By Rhonda Dean-Kyncl
My journey into a deeper prayer life began with a line from a movie. Several years ago, not long after David and I had married, we went to see the movie "Surprised by Joy." Starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, the movie chronicles the love story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Gresham. Lewis wrote the story in his book by the same name.

 

The love story is paradoxical at first, in that you see this theological intellectual academic, Lewis, falling in love with Joy, an American, who is also the mother of two sons. The story is sweet and endearing until, not long after their wedding, Joy is diagnosed with cancer. The story turns tragic, and the last quarter of the film is the story of Lewis' journey through the valley of the shadow of death: Joy died four years after they were married when she was just 45.

 

At one point after his wife has been diagnosed, Lewis stands in the chapel at Oxford, talking with one of his colleagues. The colleague laments that he and the other professors are praying for Joy's healing, that she will be restored. Lewis responds incredulously: "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God- it changes me."

 

The line hit me like a lightning bolt; I felt thoroughly convicted. Prayer in my experience had been anything but life-changing. In my faith tradition, intercessory prayer is predominantly the only prayer life taught or imagined. Certainly, some discernment is encouraged, to know for what to pray, but other than that, the focus was exclusively on talking to God about what God should do. Indeed, most of these prayers were well-motivated: God should save our unsaved family and friends; God should bring more people into our church; God should heal this person's sickness or that person's addiction; God should provide food for those in need and money for those who were poor.

 

This type of intercession is not wrong, but when focused on exclusively, it becomes not a focus on God and God's power, but on me and what I want and what I think would be best. Subtly, I become God as I am dictating what should happen and what should be provided.

 

Lewis' prayer jolted me out of an apathetic and irresponsible prayer life that told God what to do on the one hand, but then simply shrugged and walked away when God didn't answer as I wanted God to. I was certainly not responsible; I had prayed, what more could I do?

 

My journey into a deeper life of faith has corresponded with a deeper life of prayer in the contemplative tradition. In contemplative prayer, God is not bombarded with requests; in fact, I often don't speak at all. In this movement, I do a lot more listening and a lot less talking. The contemplative way of prayer is characterized by a humility and acquiescence that submits to God, even in prayer, with the truth that I am His creation; He knows best, and prayer allows me to draw closer to Him in all ways. As I draw closer to Him, I may indeed be directed to intercession, to pray for a particular thing or person. But the foundation is in relationship: quiet, intimate, close relationship. All else grows from there. Richard Rohr describes contemplative prayer practice this way: "Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, praising God until we ourselves are a constant act of praise."

 

As I pray for the 2:8 House and this work of God's on the University of Oklahoma campus, I am more and more challenged to seek God to transform me into the witness I am to be on this campus. I am led deeper and deeper into the weaknesses and struggles of my own life that prevent me from hearing and responding as He would direct. And I am made more and more aware of how this work is GOD's-not mine, not David's, not even the Church of the Nazarene's.

 

We are simply and significantly and only one part of the work of God. Our offerings will always be modest. Our work will always be imperfect. And we will always be human and finite. Thank God, He uses us still. He takes our meager sacrifice and blesses it with His Spirit and turns it into a fragrant offering, multiplied 10, 20, and 100-fold. May our prayers glorify that God and seek to know Him more.

The purpose of 2:8 Recovery is to provide a safe place for students to experience Christian fellowship and celebrate God's healing power through Celebrate Recovery's "8 Recovery Principles." These Biblical principles are analogous to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and provide the framework to work through a variety of hurts, habits and hang-ups, including alcohol and drug abuse, and experience God's healing grace. Through this process, we become free from addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors and experience a stronger relationship with God and others.

 

As students progress through the steps and principles, they discover their personal, loving and forgiving Higher Power-Jesus Christ.

 

2:8 Recovery meets weekly on Thursday evenings during each semester at the 2:8 House, 700 Chautauqua Avenue. The schedule includes dinner, a large group session, smaller share groups and a time of fellowship. In addition to this time, individual appointments and small group "step" studies are held throughout the week.

 

2:8 Recovery began in September, 2010. It also includes an extensive network of administrators, faculty and staff who have agreed to refer students who might be in need of recovery. We also are building a referral network of Christian counseling professionals in the area who are available to meet with students in need.

The 2:8 House and the Nazarene Student Center for the University of Oklahoma, Inc., will celebrate its 20th anniversary as a non-profit organization in July, 2012.

 

The Board of Directors has formed a select committee to plan the celebration for this milestone!

 

Please contact Dave at kyncl@28house.org or Anita at cranita@28house.org if you would like to share a story and/or help plan the party!

The time spent earning a college degree is a very formative period in a person's life. For the traditional student, aged 18 to 22, this is often the case. For many, it marks the first time to live away from home, the first time to make decisions "on your own," the first time to make new friends and the first time to develop your own sense of identity. This period of four or more years often sets the trajectory for the student's life for many years to come.

 

The following information was presented to a university meeting in October, 2010.

 

The need for campus mental health services continues to increase.

    

Since 1988 the likelihood of students suffering from depression has doubled.

 

Approximately 1 in 2 students have regular episodes of binge drinking.

    

1 in 10 students seriously consider suicide.

 

The most common issues in college student populations, include: depression, anxiety, relationship issues, eating disorders, alcohol or substance abuse, impulsive control disorder and suicide.

 

Alcohol issues are the highest among young adults ages 18-29. Students with the highest risk include first-year students, fraternity males and athletes.

 

1,400 college students nationwide die each year from alcohol-related, unintentional injuries.

 

500,000 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol.

 

31% of college students meet the criteria for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse.

 

6% of college students meet the criteria for the diagnosis of alcohol dependence.

 

The top three prescriptions written for college students nationwide are Prozac, anxiety medications and other anti-depressant medications.

 

It is estimated that 15% of students abuse prescription medications, especially stimulants and painkillers.

 

"The benefits of engaging the faith community in both the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and dependence cannot be overstated."-James Coppell, Fatal Attractions