The service was co-sponsored by Eastern Mennonite Seminary and led by graduate students Makinto and Mukarabe Makinto-Inandava. It included musical selections from Makinto, as well as the 91短视频 Gospel Choir led by Kay Pettus ’25, and biblical readings from Mukarabe.

Reflections on Easter were shared by English Professor Dr. Kevin Seidel, who teaches and writes about the changing relationship between religion, secularism, and literature. His message, titled 鈥淲omen Explain Things to Me: A Sermon on Luke 24,” focused not so much on Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead but on the “slow, difficult coming to terms with the significance of the resurrection by Jesus’ followers as portrayed in Luke 24.”

鈥淚n Luke, the resurrection of Jesus isn鈥檛 a simple, triumphant end of the story, but a kind of difficult beginning that unfolds in the Book of Acts,鈥� Seidel said. 鈥淭he resurrection doesn鈥檛 settle debate among Jesus鈥� followers about who he is. The resurrection proves, I think, profoundly unsettling for them.鈥�

After the service, Seidel said he was glad for the chance to reflect on parts of the resurrection story in Luke 24. 鈥淭he service was a good way to mark and celebrate the beginning of the seven-week Easter season in the church calendar,鈥� he said.

University Chaplain Brian Martin Burkholder said Wednesday鈥檚 Easter celebration follows 91短视频鈥檚 practice of honoring and observing significant Christian traditions and holidays, including Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

鈥淭his morning, as we gathered, there was an opportunity for education about Easter,鈥� he said, 鈥渁s well as an invitation to worship in the spirit of Easter through Scripture, singing, and reflection.鈥�

Makinto, a frequent worship leader at chapel events, performed Jesus Is Risen, an original song he wrote in 2013, as the opening song for this year鈥檚 Easter worship service. The song tells the Easter story and connects it to our own lives, he said. 

鈥淪o, as he is risen, we as well can rise above all the challenges we have, above the pains we have, above the solitude we have, and also conquer death and situate ourselves squarely in life with our community around us,鈥� Makinto said.

Makinto and his wife, Mukarabe, moved from California to pursue degrees at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, respectively. They are the directors of , an organization that connects people at the local and global levels for the purpose of development, unification, and spiritual and physical well-being.

University Chaplain Brian Martin Burkholder speaks during a campus worship service on Wednesday in Martin Chapel.

Mukarabe Makinto-Inandava reads a selection from Luke 24 (left). Members of the 91短视频 Gospel Choir (right) sing during Wednesday’s campus worship service.

91短视频 Campus Worship

Campus Worship is an invitational space for gathered worship in Christian traditions and a variety of styles. Services are held in Martin Chapel of the Seminary Building on Wednesday mornings every other week.听

Campus worship continues with a final service of the academic year on April 22 recognizing 91短视频鈥檚 senior student chaplains: Emily Suarez Nunez, Dia Mekonnen, Sara Kennel, and Miranda Beidler. The event will be livestreamed on .

Watch a video recording of the service below!

A new $11,905 grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) will expand capacity at the 91短视频 Free Food Room to meet sharply rising demand. 

Funding will also provide enhanced outreach, better data tracking and reporting methods, and other improvements to the access and security of the campus food pantry.

Rising demand

Data collected from a door counter at the Free Food Room indicates that demand has risen sharply over the past two years. Average monthly usage (August through May) was 256 visits in 2023-24 and 318 visits in 2024-25, and is projected to reach 630 visits in 2025-26.

The cost of purchasing food has risen significantly to keep pace, increasing from $189 per month in 2023-24 to $263 in 2024-25, and is projected to reach $371 in 2025-26.

Based on utilization trends and observations, an estimated 25% of 91短视频 undergraduates experience some level of food insecurity each year, wrote Jonathan Swartz, dean of students, in a grant application. 鈥淕iven this data, our best estimate is that approximately 183 undergraduate students use the food pantry each year, most of them regularly,鈥� he wrote.

Partnerships and priorities

The Free Food Room has relied on the dedication of the Food Insecurity Task Force, a group led by 91短视频 staff members Brian Martin Burkholder, Celeste Thomas, and Trina Trotter Nussbaum, as well as donations and community partnerships with the local food bank and area farms.

Current funding sources are no longer sufficient to meet demand, underscoring the importance of grant support, Swartz wrote in the application.

Swartz said members of the task force submitted the application in mid-December, expecting to receive between $2,000 and $3,000 in funding. A month later, they learned they had been awarded $11,905.

鈥淭he Free Food Room has sustained itself but has had no significant budget, so any amount of money would鈥檝e helped us,鈥� Swartz said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e surprised and grateful to receive almost $12,000, which will help us more strategically increase the food supply.鈥�

Keeping students ‘on track’

91短视频鈥檚 grant is among a total $500,000 awarded to 48 colleges and universities throughout Virginia. 

According to a , Shenandoah Valley neighbors received the following funding: Mary Baldwin University, $14,882; Blue Ridge Community College, $11,905; Bridgewater College, $8,928; and James Madison University, $5,952.

The grants allow institutions to establish on-campus food pantries or partner with local food banks to provide food at no charge to students, the release states. In addition, grant funds can be used to increase partnerships and build more sustainable solutions for campus hunger. Funding amounts are based on the percentage of in-state Federal Pell Grant-eligible students enrolled at the institution.

鈥淢ore than 40% of college students experience food insecurity at some point, which can lead to several adverse outcomes, including dropping out of school. Virginia鈥檚 investment in campus food pantries will help keep our students on track to reach their educational goals,鈥� said Scott Fleming, SCHEV鈥檚 executive director, in the release.

The grants are funded by the enacted by the General Assembly in 2025. SCHEV published a on campus food insecurity in November 2024 that made several recommendations and offered resources for institutions.

Hundreds of volunteers from the Harrisonburg community and beyond will help out at a MobilePack event at 91短视频 next month, packing more than 100,000 meals to feed malnourished children around the world.

The 91短视频 Y-Serve student club is hosting the two-day event (held March 21-22) in partnership with the Harrisonburg  restaurant and the  nonprofit. 91短视频 students, faculty and staff, as well as volunteers from local church congregations, retirement communities, businesses and civic organizations will join together for the major meal-packing project at the 91短视频 University Commons.

