CU Faculty Helps Law Students Maintain Balance
by Eileen Scott, Senior WriterBeing a Harvard Law student is quite a challenge. Add being a spouse and parent, and you've got a balancing act to rival the Flying Wallendas. Some Harvard Law students with families are maintaining equilibrium by keeping their eyes on Christ and following the lead of Christian Union faculty at Harvard Law School.
Christian Union Hosts Wintersession Lectures
by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
A group of students with Christian Union's ministry at Harvard College probed some of Christianity's toughest questions during the Wintersession break.
In collaboration with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, the students hosted three talks in January in Boylston Hall to examine questions that are core to the faith. The topics included the resurrection of Christ, the intersection of science and faith, and why God is sometimes perceived as hidden.
Book Study Empowers Students to Reach Out
by Catherine Elvy, Staff WriterStudent believers desiring to reflect Christ on college campuses often encounter barriers when it comes to sharing their faith with classmates who struggle with homosexual desires.
That issue can be especially magnified at Yale University, which has been dubbed for decades as the "Gay Ivy."
Given the issues evangelicals may face when interacting with peers who grapple with same-sex attractions, a Christian Union intern hosted a book study on the subject throughout the spring semester.
Scholar debunks modern conspiracies, explains history
by Catherine Elvy, Staff Writer
Some scholars argue politics, rather than divine guidance, determined the 27 books of the New Testament and the 39 texts of the Old Testament.That is not so, according to theologian Craig Blomberg.
The New Testament scholar debunked such claims surrounding the canon of Scripture during an appearance at Cornell University.
It is simply untrue that the formation of either testament was "brought about because of ideological conniving, such that a winning party in a political process had the opportunity to suppress or rewrite or even chose unilaterally in a totalitarian fashion what should go in either the Old or New Testaments," said Blomberg.
Princeton University Fellow Examines Key Questions
by Catherine Elvy, Staff WriterAll humans possess a right to life, which forms the basis for the related principles of freedom and safety.
Philosophers seem uniformly to embrace that moral fundamental, but they continue to debate vigorously just when the right to life actually begins. Many ethical philosophers claim it begins during the later stages of pregnancy, while a minority point to conception.
During an appearance for Princeton Pro-Life, a visiting fellow at Princeton University did his part to probe some of the key questions in the ongoing debate over the timing and conditions that establish the right to life.
Global Trends Bring Major Shifts
by Catherine Elvy, Staff WriterAs the United States is growing increasingly secular, other corners of the globe are becoming distinctly more spiritual.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
— Zephaniah 3:17
Old Saints
By Stephen G. Mackereth
From The Harvard Crimson
Harvard Crimson columnist Stephen G. Mackereth, a student heavily involved in Christian Union's ministry at Harvard, graduated last Thursday. In his final column in the Crimson, he reflects on his time at Harvard, on the future, and on the wisdom of old saints...
Read More Here >
Seek the LORD and his strength; Seek his face continually. — 1 Chronicles 16:11
Chosen for the Sake of the World
By Nick Nowalk
From Princeton Faith and Action YouTube Channel
What does it mean to be a part of God's chosen people? Harvard Ministry Fellow Nick Nowalk challenges the common debate surrounding the doctrine of election.
Watch the Video Here >
Courtney was involved with a Christian Union Lux at Yale. In this video, she shares about her pro-life convictions and how the ministry supported and encouraged her to find her voice as a much-needed leader. (4:33)
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
It could be said that much of the Christian faith is rife with paradox, irony, and surprising plot twists. The prostitute, Rahab, who was spared in the conquering of Jericho? She ends up in the lineage of the Christ, as did Tamar (of Genesis) and Bathsheba, two women notable for their sexual sin. The disciple who said he would never deny that he knew Jesus -- and then did just that? He’s the rock that Jesus said He would build His church on, and He did. Do you value your life above all things? You’ll quickly lose it. If you lose your life for Jesus’ sake, you’ll save it. The list of surprising twists goes on, of course, considering that the very messiah-ruler Himself ended up crucified by those to whom He was sent. I would argue these all have in common the mind-blowing reality of how God chooses to work in this world: the weakest, simplest, most humble vessels are the one through which He works the mightiest; all so the glory might be His alone.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
— Matthew 5:14-16
Christian Union Adds Hutz Hertzberg to its Senior Leadership Team
By Christian Union
From ChristianUnion.org
Christian Union and its Board of Trustees today announce that Dr. Hutz H. Hertzberg has been named to the organization’s senior leadership team as president, and the ministry's founder, Matt Bennett, has been named CEO. Hertzberg brings a wealth of leadership experience, having spent the entirety of his career in church ministries, Christian agencies, and in higher education. Most recently, Hertzberg served...
