Pastor’s Email College Devotion
The Week following the Baptism of Our Lord
January 11, 2015
“The world is but a canvas to our imagination.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
From Pocket Positives for Inspiration Maggie Pinkney, compiler
You’re back … and its cold … and you enjoyed Christmas break a little too fully … and its cold … and you have to read and study 15 hours a day again … and you’re back in a dorm room … did I say it was cold? Welcome back to college life. Remember Thoreau’s words. The world is in part, at least, what you envision it to be. Maybe you can cherish the solitude of a snowy day. Or recognize how wonderful a warm spring day will feel after a chilly winter. Or you can adopt white as you favorite color for the coming month (or three). Your experience is defined by how you choose to see the world. God has blessed you with a spirit that can choose how it engages the world.
A good day in church today … nice attendance in spite of the cold, a good sermon by the Vicar in traditional, and I had the joy of leading and preaching in New Day. Guess what? I used “Rain” in the sermon! Remember doing Rain for evening devotions on Friday nights in Grove Lodge at Camp Nawakwa for Confirmation and Sr. High Retreats? Since Baptism and cleansing water was the theme for today, I thought it might be fun to try Rain with 70 or so people joining in.
Have a great start to your new semester. It was a joy to see so many of you when you were home for Christmas. Have fun and study hard. Remember to always make choices that you and those you love will be proud of.
The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights.
(Genesis 7:12, NRSV)
Winter Blessings,
Pastor Ross