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November 21, 2018
The Psychology of Gratitude: Robert Emmons on How Saying Thanks Makes You Happier; Zooming In; Habits of Purpose in an Age of Distraction; Writing for Quillette Ended My Theater Project; VIP Access and more, in this issue of Christian Union's bi-monthly email brief.
 
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And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
— Colossians 3:15-17

 

The Psychology of Gratitude: Robert Emmons on How Saying Thanks Makes You Happier

By Robert Emmons
From The Table Podcast
01 gratitudeGratitude is deeply woven into the Christian way. But believers and non-believers alike, representing many wisdom traditions, have all long practiced the act of giving thanks. Our station in life is one of utter dependence, gift, and grace. So thankfulness is fitting and right. But gratitude has deep and often instantaneous impact... It’s easy to forget the utter simplicity of being from the perspective of gratitude, especially with all those irresistible Black Friday deals in your inbox (thanks for clicking this email instead). May you live in the lightness of God’s grace this week, and enjoy this little reflection on the impact gratitude has on well-being, struggle, meaning, and the human good.

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Zooming In

By Catherine Elvy
From Christian Union: The Magazine
A Harvard College senior hopes to combine his passions for storytelling and missions to create a vibrant cinematic platform with wide crossover appeal. Nick Carey ’19 plans to use his drive and talents to pursue a career in the film industry. “If you tell stories effectively enough, movies can reach a lot of people,” he said. “It can be a very powerful missionary tool.”

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Habits of Purpose in an Age of Distraction

By  Matt Allen
From ChristianUnion.org
03 salonVery few things are neutral. It may seem harmless to reach for your phone to check your work emails when you roll out of bed, and maybe skip part or all of your quiet time as a result, but in doing so you are speaking priorities and identities over yourself that don’t align with the Christian worldview. We make dozens of similar choices throughout our days. Christian Union New York's November salon speaker, Justin Whitmel Earley, shared his own story and why he urges cultivating "Habits of Purpose in an Age of Distraction."

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Writing for Quillette Ended My Theater Project

By Libby Emmons
From Quillette.com

A thought-provoking essay on ideological authoritarianism, the pressure to conform, and the growing difficulty of daring to critically explore progressive orthodoxies.

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VIP Access

By Julia Carlisle
From ChristianUnion.org
05 vipYou’ve probably been in buildings that have signs on the doors that say, “Do Not Enter. Official Personnel Only.” Or maybe you’ve been to a concert where your favorite band is playing, and you can’t help but covet those wearing the VIP Backstage Passes hanging around their necks. Whether the purpose is to keep us out of danger, to protect something that’s valuable, or to give access only to important people, our lives are filled with yellow tape that we are not allowed to cross. In the Temple at the time of Jesus, there was an inner room inside the Holy Place called the Holy of Holies...

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Prayer Requests


UNIVERSITY MINISTRIES
As students prepare for Thanksgiving and for the end of the school semester, pray that they will keep their minds focused on the steadfast love of Christ and devote themselves to knowing and living the truth of God. Pray also that our ministry fellows and staff will be able to disciple their students effectively and model a bold and vibrant witness.

CITY MINISTRIES
Please join us in thanking God for all that He has done in the last few months, for all of the young professionals in New York and D.C. that He has connected with us, and for the seeds of wisdom and love for God and others that have been planted in their hearts by the teaching of our guest speakers. Praise God for His goodness to our ministry, and ask Him to multiply in the coming year the fruit we have seen in this year.

DAY & NIGHT

In a season of thanksgiving, thank God for blessing Day and Night’s ministry. Thank Him that we’ve seen thousands of American Christians put God first, seeking His face and His presence for national Christian revival. Thank Him for being faithful to His promise: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Thank You, Lord!

Talk Back

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