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Baptism-A Circle Completed
Pr. Jim Norlie
Lutheran Campus Ministry at Oregon State University
Summer is generally pretty quiet around Luther House. That was true last summer too, until... A knock at the door. I answered. Standing before me was a young man. Had I met him? I couldn’t remember. “Can I ask a question,” he asked. “Sure,” I replied.
In he came, sat down and began to quiz me about Martin Luther’s anti-semitic writings. It was a surprising way to begin a conversation but, eventually that opening salvo led to the real matter that brought him to Luther House in the first place: “I’m thinking about becoming a Christian. Can you tell me about baptism?”
Almost a year later, Ken and I are still talking. And between then and now he was instructed in the Christian faith and baptized on a Sunday morning. The interesting thing is how he came to Luther House.
From grades three through five, Ken’s best friend Josh was the son of the (then) campus pastor, Jon Magnuson. They both belonged to a Cub Scout group which met at Luther House. Jon was the scout leader. Ken remembers that, even to a child’s mind, “Pastor Magnuson was the most authentic Christian person I had ever met.” His first experience of campus ministry was as a participant in another group. But the hospitality and genuineness of the gospel that exuded from the experience stayed with him. Now, many years later, when coming to terms with the faith he wanted to claim, he returned to the place where early, sound seeds were sown.
July 23, 2006 Ken was baptized. His Buddhist parents came to the service. Cake was served afterwards to greet our new brother in Christ. From that moment on he’s been faithful in worship, diligent in study, regular in prayer.
Some have described campus ministry as more like planting seeds than
gleaning the harvest. What is planted often takes a long time to grow to maturity. And we who do the planting may never see the results of our efforts. One plants, another waters, still another reaps the harvest -- all in the name of Christ.
I was privileged to co-officiate at Ken’s baptism. It was a joyous day, made more so by a gift that arrived the day before which I presented to him after the congregation welcomed him. It came from the Jon Magnuson family, a set of two books: “Credo” by William Sloane Coffin and “With Open Hands” by Henri Nouwen. Jon penned a note acknowledging his joy at this occasion and explaining his reasons for choosing these books. “Enclosed are two books as compass points along the way -- let them speak to your heart and your mind.”
That day, we who gathered for Ken’s baptism witnessed a circle completed.
!00 years of campus ministry means 100 years of planting seeds, tending the soil, nurturing the young sprouts, and (eventually) receiving the harvest. In the person of Ken we see the cycle fulfilled: planting, tending, nurturing, and harvesting.
For this we rejoice and celebrate 100 Years of Lutheran Campus Ministry: Expanding Minds, Deepening Faith, and Inspiring Service. Thanks are to God! |
Who would have guessed that sharing a table at Camp Lutherwood during a summer OLYO Leadership Training School would lead to such great things?!
Pr. Jim Norlie
Lutheran Campus Ministry at Oregon State University
Katie (a.k.a. Kat, Katrina) was a Bible camp counselor when I first met her. As with many summer camp staff I’ve met in my time, she was a little crazy-- jumping up to sing the camp songs, arousing energetic enthusiasm in campers and camp staff to do what they would not do in saner circumstances, organizing chaos to make meaning of the summer camp experience. I’m sure she wondered, “Who’s this strange old person at my table?" Somehow it became known that I was the Lutheran Campus Pastor at Oregon State University. To which she responded, “You’re kidding! That’s where I’M going to school in the fall! I’ll be a graduate student -- in physics!"
Chance meeting? Happy coincidence? Movement of the Spirit? Whatever meaning we attach to that first encounter doesn’t really matter so much as the result. Ever since, Katie has been an integral part of the ministry of Luther House.
She’s helped organize and lead worship. She¹s cooked meals. She paints watercolors. She performed in a local performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” She gives really interesting Ostar talks’ and makes astrophysics relatively easy to understand. She asks good questions. She enters in to discussions and holds her ground whether the conversation partner is a professor or another student. And she has an amazing knack for welcoming newcomers and making them feel at home. Plus, she's a lot of fun.
Katie takes herself and her studies seriously but not so seriously as to
lose sight of the joy of learning and the broader opportunities for
friendship and living. To say that she’s had a strong influence on the
ministry and mission of Luther House is an understatement. Young students look up to her; older peers respect her.
Last summer she was chosen to be an intern at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. It’s owned by NASA. Her assignment was to help develop the timeline for the “Dawn” spacecraft as it orbits around the asteroid Vesta. If all stays on schedule it will launch July 21 this summer. Its mission will last 16 years during which it will try helping scientists better understand the formation of planetary bodies in the early solar system. For Katie this is the fulfillment of her dreams of working with space flight. For us it’s an awesome encounter with that which lies far, far beyond our daily experience. Stay tuned to see how her mission fares.
The time is nearing when she will decide what path her life will take.
Research? Teaching? Museum curator? Astronomer? Whatever decision she makes, the world will be blessed for her energy, intelligence, wisdom, and care.
