February 4, 2022
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” - Paul to the Church in Rome (Rom 15:13 ESV)
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from Cambridge!
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greetings from Cambridge!
January 6, 2022
The middle watch is past! Another year Dawns on the human race with hope and fear: The last has gone with mingled sigh and song, To join for ever its ancestral throng; And time reveals, As past it steals, The potent hand of God, the Everlasting, Guiding the sun, with all his blazing peers, And filling up the measure of our years, Until Messiah, Prince, to judgment hasting, Shall roll the darkness from this world of sin, And bid a bright eternity begin. — Unknown
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
On behalf of all of the staff and students involved in CU Gloria, thank you for your partnership in 2021 and a blessed New Year.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
On behalf of all of the staff and students involved in CU Gloria, thank you for your partnership in 2021 and a blessed New Year.
December 3, 2021
“Everything from quarks to quasars, butterflies to brain cells, was created so that you and I might delight in the display of divine glory. We alone can glorify God by rejoicing in the beauty of His creative handiwork and relishing the splendor of His revelation in the Person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ.” —Kelly Monroe Kullberg, Founder of The Veritas Forum; Editor/Co-Author of Finding God (at/Beyond) Harvard
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
In the Apostle Paul’s closing exhortation in his letter to the church in Philippi, he shared a final imperative. He told them to focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise” [Phil. 4:8 ESV]. This is no small challenge in a society convulsed with hard news. This plea follows his equally challenging instruction to give thanks in all circumstances as we wrestle with anxiety and frame and express heartfelt prayers to God. I can't think of a more practical chapter in the scriptures to bolster our mental health. It has been a joy to compare notes with students who have had their young(er) worlds turned upside down for nearly two years. As I share this update and reflect on the quote I shared from KMK, I must confess that I feel the need to engage with this prescription once again!
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
In the Apostle Paul’s closing exhortation in his letter to the church in Philippi, he shared a final imperative. He told them to focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise” [Phil. 4:8 ESV]. This is no small challenge in a society convulsed with hard news. This plea follows his equally challenging instruction to give thanks in all circumstances as we wrestle with anxiety and frame and express heartfelt prayers to God. I can't think of a more practical chapter in the scriptures to bolster our mental health. It has been a joy to compare notes with students who have had their young(er) worlds turned upside down for nearly two years. As I share this update and reflect on the quote I shared from KMK, I must confess that I feel the need to engage with this prescription once again!
November 4, 2021
“A person who rejects Christ may choose to say that I do not accept it, he may not choose to say there is not enough evidence.” -Simon Greenleaf, Founding Faculty Member, Harvard Law School
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greenleaf’s Testimony of the Evangelists is one of a thousand such apologetic works from lawyers, literary scholars, philosophers, and theologians who have argued for through the ages the veracity of the teachings of Jesus and eyewitness testimonies of his earliest followers. Last month I mentioned the stunning ‘Christ hymn’ in Philippians, chapter 2 (see also John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:15-20). As I say to students all of the time, the descriptions of the nature and person of Jesus in the New Testament are crazy talk unless we can support and defend them. The onus is on us to do our homework and to keep an open mind.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Greenleaf’s Testimony of the Evangelists is one of a thousand such apologetic works from lawyers, literary scholars, philosophers, and theologians who have argued for through the ages the veracity of the teachings of Jesus and eyewitness testimonies of his earliest followers. Last month I mentioned the stunning ‘Christ hymn’ in Philippians, chapter 2 (see also John 1:1-18; Colossians 1:15-20). As I say to students all of the time, the descriptions of the nature and person of Jesus in the New Testament are crazy talk unless we can support and defend them. The onus is on us to do our homework and to keep an open mind.
October 4, 2021
“The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is.” -Phillips Brooks, Harvard Class of 1855
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.
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.
