Dr. Craig Keener Makes His Case
Science and faith are always in opposition, right? It’s a basic assumption that most modern people take for granted, but is it true? Dr. Craig Keener, in this article for Christianity Today, dives into one of the most misunderstood assumptions of our time—that science and faith are contradictory.
Seeking God Is Not a Priority for Most Christians
Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.” For most, our days are filled with common things like work and relationships; the elements of life that are necessary. But we also fill our days with shows and movies, social media, and endless hours staring at a screen.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from Cambridge!
Faith is rising at Christian Union Nova as relationships with our Savior are formed and forged through Bible courses and large group fellowships!
CU Nova officially welcomed Mike Vincent as a Ministry Fellow for the spiritual development of young men. With his addition to the team, senior men are engaging the Vocational Prep Bible Course with “ah-ha!” moments of excitement when considering how theology shapes their work and stewardship as they prepare for life beyond Princeton. Junior and sophomore men are digging into Romans and learning to think deeply about the implications of the gospel, the life of faith, and the full purpose of their salvation. Finally, freshmen men are soaking up the need for a Seeking God Lifestyle “like a sponge!” They are hungry for the things of God and eager to seek Him and glorify Him on campus. In effect, the men’s Bible courses have grown numerically and spiritually. Glory to God, He’s answering our prayers!
We thank God every time we think of you, because of your partnership in the gospel with us! We are so grateful to God for the ways you support us in our endeavor, by God’s grace, to make disciples of Jesus at Stanford.
Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:1
Currently, our team is preparing for a campus-wide campaign to expose students to the gospel in a meaningful way. I, along with the newly appointed student leaders, are praying and strategizing on how to best facilitate this multi-tiered campaign. We know that God’s desire to have the gospel spread across Penn’s campus is greater than our own, and we are simply praying to partner with God in His work. We trust that as we proclaim the gospel it will be met with God’s power and promise (Isaiah 55:8-11).
Love never fails and never ends. Unlike the physical and temporal things, love has no expiration date. Even spiritual gifts will pass away because they are temporary provisions of God’s grace. But love never, ever loses its relevance. It remains no matter what. Love is and will always be an attribute of God’s eternal character. It won’t go away, but it can lose its power over us.
As the chair of our new Christian Union New York board recently put it, our intercession is like a battering ram that pounds on the doors of the kingdom of darkness until they are breached. There is a great battle around the world, as we all currently witness, and in New York City where we are called to stand in the evil day and pray! The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. -James 5:16
We continue to give thanks for our partners who, through their prayers and financial support, make the work here at Brown possible. We are rapidly approaching mid-semester in the academic calendar and students will be enjoying spring break later this month.
Greetings from New York City!
We praise God for partners like you who are supporting the work He is doing through Christian Union Lumine at Columbia. The students have reached the halfway point of the semester and will be facing midterms soon!
“You stayed up late to finish a paper so now you’re relying on caffeine to make it through the day. You’re stressed but professors keep piling on the schoolwork. Like some mutant academic hydra, every time you cut down an assignment, two more grow in its place.” These are the opening lines to an article by Andy Cimbala published recently on The Gospel Coalition website. This is a great encapsulation of how most Dartmouth students are feeling. The winter term is ending which means that finals, spring break plans, internship applications, and more are on the minds of our students. Burnout and exhaustion are a daily struggle but we are not without hope. Our identity is not rooted in our performance nor our capacity but in God who calls us His sons and daughters. This truth doesn’t make the work disappear, but it does give us the strength to endure. As spring break approaches, join me in thanking God for another term filled with Bible courses, worship, evangelism, discipleship, relationship building, and prayer. Here are two specific requests and a praise:
Students Challenged to Be Salt and Light at 2019 Nexus Conference
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Editor's note: This article, which features coverage of Christian Union's Nexus Conference, originally appeared in the Spring 2019 edition of Christian Union: The Magazine and is reprinted in conjuction with the publication's "Throwback Thursday" series.
Nick Nowalk Focuses on Bible Narrative, Romance, and Marriage
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Have you ever noticed that the Bible begins and ends with a wedding? The creation story of Genesis 1-2 culminates in the marriage covenant between Adam and Eve when God declares that it is not good for man to be alone and how a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife as one flesh. The story of God begins with a wedding, but it also ends in the same fashion as Jesus, the bridegroom, is finally united to his Bride, the Church, in Revelation 21-22.
Christian Union Ministry Director Inspires Football Players
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Noah Crane presented a game plan for life at the Big Green’s pre-season football camp and during fall semester Bible courses.
"If you love me, keep my commandments"
By Fady Ghobrial
Editor’s note: The following devotional was written in conjunction with Christian Union Day and Night’s recent two-week fast: “National Obedience Brings National Revival.”
Esau McCaulley Opines About a True, Biblical Union
In the past fifty years, marriage has become less popular, divorce rates have gone up, and the rise of no-fault divorce laws have introduced an era of the contractual—not covenantal—marriage. What happened to marriage? Is it that our modern sensibilities have finally realized that being joined to one other person for all of life is an unreasonable and impractical idea? Or perhaps, as Esau McCaulley posits in the New York Times, our views of work and personal ambitions have become more important than stable, sacrificial relationships.
CU New York Hosts Transformative Retreats, Conferences, and Salons
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Christian Union Fire is rapidly spreading, especially in New York City; Karen Hetzler, assistant ministry director of Christian Union New York, said CU Fire retreats are impacting alumni of influential universities and other Christian professionals in the Big Apple by drawing them closer to the Lord and increasing their desire to fast, pray, repent of sins, and live out a seeking God lifestyle.
Flynn Cratty Speaks at CU Gloria Lecture Series
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
“Harvard is a place of extraordinary achievement, but not always true flourishing.”
Aimee Joseph Presents a Biblical Paradigm
Decisions, decisions, decisions. We live in an era in which we have more choices than ever before. From which restaurant to visit, to what preschool is best for our kids, to which college degree we should pursue—we have never been more inundated with choices.
CU Lumine Provides Treats, Answers Questions about Christianity
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
“Does belief in Christianity work with belief in evolution?”
“Will God ever forgive me?”
“How can you say there’s only one true faith?”
These are a sampling of the questions submitted by Columbia students when Christian Union Lumine hosted its Message Me for Macarons outreach in December. After publicizing the event, students with CU Lumine delivered the macarons and answered questions via text messaging, all while earnestly praying.
