{"id":2396,"date":"2021-03-02T13:55:07","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T18:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/campus.cru.org\/faculty\/?p=2396"},"modified":"2023-07-18T21:08:28","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T01:08:28","slug":"im-working-on-a-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/campus.cru.org\/faculty\/2021\/im-working-on-a-building\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m Working on a Building"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Negro Spiritual<\/p>

“I\u2019m working on a building
It\u2019s a true foundation
<\/span>I\u2019m holding up the bloodstains
<\/span>For my Lord<\/span><\/p>

I\u2019ll never get tired
Of working on the building
<\/span>Going up to heaven
<\/span>To get my reward”<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I waited, sitting across from a top administrator at my new university, hopeful but also slightly anxious. What response would I receive? What if the administrator rejected my proposal, like before?<\/p>

Some years previously, at a different university, the Lord revealed to me the need for an on-campus, non-denominational Bible study. As a local pastor and also a professor, I held a unique position serving the community in the pulpit Sunday and teaching ethics at the university during the week.<\/p>

I approached a university official and asked about developing a Bible study on campus. The administrator expressed concern that the optics of such a venture might not be right and I may be accused of using my role to put pressure on students to embrace my religion.  I was therefore advised not to do it and I submitted to the institutional authority over me.<\/p>

For the time being, I concentrated on my off-campus ministry. Perhaps the opportunity to actively lead a campus ministry was not in my future, I thought. I laid aside the blueprints for a campus Bible study but God did not neglect the foundation he started building in my heart.<\/p>

The negro spiritual \u201cWorking on a Building\u201d describes how the Christian labors to add to the \u201ctrue foundation\u201d laid by Christ. The song describes a tireless energy to build the kingdom of God before \u201cGoing up to heaven \/ To get my reward.\u201d  To feel that kind of energy in the face of setbacks or discouragement can be difficult. However, with perseverance, the energy of the Spirit can and will sustain.<\/p>

So here I waited, years later, sitting in front of an administrator at my new appointment, asking his permission to begin a campus Bible study. After my previous experience, I was wary and tried not to get my hopes too high. What if I received the same rejection?<\/p>

But this time the response from the administrator was an emphatic and overwhelming \u201cYes! We could use more activities like that on campus!\u201d Thus began the \u201cTigers In The Word\u201d Bible study on campus.<\/p>

Since the ministry began in January 2019, God has been doing a unique work through Tigers in the Word.  The study lasts one hour per week. A variety of speakers expose students to different messages from scripture. The students have become more comfortable with each other through discussion and dialogue. God\u2019s stamp of approval has been all over it.<\/p>

God\u2019s assignments do not always come void of challenges and disappointments. Instead of allowing doubt to hinder our progress, we can utilize setbacks as stepping stones to God\u2019s perfect will. An assignment delayed is not necessarily an assignment denied. I never tire of working on this building because working for the Master is its own reward!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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William C. McCoy<\/b>
Educational Leadership
Clemson University<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Negro Spiritual “I\u2019m working on a building It\u2019s a true foundation I\u2019m holding up the bloodstains For my Lord I\u2019ll never get tired Of working on the building Going up to heaven To get my reward” I waited, sitting across from a top administrator at my new university, hopeful but also slightly anxious. What response […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50274,"featured_media":288,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2438],"tags":[2952,2953,2951,2954],"class_list":["post-2396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mentoring-students","tag-building","tag-foundation","tag-negro-spiritual","tag-william-mccoy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nI'm Working on a Building - Faculty Commons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/campus.cru.org\/faculty\/2021\/im-working-on-a-building\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I'm Working on a Building - Faculty Commons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Negro Spiritual “I\u2019m working on a building It\u2019s a true foundation I\u2019m holding up the bloodstains For my Lord I\u2019ll never get tired Of working on the building Going up to heaven To get my reward” I waited, sitting across from a top administrator at my new university, hopeful but also slightly anxious. 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