Register online for a two-hour shift at: 

Brian Martin Burkholder, university chaplain for 91短视频, said he noticed an  in the local newspaper about the Tacos 4 Life restaurant鈥檚 opening and felt that its mission of feeding malnourished children aligned with Y-Serve鈥檚 goal of serving others as the hands and feet of Jesus.

鈥淎s a university steeped in the Anabaptist faith tradition, 91短视频 has emphasized companioning marginalized people and offering whatever resources we have to meet human need,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is another way we can practice our core values of peace and justice and active faith.鈥�

91短视频 senior Halie Mast, president of Y-Serve, helped organize the volunteer event.

“This is a huge project that our service club has taken on this year, and it’s probably the largest project I’ve ever helped plan,” she said. “A lot of time, planning, and prayer have gone into this undertaking, and I hope that Christ will be elevated through this work.”

This event is part of a larger effort by the Arkansas-based Tacos 4 Life restaurant chain to pack and donate 10 million meals by June 2025 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. For every item sold at Tacos 4 Life locations, the company donates a portion to Feed My Starving Children, which is used to purchase Manna Packs. These rice-based nutritious meal bags are given to missions and humanitarian organizations in more than 70 countries.

Jeremy Hunter, operating partner of the Tacos 4 Life Harrisonburg location, said the 100,000 meals donated by his store for the MobilePack event at 91短视频 amounts to a $29,000 contribution to Feed My Starving Children.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited for us to bring the Harrisonburg community together to pack 100,000 meals,鈥� he said, adding that this is the first MobilePack event his location has partnered with. 鈥淵ou all at 91短视频 have beaten JMU to the punch!鈥�

Read more about the event in the Daily News-Record .

The Free Food Room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to 91短视频 students and employees in need. It is also an unsupervised space so that people can take what they need anonymously and with dignity. 

But times are tough, demand is high, and funding is scant. The organizers behind the Free Food Room initiative, which relies on donations to continue operating, say that it stays afloat 鈥渙n a wing and a prayer.鈥� And, they say that without more financial support, it won鈥檛 have enough funding to operate after this semester. 

With your help, you can contribute to keeping this invaluable resource alive. Make a gift to the Free Food Room fund, and ensure it will continue serving those in our campus community who experience food insecurity.

Donations of nonperishable food can be left inside the Free Food Room. People can also donate gift cards that will be used at grocery stores. 

The Free Food Room is a joint initiative of the Food Insecurity Task Force鈥攁 group comprising 91短视频 staff members Brian Martin Burkholder, Celeste Thomas and Trina Trotter Nussbaum鈥攁nd the Sustainable Food Initiative (SFI). Members of the task force collect donations, write grant requests, order monthly deliveries through their partnership with the (at discounted pricing), pay bills, and send emails about fresh fruits and vegetables when they arrive. 

The resource is a collaborative effort between various groups on campus. Work-study students through the Black Student Alliance and the Office of Faith and Spiritual Life sweep the floor, unload deliveries, restock shelves and check inventory. Students from SFI stock the freezer with meals from the dining hall and supply the room with fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from 91短视频 gardens. A list of the items grown on campus, dated from August, noted: Roma and Big Beef tomatoes, Swiss chard, figs, jalapenos, and bell and banana peppers.

Last year an agreement with Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community鈥檚 , just down the road on Harmony Drive, provided the Free Food Room with any produce that didn鈥檛 sell at its farm stand. Members of the task force anticipate partnering with VMRC鈥檚 USDA organic-certified farm again if possible.

The Free Food Room could use all the help it can get. According to data shared by task force organizers, its busiest month over the last school year, February 2024, saw 346 visitors (a sensor inside the room keeps a tally). Organizers spent $535 to order 1,110 pounds of food from the food bank that month.

Identifying a need

Food insecurity is an epidemic afflicting college campuses nationwide and 91短视频 is no exception. A federal analysis released in July estimated that 23% of college students in 2020, or about 3.8 million students, experienced food insecurity.

From a Sept. 9 article on :

鈥淭he report again shed light on what previous analysis of federal data have shown鈥攖hat a large share of students struggle to put food on the table. The study reported that about 2.2 million of those 3.8 million students had low food security, or ate less than they should or skipped meals altogether.鈥�

Prior to having its own space on campus, food assistance was funded through the Faith and Spiritual Life Compassion Fund, which helps students with emergency needs, and supported by Y-Serve food drives held twice a year. But the grassroots initiative was often disjointed and lacked a central system in place.

In 2018, after reading an in The Washington Post about the widespread hunger problem on campuses, a group at 91短视频 was spurred to action. The group identified food insecurity as a major need to address and began putting together the pieces that would eventually become the Free Food Room. In 2022, after years of talks and meetings, the Free Food Room began operating out of its current space in the Heatwole House. Organizers were approved for membership at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank near the end of that year. The task force pays a yearly $50 membership fee, which is covered by Y-Serve.

The Free Food Room aligns with 91短视频鈥檚 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow鈥檚 Unifying Leaders, and its vision to open new pathways of access and achievement. As 91短视频 continues to live into its commitment to belonging鈥攖his year marked the most diverse incoming class in school history鈥攁nd provide access to more students in financial need, the task force aims to take a proactive approach to securing funding to sustain its services.

The Free Food Room experiences higher periods of need during school breaks when the dining hall is closed and cannot supply the pantry with frozen meals. Nussbaum said graduate and international students are among those most susceptible to food insecurity in the 91短视频 community. Many of them are far from home, have families to feed, and lack their own transportation.

鈥淧eople don鈥檛 often think about college students as being needy, whether in terms of food or shelter,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e attending to a need that might not be universally known.鈥�

A more welcoming space

This summer the Free Food Room received some much-needed updates. A grant from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank was used to purchase a new two-door freezer, three-door cooler and shelving. The new appliances and shelves help create a more welcoming space, drawing in more visitors, and can store much more food than before.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for this grant,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l now be able to accommodate larger orders from the food bank.鈥�

鈥淚t makes a huge difference,鈥� Nussbaum said.

The organizers say they have some ideas for future grant requests, which might include funding for hygiene products and signage.

For more information about the Free Food Room and ways to help out, contact: brian.burkholder@emu.edu, celeste.thomas@emu.edu, or trina.nussbaum@emu.edu

During a spring break trip to Atlanta with Y-Serve last week, as she broke bread with families from Central and South America, she was instantly transported back to those days.

