This past Saturday we spent the day building a prayer labyrinth on the property here at the PSC. With the help of a whole bunch of students, boy scouts from local Troop 149, and a few surprise helpers, the labyrinth was put together in just under 6 hours of work. We had lunch catered by Zaxby’s, and we shared a lot of laughs and sweaty hugs by the end of the day.

Our labyrinth was created (re)using glass bottles donated by more people than I care to try and name right now, and with river rock pebbles purchased thanks to a generous donation from The Labyrinth Society. We will be holding a short dedication service this coming Monday, April 18, at four o’clock in the afternoon, and we are inviting anyone and everyone around Athens who has an interest in labyrinths. If you are reading this, you’re invited. Even if you can’t make it to this service, we invite you to come and walk the labyrinth whenever you need to take a moment of sabbath from your hectic schedule. It is open to the public, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It’s even illuminated at night by the lights in our parking lot, so feel free to walk it at any time of day or night.

Below, you can check out some more pictures.

We play a lot of cornhole here at the PSC. If you’d ever like to challenge Andy or myself (or Chris McCreight, the DOC’s Campus Minister, for that matter) to a game, chances are you’ll get an enthusiastic “yes!” in response. See y’all on the cornhole pitch.

Mitch Roper

Karen Hartsfield and Daniel Kilfoyle, our Student Ministers for Encounter and Community, can be seen above, holding down the ticket table.  At right, student (and three-time raffle winner) Delaney Young can be seen walking a canvas labyrinth in the Dining Hall at the PSC.  We were lucky enough to borrow this labyrinth from Fr. Dann Brown of the Episcopal Center for the evening.

On Saturday, we were honored to hold the Northeast Georgia Presbytery’s Youth Rally, concurrent with the Presbytery’s Winter Leadership Event, which was being held up the street at First Presbyterian Church.  Keynote Speaker and Vice Moderator for the 219th General Assembly, Landon Whitsitt, joined us and led the youth in a discussion about Paul’s letters to Timothy.  None of the adults were allowed to talk, and the youth really got engaged, sharing stories of what challenges and inspirations they encounter in the Church and in the world.  At right, youth from all over the Presbytery gather for a quick shout out to all of us.  You can really get a sense of the size and excitement of Saturday’s Youth Rally, but to be honest, you really had to be there.  All in all, it was a fantastic weekend.  We wrapped things up like we always do, with a fellowship meal on Sunday evening.  Doug and Peggy Bailey joined from Central Presbyterian Church, and we were grateful for the tasty chili and cornbread they made for us.

Mitch Roper

This semester we will be continuing our “Faith Flicks” program. We will be showing a series of movies during the semester that touch on different issues relating to our faith. Starting tomorrow, Jan. 20, Faith Flicks will be shown in the TV Room at the PSC at 8pm, every other Thursday night. For the full lineup, see below.

Jan. 20          Gasland
Feb. 3             The Pursuit of Happyness
Feb. 17           Soundtrack for a Revolution
Mar. 3            Into the Wild
Mar. 17          No Movie (Spring Break)
Mar. 31          Through My Eyes
Apr. 14           Life Is Beautiful
Apr. 28          Food Inc.

For more information, contact Clay Mersmann (cmersmann@uga.edu).

This semester we will be continuing our “Faith Flicks” program. We will be showing a series of movies during the semester that touch on different issues relating to our faith. Starting tomorrow, Jan. 20, Faith Flicks will be shown in the TV Room at the PSC at 8pm, every other Thursday night. For the full lineup, see below.

Jan. 20          Gasland
Feb. 3             The Pursuit of Happyness
Feb. 17           Soundtrack for a Revolution
Mar. 3            Into the Wild
Mar. 17          No Movie (Spring Break)
Mar. 31          Through My Eyes
Apr. 14           Life Is Beautiful
Apr. 28          Food Inc.

For more information, contact Clay Mersmann (cmersmann@uga.edu).

Holly Aversano, our student minister for service, can be seen in the picture to the right, surrounded by presents that will be sent off to these children.  Other students who participated in the “stuffing party” included Abby Crawford, Ben Sheppard, Meagan Rowe, and student ministers Daniel Kilfoyle and Karen Hartsfield.

Wondering Wanderers: Four Stages on the Faith Journey

“Life is hard, and then you die,” they say. (Who are they, anyway?) But they could also say, “Life is beautiful, and then it gets better.” We live in the creative tension of those two true observations.

In my work as a pastor, and more recently in my work as a writer, speaker, networker, and activist, I’ve found it helpful to try to find the truth on both sides of arguments and polarizations. An essential skill in that process has been learning to think less in terms of right/wrong (or right/left!) and more in terms of stages of growth.

This developmental way of thinking certainly has helped me understand my own spiritual wanderings and wonderings, and I think it’s also helped me be more understanding of others, and more helpful to them too. In my last book, A New Kind of Christianity, I shared a seven-stage framework that yields insights into the development of both individuals and groups. In my next book, Naked Spirituality, I’ll use a simpler but equally helpful four-stage model.

