My first Urbana as a staff member was 1987. One of the things that stands out in just about every Urbana attendee is the theme and the scripture framing our triennial missions conventions. This year’s morning expositions are coming from the book of Jonah. Funny thing. That’s exactly what we’re doing this week – 38 years later!

Click here to be taken to Tim’s donation page at InterVarsity

Somehow Urbana has managed over all these years to keep it’s grip on making scripture the central message. Of course there have been terrific expositors time and again. But I love it that students are surrounded by the voice of the Lord for nearly an entire week! Scripture is read. Scripture is brought to life with art and music. Scripture is studied in small groups. And scripture is brought to life in student’s imagination as they hear stories of the mission of Jesus happening over the entire planet.

Staff who attend Urbana are all given a job. I’ve done everything from handing out cough drops to loading school busses in a parking lot, to proctoring workshops. One year Cheryl and I got to be the chauffeurs for platform speakers! This year I get to coach LeadX students! These are the student leaders of the small group bible studies. There are only 497 of them! That’s because with the overall convention numbers being over 7,000, you need quite a few small group leaders!

So my day today began with a small group leader’s gathering at 7:30 am. After the morning plenary session we helped students find their room and table with a LeadX student at each one. I coached two small group leaders as they lead their groups in a study of Jonah 1. Then I spent the afternoon in prayer and coaching conversations with students and leaders who signed up for a one on one with me.

I think the thing that struck me the most today is how enduringly relevant the message of Jonah is. My table of 8 grad students lit up for a solid hour of inductive bible discussion about Jonah. So many things completely hijack attentive readers:

• Jonah is a prophet of Yahweh with an absolutely rebellious and cynical attitude.
• Pagan sailors make vows and sacrifices to the God Jonah was running away from.
• Jonah is consigned to death. The sailors are struggling for their lives!
• Jonah is fleeing God. The pagans are penitent, believing and grateful for God’s mercy.
• Pagans obey. The seas obey. The fish obeys. Jonah resolutely defies God’s leadership.

“Jonah reminds us that God’s servants need mercy and salvation just as much as the worst of the lost need it.” God’s mercy is vastly greater than our wildest imagination and if we’re not careful, our own rebellion against God’s goodness will blind us to his purposes in the world. Jonah is an awful staff worker. He’s a crummy Christian. He’s the most unlikely servant the Lord could possibly have chosen. He’s not so unlike you and me!

Pray for the message of Jonah to unfold this week among staff, students and church leaders. We’re off to a great start. Pray that God would truly remove our rebellion and expand our vision of his mercy for a broken world.