September 3, 2021
“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” - 1:3-5 (ESV)
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Thank you for your continued support and investment in what the Lord is doing on Harvard’s campus through Christian Union Gloria. By God’s grace and your prayers, we had a wonderful pre-retreat, where the upperclassmen students were able to reconnect in-person after a long time apart. Our times in worship and the Word were a delight, and the students came back to campus ready to welcome the incoming class of 2025 into Christian community.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Thank you for your continued support and investment in what the Lord is doing on Harvard’s campus through Christian Union Gloria. By God’s grace and your prayers, we had a wonderful pre-retreat, where the upperclassmen students were able to reconnect in-person after a long time apart. Our times in worship and the Word were a delight, and the students came back to campus ready to welcome the incoming class of 2025 into Christian community.
August 5, 2021
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” - Philippians 1:21-26 - Psalms 85:4-7 (ESV)
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Thank you for staying connected by praying for the ministry through the summer. We have enjoyed a very fruitful summer season at Harvard, marked by the weekly Exodus Bible study, as well as the nightly student-led Prayer Corps. We are very excited for the fall semester, which will begin shortly in a few weeks. As we start to turn our attention to the fall semester, when the entire ministry will be studying together the Epistle to the Philippians, we ask you to join us in thanking God and in praying for the following:
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Thank you for staying connected by praying for the ministry through the summer. We have enjoyed a very fruitful summer season at Harvard, marked by the weekly Exodus Bible study, as well as the nightly student-led Prayer Corps. We are very excited for the fall semester, which will begin shortly in a few weeks. As we start to turn our attention to the fall semester, when the entire ministry will be studying together the Epistle to the Philippians, we ask you to join us in thanking God and in praying for the following:
July 1, 2021
“4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.” - Psalms 85:4-7 (ESV)
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Thank you for your continued support and prayer as we minister to the students at Harvard. This summer we have been walking through the book of Exodus. You can watch some of the Exodus teachings on our student ministry’s YouTube channel here. It has been a blessing to all the students who have been attending, as well as a place of weekly gathering as a community to study the Bible.
and put away your indignation toward us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
and grant us your salvation.” - Psalms 85:4-7 (ESV)
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Thank you for your continued support and prayer as we minister to the students at Harvard. This summer we have been walking through the book of Exodus. You can watch some of the Exodus teachings on our student ministry’s YouTube channel here. It has been a blessing to all the students who have been attending, as well as a place of weekly gathering as a community to study the Bible.
June 3, 2021
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.” -Exodus 15:1–3
Moses said those words in Exodus 15 after experiencing the deliverance of the Lord from the Egyptians, as a song of praise to the God who sees, saves, and provides for his people. We are grateful for God’s continued provision for our students, whom He has sustained this spring, our student leaders, whom God has continued to give vision to, and our ministry fellows, who have continued to serve and lead faithfully through a challenging season. We are ultimately grateful for God’s decisive act of deliverance in history through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, where He reconciled us to himself by grace through faith and freed us from the power and penalty of sin. Hallelujah!
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name.” -Exodus 15:1–3
Moses said those words in Exodus 15 after experiencing the deliverance of the Lord from the Egyptians, as a song of praise to the God who sees, saves, and provides for his people. We are grateful for God’s continued provision for our students, whom He has sustained this spring, our student leaders, whom God has continued to give vision to, and our ministry fellows, who have continued to serve and lead faithfully through a challenging season. We are ultimately grateful for God’s decisive act of deliverance in history through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, where He reconciled us to himself by grace through faith and freed us from the power and penalty of sin. Hallelujah!
May 6, 2021
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” - Jude 3
Those words from Jude 3 are now a part of the commission given to the outgoing seniors in the Harvard class of 2021. Our hope and prayer for them is that they would “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” as they head into their various fields of work upon graduation. Please continue praying for the class of 2021 as they transition into a new season and step into what the Lord has next for them.
“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” - Jude 3
Those words from Jude 3 are now a part of the commission given to the outgoing seniors in the Harvard class of 2021. Our hope and prayer for them is that they would “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” as they head into their various fields of work upon graduation. Please continue praying for the class of 2021 as they transition into a new season and step into what the Lord has next for them.
April 1, 2021
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” -Acts 13:2-3
This spring’s study of Acts has been an encouragement to all the juniors and sophomores who have been participating in it to seek God more wholeheartedly and seek to hear the voice of the Spirit as they boldly proclaim His name. Thank you also for your prayers that the freshmen who are studying the Seeking-God Lifestyle as well as the Sex and Spirituality curriculum. Continue to pray that they would be transformed by the content and experience spiritual growth through it. We believe those Bible courses have been impactful in the lives of the freshmen already.