鈥淐ertain food smells or conversations we would have in Spanish 鈥� they would take me back,鈥� the global development major said. 鈥淥ther meals, like the one we had with the Burundi congregation, were vastly different from anything I鈥檝e ever experienced before.鈥�

Kennel, along with nine other 91短视频 students and University Chaplain Brian Martin Burkholder, spent the week from March 2 to 8 in the Peach State for a Y-Serve service learning trip. Y-Serve is the longest-running student organization at 91短视频 and aims to 鈥渟erve others as the hands and feet of Jesus.鈥�

The Y-Serve group partnered with , a Georgia-based nonprofit that welcomes and hosts asylum seekers and immigrant families. Together, they attended multicultural worship services, shared meals with asylees from Latin America and Africa and listened to their stories and experiences.

The group met with students at the , a public charter K-5 school that educates refugee, immigrant and local children. They toured downtown Atlanta and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park. They then traveled about 135 miles south to Americus, Georgia, where they visited the , a racially integrated Christian community and working communal farm founded in 1942.

91短视频 junior and Y-Serve student leader Ruth Abera treasured the evenings they spent reflecting together as a group. Another highlight of her trip was meeting the founder of , a small coffee truck and coffeeshop in Clarkston, Georgia, that hires resettled refugees and immigrants and provides 鈥渁 central place where different cultures can come together,鈥� Abera said. 

鈥淎fter hearing her story, I was like, 鈥業鈥檝e known you for five minutes and I want to be just like you,鈥欌�� she said.

West Virginia

While their Y-Serve group traveled to Atlanta, another headed about 225 miles south and westward to Kimball, West Virginia. Kimball is in McDowell County, which is the third poorest county in the U.S. (2020 Census). From March 4 to 9, three 91短视频 students and one alumnus volunteered with Sharing With Appalachian People (), a ministry program through Mennonite Central Committee, where they repaired houses, connected with local residents and reflected on how to live out their Christian faith.

91短视频 senior Laurel Evans, a bible, religion and theology major, served as student leader for the West Virginia Y-Serve group. Much of their work included installing metal flashing and a new roof on one side of a house, she said, as well as 鈥渓ots of repainting.鈥� 

Her favorite part of the trip was getting to know the homeowners whose house they were repairing. 

鈥淭hey were a lovely couple,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淲e took long breaks from our work to sit and have coffee with them and talk about our lives and God.鈥�

Peg and Lee Martin serve with Mennonite Central Committee as SWAP location coordinators in Kimball. After their work during the day, Lee Martin would lead the group in devotionals and reflections. That week鈥檚 focus, Evans said, was on the Kingdom of God.

鈥淭hat felt really important to the whole trip 鈥� how the Kingdom of God shows up in the small things, and in things we might not consider meaningful, affected how I saw the week,鈥� she said.

Evans, who also led a Y-Serve group with Abera to Kimball over fall break, described the service trip as a 鈥渞estful and productive experience.鈥�

鈥淚 felt really well-rested from the week,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut I also know I made a decent difference in someone else鈥檚 life.鈥�

Stan Maclin GC ’01 (ministry studies), the community organizer, pastor, educator, and tireless advocate for racial and social justice in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and beyond, died Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2021, at age 67.听

Today [Sunday] and Monday, 91短视频 honors Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an that Maclin played an influential role in helping to create and sustain.

鈥淗e was one of the giants whose shoulders we stand upon in this struggle for Justice and Truth,鈥� said planning committee chair Celeste Thomas, director of multicultural student services and senior advisor to the president on diversity and inclusion, who worked with Maclin on several events over the years. 鈥�To loosely quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he was definitely 鈥榓 drum major for change.鈥� He will be sorely missed especially during this time of the year. He would be with us on Monday if he were still among us.鈥�

Maclin鈥檚 many achievements include , creating the People’s Equality Commission of the Shenandoah Valley, and leading the charge to . He was dedicated to preserving . This summer, he organized , and to facilitate dialogue between local residents and authorities in the criminal justice system. Just last month, he spoke of in Harrisonburg.

Maclin was a well-known and respected community leader: His passing has been covered in the and .

He was also a great friend to 91短视频. To local media, he mentioned moving to the area to attend the seminary. Professor Lonnie Yoder recalls that shortly after his arrival, Maclin requested a tour to help him get to know the community. The two men spent some hours driving around Harrisonburg, with Yoder 鈥渢elling stories, pointing out key institutions and landmarks, sharing my take on the historical, cultural, and religious dynamics of this community.鈥�

Yoder calls the experience a 鈥渉oly moment鈥� for him, and it鈥檚 a story that is particularly poignant because it captures a moment of deep witness of who Stan Maclin was, how he valued learning and knowing a community, seeing with clear eyes and an open heart, and moved toward change with a deep devotion to involving and sharing with others in that radical work.

In the years since, Maclin helped to provide the same experience to 91短视频 students. He helped to start the first Martin Luther King Day Celebration on campus in 2013, and continued to open the minds of students and other 91短视频 community members in attendance at  MLK Day talks and tours each year. 

In 2018 and 2019, Maclin worked with second-year graduate students at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding on their 鈥淐ommunity Grounding Day鈥� orientation for new students. He hosted a day-long tour that explored the social, historical, economic, cultural and environmental realities of the city from a social justice perspective, said Amy Knorr, practice director at CJP.

He invited many graduate students to connect to and join organizations, movements and gatherings for social justice. In his leadership positions with Faith in Action and Virginia Organizing, particularly, Knorr says Maclin encouraged and opened doors to CJP student engagement and collaboration.

“A hero for justice has fallen,” said Professor Carl Stauffer, who first met Maclin in 1991 when they pastored and worked together in Richmond. Stauffer later worked with Maclin in the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Coalition and spoke at a number of local peace rallies Maclin organized. 

“As I often say, it was Stan who raised me up in the ministry of the Church, and the work of racial justice, reconciliation, and community development,” Stauffer said. “He was a brother, mentor and friend. He will be sorely missed by so many people around the world, in the Church nationally, and right here in the City of Harrisonburg. Stan was always focused on the local — he was a man of action, committed to social justice and community organizing wherever he found himself. Stan was determined to work for, and live into a better world. He made Harrisonburg a better place. He has left us an important legacy of justice, reconciliation, and bridge-building across all divisions in our society. May we carry on his mantle with grace and integrity.”

Below, we’ve collected a few memories from other 91短视频 faculty and staff who worked with Maclin over the years. 

