Yale University
Our Biblical faith is the affirmation that God’s presence changes our lives in transformative ways. Once we were no people, but now we are God’s people; once we had not received mercy, but we have now received mercy. Once we were nothing, now we are something (1 Peter 2:10).
With Yale University students back on campus for the spring semester, CU Lux organized a retreat that invited students to unite for conversations about God’s transformative power and presence in their lives. The virtual retreat began with icebreakers that warmed up the conversation and continued with a heart-opening time of worship. Students experienced the liveliness of God’s presence in small group Bible study, silent moments of reflection, one-on-one prayer, and large group testimony sharing.
All of us are prone to forget the things God has done for us. We need reminders. When Joshua led God’s people towards their new home, they had to cross the Jordan River ( Joshua 3:15-16). God parted the waters, and His people walked through on dry land (v. 17). To create a memorial of this miracle, they took twelve stones from the middle of the riverbed and stacked them on the other side (4:3, 6–7). When others asked what the stones meant, God’s people would tell the story of what God had done that day.
As we stand at the close of 2020, we at CU Lux are continuing to reflect on how we’ve needed to cope, adapt, and endure as many familiar landmarks of doing ministry have been drastically shifted during this time. We’ve been learning to grow in our faith in the Lord, but are amazed to experience the goodness of the Lord as we’ve tried to lean on Him.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you… Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it…. pray for us.
Dear CU Lux Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
CU Lux deeply values your love, prayers, and support through the many changing seasons this year has brought. One thing we do know is that God who calls us is faithful through it all!
In these challenging times, I hope that you have been able to guard and keep your joy in the Lord. The joy of the Lord is a wonderful source of strength, and I have been noticing recently how easy it can be for a past problem or future uncertainty to steal the fullness of joy that God has for us in the present moment. Remember Jesus’s desire that His joy may be in us and our joy may be full (John 15:11)!
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you this afternoon.
Facing difficult COVID-related financial shortfalls from donors unable to sustain their normal giving this upcoming year, CU made the difficult decision to lay off over 30 people across our organization last month. This has affected every campus where CU ministers, including Yale. Therefore, we are saying goodbye to Jane Hendrickson and Michael Racine right on the cusp of what was already shaping up to be a challenging semester for ministry. As I have expressed to our CU Lux community, these 2 servant-leaders have glorified God so well in their work. Jane, a 6-year veteran has been a highly-competent, faithful, loving, servant-hearted leader helping this ministry continue on true to its mission over many, many seasons. She has gone above and beyond to serve each of our individual students, the ministry at Yale, and the broader CU organization. Michael, with 3 years on our team, has brought academic excellence, theological depth, and a compassionate heart to our campus and organization. He as inculcated in others a real heart for seeking God with his well-measured and God-centered words in teaching and everyday conversation. Blessings to you, Michael, as you transition to another role in Christian Union.
The One Who Is, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loyalty and faithfulness, maintaining loyalty for a thousand generations, bearing iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will not leave them unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on their children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation. —Exodus 34:6–7
This spring and summer, many Americans have been made increasingly aware of the reality that, whether we like it or not, the iniquity of past generations does weigh on us. To be sure, there's much more we have yet to attend to—both in terms of disarming the spiritual and cultural forces that militate against true racial reconciliation, and in terms of the many other sins that have been allowed to fester for too long. And yet, we thank our God, who is, and was, and is to come, for His unfailing covenant loyalty and faithfulness.
“We will not neglect the house of our God.” Nehemiah 10:39
After returning from exile in Babylon, Ezra and the priests gather the Israelites together in a great corporate assembly to renew their covenant with God. In his prayer, Ezra carefully pronounces how each offering, tithe, and “first fruit” of dough, oil, wine, etc. is to be brought accordingly into the house of God. As Ezra prays summarizing the Levitical instructions the Israelites have had for years, his recasting is so clear that you can practically “see” the disorder of their sinful ways atrophying and the good, pleasing order of flourishing provision, celebration, and thankfulness materializing before their eyes.
I love the long New England spring and earliest glimpses of summer, complete with vivid green grass and blue skies. These annual transformations flood our senses and happen right on cue per God’s decree each May. This year, however, we missed seeing one of the most satisfying transformations of all—the procession of graduates flowing through Phelps Gate into old campus on Monday, May 18th. We know they celebrated uniquely in each of their homes, but the caps, gowns, and sweet smiles of victory and triumph are always a joy to see!
May 30, 2020 and May 31, 2020
Christian Union Lux, Christian Union's ministry at Yale, hosted a virtual reunion for the Class of 2014 and the Class of 2015 on May 30, 2020 from 4:00 - 5:00pm EST.
Christian Union Lux hosted a virtual reunion for all alumni on Sunday, May 31, 2020 from 4:00 - 5:00pm. Christian Union Lux invited participants from all classes, all denominations, and all Christian ministries to this annual event. Thanks for joining us!
Learn More
For questions about how to get involved with alumni groups or Christian Union Lux on campus, contact Christian Union's VP of Alumni Engagement Christine Foster: christine.foster@christianunion.org.
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