Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from Cambridge!
While the heartfelt note was originally intended for Winter Retreat planners and facilitators, it is more than appropriate to extend this ‘thank you’ to you. Seventy-five students attended this highly subsidized retreat—many of them new to the organization. If there is ever any question as to whether or not retreats are worth all the fuss, the twelve students that voluntarily shared at the end of our time together could not have delivered a more emphatic ‘YES’. Their personal stories were raw, funny, honest, and powerful. Rumor has it that some old guy in the back was moved to tears (not surprising) and was tempted to shout a time or two (awkward). Rest assured that proper decorum was maintained throughout and everyone returned to campus safely.
Last weekend we were blessed and encouraged by the ministry of Jack Deere and Michael Miller. While Dr. Deere is best known for his book Surprised by the Power of the Holy Spirit, I would also very much recommend his memoir Even in Our Darkness. We invited them to share at DOXA (our Leadership Lecture Series) and hosted a ministry time in our office space on Saturday morning. One of our goals is to regularly introduce subject matter related to the work of the Holy Spirit. In the past several weeks, we have created space for conversations with application on the topics of spiritual gifts, prophecy, healing prayer, and spiritual warfare.
Prayer Requests:
- We are hitting our stride and by God’s grace have generated some momentum. Please pray that we would remain faithful to the fundamentals of our faith; namely a wholehearted, disciplined pursuit of God. At the end of his time with us, Dr. Deere directed us to Paul’s incredible prayer in Ephesians 3. I would encourage you to memorize or meditate on it. Jack’s daily prayer for years has been that he would better comprehend and experience God’s love for him. I honestly cannot think of a more life-changing, impactful prayer.
- Please pray for several students in our community with personal connections to Ukraine. Our Seeking God leaders helpfully called a prayer meeting in response to early aggressions. While we are not surprised by evil, murderous actions, and “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6-13), they are no less grievous and we are embracing our duty to pray.
Thank you for standing with us. May the Lord’s will be done.
Grace and Peace,
Don Weiss
Ministry Director
Christian Union Gloria
Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates on how to pray for Christian Union's work at Harvard, please email prayer@christianunion.org.