I first got to know Stan when he invited me to contribute to the advocacy for the street renaming effort and I served gladly under his leadership. He invited my contributions toward this effort out of his deep respect for what he experienced at 91短视频. I, in turn, invited his involvement with planning and facilitating MLK Day of Service and Learning at 91短视频. It was a good partnership for many years. 

鈥� Brian Martin Burkholder, campus pastor

Stan was not only a community activist but I would count him as a friend. He was a member of the MLK Jr. Committee and unselfishly gave of his time and talent to the students, myself and 91短视频. He conducted tours of the Harriet Tubman museum and co-lead the Barbershop Talks during the MLK Jr. Celebration. He was dedicated to and passionate about making sure that the next generation was aware of the activists from slavery through civil rights and present day that paved the way for us to have the liberties that we have in this country. He was one of the giants whose shoulders we stand upon in this struggle for Justice and Truth. To loosely quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “He was definitely a drum major for change.” He will be sorely missed especially during this time of the year. He would be with us on Monday if he were still among us.

鈥� Celeste Thomas, director of multicultural student services and senior adviser to the president for diversity and inclusion

When he moved to Harrisonburg many years ago, he expressed a need to be introduced to the Harrisonburg community. I remember taking an entire afternoon to literally drive Stan around the city of Harrisonburg telling stories, pointing out key institutions and landmarks, sharing my take on the historical, cultural, and religious dynamics of this community, etc. It was a holy moment for me and I hope it was as well for Stan.

鈥� Professor Lonnie Yoder, Eastern Mennonite Seminary

Stan was committed to and especially active in being a bridge builder between the so-called campus and community, more broadly. He not only engaged students, but has also invited faculty and staff in various community events and initiatives as well – including the King street renaming taskforce, annual celebrations of Dr. King, and other community events. I benefited from his outreach, hospitality and bridge building within six months of my move to Harrisonburg, and know that there are others of us for whom he served as a mentor in many respects, and who have connections that predate their time in/at Harrrisonburg, 91短视频 and CJP.

鈥� Professor Johonna Turner, co-director of the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice

More MLK Day media coverage

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In recent weeks, 91短视频鈥檚 social media handles have featured five faculty and staff sharing mental health support tips. Geared towards students, the posts have also been shared widely among faculty, staff and 91短视频 friends.

From something as simple as getting your rest and staying hydrated to learning to say no and spending time with those who energize you, the tips are resonating with many in the campus community this fall. The campaign kicked off in the last week of October, continued through Election Week and will finish up next week, as students conclude their final days on campus and head home for winter break.

A summary of the ten tips is at the end of this article.

Here鈥檚 a bit more on this communications campaign, how it got started, and its goals with 91短视频鈥檚 social media manager Rebekah Budnikas.

Why this focus?

We know this semester has been particularly difficult for our students, whose lives have been upended in particularly dramatic ways by the pandemic, political and social divisions in our country, and the chaos of our recent political election.

We heard this firsthand in our Transitions classes for first-year students. Students were really encouraged in those classes to name what they were feeling and to be transparent as much as they were comfortable, to be honest about the challenges of this semester. They talked about this and our Transitions instructors relayed this.

From the first weeks of the semester, Student Life, Residence Life and Health Services have been very focused on supporting students in different ways, from quaranteams to the 鈥渇all pause day,鈥� various activities planned by Campus Activities Council, and different student-led worship opportunities. 

An example of that extra focus is simply the huge effort put into care for our students around Election Week. There were 11 different spaces, in different formats — our Dean of Students Shannon Dycus calls them 鈥渂rave spaces鈥�  — for students to process what was happening on campus and in the country with support from faculty and staff from around campus.

Why social media?

Keeping our students, and all of us at 91短视频 safe this semester, has been a real community effort. We have some amazing student leaders who have helped, but I think all of our students have really modeled care and concern for each other. That collective effort is evident by our low number of cases, healthy student population, and all of the precautions we’ve taken within the campus community. 

I think some of the success of our effort is the way we communicate with each other. Social media has been a really important way to relay information but also to show and build both support and supportive networks. 

We wanted to use social media to talk openly about the importance of mental and emotional health this semester as part of broader communication efforts to help students who are overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or just simply struggling with what is going on. 

Allison Collazo, our director of counseling, shared with me in conversations around this social media campaign that it was important for students to hear from others recognition of both what they were feeling and how difficult it was for them.

听We want our students to know that we are all here for them and we鈥檙e all supportive of what they鈥檙e going through. You鈥檇 expect our director of counseling to talk about mental health but it was also important for us to hear from others, too, across campus. So in addition to Allison and Shannon, our other speakers were Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder, Head Baseball Coach Adam Posey, and Professor Laura Yoder, from our nursing department.

They were great on camera, and spoke from the heart. I think one of the reasons that the posts are being shared is their authenticity. Their care for students really shines through.

The tips! 

1. Be kind to yourself

2. Set boundaries

3. Take a break and limit exposure to stressors 

4. Name what you are feeling 

5. Stay hydrated and eat well 

6. learn when to say no 

7. Take time to rest (relax, nap, get 8 hours of sleep) 

8. Spend time with those who energize you 

9. You don’t have to answer the phone 

10. Participate in grounding activities 

With thanks to Allison Collazo, Director of Counseling

A virtual welcome, we all know, is not the same as smiles, hugs and the buzz of excitement around the start of the academic year. 

In the wake of a decision to delay move-in to residential halls because of several COVID-19 cases on campus, 91短视频 hosted a series of virtual events to welcome students and their parents and caregivers.

Members of the campus community, including administrators, contributed to two town halls, one for students and one for parents and caregivers, as well as a worship service, among other online orientation events already scheduled for the weekend. A workshop on racial justice, hosted by the Student Government Association and Black Student Alliance, capped the schedule.

Classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 25, and faculty are busy reaching out to students with details on the shift. Residential students will move in Sept. 3-6.

A panel of administrators took a range of questions during the Student Town Hall about new move-in plans, how the household model would function, symptom tracking, commuter student health and safety, and more. President Susan Schultz Huxman, Provost Fred Kniss and Dean of Students Shannon Dycus took questions sent in by students, with Director of Student Programs and Orientation Rachel Roth Sawatzky acting as host.

