God Is Faithful: Zach's Faith Journey- Part 5

Hi friends! Today we begin part 5 of Zach’s journey where he shares some of the things that helped him discern his path and refine his theology. Enjoy!

The summer between sophomore year and junior year I did a pastoral exploration internship in Vancouver, WA.  It was designed to allow interns to experience what it was like to be a pastor.  I preached twice, led and wrote some of the liturgy, and participated in community service events and vacation Bible school.  Each week I received individual mentorship and supervision with the pastors. 

The entire experience helped me recognize how much I enjoyed meeting with people, consistently pointing to where they were amid God’s story, and reminding others how His story was bigger than our own.  In contrast to when I was pre-med, I now realized I was on the right path.  I wanted to be a pastor.

When I returned from my internship, there were several people that challenged me to continue to sharpen my theology.  I would point to Emily as one of them.  At Gustavus Adolphus there were many student-led, Christian organizations on campus, including Cru (also known as Campus Crusade for Christ), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Gustavus Youth Outreach (GYO), Proclaim, and others.  Together they reached many people including athletes, students, and youth communities.  

United Christian Ministries (UCM) was the umbrella organization overseeing all these groups.  The leader of UCM served to disciple and shepherd each of them.  Student leaders, representing each of the organizations, voted for the UCM leader.  Emily was that elected leader.  She was solid in her faith.  Emily was one of those people who was spot on when she heard the Lord.  She remained close to Him and had consistent daily quiet time with scripture. 

As Emily approached graduation, I was elected to take her place.  There was an overlap between us so that I could learn the role.  Emily taught me the practical and logistical side of leading, but, more importantly, she shared the heart posture that we took in that leadership role.  Be willing to be taught.  Be willing to interrogate your own beliefs.  Be willing to go back to the Word.  

I believe the Lord used that experience in United Christian Ministries to refine me.  If I said something that was an unexamined belief, Emily said, “Zach, tell me more about that.  Where do you see that in scripture?”  Being in the position of leadership also put me in the spotlight in the sense that I really had to figure out what I believed and why. 

Some of the organizations were more assertive and told people how it was.  There was no room for praying to Mother Earth or other things that were not biblical.  In a way, although I served as the overarching leader, it was a reciprocal relationship where each of the leaders learned from each other.  I think the Lord worked mightily through that willingness to be taught. 

Overall, one of the big things I realized during college was that we had to take claims to their theological ends.  The God we start with has to be the God we end up with.  For example, let’s look at something I was exposed to early on in college.  Process Theory.  If we make a claim that God is in process with the world, what does that really mean?  It means He is not omniscient and omnipotent.  In process theory we are not talking about God anymore because we don’t have a God at the end.  The start and finish do not align. 

Take love.  God is love.  That is literally scripture.  But what does love mean?  We all want to do whatever is most loving because God is love.  We may start with truth, but with some hermeneutical gymnastics, we may be led to follow things that are contrary to what God has designed.  On the surface it may appear to be a more loving option to accept everything, and certainly it feels more appealing, but embracing what is not of God is no longer loving.  If God is love but we act in opposition to God, then how is that love?

I saw that it was easy to be led astray if the authority of scripture was watered down.  Once people got to a point where they said, “Oh those passages don’t actually mean what they say,” they began gutting scripture of its authority.  From there, I saw people compromise other parts of scripture until they ended up at the point where everyone was saved, regardless of faith in Christ.  I realized that if we do not examine our beliefs, then we could begin with one thing that was true, but the skewed, distorted, and superfluous ideas surrounding the truth could eventually be what informed us. 

Jesus compared us to sheep, but sheep are actually really stupid.  From what I experienced and witnessed, I recognized it was easy to be the one sheep who was bopping around in the field and got lost.  I think that underscored the importance of constantly reading the Word, being in fellowship with other believers, and worship.  When I wrestled through my beliefs, my theology became refined.   

So, college was beautiful.  After senior year, I did not want a job immediately following graduation.  At the same time, I did not want to go right into school again.  What I knew for certain was that I was called to ministry, and I could not sit on a couch all day.  I decided to apply to be a missionary with the Young Adults in Global Ministry (YAGM) program.

The YAGM application was a multi-step process with a long period of discernment to determine where they would send us.  After submitting a written application, we were given two potential programs where we may be placed.  For me, I was either going to the West Bank of Jerusalem or central Europe, which meant either Hungary or Serbia.  We then did in person interviews with the coordinators of those country programs.  Although we had a lot of input, it was their final call as to where we would go.  Following the interview, they prayed, discerned, and then selected the program match for the applicants. I was sent to Serbia.

Belgrade, which is the capital city of Serbia, had about 1.4 million people living there.  I was placed right downtown on one of the main streets to work at Centar za integraciju mladih, which is Center for Youth Integration.  At the Center they primarily worked with the Roma people.  A lot of people have asked me who the Roma people are.  Oftentimes, they are referred to as gypsies, but what many do not know is that this is a derogatory slur for these people. 

Roma people face blatant racism and prejudice.  I remember when I witnessed this for myself.  As I walked down the street in Belgrade, I saw a Roma man trying to sell little tissues, newspapers, and other items on the side of the road.  Suddenly, a lighter complexioned Serbian passed, cussed at him, and then spat at him.  I was horrified.  What did I just see?

The Roma people were statistically the poorest in the country and did whatever they could to make ends meet.  Many of them lived in informal settlements that were recognized as a legitimate place by the Serbian government.  This was done so they could have an address for employment.  However, these places had no running water or electricity.  Oftentimes, the houses were made with cardboard, scrounged up wood, and tarps.  There was little to no birth control happening and many families had over ten children; however, the families could not provide for them.

The Center for Youth Integration was designed to be a disruptor of cyclical systems of poverty and prejudice for the Roma people.  Although I initially went in feeling ill equipped, God would show me an important way to minister to others.