— James 4:13-15
Greetings from Cambridge!
Having logged some serious miles in life, my appreciation for James’s rather harsh warning has increased at a pace commensurate with the erosion of any illusion I have ever had of earthly security and self-sufficiency. When the calendar turns at the first of the year I no longer ask, “what do I need to work on?”—as if the question of resolutions doesn’t always haunt my life(!)— but instead I wonder, “what in the world will 2020 bring?” Then and now I am praying that we will be faithful, faith-filled and take Jesus up on his invitation to pray (John 15:7-11).
As you are well aware, I am writing you during an unprecedented time in our country and the world where many unknowns lie ahead of us. The COVID-19 virus has impacted each and every one of us in some way. Our students are no exception to this. As you likely know, Princeton students received word to return home and to complete their classes online through the remainder of the semester. These changes have affected students’ lives profoundly—it has upended their lives, causing confusion and anxiety for many. International students, as well as seniors—who have had their final semester come to a rapid halt—have likely seen the greatest effect.
Dear Prayer Partners,
We are especially grateful for your prayers during these unprecedented times. There is a strange comfort and sense of brotherhood found in Scripture as we consider others who remained faithful in their own strange times. I came across the remarkable account of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, this week. When faced with annihilation by a superior army, he let his fear take him straight to God instead of into rash action or fruitless worry. In humility, he boldly called upon the One who is sovereign, claiming the promises of God, and drawing the whole nation – men, women, and children into fasting and expectant prayer as well. "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you!" he cried out. The anguished place of uncertainty was given to the Lord who responded with His Spirit through a prophet, "Do not be afraid or dismayed…for the battle belongs to the Lord". The king responded with confidence and enjoined the people as they marched out in obedience to "Believe in the Lord God, believe His prophets!" Instead of fear, or rage, the people march out against the enemy with song and praise on their lips and find that the battle was indeed already fought and won by the invisible, almighty God. This is the God we serve! He delights to respond to the earnest prayers, the desperate fasting, and the songs and praises of His people! Let us draw strength and faith for this unique time in our history to believe God, to seek him whole-heartedly on behalf of the world, our nation, and all the people we can reach in our spheres.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.
-- Philippians 4:6
As chaotic a time as this, we are reminded to anchor ourselves to the hope of our faith - to rely not on our own devices, but dependent on the love and care of our Heavenly Father. Romans 5 and James 1 reveal to us that God consents to trials in our lives in part because of the fruits of patience, endurance, hope and faith that will spring from them. As a community we are intentionally holding fast to God’s promises through this time, choosing faith over fear.
CU New York has begun to participate in a 40 day fast with the Christian Union Day & Night team. As an organization we feel called to seek the Lord in prayer and fasting throughout this time. We desire His will to be done in our lives, our city, and our nation. We trust in His healing power and redemptive hand, that He is moving in this situation, ultimately bringing good from evil, and revealing His Glory through it all.
We have had a CU New York Forum planned for March 27 with Dr. Margaret Yoon on “Mental Health and the Holy Spirit”. While it is clear we cannot meet in the typical format of these events, we are working to move this to a virtual forum. This will still enable us to listen to and interact with Dr. Yoon on these important questions of how we, as Christians, wrestle with issues of burnout, anxiety, and depression at this time and in this busy city. More information on this will be sent separately, or you can check on our website.
For the financial services industry there are a few resources you might find helpful as you navigate this time both professionally and personally. The Ron Blue organization has developed Fearless: Market Turmoil and a Biblical Response, which has spiritual perspective, insights from industry leaders, and messaging points to help guide client conversations during this uncertain season. Please check it out if you’re looking for ideas.
We invite you to join us as we pray and fast in this season. Use this link to receive daily devotionals, and to participate in the CU Day & Night 40 day fast: (https://www.dayandnight.org/fast). We are praying for God’s protection, healing, mercy, peace, and authority to reign over our city and world. We invite His kingdom to come and His will to be done, in each of our lives. We submit our desires to control and to rely on our own understanding, but instead we will choose to submit to His authority, His wisdom as we trust in his peace.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
- Col 3:15
Scott Crosby
Ministry Director
&
Amanda Curtis
Administrative Assistant
Christian Union New York
Christian Union DC
For more information on New York City Christian Union Bible Courses and activities, or resources available to you please contact Scott Crosby.