A similar event later in the weekend for parents and caregivers offered the opportunity to hear from Huxman, Kniss and Dycus. Vice President of Student Recruitment and Innovation Jason Good was the host.

“The decision was difficult but right,” Huxman explained, a necessary move, even at such a late stage, to protect the health and safety of 91短视频’s campus community.

The affected student leaders and staff are important contributors to setting 91短视频’s campus culture and critical to the success and welfare of the community as new students arrive, she said.

Huxman reiterated that the Virginia Department of Health and Center for Disease Control guidelines for higher education institutions do not recommend in-home or entry testing of students, faculty or staff. 91短视频 has implemented a daily symptom check and included quarantine before arrival, masking and physical distancing measures in addition to other health and safety protocols, she said.

[Visit the FAQs at for more on health and safety protocols.]

Huxman acknowledged criticism for the delay, but also offered grateful thanks for 鈥渢he outpouring of support, grace and prayers.”

Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder and Campus Ministries staff hosted a Sunday worship service on the theme of worship, welcome and blessing. Two pastoral assistants and a professor offered anecdotes of belonging.

鈥淗as there been a time when you felt included and someone showed hospitality when you least expected it? Or has there been a time when you did that for someone else?鈥� said pastoral assistant Naomi Davis, echoing the theme of the service. 鈥淚 pray that is something we can pass on…I do hope 91短视频 can be that place for you, that you find clubs and spaces and moments where you are welcome, unexpectedly or when you do expect it, but that you find home here.鈥�

The service was rich with music offerings from 91短视频鈥檚 Chamber Singers and the student-led group Celebration.

Even as transition can be overwhelming, and especially such a strange one as what we鈥檙e all experiencing, Burkholder reminded listeners of the power of faith.

鈥淲e know that our life experiences, our faith and nurture has brought us to this point and God is with us. God is with each one of us. God鈥檚 love shines through and surrounds us. As you go, go inspired even in the midst of change and loss and the dynamic of an unknown future, trusting that all will be well. All will be well, even if quite different than what you imagined.鈥�

Hurricane Florence poured 30 inches of rain in Pollocksville, North Carolina in 2018 and caused a storm surge on the nearby Atlantic coast, leading to extensive flood damage to homes in the area.

Over spring break at the beginning of this month, eight students from 91短视频 and campus pastor Brian Martin Burkholder went down to help ongoing efforts to rebuild. Video and photography manager Macson McGuigan documented their trip in the photo essay below.

The team travelled as part of Y-Serve, formerly known as the Young People鈥檚 Christian Association. They plan service-oriented Y-Trips each fall and spring break, and are the longest-running student organization at 91短视频. Y-Serve aims to 鈥渟erve others as the hands and feet of Jesus.鈥�

Other Y-Serve trips this spring took students throughout the southern U.S. on a civil rights tour; to Bethlehem Farm, an intentional community in West Virginia; and to Virginia鈥檚 eastern shore to pitch in with Habitat for Humanity.

Y-Serve partnered with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) for the trip, which has been rebuilding in the area since last fall.

Jessie Landis digs a post hole for a flight of steps.

Jasmyne Johnston runs screws into the treads on a new set of stairs the team built.

Students display the buried ‘treasures’ they found while digging post holes.

Hannah Thomas sprays insulation into the crevice between the wall and the floor.

Jonas Beachy and Jonathan Reimer-Berg hoist a generator onto the back of the MDS truck.

Jessie Landis works up a batch of concrete with a trowel.

After a long day of work at the job site in nearby Trenton, North Carolina, Katie Meza plays volleyball with another service group from Canada.

Jonas Beachy plays volleyball at the Pollocksville Baptist Church Parsonage, which serves as MDS鈥檚 home base in the area.

Jessie Landis delights in the sport.

Jonathan Reimer-Berg focuses intently on an after-dinner game of Dutch Blitz.

Laura Troyer and Jessie Landis share a laugh between cuts with the miter saw.

Jonathan Reimer-Berg mixes concrete.

Reuben Peachey-Stoner cuts lumber for the stairs.

Underneath the house, Jonas Beachy installs fiberglass insulation between floor joists.

Brian Martin Burkholder and Jonas Beachy work on framing.

 Katie Meza and Jessie Landis fill and tamp post holes with dirt while building a handicap-accessible ramp.

Reuben Peachey-Stoner runs screws for the ramp.

Hannah Thomas installs vinyl siding.

Jonathan Reimer-Berg fastens siding to the house.

From left: Jessie Landis, Hannah Thomas, Katie Meza, Jasmyne Johnston, Reuben Peachey-Stoner, Jonathan Reimer-Berg, Jonas Beachy, and Laura Troyer stand on the front deck they built.

Heath鈥檚 main lecture at 91短视频, open to the public on Wed. evening at 7 p.m. in the seminary鈥檚 Martin Chapel, is titled “Is There Good News for a World in Trauma?” Heath will address what it means to be a 鈥渕issional church鈥� ministering to individuals and neighborhoods dealing with trauma.

Other public events include:

•  Wednesday, Nov. 20, 10:10 a.m. 鈥� Convocation, Lehman Auditorium, on 鈥淩eclaiming Apostolic Soul.鈥�
• Thursday, Nov. 21, 11 a.m. 鈥� Seminary service, Martin Chapel, on 鈥淲ilderness Credentials.鈥�

Heath will also convene a workshop for local pastors called 鈥淔orming and Leading Micro-Communities of Hope,鈥� offering guidance for those starting 鈥渘ew forms of faith communities in post-Christendom contexts.鈥� She will visit with students, faculty, and visiting pastors while on campus 鈥� including a breakfast with area pastors.

The pastors鈥� breakfast is an ongoing corollary to the Augsburger series, which Park View Mennonite Church Pastor Phil Kniss says aims 鈥渢o open up mutually beneficial dialogue between area Anabaptist-Mennonite pastors, and missional practitioners and theologians from outside the Anabaptist stream.鈥�

鈥淲e are excited to have Dr. Heath, with her scholarship and practice in new approaches to evangelism and Christian community, with us for this year鈥檚 Augsburger lecture,鈥� said Andrew Suderman, assistant professor of Bible, religion and theology.  鈥淗er background in the field of trauma and ministry will help our community grapple with what it means to participate in the 鈥楪ood News鈥� and how to embody it with, among, and as people who have experienced trauma.  She will help us reflect on how following Jesus in our broken and violent world challenges us to meet people where they are 鈥� physically, spiritually and socially 鈥� and what it looks like to offer hope and healing.鈥�

Heath writes that her life鈥檚 work is 鈥渋nterdisciplinary, weaving together the study of Scripture, theology, and Christian spirituality in ways that help the church to reach beyond its walls and into the community.鈥� This approach of taking 鈥渃hurch to the people,鈥� as Heath says, characterizes the aims of the Neighborhood Seminary, where Heath is president and co-founder.

