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February, 2008 |
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Higher Ground News
Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at Texas State |
For those who want to be confirmed, 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 on Wednesday evening, February 27th from 7:00 until 9:00; then March 5th, 19th, 26th, April 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd. There is no cost for this program, but advanced registration is needed. Please e-mail Pastor Jaime at higherground@txstate.edu for more information or to register. | |
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Ash Wednesday and Lent The forty days of Lent are something of a "tithe" of our year, a tenth of the year spent in reflection on why exactly we need a Savior anyway. Any peek down the well of our souls reveals exactly why, and so the season is marked by songs, Scripture passages and worship that is muteed, reflective, and invites us to turn in a new direction. Ash Wednesday and the Imposition of Ashes will be observed at Higher Ground in conjunction with St. Mark's Episcopal in a service beginning at 6:00 p.m. on February 6th. Pastor Jaime will be preaching and several students will be taking part as readers, oblationers, etc. Bread and Belonging will take a break this night, but will resume on February 13th. A limited number of copies of "Creating Space for Grace" are available to students; this is a booklet of Lenten devotions written by college students for college students. Come by Higher Ground to get your copy.
Camp Capers Interviews
Representatives of Camp Capers, a church camp of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, will be interviewing prospective staff members on Monday, February 11th at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Come by St. Mark's during the day and ask for an application and to set an interview time.
International Service Opportunities
Challenging, rewarding, life-changing experiences may be in your future! ELCA Global Mission seeks committed, mature individuals for challenging assignments in one and two year positions. Imagine · Working with the homeless in Argentina or England
· Teaching English in China, Slovakia or Japan
· Ministering to children and youth in Kenya or Germany
More service assignments and details are available on the ELCA website: www.elca.org/globalserve. ELCA staff person and former missionary, Vanessa Young, will be visiting Higher Ground on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008. Vanessa will be at 5:30pm worship and sharing in dinner and fellowship at 6:15pm. Please stop by to find out more! Vanessa Young can be contacted at 1-800-638-3522 ext. 2520 or by e-mail at vanessa.young@elca.org .
Maybe the best preacher in the nation to be in Austin The Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor will explore the topic of "Sabbath - Self-Care or the Mending of the World?" during her March 3 Harvey Lecture at the Seminary of the Southwest.Taylor, renowned preacher, author and teacher, will be on the seminary campus all day - preaching at the 11:15 am chapel service and beginning her Harvey Lecture at 6:30 pm in Knapp Auditorium. Both events are open to the public without charge. Seating in Knapp Auditorium is very limited and its doors will open at 6 pm - 30 minutes before the lecture begins. More details and an email link for questions at www.etss.edu/Harvey08.shtml.
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.
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
El Gulfo de Mexico- This isn't your standard Tex-Mex. El Gulfo specializes in seafood dishes, and they have a few you won't find elsewhere in San Marcos; octopus ceviche, for example, or fish stuffed with napolitos. Yumm! Located on I-35 between Talk of the Town and Planet K, this place is a much better choice to take your folks than those two. Not too expensive, it is also the real deal; all of the staff and most of the patrons are Hispanic, because this really is what good Mexican seafood tastes like. They also serve frog legs, but that's just creepy, so I can't tell you what they taste like. Chicken, I suspect.
The Moment of Truth: Wednesday nights on Fox, 8:00 p.m. Here's a show I wouldn't appear on. "The Moment of Truth" has contestants answer increasingly personal and embarrassing questions with the possibility of earning $500,000 for telling the truth. A former football player on one show, for instance, was asked if he ever peeked at his teammates in the shower, and whether he had flirted with women on the Internet after he was married. It's not that I have a host of things to hide, and God knows the real me and is not embarassed to call me his child, but that's not the nation's business. What is that word for a person who sells something that should be intensely private and personal? |
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Bread and Belonging During Lent
We will mark Ash Wednesday with St. Mark's at 6:00 p.m. on February 6th (no evening meal this night), then rejoin our usual pattern throughout Lent. Come join us on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 for a contemplative worship service, followed by a free supper at 6:15. Throughout the season, we will use Holden Evening Prayer, a beautiful service of songs and scripture that is just the right tone for this solem time of the year. Note: Vanessa Young will join us on February 13th to speak of international volunteer opportunities, and on February 27th, Windows of Faith will start after Bread and Belonging at 7:00 p.m. And as always, no experience is necessary to take part in Bread and Belonging; this is simply 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 DEADLINE: FEB. 17
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. Since most students must vacate their dorm rooms by March 9th at 5:00, we will likely leave earlier that day.
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A Piece of Scripture and a Slice of Pizza
Higher Ground's Co-ed Bible Study meets every Monday night at 7:00 in the Higher Ground lounge (downstairs, St. Mark's), but on February 18th, we'll have pizza with our study, thanks to John Spellman. Come by for some pie, stay for some Scripture! | |
| Lutherhill Spring Semester Student and Mentor Retreat Deadline: Feb. 10. Join us on February 15-17, 2008 for a great retreat featuring leadership development, planning, recreation and service for both students and mentors at Camp Lutherhill, La Grange. High ropes, anyone? Cost: $10. Ten measly dollars for a great weekend. Come by Higher Ground to register. A deposit of $10 is requested, just so that those who drive can be sure to have their gas paid for. |
Movie Night! Thursday, February 21st, 7:30 p.m. We'll watch (and talk about) "Signs" starring Mel Gibson as a farmer with a surprise in his fields. It's about crop circles, but it is really about faith and prayer. Snacks provided! |
 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. |
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If you get your recommended 64 oz. of water per day from bottled stuff, that's what you would pay per year (16 oz. at $1.19 times 4, times 365). On the other hand, the stuff from the tap is free. Of course, you might say that bottled water is better for you. Well, it turns out that both Coca-Cola and Pepsi get their Aquafina and Dasani water from the tap, too. Then there's the bottle itself; only 34% of plastic bottles are recycled, taking up room in landfills and forcing us to import even more oil (that's what plastic is made of, in case you didn't know). Bottled water's not such a good buy, after all. Just because it costs more doesn't mean it is better, and sometimes free is the best way of all. God's grace is that way; people think it's something they earn or deserve, when all along it is simply given. It is free; that's why it is called grace. Come find out more at Higher Ground, Sundays at 7:00 (free supper, 6:15), Wednesdays at 5:30 (free supper at 6:15). |
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