Autumn in Hanover is spectacular and it’s a delight to have the entire student population back on campus. There are still some Covid protocols in place but overall, campus life feels like it has returned to normal. The bustle of students in town is a welcome sight even if it means getting stuck in traffic waiting at crosswalks.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
With a wonderful play on words, Phillips Brooks captured both the glory of being made in God’s image and the humbling, life-altering pursuit of knowing God. This week in our Bible courses in the second chapter of Philippians, we will encounter the jaw-dropping ‘Christ Hymn.’ This brush with greatness not only describes the nature and character of the Messiah, but as the grizzled Apostle Paul contends in the remainder of his letter that Jesus’ example had become the standard for us: the cruciform life.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
- Proverbs 19:21
His purpose fulfilled—that’s our heart’s cry!
Plans were made to ensure that newcomers and returning students were welcomed to Christian Union Nova for a strong spiritual and academic year despite the effects of a pandemic. Our Father has not only honored those plans, but He has heard all of our prayers and superseded every expectation. Glory to God!
Career "Calling" Takes on New Meaning for Some
In the past fifty years, the number of hours logged at work has declined for some demographics, remained the same for those in the middle class, but surprisingly, for wealthy men, the number of hours spent working has increased enormously. For some in this high-income group, work has become a “kind of religion, promising identity, transcendence, and community.” It’s called workism.
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”
By Dr. Ben Pascut
Editor’s note: The following article by Dr. Ben Pascut, Christian Union’s ministry director at Yale University, was part of a series of devotionals for Christian Union Day and Night’s recent two-week “Return to Me” national fast.
Greetings from Palo Alto!
Fall quarter is underway at Stanford, as are our Bible courses! In our study of Philippians, we recently meditated on God’s all-encompassing and lovingly wise command for our thoughts and actions:
Since the last update, we have closed out our Freshman Welcoming Campaign. Throughout the campaign, we were blessed to have had 100+ meaningful interactions with freshmen, and 35+ of whom were interested in our Bible courses. To close out our Freshman Welcoming Campaign, we were able to host a Fall Retreat where 34 students came to build closer relationships, grow deeper in their faith, and be challenged to live for Christ in greater boldness.
God is at Yale. The Bible calls them signs; our students call them God sightings—everyday moments that remind us of God’s character. We think of them as events that cause us to give praise to God. Some are “wow” moments, and others are small in nature.
At CU Lux, we practice sharing God sightings during weekly gatherings in small and large groups or in one-on-one meetings. There’s never an awkward silence. God is seen in action all the time. Students testify that He is the I AM, the one who is present with his people at Yale:
Christian Union NY praises God for those who heeded the call to pray each day of the month of September specifically for Christian and secular leaders in New York!
Here is a testimony from a friend of the ministry, Candy Rice, describing some specific ways the Holy Spirit was leading her to pray! Hallelujah to the Great Shepherd who still speaks through His Spirit to those whom He knows, and whose sheep hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27).
Harvard Alumna Thankful for Cornerstone Partners Bible Study
By Alexandra Tartaglia, Harvard ’17
It was January of 2021, and I had been living at my parents’ house in my hometown of Rye, New York. I was completing my final semester of law school virtually, as the Fordham University School of Law campus was closed because of the pandemic.
Repentance Was the Focus for Recent CU Day and Night Fast
By Dr. Chuck Hetzler
In the last two weeks of August, 3,884 believers from across the United States prayed, repented, and cried out to the Lord when they participated in CU Day and Night’s “Return to Me” fast.
Seeking God Lifestyle
Free Offer: Get the "Seeking God Lifestyle" Bible Course Manual. Download this 67-page, 5-lesson course in PDF format. Please email: Andy.Woodard@christianunion.org.
Hope for Restless Souls
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you. — Psalm 63:1
What does it mean to “earnestly” seek the Lord? According to Oxford Languages, the adverb earnestly means “with sincere and intense conviction; seriously.”
New Minsitry Fellow Excited About Fall Campaign
By Tom Campisi, Managing Editor
Sheri Casali, a new Christian Union ministry fellow, is especially passionate about discipleship. As the fall semester begins for CU Libertas, she is filled with hope and excitement when she considers the potential impact of mentoring students at such a prominent university like Brown.
'Our Nation Needs Leaders Who Follow the Example of Christ'
By Hope Arbery
In the book of Mark, there is a story about a paralytic man. After hearing about the powerful works of Jesus, his friends literally carried him to Jesus because they wanted him to be healed. They overcame every obstacle so that they might bring their friend to the only one who could save him.
A Christian Union Virtual Forum held on September 21, 2021
Social critic and author Os Guinness wove together Scripture, history, and a nuanced, thoughtful assessment of the crisis now facing our country. He began by detailing the history of revolutions and the lessons we can learn from that past. He tackled challenging questions from audience members on a huge range of topics about a world that so often seems to set on disobeying God. Os finished his commentary with a powerful call to all faithful Christians: "Let's make sure that we understand great biblical truths like human dignity and justice, and we are known to be the champions and defenders of the highest views of human justice and freedom that the current world knows."
Sadly, Many Americans Do Not
A 2021 survey indicates that sixty percent of Americans who regularly attend church believe there is no such thing as the Holy Spirit. According to the survey, these churchgoers believe that the Holy Spirit is merely a symbol of God’s presence or purity or power. As pastor and author Matt Chandler points out in this sermon, the survey indicates that a majority of American Christians do not have a trinitarian understanding of God; most of us don’t know the God we worship.
Tanaka ’23 Launches Online Apologetics Forum
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
At most of the nation’s leading universities, Christian scholarship is not taken seriously. Whether it is courses that teach the Bible from a strictly literary perspective and neglect available scholarship, or students passively believing that Christianity has no response to deep philosophical questions, the Gospel is often ignored completely or viewed with disdain as ignorant and unthoughtful. Jonathan Tanaka wants to change that.
CU Nova Leader Interns with Goldman Sachs
By Anne Kerhoulas, Staff Writer
Goldman Sachs, a premier investment banking, securities, and investment management group, is known for offering a handful of remarkable college-aged students a grueling internship where they often log eighty hours per week. The intensity of these positions is notorious, allowing only a select bunch of top students to say, “I got Goldman” when they come through the recruiting season for finance positions.
Greg Epstein Is 'Good Without God'
Harvard has appointed Greg Epstein as the new Chief Chaplain; he is an atheist. The hiring has elucidated ire from conservative institutions gawking at how someone who believes God does not exist could possibly be the president of such a spiritually-minded, albeit diverse, group of individuals. Meanwhile, others have congratulated Harvard for their willingness to represent their student body and acknowledge atheism as a valid spiritual pursuit.