The Neighborhood Seminary offers a two-year, non-degree program which provides theological and spiritual education to lay people using the cohort model. Currently, four cohorts are active in North Carolina and Virginia. The seminary鈥檚 goal is to teach students 鈥渉ow to neighbor well, how to help their neighborhoods flourish, and how to foster life-giving community,鈥� according to its .

Her newest book, (Abingdon Press, 2020) delves into the 鈥渟piritual discipline of celebration when facing grief, trauma, failure, or a dark night of the soul.鈥� It is part of the eight-volume Holy Living Series, of which Heath is also an editor. 

As an educator, Heath served as dean of the Divinity School at Duke University, and as a professor at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and the Ashland Theological Seminary.

Heath now lives at an intentional Christian community and farm in North Carolina, Spring Forest, where she serves as the community abbess.

The series was founded in 1984 by Myron S. and Esther Augsburger to address 鈥渢opics in the area of Christian evangelism and mission for the stimulation and development of a vision for evangelism and missions for the 91短视频 community.鈥�

Previous Augsburger lecturers include: 

• 2018: N.T. Wright, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland. Wright presented on 鈥淧romised Glory: Thinking Straight about God and the World.鈥� Article podcast
• 2017: James Krabill 鈥�71, senior mission advocate with Mennonite Mission Network, who convened a panel with Leonard Dow 鈥�87 and Esther Augsburger 鈥�72, all alumni who have served in Christian evangelism and missions. Article podcast
• 2016: The Reverend Canon Dr. Scot McKnight, New Testament scholar, theologian, historian, and author. Article podcast
• 2015: Nelson Okanya MDiv 鈥�03, president of Eastern Mennonite Missions, who spoke on the changes in global missions over the last half-century. Article podcast

The Augsburger Committee includes Professor Andrew Suderman (co-chair), Professor David Evans (co-chair), Technical Services Librarian Jennifer Ulrich, Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder, and Emily North, administrative assistant to the Dean of the School of Theology, Humanities, and the Performing Arts.

The event is hosted by Interfaith Youth Core, an organization that CIE has collaborated with in the past and which organized a 2018 seminar that involved CIE director Tim Seidel, a professor at 91短视频 who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on politics, development, and peacebuilding.

The annual three-day conference is the 鈥渓argest gathering of students and educators with a commitment to religious pluralism,鈥� according to the website. 鈥淧articipants learn to bridge divides and forge friendships across lines of religious and worldview differences鈥� with the goal of bringing 鈥渢he movement of interfaith cooperation back to their campuses and communities.鈥�

Participants included junior Raviv Monahan and senior Ariel Barbosa; CIE Associate Director Trina Trotter Nussbaum, a graduate of the s MA in conflict transformation program; and Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder. 

‘The most diverse space’

Both students have expressed interest in adding 91短视频鈥檚 new interfaith minor to their studies. Barbosa is an honors student double-majoring in sociology and Bible, religion and theology. Monahan is also an honors student with a double major in art and philosophy.

One attraction of the trip was an opportunity to have their perspectives challenged, said the students. Having been mostly in Christian-dominated spaces in the past, Barbosa said that the conference was potentially the most diverse space she鈥檚 ever been in. 

鈥淒espite being very connected to Jewish culture, I generally tend to think in very secular terms when it comes to politics and philosophy,鈥� said Monahan, 鈥渟o I thought the ILI would be an interesting change of framework: instead of secular, anti-religiosity as a unifier, understanding religious difference as one.鈥�

Questions encouraged

Among many other activities, both students attended an introductory class of about 25 students from all faith backgrounds who explored their roots, discussed how to move from a polarized America to 鈥渁 potluck America鈥� and explored more about becoming an interfaith leader. Monahan particularly enjoyed the opportunity to interact in 鈥渙ne-on-one conversations with people of different faiths in an explicitly educational environment, where people were not afraid to ask questions.鈥� 

Another highlight was the 鈥渦nconference,鈥� in which attendees selected topics and led discussions on, among other topics, Israel/Palestine and economic inequality.

Monahan particularly valued connections with participants who talked about 鈥渢he ways in which religion and culture can be incorporated into leftist work without resorting to wholesale rejection of religion, and how interfaith understanding and solidarity can strengthen the fight for socioeconomic and racial justice in our world.鈥�

Crosscultural connection to Sikh temples visit

In one session about interfaith collaboration, Barbosa appreciated a story about a Canadian student of color who organized a homeless shelter in his city, connecting with Christian congregations and their churches that were unused at night and the Sikh community, which has a tradition of feeding large numbers of people. 

During her cross-cultural semester in India, she remembered: 鈥淲e were fed at the Sikh temples we visited, eating while sitting cross-legged amid the mass of temple visitors 鈥� Because of the Sikh value of service, known as seva, I was one of the 50,000 plus people fed the day we visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar. I remember feeling inspired.鈥� 

Join to encourage interfaith understanding at 91短视频

Such connections and learnings were among those the group discussed with Seidel back on campus as they consider how to share learnings in activities, events and discussion groups.  

These conversations will also inform a project to encourage interfaith understanding and build community across differences on 91短视频鈥檚 campus. The project is a joint initiative of CIE and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding project and is funded by IFYC. 

Funding for attendance at the conference was provided in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program. Portions of this grant aided in the development of 91短视频鈥檚 new global studies major.  

Want to learn more? 

For more information about getting involved on campus, connect with the Center for Interfaith Engagement. Leadership Institute participants Ariel Barbosa and Raviv Monahan also suggest visiting the IFYC website and also:

• Developing your religious literacy (to love our neighbor, we have to know our neighbor; and test your knowledge);
• Thinking about pluralism, or the energetic engagement of religious diversity toward a positive end; and
• Practicing interfaith cooperation, which includes building mutually inspiring relationship while respecting different religious identities.

