Eager Apollos

I was invited to do the invocation and benediction for a the commissioning ceremony of the graduating seniors. A student had already asked me to do his oath of office so figuring I would be there anyway, I accepted.

This is a huge moment in the lives of these, now, officers. They have labored for at least four years, have completed their schooling, jumped through hoops with ROTC and have now attained the gold bar for which they have worked so hard.

The ceremony has a few special moments for each new officers. First is the oath of office. This is performed by another officer. I conducted one of the ten commissionees oath of office just like I did Patt’s last year. Then comes the pinning on of the rank. Having just sworn the oath, the new officer gets to where the rank of an officer. The parents of the soldier or their best friend or a significant other pins on the new rank.

After the rank is pinned on a Noncommissioned officer (NCO) renders the new Officer’s first salute.

After the first salute the new officer has a few minutes to address the crowd. Most of them thanked the cadre, their family and each other for their support. A few thanked God and one overtly thanked Christ. Most of the graduates were believers.

The invocation and benediction went well. It was my pleasure to serve the battalion in this way. I wish the new graduates well in their new careers.

These are pictures from a road march that I did with the ROTC unit, a few weeks ago. This is my second road march with the wildcat bat. The weather was nice… very different from the first Ruck March.

I very much enjoy walking with soldiers and getting to know them better. Some of the soldiers lamented the loss of some ambitious spring break plans. Others spoke about their time with their families.

This is one of my favorite things that I get to do with the ROTC unit.

Last Sunday I drove down to the Yakima Training Center where CWU’s ROTC Battalion was conducting their winter field training exercise (FTX).

About 45 cadets attended the service. Cadet Barry had a specific message on his mind so I let him give the sermon while I did communion.

After communion I led a brief group prayer and gave the benediction. The service was 30 minutes from beginning to end, which is pretty typical for this kind of event.

As the cadets left they took the remainder of the camo bibles I blogged about earlier. About 25 cadets left without a bible and I promised to get my hands on some more.

The service was rough around the edges. One of the officers asked if it was my first service and I had to admit that it was the first one I led myself. I guess there is always next time.

Campus Ambassadors bought a case of camouflage print Bibles and I am now distributing them among interested Army cadets. I am not sure why but these kinds of Bibles are really popular in the Army. It is an NIV version with both the Old and New Testaments. It is small enough to fit in the cargo pocket of the uniform, making it easier to carry into the field.

I was given one of these (but the older BDU camo print) during in-processing at basic training. I have kept it and used for the past nine years. I wasn’t even a believer then and I still kept it. I have owned a few bibles but for some reason this bible is the one I most often carry with me.

I am not sure if it is the compact nature of the bible or the camo print that draws soldier to carry this particular bible but I hope they get the same years from these as I did.

Thanks for your prayers and support. Its you who make this work possible.

Last Thursday I was invited to go on a ruck march with the ROTC Battalion. So I threw as many theology books as I could fit into my assault pack and walked up and down the formation talking to soldiers.

The soldiers are generally quiet to practice being in a tactical environment, but I did manage to have a few conversation with a couple of cadets.

I got to know some new cadets and check in with ones I already knew. I learned about their majors and what they wanted to do in the Army once they were in which is pretty basic conversation. But a couple interactions explored marriages and one cadet told me about a shattered dream of hers.

This is the Cadet First Sergeant. He spent the two hours running up and down the formation trying to keep his platoon together, making sure no one was left behind.

None of the prior pictures have any body marching in them, but just so you know this final picture is proof that we were indeed marching.

Last night was the first meeting of the ROTC cadet bible study. I have been looking forward to this meeting and was stoked to see how it would go. We had five cadets present and when it was over I got the impression that a good time was had by all.

Coming up with a topic for the bible study was a bit challenging. Knowing that these cadets would soon be officers, I racked my brain for a biblical study that would be appropriate to their context. I ran through the bible in my head looking for a case of leadership being handed over or a leader developing another leader.

Finally, I rested on the relationship between Paul and Timothy. I had a highly romanticized idea of what the book of 1 Timothy would tell us of this relationship. I pictured sound advice from a mentor to his disciple. I pictured personal encouragement with emotional overtones. I envisioned hardened ROTC cadets with a tear barely visible in the corners of their eyes, touched by Paul’s connection with Timothy.

When I sat down and studied 1 Timothy, what I initially read sounded like a manual for how the church is supposed to run. “Here are the virtues of an elder, snuff out the foolish teachers spreading crazy in the church, and don’t love money.” This is what I heard. All good stuff and there is even a little in there that confirmed my romanticized notions, but it waits in the wings. You have to pick up Acts and Paul’s letters to see where Timothy is coming and going. The story of Paul and Timothy has to be pieced together.

In any case, I worried that 1 Timothy wouldn’t speak to these cadets in the way that I hoped. So when the cadets showed up and we got rolling I was jazzed to find out that the bible does a good job of speaking to believers in any context regardless of pretensions. We had a lively discussion, questions were asked, ties were made to other passages, people were prayed for and a bible study was born.

