“Eliab” (not his real name) was older, taller, tougher, gruffer, and grizzlier than any student in my “Introduction to Ethics” class before or since. His silent, steely-eyed stare from the middle of the front row, a few feet from me, felt like a wall. While I knew what God said when Samuel thought David’s brother […]
Some years ago, I was laser-focused on two things: raising my young children and getting promoted to the next rung on the academic ladder. Although I was a believer, I had never considered the university as my mission field. Fortunately, God pulled back the curtain and let me see what He was doing, despite me. […]
For several years, I have taken a step of faith and started the first day of teaching by identifying as a Christian. This is for my own accountability since it makes me keenly aware that my behavior is linked to my identity as a follower of Jesus. I explain to them that because I follow Jesus, […]
Not long ago, I was at a research conference with students and faculty members from the region. At a mentoring breakfast, I sat with several students and a “more seasoned” faculty member from another institution. A student asked the two of us to share about our academic training and how we ended up in academia.The […]
Last summer, a Christian colleague encouraged me to share my story of trusting Jesus Christ on MeetTheProf.com. MeetTheProf is a website for Christian professors to write about their faith journeys and other information about themselves, making it easy to share the link with their students and colleagues. I liked the idea of having my profile […]
Before the pandemic, I had the privilege of going on two summer mission trips with Faculty Commons. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these trips are highlights of my 30+ year career as a professor. My purpose in writing this Missional Moment is to encourage other Christian professors to be open to […]
As I’ve been reading the book of Colossians, I’ve been struck by the scope of what God calls us to as professors. It motivates me to think beyond the confines of my natural inclinations and previous models of what it means to be a Christian professor. /*! elementor – v3.12.2 – 23-04-2023 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading […]
“Dr. Ken, can I talk to you for a minute? I know that you are a Christian….” It was the first week of classes for the spring semester, and a student I will call Alice stopped me after class. She had struggled in a previous math class of mine, and I knew her slightly. I […]
“The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.” Psalm 97:6 In what way do the heavens proclaim the righteousness of God? I think natural science has some insight into this question. It is not just that the heavens proclaim the Glory of God, though they do, and their voice goes out through […]
At some point in our lives, we seek answers to the grander questions in life, such as why am I here? What does God want me to do with my life? As a person who takes comfort in knowing “the plan” ahead of time, I must admit that I’m not always clear on what God’s […]
