|
Dear Friends,
This is a copy of the January newsletter I just sent to students. As always, know that without your prayers and support, there would be no need for such a newsletter, because this ministry could not exist. Blessings to you and to your homes this New Year. - Pastor Jaime
January, 2008 |
|
Higher Ground News
Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at Texas State |
For those who want to be confirmeed, or just to know more about the Christian faith, or who just weren't paying close attention in confirmation, or who just want a refresher, this is for you....
Windows of Faith is an eight session course for young adults 18-30 year of age which uses presentations and the participants' own spiritual journeys to explore the basis, claims, and joys of life in Christ. Through Windows of Faith, participants see God working in their lives, the church, and in the world. We will begin Windows of Faith in late February on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 until 9:00. Look for more details in the near future. | |
|
|
Callings vs. Jobs
It's good to have a job, it's a blessing to have a calling. What's the difference? A job is how you earn money to support your life. A calling is how you fulfill your life, sometimes even earning money in the process. There are three chances in the weeks ahead to learn about God's calling on your life. The first is on Tuesday, February 5th, 6:00 p.m. Representatives of 6 of the 8 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seminaries will be visiting Higher Ground to meet with students to discuss "callings." They are not interested in meeting just seminary candidates, but any student wanting to explore what God's calling might be. Even better, they will take us to Palmer's and feed us for free! So, if you're interested in how to discern God's calling on your life, or at least in a nice dinner, make a reservation by sending Pastor Jaime an e-mail right away. Space is limited to 12.
On February 13th, a representative of the ELCA's Young Adults in Global Mission will join us to explain opportunities for summer work or a semester break as a volunteer in Global Mission. Positions exist in South America, Africa, Europe and elsewhere, and can be an amazing way to open your eyes and heart to this world God so loves.
And finally, there is Visitors Weekend at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest on March 28-30, which gives you the opportunity to join fellow seekers who are striving to be faithful to Christ. Explore a renewed vision of what it means to live out the Gospel in our changing world.
Throughout the weekend you will get a feel for the seminary campus and its community. There will be small group activities that allow for discussion of formation and vocational discernment, community life, finances, housing and academics. Students will be available to discuss why they chose the Seminary of the Southwest and the impact of that choice. Visit www.etss.edu/VisitorsWeekend08.shtml for more information, a downloadable brochure and registration form.
Are You "Nutritionally Deficit"?
Hungry, in other words, because you really can't afford the groceries you need? There is help, for you or for someone you know who is going hungry. Angel Food Ministries provides about a week's work of groceries for a family of four or almost a month of groceries for a single person for $30. Purchased at a grocery store, the box of good provided would cost up to $78. St. Mark's Episcopal (which hosts Higher Ground) along with First Lutheran and several other San Marcos congregations, sponsors the Angel Food Program in our area. There are no income requirements, background checks, embarassing questions or problems of any kind; one simply signs up, pays $30 and receives the groceries. Come by St. Mark's to find out more or to sign up for February's order.
Tell the Bible's Stories
Learn to tell bible stories dramatically, by heart! Pastor Lori Ruge-Jones will lead this workshop from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 19th. Cost: $10, lunch on your own. Visit Living Word Lutheran Church's website for more information. If you've seen Pastor Lori tell a Bible story, you know this skill is a glory!
Or Learn The Bible's Big Story
This intensive, one-day workshop will immerse you in God's story through an overview of the Scriptures. By day's end, you will finally "get" how all the parts of the Bible fit together into one great story, and the Bible will be so much less a puzzle than it was before. Saturday, February 9th, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Living Word Lutheran. Cost: $30; see Pastor Jaime if you would like to atttend but need financial help. For more info, go to Living Word's website through the link below.
A Week in D.C. - FREE!Applications are available for Breaking Out 2008! Washington, D.C. at the Steinbruck Center, March 2-7 or 9-14. The cost is just $75 per person, which includes housing, meals and travel. There is a maximum of thirty students per week, with a limit of two students per school. The week will center around the issues of homelessness, poverty, injustice and advocacy. Go to www.lsm-usa.org for applications. You can also read a summary of last year's event in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Space is limited, so apply soon! AND, Texas State Students, should you be accepted, Higher Ground will even cover the $75 cost. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are a few random opinions about stuff I've encountered lately. I invite you to send in your own reviews of movies, TV shows, websites, etc., and they'll get posted in the next newsletter. -PJB
Sonic Fried Mac n' Cheese- What is not to like? It's fried, it's mac n' cheese, it is the pinnacle of the culinary art. Eat this and die contentedly, and probably a little sooner than planned because it is pretty much a wad of fat. Pairs well with a Sauvignon Blanc (not too dry, please) or a young Lambrusco.
Sweeny Todd: The perfect combination of catchy Broadway tunes and unrelenting gore, I wasn't sure whether to sing along or throw up. Tim Burton is at peak form here, as is Mr. Depp and Ms. Bonham. It is really quite an original approach to an aging Broadway play and a very old urban legend. Unforgettable, yes, but perhaps as much for the graphic and casual violence as for the singing, acting, or cinematography. Don't take little kids. |
|
|
|
A Truly NEW Year
Welcome back to Texas State, to a new semester and to a whole new year of possibilities.