I think 1 Timothy will speak in its own way to the cadets and my hunch is it will speak (at least a little bit) in the way that I had hoped.

PT was canceled today, but the Ranger Challenge teams (more about Ranger Challenge in posts to come) drove on with their training. The Silver Team (there are three teams; gold, silver, bronze) invited me to a “coffee run.” We weren’t in uniform so I was able to carry my phone with me and capture the pictures above.

We met at 0630, briefly stretched and ran down the streets of Ellensburg to our destination spot; D&M Coffee. Once we were there he hung out for twenty minutes, ordered drinks and talked about whatever came to mind. One of the cadets, in a fit of inspiration from the “Good Idea Fairy,” recommended that we start walking back while we finished our drinks. The group vetoed and we sat around for another ten minute generally having a good time.

A little after 0700 we headed back to campus. Some cadets regretted getting the thick/heavy drinks they had gotten but we all made it back fine. One cadet carried and drank his coffee all the way back to campus. I was impressed with this fact because I think if I had tried the same I would had ended the run wearing most of the contents of the cup or might have been the only person on the run who vomited.

Here is the data from the run to give you and idea of what a casual run is for the Ranger Challenge teams.

Thanks for the invite Silver Team!

This first week has been crazy busy. Departing from our normal weekly schedule Matt and I decided to do the book table on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, instead of just Tuesday. We just wanted to get the faces of CA out there for the new students.

The book table is a long standing part of CA’s ministry. Every Tuesday we show up, tape up our banner around the table, toss out some books that Matt and I have been reading, and put up a “question of the day” for passerbyers to ponder and vote on.

The question is meant to be provocative and often entices conversation from those who decide to stop and vote.

Besides the question of the day and the good conversation it yields, the book table is also a pillar of the ministry because CA students or people in relationship with Matt stop by and check in. Students stop and chat us or chat with other students that pass by. We hear how there weekend has gone and what they are up to for the week ahead. Info gets disseminated and students outside the fold of CA get recruited for the mission to Mexico or the classes that Matt teaches (like how to read the Bible).

Beyond the book table, I have begun PTing with the ROTC Battalion. Physical Training (PT) starts at 7:00am and goes for about an hour. We work on the various tasks that we will be tested on later in the quarter (Push ups, sit ups and 2 mile run). My purpose in going to be “with the troops.” Chaplains call this a “ministry of presence.” The more time you spend around the soldiers the more likely they are to approach you if they have a real problem or concern. So in that effort I am going to PT and will be attending some training events.

I was invited to the ROTC BBQ to help kick off their year. They handed out awards and presented new cadets with information about opportunities that they should take advantage of as the year continues. The Professor of Military Science (PMS, this means he is the biggest deal at the CWU Army ROTC Battalion) was kind enough to introduce Matt and Myself to the battalion so that we may aid the soldier and future leaders in whatever way we can. On a related note, please be in prayer that a certain cadet gets a scholarship. He is working hard to be worthy of such an honor.

We also had our first weekly meeting. Matt introduced me and I spoke on the topic of being a “community set apart.” The student leadership flexed their muscle and came up with a worship session that, quite frankly, impressed me, especially on such short notice. Above is a banner I put together for the occasion.

That is what has happened up until this point. Later today (Friday 25th) we have “The Cave.” Matt likes to call this event the “unbible study,” a cryptic description that is worthy of more explanation then I can go into here.

Matt will be taking a group up Manastash Ridge later this evening and Sunday is a potluck for all who want to come.

Please, be in prayer that our strategy is up to par, as far as God’s opinion is concerned, and that we are flexible enough to shift when we need to.

My good friend Mike Beck asked me to write about how my friendship with him lead me to Campus Ambassadors, and how Campus Ambassadors changed my life for the better. My friendship with Mike began back in high school with photography class of my junior year. Mike eventually got me involved in JROTC, which eventually influenced me to join ROTC in college.

When I arrived to college I got into the whole “college scene” with the whole partying and hooking up with girls. I spent about five years of my college life going back and forth from doing things I shouldn’t do to re-committing my life to Christ. During my sophomore year Mike and I started hanging out and would spend hours playing video games, talking about life, and with Mike mentoring me. During that year, Mike invited me to go to Campus Ambassadors. The first few times I went, I really didn’t care for Campus Ambassadors. I felt uneasy and very uncomfortable being there. The only person I knew there was Mike. So for the first two quarters of the year I would go to Campus Ambassadors on and off, not really getting involved.

However, after many months of hanging out with Mike, getting to know the people at Campus Ambassadors, especially Matt Lundquist (the Fearless Leader of Campus Ambassadors at CWU), and Mike’s persistence, I eventually began going to Campus Ambassadors on a regular basis. By spring quarter of my sophomore year I was a regular and enjoyed going.

