Reflection: April 17 through May 28

Introduction

            We leap so quickly from project to project that we forget to settle down for reflection. So, as we reach the end of the academic year, we pause to look back on God’s presence in our lives. We meditate on the gifts God has delivered into our lives and on the strengths God has given to others. We examine our shortcomings as members of God’s community and look forward to improvement in the future. In reflection, we will uncover the aspects of our faith that are so often hidden under the stresses of our lives.

            Reflection should not be an act of over-analysis or anxious thinking. We intend to make these devotions a celebration, rooted in thankfulness for all God has given us in the past. We will recognize the gifts of our community and all who have helped us during this academic year. We hope this reflection will make us more appreciative and intentional people as we look forward to the future.

            May our recognition of the joys and accomplishments of this year give us hope for the possibilities God holds for us in the years to come.

As we look forward to Summer and look back on this school year, please enjoy this collection of photos of Gustavus's beautiful campus and reflect on your own experiences in whatever communities you may inhabit.

Grace: February 15 through April 16

Introduction

            Grace is a word used so often in our society and our faith that the word may seem drained of meaning. We hear of God’s unconditional grace for us and yet we continue to pass judgment on others and ourselves, constantly frustrated by the shortcomings of others and by our own failings. Because of this, we must take this time to make grace an intentional practice, so that we may live the truth of Jesus’ forgiveness for humanity every day.

            We begin our search for grace in acceptance. We can learn to appreciate our minds and bodies as God has created us. We can strive to see imperfection as an essential characteristic of humanity. Through embracing God’s gift of salvation through grace alone, we are freed to give up the pursuit of earning God’s love. This means forgiving ourselves for past mistakes. This means loving others despite their flaws.

            As we look forward to Easter and the Resurrection, we choose to make grace real again by practicing acceptance and forgiveness in our own lives.

Renewal: December 25 through February 14

Introduction

            No matter how old we are, we are all plagued with a certain sense of brokenness. We are preoccupied with the regrets of our pasts and with guilt over our shortcomings. But as we celebrate the Birth of Christ, we remember that Jesus came to a broken world and an imperfect people. The world Jesus was born into faced division by oppression, violence, and greed, many of the same issues we still deal with today. The deliverance of a Savior to Jesus’ time gives us hope for the healing and transformation in our own lives.

            This hope directs us towards the New Year. Looking forward to the future does not mean condemnation of the past. We give thanks for the past year while asking for a release from old grudges and regrets. We take this opportunity to seek renewal, to avoid monotony in our lives, in our relationships, and in our faith.

            At a time of new beginnings on our campus and in our world, we meditate on the transformative power of God’s love and the possibilities opened up by Jesus’ life.

Bonus Idea for Contemplation:

On the subject of Renewal, I am reminded of one of my favorite hymns, The Hills are Bare at Bethlehem, which was featured in Christmas in Christ Chapel 2015. Please read and contemplate both the lyrics here and how Jesus came to a divided world to provide hope and renewal to humanity.

The Hills Are Bare at Bethlehem

1       The hills are bare at Bethlehem,
        no future for the world they show;
        yet here new life begins to grow,
        from earth’s old dust a greenwood stem.

2       The stars are cold at Bethlehem,
        no warmth for those beneath the sky;
        yet here the radiant angels fly,
        and joy burns new, a fiery gem.

3       The heart is tired at Bethlehem,
        no human dream unbroken stands;
        yet here God comes to mortal hands,
        and hope renewed cries out: “Amen!”

Text: Royce J. Scherf, b. 1929, alt.
© 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress

Photo by author

Stillness: October 21 through December 24

Introduction

            While stillness is often seen as the absence of all other distractions, we must recognize stillness as an intentional practice. We take this time to practice calmness and to create restorative silence. We recognize the difficulty of this endeavor in our busy and loud world, but we also see the importance of this task.

            Pockets of quiet allow us the freedom to commune with God. Settling our bodies and our minds for worship and introspection separates us from the world’s greed, social pressure, and materialism. In a world obsessed with mass production, to choose stillness is a radical act. We ask for God’s help in our search for calm. We ask for relief of the stresses and anxieties that distract us, for the pains and regrets that consume us, and for an awakening to the quiet beauty we so often ignore.

            We declare our intentions to use this time to find peace within our own lives and within our world.

Please enjoy this small photo essay collected from Chapel Photographer, Ellen Kneeskern's time abroad in Europe. While looking through these photos, consider the stillness created by nature, the peace promised by water, the constancy of history, and the quiet of the night. Think of how all these gifts are granted to us by God.