Here's something to consider: For good or ill, your grades from last semester will get added on to other semesters and this semester on top of last - there is really no escaping your past when it comes to grades. And not just grades; we are in part a product of all the choices we've made and the people in our lives who have shaped us in deep, sometimes permanent ways.
That said, we are not just a product of our past. We can make new choices, set new directions, find a new beginning. Indeed, that is much of what college is about. It is a time to find your direction for your life, even if it is different than that which you had imagined or had been imagined for you. And when your direction and God's direction for you are one and the same, you will be one happy person, no matter how little or how much that direction pays in dollars. Regardless of salary, you will still be rich, because a person living God's dream is living the good life.
And the most amazing thing is this - God is never tired of giving you that new future, never tired of offering you a better tomorrow. In a word, that's what forgiveness is all about. It is leaving the past behind, with its old ways of distrust, suspicion, or a need to get even. Forgiveness is a new way, God's way, a way to leave the past behind and begin again. Forgiveness makes for a truly NEW year, and God's forgiveness in Christ is what Higher Ground is all about. So in this new year and new semester, I invite you to make a new beginning in your faith life. Join us on Sundays at 6:15 for supper, worship at 7:00, or Wednesdays at 5:30 for worship, supper at 6:15. Higher Ground is a great place to be with students like you who don't have all the answers, who struggle with honest questions, but who find here the forgiving, welcoming love of God in Christ, who is ever ready to say, on any day, "Happy New Year! Happy New Life!"
|
Bread and Belonging Begins 1/16
Come join us on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 for a contemplative worship service, followed by a free supper at 6:15. Throughout Epiphany, the season of light, we will be using Iona Agape Prayer, a beautiful service of readings, songs, and reflections. We will meet in the All Saints Chapel, located downstairs at St. Mark's Episcopal. No experiene necessary; this is a break from all the stress of the week and a great way to keep your spiritual life on track and well-charged. |
SPRING BREAK WITH A PURPOSE
Texas State's Spring Break is March 9-16, which you can mark on your calendar as "The Best Spring Break I've ever taken." That's because you will be with us in New Orleans, where we will join with thousands of other students in "What A Relief!" We will be staying at Bethlehem Volunteer Center in New Orleans from Sunday, March 11th, through Friday, March 16th, working each day at rebuilding homes and lives. Space is limited and the response has been surprising, so do reserve your space very soon by coming by the Higher Ground office and getting a reservation packet and leaving a deposit of $50. Once our reservation is set, a special meeting will be held to consider how to handle the additional costs, transportation, whether to arrive a day early so to explore New Orleans, etc.
|
|
Spring Semester Stuff
Student and Mentor Retreat - February 15-17, 2008. Leadership development, planning, recreation and service for both students and mentors at Camp Lutherhill, La Grange. High ropes, anyone? Costs to be announced, but it should be very, very low. Plan now to attend; put it on your calendar. Make note of the date. Be attentive to the timing. Reserve your space starting January 16th through Facebook (reach it by our webpage, www.highergroundtxstate.org) or by filling out a registration form at any Higher Ground event in the next three weeks. A deposit of $10 is requested, just so that those who drive can be sure to have their gas paid for.
Movie Night... Thursday, January 24, 7:30 p.m. We'll watch (and talk about) "28 Days," starring Sandra Bullock, a pretty good movie that, despite an absence of explosions or rampaging aliens, still has a lot to say about relationships and reconciliation. Higher Ground Lounge, downstairs at St. Mark's.
|
Invite Me. Really.
Lots of students are involved in music, classes, theater, athletics, and various organizations. I, Pastor Jaime, would love nothing more than for you to invite me to any of the events in which you take part. Okay, maybe not certain fraternity and sorority parties, but maybe so. Please know that I know you've got an active, interesting life here at Texas State University, and it's not limited to Higher Ground. Even if you have a class that you find particularly interesting, let me know... most professors are just fine with visitors sitting in on a class.
Lastly, some of you will be moving into new dorm rooms or different apartments. Once again, I'm glad to come visit for a blessing. "Bless My Crib" was much appreciated by those who took part at the beginning of the Fall semester, so just write me a note at higherground@txstate.edu and we'll find a date.
|
 Our campus mission is to be a welcoming spiritual community, a place for people of any gender, race, national origin, and sexual orientation. Growing together in faith, we seek the unity that Christ envisions for His church through learning, liturgical worship, service, and fellowship. |
| $322.25 |
That's about what it would cost to fill up my Scion Xb with Starbuck's house blend, no extra shots of anything, no tip for my barrista. Thankfully, my car runs on gas, which is cheap in comparison. For those of us who run at least in part on Starbucks, or Mocha Java's, or Java Joe's, and for those of us who run frantic, worried, or overwhelmed, there is a less expensive fuel as well; in fact, it is free, and the only fuel that lasts forever. That fuel is God's mercy in Jesus, and it is yours. No jitters, just a peace that passes all understanding. Come to Higher Ground and let God fill you with mercy, life, joy and more. You are always welcome here. |
| |
|
|
|
|