Cross-cultural study, which students have called an integral and 鈥渓ife-changing鈥� component of 91短视频鈥檚 core curriculum for more than 30 years, has taken students to more than 80 domestic and global locations such as the Middle East, Lithuania, Central America and China.

Whether with a full semester abroad or as part of a summer or alternative program, students fulfilling their cross-cultural requirements establish the foundations they need for living, serving and leading in a global context.

Summer cross-culturals

鈥淲hat we鈥檝e experienced, which has provoked much thought and emotion, are the many ways in which one history can be told,鈥� the South Africa group wrote in the 鈥淯nderstanding the Boer Narrative鈥� entry on the cross-cultural blog. That trip is focused on the nation鈥檚 legacy of colonialism and apartheid, and its attempts to overcome that past.

In Puerto Rico, students observed the 鈥渁we-inspiring鈥� perseverance of people still suffering the effects of Hurricane Maria, wrote Emily Lam. The group, led by Professor Jenni Holsinger and Adam Yoder, also learned about the island鈥檚 history, participated in service, and visited Aibonito, San Juan and El Yunque.

The group in Mexico, led by Linda and Brian Martin Burkholder, learned about cultures in different regions of the country, and visiting Mexico City, Teotihuacan and the Costa Esmeralda of Veracruz. They also visited a church youth group in Ecatepec, near Mexico City.

鈥淒espite the language barrier we all got along great,鈥� wrote Emma Picht. 鈥淪ome of us made bets over hot salsa, and we played word games to practice our Spanish and their English. 鈥� Jessica, one of the girls from the youth group, and I connected over music and singing, despite my limited vocabulary.鈥�

In Washington D.C., students in 91短视频鈥檚 cross-cultural urban studies, internship, and community living experience at the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center are gaining professional experiences through internships. They also learn about urban cultures, history and life through various tours and a course titled 鈥淏lues & Dreams: A Multicultural History of Washington D.C.鈥�

2019-20

Upcoming cross-culturals in the 2019-20 academic year will take students to Vienna and Europe, the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center and Guatemala and Columbia.

Beginning August 1, Beth Good 鈥�03 will be 91短视频鈥檚 director of Intercultural Programs. Currently the Kenya Country Representative for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), she has also lived and worked in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Her other roles have included MCC鈥檚 global health coordinator, the director of clinical services of Hope within Community Health Center, the HIV program coordinator for Eastern Mennonite Missions, and instructor for 91短视频鈥檚 RN-BSN program. She earned her PhD and MSN from Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.

The first event 鈥� which combines community members and worship in collaborative artistic creation 鈥� will be on Palm Sunday, April 14, at 7 p.m. on Thomas Plaza.

The second event on Wednesday, April 17, highlights the traditional alfombra created during Holy Week by 91短视频鈥檚 Latino Student Alliance. This is the fourth year LSA has created the artwork and hosted the service, which takes place in 91短视频鈥檚 campus center from 10:10-11 a.m.

The two events will create unique but complementary worship spaces for Holy Week, said Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder. 鈥淲e want to gather the campus and broader community to explore the spiritual significance of creating and using alfombras both in their cultural contexts and in our shared experience. On Palm Sunday, we will worship together, build simple alfombras with readily available natural items, and hear about the alfombra created by the Latino Student Alliance, which will be completed for the service on Wednesday.鈥�

What鈥檚 an alfombra?

Communities in Mexico and Central America decorate their streets to commemorate Jesus鈥檚 welcome into Jerusalem the week before his crucifixion.听 Traditionally, community members gather in a processional to walk over the alfombras on their way to church.

For the past three years, LSA has created one of these expansive and colorful works of art on the 91短视频 campus. The process begins months before, with the selection of a theme and the symbolic elements. Materials, including coffee grounds, rice, sawdust and flour, are gathered and prepared. Teams of students spend many hours patiently contributing to the finished work.

LSA鈥檚 alfombra provides a beautiful centerpiece for a mid-week Holy Week service during which worshippers walk together around the art, stopping to listen to scripture readings, participate in a litany, and sing hymns together in English and Spanish. After so many hours of labor, the alfombra remains intact for viewing and reflection.

Bring materials to the Palm Sunday service

LSA鈥檚 tradition of creating the alfombra inspired the idea to create what Burkholder is calling an 鈥渋nteractive alfombra made of found materials from the natural world鈥� on Palm Sunday.

Participants are welcome to bring their own materials to contribute, such as wood chips, sand, gravel, branches, or flowers. A design will be present, but there will also be open space.

Creation will be 鈥渇estival-style,鈥� family friendly and fun. The artistic creation will be 鈥渇ree-flowing and interactive, alongside the music provided by our student worship team, Celebration,鈥� said Burkholder. 鈥淲e invite everyone to come and participate and share in this collaborative creation.鈥�

Weather permitting, Thomas Plaza at the center of campus will be the site. If rain or wind is likely, the event will move inside.

Tell us about your current studies at Emory University and your future plans in the medical field.

I am studying global health at the Rollins School of Public Health. I am in the dual-degree track with the physician assistant (PA) program, which means I spend one year studying public health and the next two and a half years in the physician assistant program. When I was in Mennonite Central Committee鈥檚 (SALT) program in Papua, Indonesia (2014-15), I saw how public health was so important, but I also realized that I needed some concrete skills. I wanted to work with individuals and have impact on preventing disease at the population level. Bill Foege, a former director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calls this 鈥渂eing able to see both the numerator and the denominator.鈥� I think that this program fits me very well because I love learning about complex issues and prevention, but am also looking forward to having the clinical, personal skills of a PA.

Why Emory University?听

Emory is located just north of Atlanta, right next to the CDC and not far from other organizations like CARE [a global humanitarian organization] and the Carter Center. In a lot of ways Emory reminds me of 91短视频鈥攊nspiring professors, care for environmental sustainability, and care for the underserved. However, Emory is a big, private, research university, which is very different than 91短视频. It鈥檚 exciting as a student to have professors and guest lecturers who are involved in emerging research and activism, and who inspire you to keep asking big, engaging, and critical questions. There are endless opportunities, which is intimidating and exciting all at the same time. I think more 91短视频 students should come check out Emory! The campus is beautiful, and you can see the Atlanta skyline from parts of campus.

After graduating from high school, what did you think you wanted to do and how did your academic experience at 91短视频 help with that goal?