A high privilege of Lutheran Campus Ministry is knowing (if only for a
while) young women and men who will make a profound difference on the world and contribute to the public good. I’d like to believe that Lutheran Campus Ministry has helped Katie grow and deepen; I know that she has helped us go places we wouldn’t have gone without her.
Thanks be to God for the continuing ministry on campus for the sake of the world and the church we hold dear. |
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We're Going to Have A Baby
Pr. Jim Norlie
Lutheran Campus Ministry at Oregon State University
Most of the time one thinks of undergraduate students as single, usually starting at one school in their freshman year and finishing a few years later at the same school. These typical characteristics don't fit Eric and Rachel.
I first encountered them at Sunday morning worship early September two years ago. They were giddy with the deliciousness of new married love. They had just moved to Corvallis after a summertime wedding at home in Portland. They were both transfer students from other schools. Here at OSU they were starting on a new path, a new life together, with new careers in view, worshiping together, making home.
Thanks to the attentive hospitality of alert parishioners, before they left church that day they were surrounded and welcomed by others who noticed their spirited ways. By week's end Rachel had an offer to become nursery coordinator for Grace church. Both of them immersed themselves immediately in the ministry of Grace congregation and Luther House, made friends, pitched in to help. Over time they've continued their involvements, expanded their community of friends, worked diligently to finish their coursework, and prepare for what's next.
Early winter term we were enjoying one of our famous monthly pizza outings with a group of students. Eric and Rachel were there. Nothing unusual about that until Eric used the occasion to break the news to the whole group, "We're going to have a baby!"
The air turned electric. So much excitement for these two. So many questions for them. Bewildered. Proud. Excited. Loved. And ever since, there has been a sustained focus on: "How are you feeling? Have you picked out a name for the baby? Are you keeping up with classes? Where will you live? Work?"
Unlike a typical parish, campus ministry doesn't often afford us a glimpse into the margins of life such as a baby's birth. But when it does we're so blessed to enter these experiences. Judy and Andrew, Peter and Jenny, Matt and Heather, Carlos and Sherry, Matt and Leslie these are some of the forerunners of Eric and Rachel who've met through Lutheran Campus Ministry, found sustenance for their relationships, married and now are raising a family. They all send Christmas cards and notes to chart the growth of their families and to keep in touch with the community of Luther House that sustained them in their student years.
There are living alums of Lutheran Campus Ministry in Corvallis who've celebrated 50+ years of marriage and who still credit their campus ministry years for helping them get grounded, deepen their faith, build a community of lasting friends, prepare for married life and become equipped to better raise a family. If I were to predict, I'd imagine that Eric and Rachel, fifty years from now, will hold similar memories. Stay tuned.
Instead of gathering for pizza in June as would be our monthly custom, the community of Luther House will join the congregation of Grace in throwing a party in honor of the soon-to-be-born child of Eric and Rachel. In this way we will add our blessing to this new gift of life and to welcome the continuing witness of this young family we¹ve been able to enjoy over the last two years.
Eric and Rachel, children of God, continue to let your light so shine before others that all may see your good works and give glory to God! |
“I Trust Chris(t)!” ... “Follow Me!”
by Pastor Jim Norlie
We could be known as the ‘gang of eight’ - not quite the apostles twelve, but close enough. It was Chris, the ringleader, who convinced his student friends to do what two other attempts failed to do: “Let’s go to Holden Village?!” he declared.
I’ve come to learn that one of Chris’s favorite phrases is ‘Oh trust me.’ We
did. He wrote the village to reserve space for us. He personally invited a
lot of students to come on the trip. He suggested ideas for service projects
we might do. He made a list of things to bring and organized the pre-trip
briefing. And, before we left, he shared with our group why this trip would
be a chance for him to reconcile with some people he let down. Overarching everything, Chris insisted we do the trip for the benefit of the village, “to serve Holden, you know, (and to have fun too).”
When people follow someone they trust, they commit themselves to the known and unknown mission ahead with all its twists and turns. What we signed on for was three days of work projects the village needed to have done in exchange for room and board. What we didn’t know before leaving was that it involved drywall dust, 20 gallons of primer, cutting and trimming boards, digging in the dirt, and hauling compost.
Chris said the village staff would love us for our efforts. His promise was
confirmed when the chief drywall installer came to see our work. First he
showed us better priming techniques than we were using and then summed up his opinion of our work this way: “People who come here for generations will benefit from the good work you’re doing! Thanks so much.”
It’s fitting that this is the week in the church’s calendar we recall the
lessons Jesus taught about servanthood. It’s not glamorous work. It doesn’t pay very well. Often it comes with the cost of humility, following someone else’s lead. The sweat of our efforts may be remembered but it also may be forgotten before the paint dries.
Speaking as one of the Luther House ‘gang of eight’ I think we’re likely to
remember this journey, the relationships formed and deepened, the projects completed, and the model of servanthood our ringleader Chris was for us.
We think a new centennial year Luther House t-shirt might just catch on.