In Montreat this year, I’ll be sharing this four-stage model. I’m really looking forward to seeing how folks apply it to their own spiritual lives, to their experiences with people of other faith traditions, and maybe even more broadly to these crazy times we live in. As a bunch of wondering wanderers and wandering wonderers, we’re all on a journey, and it really helps when we have a framework for understanding what’s going on.

This entry has been cross-posted from the College Conference Blog, which is written by the conference planning team. Find it at http://collegeconference.posterous.com

The percentages included next to the multiple-choice answers reflect the rounded percentage out of the total number of respondents per question. Every question was not necessarily answered by each respondent, and  some respondents chose more than one answer for some questions, so total percentages to some questions over 100% may reflect this. There were a number of people who wrote comments out to the side of some of the multiple-choice answers, and this was informative for me, but for the sake of expediency, only those comments which were given in the short answer areas were included in these results.

I would like to encourage anyone and everyone who has an interest in our community to take a look at these results and share your thoughts with one another. The purpose of this survey, after all, was ultimately to facilitate such discussion.

-Mitch

–

Which of the following statements best summarizes your general attitude toward prayer?
14%  Prayer is our way of letting God know what we need.  (6 of 44 respondents)
0%  Prayer is unnecessary because God knows our innermost thoughts.  (0 of 44 respondents)
48%  Prayer is our way of acknowledging what God already knows. (21 of 44 respondents)
16%  Prayer is less about talking to God than listening for God. (7 of 44 respondents)
30%  Other:  click here to view individual answers. (13 of 44 respondents)

Do you believe that prayer deepens your relationship with God?
100%  Yes (43 of 43 respondents)
0%  No (0 of 43 respondents)

How comfortable are you praying in a group?
16%  Very comfortable (7 of 44 respondents)
55%  Somewhat comfortable (24 of 44 respondents)
27%  Somewhat uncomfortable (12 of 44 respondents)
5%  Not at all comfortable (2 of 44 respondents)

How often would you say you pray in a group?
32%  Never or rarely (14 of 44 respondents)
32%  Once or twice a month (14 of 44 respondents)
20%  About once a week (9 of 44 respondents)
18%  Multiple times each week (8 of 44 respondents)

Do you believe that there is a spiritual difference between the practice of corporate prayer (prayer in groups) and solitary prayer?
75%  Yes (33 of 44 respondents)
25%  No (11 of 44 respondents)

If you answered ‘yes’ to the previous question, please briefly explain your distinction.
click here to view individual answers.

Do you come to the weekly Prayer Group on Sunday evenings?
9%  Yes (4 of 44 respondents)
77%  No (34 of 44 respondents)
16%  I’ve come a few times (7 of 44 respondents)

Have you ever come to pray in the Chapel during the week?
11%  Yes, on a regular basis (5 of 44 respondents)
30%  I’ve come a few times (13 of 44 respondents)
57% No (25 of 44 respondents)
5%  People pray in the Chapel during the week? (2 of 44 respondents)

Do you feel that the Prayer Request Board is an adequate means of informing our community about your prayer concerns and/or joys?
93%  Yes (39 of 42 respondents)
7%  No (3 of 42 respondents)

If you answered ‘no’ to the last question, please briefly explain how you believe this process could be improved.
click here to view individual answers.

Do you believe that people who have very different thoughts on prayer and/or God can come together to pray?
98%  Yes (42 of 43 respondents)
2%  No (1 of 43 respondents)

How comfortable would you feel praying with someone of a different Christian tradition than your own?
0%  Not at all comfortable (0 of 44 respondents)
30%  Somewhat uncomfortable, but open to it (13 of 44 respondents)
18%  Somewhat comfortable (8 of 44 respondents)
52%  Very comfortable (23 of 44 respondents)

How comfortable would you feel praying with someone of a different religious tradition than your own?
2%  Not at all comfortable (1 of 44 respondents)
25%  Somewhat uncomfortable, but open to it (11 of 44 respondents)
27%  Somewhat comfortable (12 of 44 respondents)
45%  Very comfortable (20 of 44 respondents)

Do you believe that music, sung or played, can be a unique form of prayer?
98%  Yes (43 of 44 respondents)
2%  No (1 of 44 respondents)

Which of the following phrases best describes your feelings on the prayerful use of music during worship at the Presbyterian Student Center?
51%  Wonderful (20 of 39 respondents)
44%  Satisfactory (17 of 39 respondents)
5%  In need of improvement (2 of 39 respondents )

If you answered ‘in need of improvement’ to the previous question, please briefly explain how you feel this could be improved:
click here to view individual answers.