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” -Acts 13:2-3
This spring’s study of Acts has been an encouragement to all the juniors and sophomores who have been participating in it to seek God more wholeheartedly and seek to hear the voice of the Spirit as they boldly proclaim His name. Thank you also for your prayers that the freshmen who are studying the Seeking-God Lifestyle as well as the Sex and Spirituality curriculum. Continue to pray that they would be transformed by the content and experience spiritual growth through it. We believe those Bible courses have been impactful in the lives of the freshmen already.
March 4, 2021
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
This spring semester, our sophomores and juniors have been walking through the book of Acts. Peter and the apostle’s example of boldness have continued to challenge believers for many generations. In Acts 5, after being arrested and told not to preach, Peter is freed by an angel then immediately gets back to preaching the gospel. Upon his consequent arrest, he responds to the council saying “We must obey God rather than men.” What great boldness! It is our hope and prayer that as we read and study these stories that they bring encouragement and hope to our hearts, moving the students to greater zeal for the name of Jesus and for advancing His gospel.
This spring semester, our sophomores and juniors have been walking through the book of Acts. Peter and the apostle’s example of boldness have continued to challenge believers for many generations. In Acts 5, after being arrested and told not to preach, Peter is freed by an angel then immediately gets back to preaching the gospel. Upon his consequent arrest, he responds to the council saying “We must obey God rather than men.” What great boldness! It is our hope and prayer that as we read and study these stories that they bring encouragement and hope to our hearts, moving the students to greater zeal for the name of Jesus and for advancing His gospel.
February 4, 2021
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and friends of the ministry,
As we enter a new semester of ministry to students, we are reminded of Psalm 31:19 which says: “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”
During winter break, CU Gloria was able to continue ministering to students in a number of ways, chiefly through a series of workshops about Hearing God’s Voice, Spiritual Warfare, and Leadership. There was also a wealth of student-to-student ministry taking place through discipleship groups and two student-led reading groups throughout the break.
On the precipice of this spring, many Harvard students are now celebrating their return to campus during the last two weeks of January. There are around 2,000 students back in campus housing by the river and in the Quad along with many more in the surrounding area who are living off-campus. The joy and high energy of starting this new semester were felt during the first Leadership Lecture Series (DOXA) where a number of students shared powerful testimonies about God’s work in their lives during winter break.
Thank you for your prayers and support in the ministry. Many students are growing in their faith because of your investment in CU Gloria.
As we enter a new semester of ministry to students, we are reminded of Psalm 31:19 which says: “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”
During winter break, CU Gloria was able to continue ministering to students in a number of ways, chiefly through a series of workshops about Hearing God’s Voice, Spiritual Warfare, and Leadership. There was also a wealth of student-to-student ministry taking place through discipleship groups and two student-led reading groups throughout the break.
On the precipice of this spring, many Harvard students are now celebrating their return to campus during the last two weeks of January. There are around 2,000 students back in campus housing by the river and in the Quad along with many more in the surrounding area who are living off-campus. The joy and high energy of starting this new semester were felt during the first Leadership Lecture Series (DOXA) where a number of students shared powerful testimonies about God’s work in their lives during winter break.
Thank you for your prayers and support in the ministry. Many students are growing in their faith because of your investment in CU Gloria.
January 7, 2021
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and Friends,
It is hard to believe that 2020, a truly eventful year with all its ups and downs, has finally come to an end. God has seen CU Gloria and our students through all the unexpected turns that met us this year like needing to shift early on in the spring semester to Zoom Bible courses and Zoom Doxas (our Leadership Lecture Series) and maintaining that momentum through the fall semester as well.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and Friends,
It is hard to believe that 2020, a truly eventful year with all its ups and downs, has finally come to an end. God has seen CU Gloria and our students through all the unexpected turns that met us this year like needing to shift early on in the spring semester to Zoom Bible courses and Zoom Doxas (our Leadership Lecture Series) and maintaining that momentum through the fall semester as well.
