Pastor’s Email College Devotion, October 18, 2015

Pastor’s Email College Devotion

The Week of Pentecost 21

October 18, 2015

 

Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest. (Luke 9:48, NRSV)

 

Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in? The whole “square peg in a round hole” deal? Have you ever wondered where you best fit in life, and what callings are going to be your callings in life? College can be an amazing cauldron of knowledge and varied experiences and opportunities for change and growth. But it can also be overwhelming at times.

Today in church we read a bit of the story of Ruth, in the Old Testament. She was a foreigner to the Jewish culture … a person displaced from her home … a woman whose loyalty to a widow she met named Naomi was admittedly unconventional … yes, Ruth was a square peg in many ways. But she was faithful and loyal and honest and hard-working. And in time, she found what her calling was and where she fit in the new world in which she found herself.

I pray the same for you. I pray that as you explore and learn and grow in your campus environments, you remember the core values that make you who you are. There will always be settings in which you don’t quite fit. Don’t be so quick to adjust to all of them. Remain in touch with the person God has made you to be, and use those core strengths Ruth modeled – faithfulness and honesty and loyalty and diligence – to help you stay connected to life-giving activities and pursuits.   As always, make choices that you and your loved ones will be proud of.

 

Dear God, remind me of who I am at the deepest places in my life, and give me strength to remain faithful to those values. Lead me into paths of righteousness and faithfulness. Amen.

 

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Rev. Craig Ross

Senior Pastor

The vibrancy of life here at St. Peter’s makes my service on our staff a joy and privilege. Visitation, teaching and preaching are the ministries that feed my pastoral identity, as together our staff and lay members share in our missional calling … Building a community of faith by God’s grace.