I went to 91短视频 for its quality pre-med program but realized in sophomore year that I wasn鈥檛 quite ready to make the necessary sacrifices needed to focus on getting into medical school. In my life sciences practicum class my junior year, I shadowed a PA and that planted the idea of becoming a PA.

91短视频 also helped me to explore my different interests鈥擨 took classes and became involved in peacebuilding, psychology and religion. I also took 鈥淪ociology of Health,鈥� which is what initially drew me to be interested in public health.

What extracurriculars did you get involved in and how did that shape your 91短视频 experience?

I was involved in a lot鈥攑robably too much. I was president of Alpha Omega Dancers for Christ, which gave me a platform to combine my love of worship and movement. I played intramural soccer, was involved with the Third Culture Kids (TCK) club and did some volunteering. I was a community advisor in Elmwood and Hillside, a pastoral assistant, and a community assistant with the Summer Peacebuilding Institute. Many of these experiences taught me a lot about myself and others, how to lead, plan, budget, mentor and express myself. These experiences stretched me and strengthened me.

Tell us about the competitive application process for PA school. What do you think set you apart?

I spent a lot of time thinking about why I wanted to be a PA, and what kind of school I wanted to go to. I spent several months studying for the GRE (to improve my score the second time) and shadowed a PA. I also gained many hours of clinical experience working for 2.5 years as a certified nursing assistant at a low-income nursing home. I applied to three dual-degree (PA/MPH) programs and four regular PA programs and got accepted into all three dual-degree programs and one of the regular PA programs.

I think the fact that I was interested in public health set me apart. Coming from a Mennonite background, growing up in Cambodia and living in Papua (volunteering with an HIV/AIDS support group) made me a pretty unique candidate. I also did a whole lot of praying and asking people to pray with me.

What advice would you have for 91短视频 Pre-Professional Health Sciences students?

Keep at it. Studying all the time can feel overwhelming, but know that it is only for a time鈥攋ust part of the journey that you will get through. Don鈥檛 feel that you have to be self-motivating; there are days that you will need someone else to tell you that you can do it. If you have doubts, talk to people who are in that field, or someone you trust to help encourage you.

I would also recommend getting experience after college, even if it is working a menial and hard job like a nursing assistant. Having real-life (and very difficult) experiences has made my graduate-level classes so much more interesting because I now have context and examples to apply to what I鈥檓 learning. Also, don鈥檛 be afraid of grad school鈥攊t鈥檚 not all that much harder than 91短视频 sciences.

Any particular shout-outs to 91短视频 profs who were influential?

First, the individuals who wrote my letters of recommendation must have said something good and I am so grateful for them. All of my biology and chemistry professors, including my advisor, Roman Miller [now emeritus professor], were influential by always challenging but encouraging us. Brian Martin Burkholder and other Campus Ministries staff helped me to develop and articulate my faith, which helps me to envision a better world. Professor Carolyn Stauffer inspired me to be passionate and speak truth. And so many others鈥攖his list could get very long鈥攐f profs and mentors along the way who made learning exciting, who showered an encouraging word over me, and were committed to the quality education of 91短视频.

鈥淭hat,鈥� he said, pointing at the banners proclaiming the purpose and mission of 91短视频, 鈥渋s our vocation. I came in here and I read that banner and I thought, 鈥榊es, yes, yes.鈥� This is the outward-facing project. This is not extra to being saved. This is what you鈥檙e saved for 鈥� to be part of God鈥檚 creative purposes in the world.鈥�

Wright drew standing-room-only crowds at several events during his two-day visit to Harrisonburg. In a service at Eastern Mennonite Seminary鈥檚 Martin Chapel, even the organ bench was occupied, and a breakfast lecture drew area church leaders from various denominations representing a wide spectrum of conservative and progressive perspectives.

The coalition that invited Wright was ecumenical: the included Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Park View Mennonite Church, Virginia Mennonite Conference and Virginia Mennonite Missions, and the Church of the Incarnation, Anglican Church of North America. 91短视频 was represented in the partnership through campus ministries, the Bible, religion and theology department and the Augsburger Lectureship.

“We were delighted with the community response stemming from an ecumenical planning partnership,鈥� said Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder. 鈥淭his approach supported and connected the lecture series in meaningful ways and certainly broadened our reach.鈥�

Wright, a research professor of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and former Bishop of Durham, developed the broad theme of 鈥淒iscerning the Dawn鈥� over five lectures. At James Madison University鈥檚 Memorial Hall the first evening, all 1,045 seats were filled, and many turned away at the door. The Augsburger Lecture the next evening at 91短视频 was the most highly attended in many years that he could recall, said Burkholder.

The 鈥渄awn鈥� of Wright鈥檚 thematic focus refers in part to the Kingdom here on earth and to humans鈥� role as God鈥檚 鈥渋mage-bearers鈥� and 鈥済od-reflectors,鈥� he said in an early lecture.

鈥淲hen the spirit comes, the spirit will enable us 鈥� you 鈥� to speak and live the truth, that Jesus is Lord, and that there is a new way to be human, that there is a true justice and that arrogant power has already been judged,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his vision is at the heart of the genuine Christian spiritual experience. The new day has already dawned and a new way of being human has been launched upon the world.鈥�

Wright鈥檚 lecture series drew audience members from as far away as California and Colorado.

David Works, who both corresponds with Wright regularly and has long and deep connections to 91短视频, flew from Denver to attend all of the lectures. A descendant of Thomas Jefferson, Works is member of , and has participated in Strategies for Trauma and Resilience听(STAR) trainings and restorative justice as a survivor of violent crime.

For Works, the opportunity to see and hear Wright speak at 91短视频 鈥� where he knew Wright鈥檚 message would surely resonate 鈥� was irresistible.

鈥淚 said, 鈥業 need to be there.鈥� 91短视频 has played such an important role in my own life, and here is this other person who has as well,鈥� Works said. 鈥淗is message of faith in action that he talked about today interfaces with 91短视频 almost uniquely.鈥�

Podcasts

• Nov. 13, Seminary Chapel: 鈥�The Spirit and the Church鈥檚 Task (John 16:4b鈥�15)鈥� with Q&A beginning at 51:20.
• Nov. 14, Campus Worship: 鈥�The Day the Revolution Began: Atonement the Right Way鈥� with Q&A beginning at 54:40.
• Nov. 14, Augsburger Lecture: Promised Glory: Straightforth Thinking 91短视频 God and the World鈥� with Q&A beginning at 1:05:05.