December 3, 2020
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as he told you. Mark 16:5-7
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and Friends of the Ministry,
We pray that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are reminded of all of God’s good gifts in your life. The CU Gloria Team is grateful for your support and we are especially grateful for Jesus’ empty tomb! This fall we have been journeying through the Gospel of Mark with many Harvard students in our Bible courses. Mark’s gospel ends with the incredible announcement and proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus, which is our hope. It is this gospel of the living Christ we proclaim that motivates us as we continue to love, serve, counsel, coach, and teach our students God’s word.
One huge praise is that Ministry Fellow Tyler Parker has led yet another student, a golfer, to Christ in mid-November. Hallelujah! CU Gloria also celebrates finishing the Gospel of Mark together in our Bible courses as well as the Sky-prayer gatherings which have been happening weekly under the faithful leadership of the Seeking God Ministry Team. CU Gloria was also really blessed to host some great Doxas this fall, under the incredible leadership of the Doxa Ministry Team, you can watch some of the videos of our speakers here.
The week before Thanksgiving the CU Gloria Team was able to meet with freshmen to say goodbye outside Peet’s Coffee in Harvard Square. While everyone was socially distant and masked, it was still a wonderful time of connecting with students. Most of the freshmen are back home now for the semester and will not be returning to campus for another 9-10 months. Please pray for the challenges many of them will be facing at home and with having to do online classes. It is a challenging season for all our students and your prayers for their spiritual, mental, and emotional wellbeing are coveted.
Thanks to your generosity many students continue to be ministered to regularly, and especially for the ones who have come to Christ this year, their lives will never be the same. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and investment in what God is doing at Harvard.
Pray with us for the following:
Thank you for your prayers and support,
The CU Gloria Faculty
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and Friends of the Ministry,
We pray that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you are reminded of all of God’s good gifts in your life. The CU Gloria Team is grateful for your support and we are especially grateful for Jesus’ empty tomb! This fall we have been journeying through the Gospel of Mark with many Harvard students in our Bible courses. Mark’s gospel ends with the incredible announcement and proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus, which is our hope. It is this gospel of the living Christ we proclaim that motivates us as we continue to love, serve, counsel, coach, and teach our students God’s word.
One huge praise is that Ministry Fellow Tyler Parker has led yet another student, a golfer, to Christ in mid-November. Hallelujah! CU Gloria also celebrates finishing the Gospel of Mark together in our Bible courses as well as the Sky-prayer gatherings which have been happening weekly under the faithful leadership of the Seeking God Ministry Team. CU Gloria was also really blessed to host some great Doxas this fall, under the incredible leadership of the Doxa Ministry Team, you can watch some of the videos of our speakers here.
The week before Thanksgiving the CU Gloria Team was able to meet with freshmen to say goodbye outside Peet’s Coffee in Harvard Square. While everyone was socially distant and masked, it was still a wonderful time of connecting with students. Most of the freshmen are back home now for the semester and will not be returning to campus for another 9-10 months. Please pray for the challenges many of them will be facing at home and with having to do online classes. It is a challenging season for all our students and your prayers for their spiritual, mental, and emotional wellbeing are coveted.
Thanks to your generosity many students continue to be ministered to regularly, and especially for the ones who have come to Christ this year, their lives will never be the same. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and investment in what God is doing at Harvard.
Pray with us for the following:
- That God would bless and work through the co-ed winter Bible study we will be starting during Winter Break.
- That the students would continue to stay plugged in and connected to Christian community, especially during the prolonged time of separation.
- That students would be intentionally seeking God during winter break and advancing spiritually.
Thank you for your prayers and support,
The CU Gloria Faculty
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.
November 5, 2020
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
Cambridge has now officially seen its first snow of the season and Harvard’s campus is currently coated in white. The Fall season was beautiful but short, much like the Fall semester. Freshmen along with the few upperclassmen on campus will be vacating their dorms and going home just before Thanksgiving. As the month of November begins there will doubtless be a growing emphasis on thanksgiving, as there always ought to be, towards our good God and Father, who is the giver of every good gift. At CU Gloria we are most grateful for your support, prayers, and partnership in the gospel as we continue to minister to our students at Harvard.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
Cambridge has now officially seen its first snow of the season and Harvard’s campus is currently coated in white. The Fall season was beautiful but short, much like the Fall semester. Freshmen along with the few upperclassmen on campus will be vacating their dorms and going home just before Thanksgiving. As the month of November begins there will doubtless be a growing emphasis on thanksgiving, as there always ought to be, towards our good God and Father, who is the giver of every good gift. At CU Gloria we are most grateful for your support, prayers, and partnership in the gospel as we continue to minister to our students at Harvard.
