2015
God Is in All of Us
By Student Servant Leader, Corey Bergman
I had a different blog already written for this week, but I’ve decided it was inappropriate in light of the terrorist attack in Paris. I had a blog all ready to go that was full of passion, and anger towards people putting more anger into the world. There are more than 100 people dead in a series of bombings and a shooting that took place in Paris, and something tells me the people who did it had quite a bit of anger themselves.
It is for this reason that I am re-writing my blog; I just cannot put more anger into a world that is already brimming with it. Although to be honest I do not have much to say. Unfortunately at the current moment I am still speechless.
The bible says a lot of things, but it was written long ago, and words of advice on how to respond when people blow themselves up, and shoot a bunch of people are hard to find seeing as guns, and dynamite didn’t exist yet.
The only thing I can think of is that there is a little bit of God in all of us, and God is the best at bringing hope to the hopeless, joy to the saddest, and help to an impossible situation. That’s why all I can say is I hope everyone can find that little piece of them, and use it to fight all the anger, and sadness that is going around right now. Also please Pray for Paris.
Peace
2015
Beer & Hymns: a Night of Community & Spirit
By Student Servant Leader, Dana Rademacher
Two weeks ago, Lutheran Campus Ministry, along with the young adults from two local congregations (Grace & ULCH), met at Blarney’s Pub & Grill for a beautiful night of community, beer, and song.
Since I enjoy a good brew and folk music is not-so guilty pleasure of mine, I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend my Thursday night. It was our first Beer & Hymns of the year, so it was a small group, no more than 25 I reckon. But we illuminated the basement of Blarney’s with such liveliness that it felt so much fuller than that.
With the intensity of the guitar, and our deep, spirit-filled singing & clapping, we were a loud, spirited bunch. I can’t help but smile when I imagine what the fellow bar patrons thought upstairs as we belted out “Praise the Lord, I saw the light” and many other hymns that night.
Yes, the irony did strike me…we are doing church…in a bar. Definitely not something you see everyday and I’m sure the people upstairs were confused. I actually spoke with a few people who practically did a double take when I used the words “beer” and “hymns” in the same sentence.
However, I also can’t recall a time (maybe aside from our student worship pause), where I felt so much energy, spirit and vulnerability from a group of people. Plus, it was in a fun environment and I got to meet lots of other young adults from around the area!
After going to my first Beer & Hymns, I know two things for certain:
1) I will most definitely be attending our next Beer & Hymns (Nov. 12th!)
-and-
2) I love this community, but I will sadly be graduating this spring. And when I do, and depart from the Twin Cities, I will for sure be searching for a church community that embraces its young adults with fun, community building events such as this!
While you may not hear about it everyday, yes, you can do church in a bar. And yes, God still shows up there, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20).
And yes, it is awesome.
2015
Remembering Those We Love
By Student Servant Leader, Emily Mentz
This past Sunday the Christian church celebrated All Saints Day. It is the time of year when many cultures celebrate those that have passed away before them; perhaps it is something about the fall that inspires this in so many.
All Saints Day is a day of remembrance, as we share stories of those who have impacted us and think about the connection we share with the generations that came before, and those that will follow us.
When I was seven, my grandmother passed away from esophageal cancer, and the memories I have of Grandma Joyce are few, but they are rich. She was a short woman with a smile like home-baked cookies and an embrace that made you feel like you were home and warm and safe. She could often be found sitting on the floor, covered in her grandbabies, bringing an element of calm to the chaos. She had the most grateful heart, as you could give her a plane ticket to Acapulco or a rock you found in the front yard and her reaction to it would be the same. As her cancer progressed and she got her wig, she allowed my cousins and I to touch it, to touch her, to ask questions.
My memories of my Grandma are not clouded by her illness, for her beauty shone through it all. I now see pieces of the memories of my grandma in my mom; in her laugh and the way she answers the phone. As the holidays approach, I don’t think that the loss of my Grandma is one my family will ever cease to feel. However, we have not lost our connection to her, and I know she is among the saints that we will meet again in Heaven.
