Emerging Scholars Blog

InterVarsity's Emerging Scholars Network

CMDA

Prayers for Chapel Hill

UNC campus photo - Old Well in the spring
UNC campus photo – Old Well in the spring

Last Tuesday afternoon, reports began to emerge of a shooting in the Finley Forest condominiums in Chapel Hill. I immediately thought of the several graduate students in the graduate IVCF chapter who live there and called one to check on their safety. They were just returning home from class and were greeted by parked police cars surrounding one of the condos. That was the first they had heard of the shooting which happened less than an hour before.

It was only the previous Friday that our graduate InterVarsity chapter held one of its chapter meeting dinners at these same graduate students’ home in Finley Forest, so my mind went immediately to the people I had seen there that day as I parked on the street before entering their condo . . . as I had done on a few Fridays previously over the last year. Our chapter rotates its dinner meetings among several of the grad student members’ homes so it just so happened that our last dinner meeting had been in Finley Forest. [Read more…] about Prayers for Chapel Hill

Awake, my soul, and with the sun

Sunrise at the 2012 CMDA Northeast Winter Retreat. Originally posted in Join the heavens in proclaiming the glory of God (Thomas B. Grosh IV. ESN Blog. 1/26/2012).

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice. . . .

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.[1]

This weekend Theresa (my wife) and I are assisting with the Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA) Northeast Winter Retreat. What a joy to serve not only Emerging Scholars, but also future health care professionals! As we prepared for the weekend, Michael Gungor’s rendition of the Doxology kept coming back to me . . .

Join me in praying that as we [followers of Christ in higher ed] awake each and every day, we will offer our head, heart, and hands in praise to God alone. And that we will continue to live in such a manner as part of the people of God throughout all the days of our life in all that we learn, say, share, practice . . . To God be the glory!

[Read more…] about Awake, my soul, and with the sun

Join the heavens in proclaiming the glory of God

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. . . . The sun bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. — Psalm 19:1-2, 5-6

2012 CMDA Northeast Winter Retreat Sunset. Psalm 19 provided the direction for morning prayer.

A few weeks ago my three year old daughter responded to the sunrise by shouting out, “Mom! I see God at work!” “Hi God!”

How do you respond to the glory of God by which you are surrounded as you make your way to campus, around campus, in your academic endeavors . . . living moving, breathing, thinking, loving, righteously Deploying Vocational Power for the common good in a body “fearfully and wonderfully” knit together “in the image of God” in your mother’s womb?

Today (and each and every day), I encourage you to join me in taking time to observe God’s “craftsmanship.” I have found starting this practice first thing in the morning leads to a day framed by (and many times filled by) praise, thanksgiving, and the longing to invite others to “see” God at work through the lens of His Word which is more desirable than gold, even the finest gold . . . . sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb (Psalm 19:10)! Come, take, eat, and enjoy.
[Read more…] about Join the heavens in proclaiming the glory of God

The Incarnational Stream & Higher Education: Holistic Spirituality

Introduction

Thomas B. Grosh IV (left) and Dwight Schwartz (right) at the 2011 CMDA Connections Conference. Dwight serves as the Mid-Atlantic Area Director for InterVarsity’s Graduate & Faculty Ministry. Note: The text reads “He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:2“

Last week I had the privilege of participating in the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA)1 Connections Conference. The support, conversations, content, networking, and resources which I took away from CMDA, Bristol, TN, encouraged me in and better equipped me to participate in the extension of the Kingdom of God across the various structures at Penn State Hershey College of Medicine/Medical Center [chaplains, counselors, faculty, nurses, patients (including the care of our own family), physicians, researchers, students (medical, nursing, graduate), support staff, therapists . . .] through the Christian Medical Society (CMS)/CMDA.

Not surprisingly the worship, renewal of vision/passion for the Kingdom of God, exploration of ethical decision making, call for discipleship/evangelism/missions, and honest conversations about relationships/vocation/marriage speak into much more than health care. So as we once again dig into making “present and visible the realm of the invisible Spirit” and experiencing “God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life” (Foster, 272), I will draw from Spiritual Formation in Ministry and Randy Gilmour’s, Pastor of Hamilton Hills Baptist Church, CMDA Connections Conference presentations on the Kingdom of God.

A Compartmentalized vs. A Christ-centered Life

 

Compartmentalized vs. Christ Centered Life (Boa, 222)

When you review your life and vocation, do you find “A Compartmentalized Life” or “A Centered Life?” (Boa, 222)  We will all fall short (please take a moment to join me in confession), but we are called as part of the Body of Christ to continually return to life In Christ Alone. As we do such, even the most mundane components of daily life become expressions of “An Integrated Life” (Boa, 223), making “present and visible the realm of the invisible Spirit” (Foster, 272). [Read more…] about The Incarnational Stream & Higher Education: Holistic Spirituality