28 July 2008

weak links?

Quiz
The name for this blog was inspired by an experience with
a. breakfast meat that was undercooked
b. a place in the fence through which the dog escapes
c. a poorly maintained golf course
d. Mark 2 and 2 Corinthians 12

Easy answer right?
Undercooked breakfast meat.

Of course this blog name has theological intentions. There is a story in Mark 2 (to which I refer very often) about a paralyzed man with some very good friends. God used and continues to use this story to make us sure of our calling to minister in Belgium. I'll skip the Reader's Digest version of the story and let you look it up, but here's the bottom line (and the connection to this blog title). The person in the story who by all appearances had the least to offer to Jesus was the very one Jesus used to prove his identity as God and his authority to forgive sins. As the work of God was on display in this man's healing (both physical and inner) we, too, are called to allow God's work in our lives to be on display (and in the near future the exhibit will be traveling to Belgium).

This bottom line is also seen in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Paul has credentials. But he will only boast in his weakness. In response to a "thorn in the flesh" God said to him "...
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." And in typical upside down kingdom logic Paul writes, "...when I am weak, then I am strong."

This blog title is also intended to be clever. Of course revealing that intention risks diminishing the cleverity (as does making up words). But in spite of the risk I'll explain (the obvious?). InterVarsity Link is the program which makes the opportunity to serve students in Belgium a possibility. We are the links between InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and our sister IFES movement, Ichtus. And as we've previously established, we are weak ones at that.

May God be merciful and be glorified.

1 comment:

Becky Stephen said...

you are clever. and not as weak as you think. but that's probably because of Jesus :-)