May 17, 2010

Baptism Profile: Ryan Watters

Name: Ryan Watters
Hometown: Fort Worth, TX
Vocation: Real Estate Appraiser
Favorite movie: A River Runs Through It
Favorite ice cream: Cookies n Cream (Blue Bell)

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
An online quiz said that my superhero power should be Plasma Blasts…not sure exactly what plasma blasts are so I’m going to stick with flying. It would be awesome to cruise around with a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood and especially nice to skip over some of this Austin traffic.

If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?
I would be a trout. That way I would know if the flies I use to catch them actually look like real food or if they are just humoring me because the ensuing battle is just as much fun for them as it is for me.

Character in scripture that you relate to the most and why?
At present, I would say Nathanael. Nathanael was found sitting under a fig tree when Phillip informed him that he had found Jesus. It was a Jewish custom to sit, pray and meditate under the branches of these trees because you would be almost completely hidden from sight. Prior to moving to Austin I was living in Fort Worth which is where I grew up and lived most of my life. It was a comfortable place for me socially and spiritually, a place that was easy for me to be “hidden”, my fig tree so to speak. In order to follow Jesus, Nathanael had to leave someplace comfortable. Jesus told Nathanael that he would see even greater things than knowing his whereabouts under the tree. Moving to Austin has been a move from comfort, both in faith and social life, to a life of faith lived out in community which is definitely out of the comfort zone. Even though it may not always be comfortable, Jesus made it clear that following Him wouldn’t always be comfortable, the growth I’ve experienced has been awesome and just as Jesus promised Nathanael he would see even greater things, I’m excited to see the greater things that lie ahead.

What does resurrection mean to you personally? How does it change the way you live?
It means new beginnings, freedom and hope. A new beginning and fresh start, it’s like the lime green colors of spring replacing the old dead growth from last winter. It creates a shift from looking to always please myself to looking for ways I can serve God in every situation.

What does it look like to be resurrected from an individualistic American to a communal way of life following Christ?
Being resurrected to a communal way of life following Christ means dying to yourself everyday. I thought I knew what that meant but moving into the Fireseed community here in east Austin has given me an awesome new perspective on what that truly means. God has created us all with different gifts and purposes and moving into a communal way of life following Christ has not only allowed me to see that, it has allowed God to change my heart and thought process from, what do you have that benefits me to what gifts do we have that we can use together for the kingdom. Sometimes that means having to sacrifice what is easy and comfortable, dying to self.

What does resurrection look like with your vocation, calling and place in this world?
Recently, I’ve been faced with some tough moral/ethical decisions in the workplace, something I’ve never had to deal with before, and it’s caused me to reevaluate who it is I’m really trying to please in the workplace. It’s a struggle everyday and something I’m still trying to figure out but resurrection gives me the freedom and desire to do what pleases God and not necessarily the person in the office next to me. It challenges me to explore the gifts and talents I’ve been given and learn how I can use those in the body of Christ to further His kingdom.

[Photo by speedye @ Flickr]

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