The Value of Community

John Walkup
Emeritus, Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Texas Tech University

[March 7, 2010] —

Why should I as a Christian faculty work to develop a sense of community with other believers on campus?

My days are already full, and I get fellowship at church. Why take the time?

The Challenges

As I look back on my own academic career, I recall how encouraging it was in my pre-tenure years to meet for prayer and Bible study regularly with a few engineering faculty colleagues. We shared experiences and prayed for the challenges each of us was experiencing.

During my second year as an assistant professor, I had just submitted my second NSF research initiation grant proposal. My first proposal had been turned down; at that point I still had not yet received any research funding. Bill, Harry, and Penny-believing colleagues in other engineering departments-regularly prayed with me in Bill’s office.

They had each previously faced the uncertainty that I was facing at the time. Those prayer times were a great encouragement to me. I know they rejoiced along with me when that second NSF proposal was funded. Other things they prayed about for me were
the stress of fixing up my lab space on a tight budget, and obtaining some quality graduate students.

Those experiences of community with Christian colleagues greatly blessed me at a critical time in my career.

When many years later I became a senior member in our department, I sought to come alongside some younger Christian colleagues in similar ways. This inevitably took various forms, ranging from periodic conversations in their office, or in some cases inviting them to accompany me to Washington D.C. for the purpose of introducing them to various program managers at particular government research funding agencies.

Relating In Love

For much of my career I was a faculty sponsor of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship student chapter. An article in one of the their magazines pointed out that students hadn’t really been evangelized until they had also seen Christian students relating in love in a group setting. I recall thinking, if that was important for students, wouldn’t the same be true for believing faculty?

There are many challenges we face in both understanding God’s call on our lives on campus, and in living out that call daily. And all the while keeping some semblance of balance in other major areas of their lives (e.g. family and church to name two). Who else understands our workload and pressures? We need not feel alone in our struggles or our victories.

I have never regretted time spent on campus with brothers and sisters in Christ. And that great love we share may be noticed by colleagues. The university is often a relational desert. Perhaps our fellowship can be an oasis not only for us but also for colleagues in need of the matchless love of God.

(c) 2010 John Walkup

This World Has Nothing For Me

Phillip A. Bishop
Exercise Physiology,
University of Alabama

[Nov 22, 2009] —

We sang a song in church recently with the words, “This world has nothing for me.”  I thought, “They must be kidding!  This world has lots for me.”

I’ve spent all these years in school, and thousands of hours studying so that I could squeeze as much out of this world as possible.  And squeeze I have.

I worked my way through school.  I put in lots of hard hours.  What the world has given me, I have earned.  After all, I was smart enough to be born in a free country.  I chose my parents wisely enough to inherit enough basic intelligence.  I was skilled enough to be in the right place at the right time.

I Want More

I have a doctoral degree, a great job, nice students, a wonderful family, and a house in a nice neighborhood.  I have just been nominated for a prestigious (well-deserved, in my opinion) professional award.  A student and I are in the final stage of negotiating a research contract with an international corporation.  I get to travel lots of places on other people’s money.

Sure, this world has plenty for me.  And I want more.

I’m not greedy, understand.  Well, maybe I am a little greedy, but I deserve it.

God intended for me to be happy…. I think Scripture says that somewhere.  God surely must have wanted me to have all this stuff.

Of course I have to keep working hard to hold onto this stuff.  I have payments due, you know.  And I certainly don’t want to jeopardize my job.  That puts food on the table so that I can go to church on Sunday.  That’s what God wants, right?

And I am extremely busy.  After all, I teach two classes a term!  I am so busy that I can’t be expected to meet with other Christians on campus, and I sure don’t have time or energy to minister on campus.  That’s why there are professional campus ministers, right?

My Reputation

Plus in our academic culture, Christianity is definitely uncool.  Religion is superstition, many of my colleagues say, and I don’t want to upset them. I sure don’t want to be known as a Christian. That could hurt my reputation.

I’m a helper, too. Just the other day, I helped out a colleague by pointing out that an award he had won  was just due to luck, and the vote had been really close until I cast the deciding vote for him.  Got to help them stay humble right?

….I hate to admit that I actually do think some of these things from time to time, but God sets me straight. Sometimes God corrects me through sermons, sometimes through the authority of Scripture, sometimes through Christian colleagues.  I’m just glad He hasn’t lost interest in me.

He has given me all that I have. Everything.

Happy (acts of) Thanksgiving!
© Phillip A. Bishop

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