Do you believe that visual or performance art can be a unique form of prayer?
98%  Yes (43 of 44 respondents)
2%  No (1 of 44 respondents)

Do you believe that athletic performance can be a unique form of prayer?
76%  Yes (31 of 41 respondents)
24%  No (10 of 41 respondents)

How often do you read and reflect on contemplative and/or prayerful books or writings in your free time?
50%  Never or rarely (22 of 44 respondents)
39%  Sometimes (17 of 44 respondents)
11%  As often as I am able (5 of 44 respondents)

How likely is it that you would participate in an overnight prayer retreat sometime before the end of the academic year?
14%  Not at all likely (6 of 42 respondents)
21%  Only if I had nothing else better to do (9 of 42 respondents)
24%  Fairly likely (10 of 42 respondents)
31%  Unless I had a conflict, I would participate (13 of 42 respondents)
10%  I would go out of my way to participate (4 of 42 respondents)

Contemplative meditation is sometimes also referred to as ‘prayerful silence.’ How important do you believe it is to set time aside regularly for personal prayerful silence?
0%  Not important (0 of 44 respondents)
18%  Not that important, but it’s a good idea (8 of 44 respondents)
27%  Somewhat important (12 of 44 respondents)
55%  Very important (24 of 44 respondents)

How many times a week do you usually set aside time for personal prayerful silence?
36%  0-1 times per week (16 of 44 respondents)
34%  2-3 times per week (15 of 44 respondents)
7%  4-6 times per week (3 of 44 respondents)
14%  Once each day (6 of 44 respondents)
9%  More than once each day (4 of 44 respondents)

Are you familiar with the phrase ‘Centering Prayer?’
55%  Yes (24 of 44 respondents)
45% No (20 of 44 respondents)

Are you familiar with the phrase ‘Lectio Divina?’
23%  Yes (10 of 44 respondents)
77%  No (34 of 44 respondents)

If you answered ‘no’ to either of the previous questions, would you be interested in learning about these prayerful practices?
92%  Yes (35 of 38 respondents)
8%  No (3 of 38 respondents)

How likely is it that you would participate in activities involving one of these prayerful practices?
7%  Not likely at all (3 of 41 respondents)
10%  Only if I had nothing else better to do (4 of 41 respondents)
51%  Fairly likely (21 of 41 respondents)
32%  Unless I had a conflict, I would participate (13 of 41 respondents)
0%  I would go out of my way to participate (0 of 41 respondents)

Which of the following statements best describes your thoughts on prayer labyrinths?
14%  What’s a prayer labyrinth? (6 of 44 respondents)
34%  I’ve never had the chance to walk one, but I’d like to soon. (15 of 44 respondents)
18%  I’ve walked one before, but I didn’t gain anything from it. (8 of 44 respondents)
34%  Prayer labyrinths help me to quiet my distracted mind. (15 of 44 respondents)
0%  I think prayer labyrinths are a distraction from true prayer. (0 of 44 respondents)

Using the space below, please feel free to add any additional thoughts you may have about prayer and meditation.
click here to view individual answers.

Campus Pastor | Dan W. Boles

Have you ever wandered down the highway, made a few turns, and then suddenly realized somewhere in your journey you got off track? How did that make you feel? What did you do? Did you stop and ask for directions? Did you press on, relying on your internal GPS (flawless of course)? Did you make it to the right place after-all, or get lost entirely?

We all get lost from time to time. We all make wrong turns here and there. I know. It wasn’t that long ago that I was standing in your shoes as a new student in college. After a short time at Georgia Southern, and nearly flunking out my freshman year at Reinhardt College, I too found myself on the fertile soils of Kennesaw State University as a second-year student looking for a second chance. I was lost. Without a map, a reference point, or a person I knew that I could trust and ask for directions. That was 1998. A lot has changed at KSU since then, mostly the addition of approximately half the buildings that currently stand, all of the parking decks, and all the dorms. Well… that’s not entirely true. The “Kennesaw Place” dorms were there, but they weren’t dorms then. I wouldn’t even call them apartments at the time. More like dark alleys that you definitely didn’t want to find yourself in. But there is one thing that remains the same today as it was then… more often than not, KSU students have lots of questions and very few reference points. More often than not, you’re forced into the driver’s seat on a journey towards an unknown destination, and you don’t have a map, nor a GPS system or a co-pilot. What do you do? What’s the purpose? What’s the meaning?

We all want to find meaning and purpose for our lives. I believe in my heart that college is a great time to examine and explore what that meaning and purpose might be. It’s also an easy time to get lost in the overwhelming oversaturation of information. Every where you turn, there is information hurling towards you at the speed of light. Sometimes, we simply need the opportunity to stop, breathe deep, and ask some questions. Sometimes we need to know there are people around us, a community of people we can count on, that can serve as a reference point for us. A place where we’re free to ask questions and explore different possibilities without fear of judgment, guilt, or being outcast. A place where we can be heard.

That’s why I’m here. That’s why our community is here. To listen. To serve as a reference point for you along the journey. To nurture you in your discernment of your life meaning/purpose, and the vocation that is uniquely yours, so that you can change the world. It is within the sacred spaces of “CELTIC CROSS” that you’ll find lifelong friends, mutual accountability, hospitality, and much more. More importantly, you’ll find our community is grounded in communal practices that create safe spaces for dialogue and discussion, allow you to ask self-awakening questions, help you reflect theologically on self and community, and examine, explore, and enact opportunities to follow the call of Christ even as you are growing in knowledge of what that call might be.

May your journey be blessed.

Dan W. Boles
Campus Pastor
(404) 384-7756