An Open Letter To The Past and Present Men of Pi Kappa: I write this as a result of some lawn-mowing pondering, some good prog metal, and the compulsion in my spirit. My motive here is to share some things that Ive told many people over the years from the counselors chair and from the pulpit, but have never said to you. The following is my confession and some experience-based observations. When I moved from upstate NY to Abilene, TX late in the summer of 1997, I was in a crisis of faith. The fact is that Id been faking it for a long time. I grew up in what was a pretty dysfunctional Church of Christ (I think we set the bar for dysfunctional for the northeast). Having grown up in this environment, and because of the consequences of my own choices, my faith in Jesus (and in the institution of church, for that matter) was in shambles. By 14, I was stealing money and other things in order to support my then marijuana habit, which I successfully hid for several years. I went to church 3 times a week and pretended my way through my adolescence as if everything was good, and fact is that got pretty freakin good at it. My grandfather (who did legitimately love the Lord, but was also theologically misguided, IMO) was the primary minister at that church, and like many of you, having spent that much time at church from the time I was a fetus until age 20, I knew the verses and the lingo, the proper attitudes and responses, but it was a well-constructed façade of religion. My parents went to ACU in the early 1970s, and I think there was always a part of me that knew Id end up there eventually. I transferred as a sophomore and only later pledged Pi Kappa. But I quickly started to notice something experientially different about those guys. Some of them were certifiably crazy (you know who you are...or maybe you still dont, and thats okay :) ). But in spite of that, I saw a group of guys who didnt just talk about faith in Jesus Christ - they lived it. They wore it as a badge of honor, and it impacted the deepest areas of their lives. Now to be clear, they werent perfect, and they were the first to admit it (both to each other in accountability, and also just in general), and this was one of the things that was most inspiring to me. A group of real guys who struggled with lust, anger, depression, anxiety, fear, confusion, doubt, and faith who somehow learned to love and take care of each other, and also graciously confront each other on our crap. And somehow just being honest about all that made me start to question what I really believed. Its worth saying to you here that I struggled with many of those things too to varying degrees, and that even after I was a part of that brotherhood, continued to struggle, making dumb, selfish, and arrogant decisions. My roommates, Craig Wilson and Ricky Lewis knew that better than anyone, though they loved me in spite of it. (Sincere thanks to you both!) To some of you that I treated disrespectfully or with disdain, I ask your forgiveness. This was a very growing time for me, as I know it was for others, and being given room to suck is pretty helpful. I came to ACU and to the men of Pi Kappa a liar and a fraud and a skeptic, and whether they realized this about me or not, because of the men and the lived-out mission of Pi Kappa, and the real power of Jesus Christ in and among them, my life was changed. I had sworn as a teen that Id never work in ministry because, as I had seen it play out, “church was less than worthless”. How wrong I was! I have many times imagined how God must have laughed at my bold and self-sure proclamation about this. But as he often does, he patiently let me walk through lifes experiences, and didnt stop calling me, and stretching me, and working with me on my stubborn heart. At 37, I still struggle with sin and selfishness, pride and stupidity, and thanks to the real grace of God that I learned about through my stint at ACU, I now walk in the calling that God had in mind for me all along. For the last 8 years, I have worked in various aspects of ministry in two different churches in Texas and Colorado, and in the next 6-12 months Amy and I will be planting a church in the Denver area, by God’s will. I’m doing the very thing I swore I’d never do, and I’m more excited about it than anything I’ve ever done before. It must also be said that the impact you men of Pi Kappa had on me has spilled over not only onto my work and career, but into my roles as husband and father and friend. I look around at many of the other men who were part of that brotherhood, and many men who weren’t official Pikes but who embraced the same values, and I see them changing the world for the glory of God and for his eternal kingdom. ACU isn’t perfect and it never will be, and the same can be said of Pi Kappa. No human organization is capable of perfection because, well, its chock-full of humans. I once heard someone say “If you find the perfect church don’t join it. You’ll screw it up!” It is my conviction that it was because of the combination of the acknowledged imperfection of Pi Kappa (as an organization) and it’s members, and the still diligent pursuit of it’s mission that it has created the far-reaching impact that it has. In the last 17+ years, we have seen Pikes, and friends of Pikes, and ladies who were affiliated with and/or married Pikes go all over the world doing mind-blowing things in God’s name. These men and women have served in churches and mission fields, raised families and started companies, kissed their spouses and wiped baby butts (presumably a direct result of the expertise of their kissing), loved strangers and friends alike, and been a part of something much larger than themselves because of the seeds planted in their hearts and minds during their time at ACU, and as a part of Pi Kappa. Whether you are currently at ACU or haven’t been back in years (this would be me), whether you have a quilt made of well-worn Pike t-shirts or not, whether your bricks have traveled all over the country and currently reside on top of your garage fridge (as mine do), whether you’ve nearly died or still have epic scars as a result of time spent paint-balling in fields of barbwire with fellow Pike, or like me you’ve forgotten too many names and faces of the guys who loved you well, you bear the marks of your time in and around that brotherhood. Maybe you’re struggling with some sin or are at a crossroads in life, or you’re unsure which end is up. Or maybe life is really great right now. Either way, know that you have brothers all over the world who will gladly stand up next to you in prayer and in the fellowship of the Spirit, because at some level, whether we differ politically or in specific points of faith, we ARE united in Christ. Those words we jogged miles to, repeating them over and over, those experiences, conversations, and times we shared are like a stubborn root in my mind, that Satan and the hardships of life will never be strong enough to remove: “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and in purpose.” I would have to write down a hundred names to give you all the credit you deserve, but I won’t. Instead, I will simply tell you all thanks for what you’ve done and will continue to do on behalf of ACU, Pi Kappa, and the Kingdom of God. Be light and salt in a dark and weary world, and know that your Lord will take your feeble efforts and make them glorious for his own name’s sake. Peace and blessings!
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 19:55:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015