Last night's large group went very well. Thanks for your prayers.
Tomorrow morning I'll pull behind Ehringhaus dorm on campus at around 8:30 a.m. I'll pick up Joe and Kevin, two outstanding sophomore guys in our fellowship, and we'll make the two-hour trip to Concord, NC, for Jason Ray's funeral.
Perhaps after eleven years of campus ministry the surprise should be that this is my first funeral, but it's hard to think of it that way.
Joe and Kevin were freshmen last year in Jason Ray's small group Bible study in Ehringhuas. J-Ray and Brian co-led "that" freshmen guy's small group. Every year there seems to be one guys small group that is the powder-keg of quality male leaders that will fuel the chapter for their next four years.
Joe and Kevin were in "that" small group last year. This year they're leading "that" small group with a bunch of their freshmen guys stepping onto leadership next year in several different capacities.
I was scrolling through my cell-phone last night before large group, looking for someone to give a last-minute testimony about a big year-end conference that we're recruiting students to sign up for. I didn't even know that I had it, but there was J-Ray's cell phone number. Do I delete it? I considered for a moment and decided not yet. It felt too permanent or something.
Psychologists say that funerals provide all-important closure. And of course, I'm glad for that for me and for my students. But in another way, of course, I'm glad to say that Jason's legacy will continue for several more student generations, through leadership of many more "that" guy's small groups, long after tomorrow.
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