Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
Grand Canyon University President Brian Mueller, who continued his tradition of delivering the first Chapel talk of the semester on Monday at Global Credit Union Arena, spoke about life's journey to discover who we are and how we can't always see what's ahead but that God has a greater plan for us.
“Life is a process,” emphasized Mueller, who painted an optimistic forecast for the year ahead.
“(This is) my 16th year at GCU, my 48th year in starting the school year, and I've never, ever felt this much excitement for what is going on as I have this year,” Mueller said.
But there is a process, he continued, even as he discussed the Gospel of Mark and how the word used most often is “immediately” in describing how Jesus pushes forward to build His kingdom.
Mueller connected with students who might be wondering whether they have selected the right major, the right classes or right friends.
As an example, he shared the story of Jesus healing the blind man of Bethsaida from Mark 8:22-30.
In the story, Jesus leads a blind man outside of the village, spits in his eyes and asks if he sees anything.
“I see people, but they look like trees walking around,” the blind man says before Jesus puts His hands on the the man's eyes and restores his vision.
The story is close to Mueller’s heart, as he recalled receiving a telephone call in April from one of his six sisters telling him to call their 94-year-old mother, who was in failing health and likely to pass away before he could see her again.
“I want you to know that I love you and that I'm ready," Mueller recalled his mom telling him. “I'm ready to be with Jesus."
Mueller does not remember how he responded, but her words have stuck with him because, he said, “I think about how clearly a picture she had of who she was, what her relationship with Jesus was, and where she was going.”
Mueller then spoke of the 14-year-old boy recently charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of four people at a Georgia high school. His father also was charged, with second-degree murder, manslaughter and child cruelty.
“How does a person get here?” Mueller asked. “And how do we move forward and get more people over here (on the right side) than over here (on the wrong side)?”
Mueller, a former teacher and basketball coach, shared a snippet of his own life to illustrate how life can be unpredictable. He was trying to support a family of five with another child on the way on a $5,000 per-semester salary at Arizona State University before shifting gears in his career, which led to his presidency at GCU.
“My career went in a totally different direction, but I didn't know it was that God was setting me up for this,” Mueller said. “ … If you want to give God a good laugh when you're 22 years old, tell Him what your plans are, because He's got His own plans for you.”
At his mother’s funeral service, Mueller spoke about how he and his seven siblings would have their lunch bags individually prepared, their clothes washed and cleaned, and that their mother would still have time to arrange piano lessons for them while starting her own ministry.
She would pay special attention to those who attended her ministry services alone and ask about their lives and families and eventually talk to them about Jesus.
“I'm telling you that because we don't have nearly enough people to get the job done today,” Mueller said. “We don't have enough pastors. We don't have enough professional church workers to get the job done, and so we've got to think of a new model.
“And when you're 71 years old like me, as a 22-year-old, you'll be so far from what you're thinking today. So how do we use what's happening here at Grand Canyon University to fill the need out there that is not being filled today.”
Mueller shared the story of a former athlete who built a successful whirlpool business that crashed after the 2008 recession and fell into severe debt within months.
The former pupil, a member of a Catholic chapel, embarked on a men’s Bible study before becoming a pastor and moved to Houston, where he works for GCU and has started a calvary chapel.
“We don't have enough people pastoring and ministering to the people that need it, so we're going to start a bivocational set of tracks for GCU students,” Mueller said. “I’m really excited about this because I think it’s the future.”
Such a program would fill several voids because most churches have fewer than 200 parishioners and cannot afford many full-time staff, Mueller said.
Mueller said many business majors who are pursuing a career as entrepreneurs also are Christian studies or biblical studies minors who want to create a product or service that can help people.
A marketing major, for instance, can help church members understand social media and grow their church’s visibility.
Churches also are seeking those who understand and can run technology, said Mueller, adding that the convenience of working remotely makes bivocational careers more realistic than in the past.
“Paul made a living making tents, and he was still the greatest evangelist in the world,” Mueller said.
Those interested in a bivocational track are encouraged to attend a meeting at 11 a.m. Oct. 11 in the Colangelo College of Business.
“It’s going to be the best year we’ve ever had, and let’s thank God for that,” Mueller said.
GCU senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
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