One Friday, A Future?

I toured Moody Bible Institute this week with my dad.

I will first clarify that Chicago is in fact always windy; doesn't matter where or when! The city is huge. It's really breath-taking at night... I found myself continually spinning in place attempting to take it all in; an impossible feat.

I've never felt "at home" in any particular city. My feeling of "home" has always been rooted in the relationships I've formed in places. I would say that a good majority of people do get attached to a literal place, they fall in love with a location; which I wouldn't say is a bad thing. But people are home to me. I love Eau Claire because I love my church, my family and my friends. I loved the U of M because I loved the relationships I got to stir and start. Chicago was mostly the same way. I was more bright-eyed and curious than usual, but I wasn't instantly thinking "please let this be home". There are a lot of amazing things to do, see, and experience for sure... but it is just another cool place.

And then there was Moody Bible Institute...

I felt different there than I ever have, in a good way. The tour day wasn't really what I expected. I've done college tours before. Typically they jazz things up and make a big deal about the visitors. This day was more or less typical for them; and I loved that it wasn't a production. We were invited to sit in the back of a typical chapel, join an everyday class, and tour very much lived-in dorms. The theme of the day was "One Friday. Your Future"; hence the title of this blog! It was very cool the way they emphasized now and the future.

There are endless human resources there. I got to hear from a missionary to Muslims, a Hungarian youth pastor, a Mongolian missions professor, a Dominican Republic student, and an admissions counselor that transferred colleges four times before graduating from Moody. Every Moody advocate used the saying "Moody is all about Ministry, it's very focused, and if you're waiting for an apology - it's not coming". It wasn't an attitude of we're better, it was an posture of we're different. You can't go there and major in Engineering, Biology, or Accounting. It's all ministry. Every student graduates as a double major. You major in Bible, and then a 2nd focus of your choice. You attend knowing that you're headed for a life of ministry. If I could scream on this blog site, I would... I can't contain my excitement.

Each student is required to do a Practical Christian Ministry (PCM). It's a mandatory, every semester, pass/fail credit. You have to get involved every single week. You can choose anything, it just has to be something where you're serving God. You can volunteer at a school in China town, serve at the YMCA, teach music to inner-city youth, visit jails/prisons, participate in art ministry, host a bible study, volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center, tutor, lead a worship team, participate at a homeless shelter, speak at a cross-cultural club... the list goes on and on!! My heart races just talking about it. They don't let you grow stagnant. You have to live out your faith continually. Check it out on their site if you want: http://www.moody.edu/uploadedFiles/Education/Undergraduate/Undergraduate_Programs/For_All_Students/Field_Education_Practical_Christian_Ministries/EDU_PCMVideo_Popup.html

The students, (professors, counselors, and advisors), that I talked to were full of life. They were hungry, seeking, and real. I didn't feel judged. I felt confident, courageous, and even accepted. People were genuinely interested and encouraging. This isn't to say that I know every student and faculty is incredibly solid as a Christian or person, but you have to want to go to this school. You have to write 4-5, 500word, essays on the application. They accept a little over half of their current applicants. On top of that the student life expectation book (aka Rule Book), is 60 pages long. There is a dress code, a curfew, visiting hours, media expectations, language expectations, marriage standards, etc, etc. This seems extensive, and it felt obnoxious at first. But it creates a community of people that genuinely want to be there to pursue ministry. They're still messy and broken people, but they didn't fake their way through the admissions process, and they don't give up hours of their time every week because their bored. It's because something deep inside them needs God's will to pass. They need the Kingdom to come to earth, and the campus buzzes with that urgency.

I am still very prayerful about it, but it seems like such an amazing place to learn and grow. It presents extremely unique opportunities because of its location, faculty, reputation, and even the students it attracts. Its imperfect as an Institution but it seems like a very, very good fit for me. It would be scary and hard to leave everything that is familiar and comfortable for me. But I'm not running away from the people I love, I'm simply running toward God; the One who has more and better for me. I trust that in obedience I'll be continually blessed. It still all seems too good to be true; just talking about it gets me excited, expectant, and hopeful! I'm reminded that we really do have a Creator that knows the deepest workings of our hearts, and desperately longs to see us joyful in serving Him. If we're willing to let go of the pen and surrender control, He'll write something beautiful and lead us right where we need to be. *Smiles*.