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November, 2015
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A Campus Ministry for ALL Students, Supported by Members of the Episcopal and Lutheran Church
from across the Nation
510 N. Guadalupe (across from Tower Garage and the UAC)
christchapel@txstate.edu;
Facebook: Christ Chapel at Texas State
Twitter: @Christ_Chapel
512-557-8836
Our Purpose: In gratitude for God's mercy in Christ, we shall be a community of worship, service, and hospitality.
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Thanksgiving as a Way of Life
Sure, Thanksgiving is a national holiday, an excuse to eat more than necessary and to watch a seemingly endless series of football games. Oh, and it's the starting gun for the Christmas shopping season, as Black Friday has now rowed back in time to late Thursday, giving consumers more opportunities to trample each other when the doors of Big Gadgets bust open at 10:00 p.m. That's entertainment that can't be found on just any day of the year. But thanksgiving itself - the giving of thanks - if it is to be truly practiced and not just the name of a day, is surely more than a once-a-year event.
Linguists tell us that the words "think" and "thank" come from the same root. Thoughtfulness and thankfulness are much closer than we might have expected. A thoughtful person, it would appear, can't help but be a thankful person. Likewise, thoughtless people are likely not very thankful.
Think about it... how many things do you have to be thankful for? A list of them all would surely be longer than a list of the things we might have to gripe about. As the Psalmist writes, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits..." Forget not: in other words, remember. Think about all God has done for you.
A Christian mystic named Meister Eckhardt once said, "If the only prayer you ever learn to say is "thank you," it will be enough." It's a short prayer, easy to remember, and one we can, and if you think about it, should say every day. Because in the end, thanksgiving is more than a holiday; it's a habit of the heart.
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WEDNESDAY "BREAD AND BELONGING" 5:30 P.M.
Fresh-baked bread, then a different experience every week.
October 28: Evening Prayer with a Professor - Professor Lois Hickman, Department of Sociology, will join us to share how her profession and confession intersect.
November 4: Young Adults in Global Mission - We'll learn about a program which sends young adults ages 21-29 into a transformative, year-long journey in international service.
November 11: War and the Christian Faith - On this Veterans Day, we will study Scripture and reflect on Christian approaches to war through the centuries.
November 25: No Service - Just reread the bit above about Thanksgiving.
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Women's Spirituality Group
Pastor Lori Ruge-Jones is leading a Women's Spirituality Group on Fridays at 12:30 at Christ Chapel. Come explore Scripture and engage in holy conversation. No experience necessary.
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SUNDAY WORSHIP: 5:30 P.M.
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Join us as we use the beautiful "Unfailing Light" liturgy throughout the end of the year. Some highlights:
NOVEMBER 1 - ALL SAINTS DAYS
On this festival day, we remember all the saints of faith, both the famous and the ones known only to us. Bring a memento of your saint to place on our Dia de Los Muertos "ofrenda," an offering altar for our time together.
NOVEMBER 8 - FREE SUPPER AFTER WORSHIP*
The good women of First Lutheran will bring us dinner this night. It's always amazingly good, so plan on joining us. Intern Brandi Wells will preach.
NOVEMBER 29 - POTLUCK DINNER
Bring a dish to share, perhaps left over from Thanksgiving dinner at home.
*We've not been having weekly suppers because it is a burden to ask congregations to bring a meal and have nothing in the way of a kitchen in which to cook or serve or clean up. We pray this situation is remedied shortly.
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DO YOU NEED TO GO TO THE JOHN?
The Jumble of Hygenic Necessities (JOHN) is the emergency pantry for items not often available at the food bank or other places where students in need could go. With the help of congregations in our area, we are gathering all the items one might need behind a bathroom door, including deodorant, toothpaste, razors, etc. The JOHN will be dedicated and opened on November 15th; donations from students or others reading this newsletter are certainly welcome.
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ENCHANTED ROCK
Simply one of the most beautiful places in Texas, Enchanted Rock was revered by Native Americans as a sacred site. Now a state park, we'll give it a visit on November 14th. Sign up by November 10th to reserve your space. We'll leave Christ Chapel at 9:30. Cost: $10 for entry and transportation. BRING A LUNCH.
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ALSO COMING UP SOON:
Bobcat Lunch: Every Monday at 12:00, a free lunch is served to students, faculty and staff. You're invited afterward to take a tour of our prayer stations in the sanctuary for a few minutes of quiet and contemplation.
Cooking for the Homeless of San Marcos: We cook and serve a meal to the homeless on the first Monday of every month; meet at Southside Community Center, 518 S. Guadalupe, at 4:45 to help. Go to the very back of the property to find the homeless shelter. Our upcoming dates are NOVEMER 2nd and DECEMBER 7th. End of Year Christmas Party - December 3rd, 7:30 Bring a white-elephant gift to exchange. We'll have tamales and desserts, with game night to follow.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
Christ Chapel people excel yet again...
Marshall Breedlove mixed and mastered a recording by Texas State University Trombone Professor Martin McCain called "Czar." The recording has been nominated for a Global Music Award, a very big deal indeed.
Professor Susan Hanson, former chaplain and long-time mentor and friend to Christ Chapel, learned recently that one of her images shot at Jacobs Well won First Place in the Texas Photographic Society Members Only show, judged by Keith Carter. This, too, is a very big deal. Congratulations to both Susan and Marshall!
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Reviews
Submit your own for any new thing. Opinions below are strictly those of the chaplain, but they are absolutely right.
"The Martian"
Is this just an outer-space version of "Saving Private Ryan?" Well, in some ways, yes, but Private Ryan in this case is an ingenious astronaut who nonetheless manages to get himself stranded on Mars. The race is on to rescue him, even while he scrambles to arrange for food and water enough to survive the long wait before a rescue can, if even possible, be executed. The story is intense, both on Earth and Mars, and is a compelling testimony to the resilience of the human spirit.
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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. If you would like to financially support our work, visit our webpage and you will find a PayPal link. Your prayers are always welcome and needed. To schedule a visit for yourself or a youth group or church group, please call or write. We are always happy to show what good work is being done through this ministry.
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