I spent the last week in Nyack, NY for a Chi Alpha Northeast Regional Staff Conference. While I was excited to get some great information and spend time with friends, I was a little disappointed. I was only 20 minutes from Yankees Stadium and it looked like I wouldn’t be able to see a game. I got a pleasant surprise on Sunday afternoon.
We had the afternoon off and a group decided to go into the city and look around. We really didn’t have a destination and while we were discussing where we wanted to end up, we passed Yankee Stadium. As we observed a moment of silence, we read a billboard that said, “Angels today 1:05 pm.” My good friend Joel said, “Let’s go see a game.” I didn’t argue. We got the $20 cheap seats, only 1 row away from the top, but they weren’t that bad. We had the shade from the uppper deck roof, a great breeze, and we were watching the Yankees! The only thing that would have made the day perfect is if they pulled off a win, but those have been a little difficult for the Yankees to produce this year. At least they made things interesting. The stadium was rocking in the 9th inning when Jeter had a chance to win the game with a hit. After about 15 pitches he finally sent a ball into the outfield. Unfortunately, it ended up in the center fielder’s mitt. Even still, I could ask for a better afternoon. Thanks guys!
I left Sam to put his own clothes on this morning. Here’s the result (and yes those are underpants on his head–Wiggles underpants).
The article, “Matters of Faith Find a New Prominence on Campus” was printed in today’s New York Times. In it Alan Finder addresses a trend that I have been seeing for some time now. Students are becoming more and more spiritual.
“A survey on the spiritual lives of college students, the first of its kind, showed in 2004 that more than two-thirds of 112,000 freshmen surveyed said they prayed, and that almost 80 percent believed in God. Nearly half of the freshmen said they were seeking opportunities to grow spiritually, according to the survey by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. “
This is exciting! We have an amazing opportunity. More than ever before students are looking for a connection to God. They are actually making a effort! I don’t have to push or pull, I simply need to guide them to their connection to God through Jesus. On the other hand, it’s also a little scary. Laziness or poor preparation on my part may quickly turn a spirit of openness to cynicism closing students off to the gospel for a lifetime.
Pray for us. Pray for me to hear God’s voice as I attempt to guide American Univerisity Chi Alpha into the center of God’s will. Pray for our student leaders. Ask that God would give them the ability to speak to their peers and professors with grace and truth and exibhit Christ’s irresistible love. And finallly, pray for the students at American University. Pray that they may act on their enthusiasm for the spiritual and that they may have an experience with Jesus.
I spent the last week in Nyack, NY for a Chi Alpha Northeast Regional Staff Conference. While I was excited to get some great information and spend time with friends, I was a little disappointed. I was only 20 minutes from Yankees Stadium and it looked like I wouldn’t be able to see a game. I got a pleasant surprise on Sunday afternoon.
