He is allowing us to take part in!

Have a restful final week of break. I can’t wait to see you soon!

-Melissa