The following year Mike graduated from Central, and moved to Seattle. Despite losing a wonderful friend and mentor, I stayed with Campus Ambassadors and even became a student leader. During my time with Campus Ambassadors, hanging out with Mike and meeting with Matt I was greatly encouraged and challenged spiritually.

Because of Campus Ambassadors, and all of the great and deep friendships I developed over the years, my faith greatly grew and matured. Mike Beck, Matt Lundquist and those involved with Campus Ambassadors planted the seed of my faith, I then watered it, and then God made it grow. And to this day I continue to water that seed, while God continues grow my faith and discipleship with Him.

I am trying to get photographic evidence of me actually running but it is difficult to do when you don’t want to bring a camera with you. The best I could do was take a quick shot of my foot prints in the dirt of a path on which I was running.

Running is going well. I am still really slow by Army standards, but my pace is going down steadily and my shins are still doing fine. I am grateful for both of these outcomes. Here are my recent numbers:

Now you have evidence that Bigfoot-chasers hope for and moon-landing-deniers scoff at.  Please pray that my pace quickens in time for the fall, that my shins remain healed and that Jesus doesn’t have to carry me across the finish line of my first PT test.  

I mentioned the problem with my shins, in a previous post. It has been a source of anxiety for me because it has prevented me from preparing myself physically for PTing with the ROTC unit on campus.

I was mentioning my concerns to a friend of mine who immediately loaned me the materials and tools to start heart monitor training. I was skeptical but I was desperate to try anything.

This running program requires that your run at 70% of your heart rate which equates to a pace that is MIND NUMBINGLY SLOW.  If you look at the picture you will see it took me an hour to run three and half miles. These are not figures that are going to impress anyone at the battalion. But if you look at the later runs you will see that in just a week I have improved my time by about two minutes. My effort remains constant but pace is decreasing.

What is more important is that this training program is forcing me to reevaluate my form which I think has played into my shin splints. Before I couldn’t run 2-3 miles without a two day recovery. Now I am running 3-5 miles and sometimes back to back. My pace isn’t where I need it to be but I am confident it will be close by the time I need to start PTing with the battalion.

Thank God for A-Ron and his desire to spread the good news about heart monitor training.

I start speed drills Thursday, pray I don’t break myself.

While I am raising support and planning for this coming fall I am also preparing myself physically. I am hoping to do physical training (PT) with the ROTC unit on campus. I haven’t been just sitting around the last few months since my last military school down in Georgia, but I haven’t been breaking records either. I am alright at push-ups, I am fine with sit-ups, but I am really concerned about my run.

On and off for the last year or so I have had problems with shin splints. I have been to the doctor and I have been managing them just fine for the last couple months. I have been keeping my runs between 2-3 miles and I just stepped it up to 4 last Monday. I have been stretching a taking medication when I need it, but they still linger. I am currently running 2-3 times a week and I would like to take it up to 3-4 and I am just not certain I can take it to that point without bringing back a full blown case of shin splints.

I would pass a PT test now but that isn’t good enough to keep up with the pace of a 3 time a week work out with the unit. They probably do a long run (4-5 miles), a short run (3-4 miles) and a interval run (2-3 miles of alternating intense and rest paces). Chaplains have a bad enough rap as it is, when it comes to PT. I cannot be the “wannabe” chaplain that falls out of runs at an ROTC unit. It won’t reflect well on me or the chaplaincy… or maybe just me. :)  Thus the preparation.

In a new chapter in Pat’s life, he has taken the oath of office as a Second Lieutenant in the Army of the United States. He isn’t sure how the Army is going utilize his services, but will find out if he got his first choice of jobs in the Army.

Pat and I have have known each other since high school. We were both active in J.R.O.T.C. and he eventually followed me to CWU. Pat wanted to join the R.O.T.C. program at Central but was unable. It wasn’t until Pat was almost done with his degree that the Wild Cat Battalion accepted him and his willingness to serve his country. He stayed at Central for an additional two years getting his minor in history and military science in order to complete the R.O.T.C. program.

He was suppose to go to his month of evaluation and training (also known as Warrior Forge) last summer but was injured and had to postpone until this summer. He has completed his training and only has to wait for his orders. Pat, in all likelihood, will beat me into the active duty Army. Pat has taken the long and hard road into the Army and his journey has only begun. He deserves to be commended and I hope that those he leads appreciate the path he has taken to get to his position.

When Pat came to CWU, I invited him to go to Campus Ambassadors. He showed a little interest but it was a few months before he joined us. He eventually started coming regularly and we started meeting one-on-one. You would have to ask him how beneficial that our time was. Eventually, I graduated and moved on to Mars Hill Graduate School, but Pat kept meeting with Matt. A few years later Pat was baptized at Calvary Baptist Church, which I was fortunate enough to attend.

About a week ago Pat called me and invited me to come down to Ft. Lewis to give him his oath so, of course, I couldn’t turn him down. I am glad I could do this for Pat and I feel honored that he asked me to do it.