2024
Sydnie’s Story of Belonging
I have never been someone who envisions myself as a part of something. I contribute to things. I participate when required. I have friends. I have family. I’ve been on teams. I’ve just never really felt like I was more than a solitary unit. I am simply more comfortable being alone than relying on other people. I can’t remember the time in my life when this started, but I can remember the time when it ended.
2024
Shelby’s Story of Hope
I am a senior studying Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. After undergrad, I am planning on going into environmental law and policy. I have been involved with LCM for 4 years. Almost all my classes are centered on climate change in some way. I learn about the many issues the world is facing and will hopefully help solve one day, but also, it can be draining as I am constantly bombarded with the idea that: 1) there are many different facets to climate change and 2) there is too much to overcome, and we can’t fix it.
It can be easy to fall into the pit of despair of life, with the constant bombardment of information that we have readily accessible — we as humans were not meant to experience this much pain in a single day. We become accustomed to the hard times, to the death, to the destruction of others and the planet. We say it’s just another day in the life and keep on moving. I find this to be exhausting. And it would crush me if I let it.
2023
Exploring God’s Call(s) in Your Life
Vocation is an English word that grows from the Latin root, vocare, which means “to call.” As people of God, we are called by the one who names us beloved, before or beyond anything we do or don’t do. It is that grounding in unconditional grace, mercy, and love that sets us free to live a life of love, delight, and compassion. While the influence of our culture and economy might tell us that we have to find just the right job, or social circle, or partner in order to find that deep well of meaning and purpose, the Christian story is a different one. We rest in the love of God, and are called out of the deep well of God’s unconditional love to share that love with the world. That is our starting point.
2023
Be Community Together
As humans, we are made to be in relationship with one another, and in relationship with God. The Bible tells us that we are “The Body of Christ,” in this world, mysteriously bound together with one another, sharing in both the joy and sorrow that each member feels.
We need people and actual communities that can remind us of our belovedness in the eyes of God. We need people who will honor who we are, and who we are becoming. We need communities that recognize that mistakes happen when people take risks and try new things, and are willing to forgive and continue living together.
2023
Welcome Class of 2027!
Dear incoming freshmen,
Thinking back to when I was in your shoes last fall, I remember the flood of emotions that came with moving into a new dorm, starting new classes, and experiencing Welcome Week for the first time. There was nervousness, excitement, and just overall fatigue that came from uprooting what felt like a comfortable environment at home over the summer.
2022
Welcome New Students!
As I start my third year at the University of Minnesota, I remember my first semester on campus. The advice I got from everyone I knew who had already gone to college was to “join as many student groups as you can!” I was told it was a great way to make friends, which aside from handling my classes, was one of my biggest concerns about going to college.
2021
An Invitation to Lent
At LCM, we’re entering into this season, centered on the theme of wilderness. It’s a complicated, multilayered theme, and one that can sustain the journeys that you all will be on together and individually this season. Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, so we’ll prepare ourselves for his death and resurrection by wandering around together in the wilderness, wondering what God might be making of us. We’re taking care to make space for the hard stuff, while also acknowledging the surprises of beauty, joy, and sustenance that can find us in these wild places. You’ll have the opportunity to tell stories, make art, go on hikes, and serve your neighbor; among many other things, together in community.
2021
Capturing the Light: Seeking God in Photography
Written by Elaine Dorn
Siblings, animals, plants, bugs; anything and everything within reach was the waiting subject of my, perhaps a little over-zealous, snazzy rose gold digital camera that I received as a gift for my eleventh birthday. I loved snapshotting moments in time, catching the giggles of my younger sisters and brother and capturing tiny, everyday things that never failed to put a smile on my face: a roly-poly bug skittering across a blade of grass, the way sunlight peeked through the pine tree in my yard, and baby lambs scampering around the barn. Each of these moments, although small, were the ones that seemed the most impactful and worthy-of-capture to me because they disclosed the beautiful narrative found within simple, perfect moments in life.
Today, I still have that snazzy rose gold camera, even if it’s not my current moment-capturing tool of choice. However, my favorite instances to capture remain the same. I deeply love telling the stories of people, of places, and of the simple things that make the life we live so sweet. One thing I’ve learned, as a photographer, is that no story is too small or too imperfect to be worthy of telling; and I think it’s so incredibly profound in regards to our faith and God.
Personally, it is easy to believe that my story and I are not worthy of being told or noticed; that because I sometimes feel as though I don’t fit in or that I’m not enough, my story and I should just be scooted to the back corner where no one can see. However, as we look through the Bible, the people whose stories are told are just like me. Rarely are they the best of the bunch, the loudest, the brightest, the wisest, or the smartest; they are individuals with plenty of mistakes, insecurities, and struggles. Just because they are imperfect, ordinary people does not mean that God does not use them in absolutely incredible ways. It doesn’t matter if they are as talented as the people surrounding them, or if they feel about as impactful as a roly-poly bug on a blade of grass. God chooses to capture their story, and through it, show people the depth of God’s love. In fact, it is through those imperfections that God does his greatest work (definitely check out 2 Corinthians 12:9). I have found the same to be true, time and time again, as a photographer. It is pretty rare for perfection to tell a good story through photos. However, candid, imperfect moments are the ones that never fail to create a photo that brings delight and joy to a viewer. The same can be said for ourselves. If we allow God to use us in our mess, in our imperfection, and in our candid moments, God can bring life and love to those around us in ways we never thought possible.