Please note: if you would like to receive regular updates, via email, on how to pray for City Christian Union, please email prayer@christianunion.org.
As we close out Week 7 of the Winter Term, here are a few prayer needs from Dartmouth.
Midterms have begun, student schedules are packed and it’s still winter, but there is an excitement in the air with what God is doing at Columbia University through Christian Union Lumine. We are seeing higher turnout for our Leadership Lecture Series nights, impromptu prayer gatherings among the students and a feeling of community and togetherness even in the midst of all the transitions. Thank you for your continued prayers for the work on this campus. Here are ways you can be praying for us this month:
—Romans 5:1
Greetings from cold Cambridge!
We are about a third of the way through the semester and our students are looking forward to Spring break, which is just a couple of weeks away. This week in our Romans study with the Juniors and Sophomores we were in chapter 5. What a wonderful reminder to all of us of the reality of our new standing before God. We have been justified by faith. We were made right with God by trusting in Jesus. And as a result, we can now have peace with God. A peace that cannot be quenched or conquered by anything life throws our way.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Having returned from Ski Safari, the Spring Semester is now well under way—we are now in our fourth week of classes. Our students, true to form, have begun the Spring Semester with both intensity and excitement. This same intensity and excitement has been on display in our students’ spiritual lives—the Melrose Center has been bustling with students studying Scripture and praying with one another. This Spring our students are studying different material in Bible Course, based on their class year. Our seniors will be doing vocational preparation, as they look to enter the workforce; our juniors and sophomores are studying one of the most influential books in the Scripture—Paul’s letter to the Romans; and our frosh, in turn, are completing two studies—one on the Seeking-God Lifestyle, which lies at the heart of Christian Union, and another on Christian sexual ethics. The Spring semester is always an exciting time for students of seeing how God’s word applies to many aspects of their lives.
The rhythm of the semester has commenced, with mid-terms, clubs, and activities now in full force. One of the challenges for our students this semester is to “seek first the kingdom,” in the sense of taking 2 set times per day of prayer, Scripture reading, and worship. We’ve noticed that students are looking for structure, not in the rote sense of going through the motions, but in developing habits. As a few of our students prepare to participate in the Broad Street Run (a 10-mile race here in Philly), they have to set aside times for training. Our running the race of faith requires time set apart for training as well. Would you pray…
Dear Prayer Partners,
As always, we give thanks to God for your ongoing support. As I write this, we are looking forward to an outreach event this afternoon: a screening of the film Emanuel and conversation with producer Dimas Salaberrios, a long-time friend of Christian Union. While the event will already have taken place by the time you are reading this, please pray that the conversation would continue and that hearts would continue to be stirred and drawn to the Lord by the film's powerful witness to the Spirit of forgiveness.
“Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.”
-- C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
The above quote from Lewis’ remarkable sermon, given in Oxford in 1941, is part of the argument to raise our understanding and practice of what it means to live out the job description God gave us in Genesis 1 and 2: to honor God, steward creation, and bless others. It's not always obvious to us that we’re made in the very image of God, and we certainly struggle with seeing others in that way.
I pray that you are having a blessed start to the new year.
Christian Union at Columbia started 2020 with a new Ministry Director and some faculty transitions. The students recently returned from vacation after Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, and we are truly excited for this upcoming semester.
We have begun our second semester at Cornell as students have come back from winter break. After a period of transition, we now have a new director on our staff. Greg Ray has come from Madrid, Spain, where he was doing missionary work to lead our team. As we move into this new stage, we look forward to seeing how God is going to work through the team on this campus.
Greetings from Cambridge!
As I was recently reading Nehemiah, I was struck by how single-minded and focused he was on the task the Lord had called him to do, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In Nehemiah chapter 6 some of his opponents try to distract him away from his mission, but his response is quite remarkable: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” There was no taking Nehemiah away from what God had called him to do.