Read More Here >
A Prayer and Fasting Devotional
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” - James 1:2-4
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18
The Two Shall Become One Flesh: Reclaiming Marriage
By Evangelicals and Catholics Together
From First Things
In the Gospel of St. Mark, the Lord Jesus teaches that “from the beginning of creation ‘God made them male and female.’” He then declares a great and beautiful truth inscribed in creation: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh” (Mark 10:6–8).
Read More Here >
Dr. David Young, Founder and Chairman of global analysis firm Oxford Analytica, was the special guest speaker at Christian Union New York City's Forum. (46:27)
What Every Christian Can Practice in Order to Impact the Culture of Today
Author and philosopher Paul Gould has written a number of successful books, and his latest work, The Outrageous Idea of the Missional Professor, is both an excellent examination of what it means to be a Christian academic, as well as a helpful resource for those who are looking to deepen their faith and impact their surroundings.In the book, he explains that professors and teachers hold a valuable position of influence over their students and contemporaries, and urges them to view themselves more like missionaries in order to transform their particular disciplines.
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations... — Deuteronomy 7:9
Christ Follower, Bridge Builder
By Christian Union
From ChristianUnion.org
Princeton alumnus, Cambridge University MPhil, and current California Berkeley PhD student Dave Kurz grew up in a Christian home, but faith was not the center of his life until he went to college and began attending Christian Union Bible courses. Hear how these experiences helped shape his beliefs and led him to earnestly seek God.
Watch the Video Here >
"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created by him and for him" — Col 1:16
The Drop Box
By Madison Peace
From The Federalist
A poignant, profoundly moving new documentary "tells the story of 'The Drop Box,' where image-conscious South Koreans leave disabled babies to a welcoming pastor and his family."
Read More Here >
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Renaissance: the Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times
By Dr. Os Guinness
From New York City Christian Union
On January 13, 2015, acclaimed author and social critic Dr. Os Guinness was the special guest speaker at the January New York City Christian Union Forum.
Watch the video here >
Why Harvard is Anything But Godless
Many Harvard professors and students are oblivious to the level of religious devotion that exists at their university. In fact, most people, Harvard affiliated or not, are unaware of the profound faith that can be found on campus, erroneously considering the school to be fairly “irreligious.” However, according to Stephen G. Mackereth – a talented new writer for The Harvard Crimson, and a Christian Union ministry member – Harvard is anything but godless.Mackereth highlights his own faith experiences at Harvard and explains how this precipitated a close relationship with God. “Though I came from an Anglican family, it was here that the old creeds and old hymns to God in the Highest first really came to life for me. Since then, I have been an active member of the Christian student community on campus,” he writes.
Dartmouth Student Leads 24-Hour Prayer Time
On October 31, students at Dartmouth united their Christian peers to pray without ceasing for 24 hours.
The effort was led by Zachary Schmidt '15, who is active with Christian Union's leadership development ministry at Dartmouth and possesses a profound devotion to Christ and a passion for living a life of prayer.
Schmidt, who transferred to Dartmouth as a junior from the U.S. Naval Academy, helped organize a 24-hour concert of prayer, which both encouraged students to seek God wholeheartedly and also united the body of Christ on campus.
"We saw [this prayer initiative] as a great way to get the whole Christian community involved and united in one body to glorify the Lord," said Schmidt.