October 1, 2020
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support as the fall semester is now beginning to be in full swing. Bible courses have settled in their new rhythms, mostly on weeknights, studying the gospel of Mark, completely over Zoom. The earliest and shortest gospel has so much to teach us about Jesus, and our team is excited to be mining the riches therein and to be guiding our students in its ancient paths.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support as the fall semester is now beginning to be in full swing. Bible courses have settled in their new rhythms, mostly on weeknights, studying the gospel of Mark, completely over Zoom. The earliest and shortest gospel has so much to teach us about Jesus, and our team is excited to be mining the riches therein and to be guiding our students in its ancient paths.
September 3, 2020
Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
It is a new season and the weather is getting cooler and cooler as the fall is beginning to engulf New England. First year students are all moved in on Harvard’s campus, which looks very different from the campus freshmen have been arriving to for years. The students are quarantining for their first week, and following that, they will be adhering to strict guidelines within the Harvard bubble. Needless to say, what these new students are facing is unique, and our prayers for them to find community, thrive, and adjust to this new reality are all the more important.
Dear CU Gloria Cornerstone Partners and other friends of the ministry,
It is a new season and the weather is getting cooler and cooler as the fall is beginning to engulf New England. First year students are all moved in on Harvard’s campus, which looks very different from the campus freshmen have been arriving to for years. The students are quarantining for their first week, and following that, they will be adhering to strict guidelines within the Harvard bubble. Needless to say, what these new students are facing is unique, and our prayers for them to find community, thrive, and adjust to this new reality are all the more important.
July 30, 2020
1 My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; 2 keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; 3 bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:1-3
Hey friends,
I hope this update finds you well, especially amidst a summer that no-one could have expected. Thankfully, ministry at Harvard has continued to take place over the summer, primarily through the summer Bible study of the book of Proverbs. These words from Proverbs 7 remind us of the central importance of the Word of God in our lives. The exhortation here is that as we treasure God’s words in our heart, then we can truly live. God’s desire for us is that we experience the abundant life he has for us, one full of joy, peace and contentment in Christ. That is also our prayer for our students during this season, as many of them will be studying remotely, taking a gap-year, or coming back to a completely different campus.
May 1, 2020
“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God…
— Romans 8:22-27
Greetings from Cambridge!
At a time when our individual and collective fate could not be more uncertain, our good instinct is to pray, but this is only half of the battle. What should we even pray for? Most of us have more questions than we have answers. When a pea soup fog descends, even familiar streets may fail us. Enter the eighth chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Romans. The verses quoted above are stunning. If the best prayer we can muster in our weakness is a groan of anguish, we might be content simply knowing that God hears us. But these verses say so much more. God not only hears our cries but he enters into our grief. No wonder Paul tells us in chapter 12 to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”, thereby mirroring the Spirit’s response to us! Our faith-filled groan—akin to “Thy will be done”—is being answered accordingly because the Holy Spirit is already interceding on our behalf.
— Romans 8:22-27
Greetings from Cambridge!
At a time when our individual and collective fate could not be more uncertain, our good instinct is to pray, but this is only half of the battle. What should we even pray for? Most of us have more questions than we have answers. When a pea soup fog descends, even familiar streets may fail us. Enter the eighth chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Romans. The verses quoted above are stunning. If the best prayer we can muster in our weakness is a groan of anguish, we might be content simply knowing that God hears us. But these verses say so much more. God not only hears our cries but he enters into our grief. No wonder Paul tells us in chapter 12 to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”, thereby mirroring the Spirit’s response to us! Our faith-filled groan—akin to “Thy will be done”—is being answered accordingly because the Holy Spirit is already interceding on our behalf.
