Prays Well With Others

I am tired, but joyful today. Yesterday was the Spiritual Life Fair in the Dell, and if you missed it, you missed a great event. If you were there, I hope you will wear your T-Shirt often.

My vision for Spiritual Life at Lynchburg College is for every student to be able to grow in his or her spiritual life while at LC. I believe that the Spiritual Life Center should provide a broad variety of opportunities for students of all faiths and non-faiths to investigate the “big questions” of life, worship, study and prayer. I am committed to LC serving as a safe place to explore one’s own tradition and other traditions. I believe that through dialogue with others you become more able to articulate your own beliefs. Even though I have now been an ordained Disciples of Christ Pastor for more than 20 years, I hope that the campus provides opportunities for our Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, LDS, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic, and Orthodox Students, alongside all flavors of Christianity.

Yesterday the Spiritual Life Center staff had the opportunity to gather informally with students in the Dell to make a beaded cross for your residence hall room or a mezuzah for the door. Others colored mandalas, and a few people actually walked the labyrinth. It might have been too intimidating to walk in reflection in the middle of the Dell. I admit I was too “busy” to be too reflective.

If you missed the opportunity to sign up for Bible Study or a ride to church, please email us about opportunities. If you missed the chance to meet one of our group advisors, check out the website: http://www.lynchburg.edu/student-life/spiritual-life/, to find out the contact information for the group or groups you are interested in. If you want to worship on campus, you can find out about all three worship opportunities on Sundays on the webpage as well.

My favorite memory of the fair yesterday (although the shrimp were a close second) was watching the Spiritual Life staff and associates handing out T-shirts. The staff and our ministry partners have fairly diverse beliefs and certainly do not agree with one another on everything, but we have mutual respect for one another and understand that it takes us all to serve the diversity of our LC students. I talk about our bottom line being that we agree to “Pray Well With Others.” It’s not my own phrase – I borrowed it off the coaster at the Spiritual Life Center, but I hope that you will join us this year, in a way that you find meaningful, and that allows you to both share your faith and learn from the faith of another.

Blessings, Stephanie