“Hi!!!” (Hug and/or hand shake.) “How was your break? What did you do? I’m so glad you’re back!” Kenyon has been in session for
just over one week now, and the above is a typical ‘first conversation’ of the semester that we have with returning students. Some students visited new places over Winter Break, but most were home for the majority of their vacation. ‘Home’ for students we work with could be forty-five minutes away, three time zones away, or continents away! However far they’ve traveled, Kelly, Ana, and I are very excited to have them back. But we don’t have them all back. You see, Kenyon Juniors have the opportunity to study abroad for a semester or a full year, depending on their program. This semester there are ten Juniors abroad with whom we would normally spend time! But Ruth*, who was supposed to be abroad this semester, is back here in Gambier.The first Monday night of classes, I went around campus visiting some students in their Residence Halls. I left a ‘welcome back’ note on some students’ door because they were not in their room when I knocked. I knew two of the students who were supposed to be in that room, but there was also a name I didn’t expect to see on the door. It was Ruth*, so I thought it was a mistake! But I saw Ruth* a few days after I left that note, and she shared with me that she had been abroad on her program for a week, but ended up withdrawing and is now back at Kenyon. She shared this with mixed feelings. She definitely thinks it was the right choice, though she really would have loved to have studied abroad for the semester. However, the sudden decision to not be abroad this semester has caused some tension with her friends on campus. Ruth* told me that she went to a dinner last Tuesday night where she expected Kelly, Ana, and I to attend, which we did not. She was disappointed. I told Ruth* that we’d love to have her over to our apartment sometime, and that I was surprised she hadn’t been over yet. She said that she would love that and it was good to know that there was at least one person glad that she was back on campus. This breaks my heart, but I thank God for the opportunity to love her. Ruth* is not in any Christian groups on campus; in fact, Ruth* is a non-practicing Jewish student. Please pray with us.
I am a Board Member of Kenyon’s inter-faith Board of Spiritual and Religious Life (BSRL). A student approached us last semester with an idea to promote and foster spiritual and religious conversations on campus. The first Thursday of classes, I met with three other BSRL Members and this student to start planning what the training process will be for this ‘Spiritual Advisers’ program. The purpose of the program is not to convert anybody to any of the represented faiths, but to foster a safe space for spiritual and religious conversations on campus. That being the case, the training must be very general. This is not specifically a Christian program, but I do believe that it holds great potential to glorify God. Please pray for that!
Koinonia had its annual Winter Retreat the first weekend after classes began. We brought 20 students on the Retreat. Rev. Jonathan Fettig, the pastor of our church, was our speaker for the weekend. He spoke to us about relationship with God, with our neighbor, and about being
relational as part of the Body of Christ. After the Winter Retreat, a sophomore named Alex, said about the Christian Community at Kenyon, that he wants to try to “really make it about relationships with one another.” Another student said they wanted to work on “being more authentic in all of [their] relationships” and “remembering that worship is about acknowledging who God is.” Please pray with us.
Jonathan reminded us that, though we crave relationship, sin separates us from God and our neighbor. “Shame” (see Gen. 3:7 in contrast to 2:25), he said, “is Pride turned on its head.” Shame whispers ‘it’s all about me.’ Donald Miller is a writer and a speaker who often talks about relationships and community. He says in his book Blue Like Jazz, “The most difficult lie I have ever contended with is this: Life is a story about me.” Don Miller will be one of the Main Speakers at Jubilee this year.
Jubilee is the CCO's annual college student conference. Jubilee is a catalytic event created to provide ‘a vision of and for life’ to help followers of Jesus grow in living out their faith in every area of life and what it means to be faithful to God in their college years and their vocational pursuits.
Also, I hope to begin a group for non-Christians who are curious about investigating Christianity. I’d like to start a book group that will read and discuss together Blue Like Jazz, which is a collection of memoir-like essays by Donald Miller, honestly looking at his journey of relationship with God. Relationships can’t be forced; they begin with an introduction between different people. I cannot force people to follow Jesus Christ; it’s a relationship that must be developed. Don Miller talks about how he used to not like jazz music until he witnessed somebody passionate about jazz. In the Author’s Note of his book he says, “Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.” I have no power to convert people, only Jesus can change people’s lives, but I can show others my love of Jesus Christ and try to explain the love God has for us. God desires to be in relationship with us, and perhaps by introducing others to Jesus they may desire that relationship as well. Please pray with us.
*Ruth is not the above noted student’s actual name.
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