Message on the front: “I Trust Chris(t)!” Message on the back: “Follow Me!” |
Winds of the Spirit Blow through Lutheran Campus
Ministry
by Pastor Jim Norlie
It seems Melissa was not raised in the church. To be more accurate, her dad was neutral about religious involvement and her mother was less than enthusiastic. Against this background, she became interested in religious things in high school anyway. This curiosity led to deeper inquiry and eventually to her baptism last summer. So when she came she was a very new Christian.
It's hard enough getting a foothold in a new place as a freshman. But how does one find a Christian community with which to identify with no practice in such matters? Melissa found her way to Luther House by way of the all-campus fall information fair which featured, among other student groups, representatives from Lutheran Campus Ministry. The sense of welcome Melissa felt from the students who hosted the information booth was sufficient to put her at ease. She followed up by coming to visit Luther House. And we’re so glad she did! It’s a place she now calls ‘home.’
It's hard enough getting a foothold in a new place as a freshman. But how does one find a Christian community with which to identify with no practice in such matters? The gentle and confident word from her pastor made it possible for her to look for and find us. And we're so glad she did!
Melissa is a gifted artist, poet, cook. She's committed to limiting her
impact on the earth. She eats frugily, shares generously. She proposed an idea to others in her residence hall, "If you have leftover money on your meal card, why not go to the campus convenience stores and buy whatever non-perishable food items you can and we'll donate them to the food bank?" Her plan is working. They're following her suggestion.
Who would not want this kind of commitment and energy to be part of a Christian community? The truth is Melissa fits right in at Luther House. She's taken responsibility, asked big questions, helped lead worship, offered to cook and provide hospitality, shared her art and poetry and music. And she's sensing a call to serve the church as a pastor too!
Most telling of all, Mellisa shared the good news of God's grace with
other students who've come with her to Luther House. One who has never been baptized has now asked, "What's to prevent me from being baptized? How do I go about that?" So you see, the circle is coming around. What began last summer for Melissa will likely begin this summer for Robert.
Where else will the winds of the Spirit blow through Lutheran Campus
Ministry? Stay tuned. Come and see. Good things are unfolding. |
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Lutheran Campus Ministry
‘The Davids’ Gently Guiding
Pr. Jim Norlie
Tall David is a freshman. He and his mother visited Luther House while making a campus visit last summer. Having come all the way from New York, they wanted to see what was available at the OSU Lutheran Campus Ministry. We had a wonderful visit. I found out he has a background as a Lutheran Bible camp staffer. His after school jobs have included working in a nursing home. He’s interested in ordained ministry. He’s enrolled in the Navy ROTC program.
Tall David arrived on campus for orientation. As promised, he called me that week. The first activity we hosted he was there. And he’s been involved ever since, most significantly as one of the two worship leaders for our weekly University Evensong service.
David E is a musician, a singer. He hails from Portland. Eventually he wants to be a music teacher. His pastor called to let me know he’s a student at OSU. She said, “If you want to get him involved, invite him to use his musical talents.” I did. He has.
Like tall David, David E regularly helps plan and lead Sunday evening worship with me. But he also makes time to work with kids in a community center, study, rehearse, and perform on campus and in the community. He may seem a little shy at first meeting, but in his quiet and gentle way he’s calling out music from our worshipping community each and every week. He’s a capable teacher.
Put ‘the Davids’ together and you get ‘David squared.’ Just like the mathematical equation, when you multiply two numbers you get a lot more than by just adding them together.
The multiplier affect is evident when ‘the Davids’ go to work on a liturgy, imagine how to tell the gospel story in a new way, choose the songs that will support the message, and decide how to involve others in worship.
Over the course of the year worship here has grown and changed. It’s a work in process. And ‘the Davids’ are helping to lead us into to new places. Because they’re relatively young students they will probably be around for several more years. I’m excited about that and about what God is doing in our midst.
Stay tuned; or, better yet, come and visit us Sunday evenings at 7:00 so you,too, can experience ‘the Davids’ gently guiding our worshipping community and leading us in the Lord’s song. |
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Lutheran Campus Ministry
In the Right Place to Share the Struggles of Life's Challenges
Pr. Jim Norlie
Lutheran Campus Ministry at Oregon State University
It's a long, hard journey to become a veterinarian. Even so, that's exactly what Rebecca wants to become. She loves animals, especially large animals like her hand-raised milk cow. She believes she can contribute to their well being. I think she's right.
Because their program is so difficult, vet med students rarely have much free time. Study. Lab. Study. Class. Study. Exam. Study. That's the weekly even daily rhythm.
So I was surprised when Rebecca decided to join our student study group called 'Windows of Faith.' Think of it as an expanded refresher course in what Lutherans believe. The way she explained it was, "I just need to have
something else to think about besides my classes and tests. And it would really help to review my beliefs with some other people my age." She joined the group and our gatherings began.
For me, the most vivid recollection of her participation was the evening we talked about Holy Baptism. She came a little early to show me something her new tattoo (the vet med symbol) on her ankle.
She explained, "I decided I needed to have something that would permanently remind me every day of the goals I've set for myself. It would be so easy to give up, stop studying, take an easier course load, forget about becoming a veterinarian. But I don¹t want to give up. Every time I look at this tattoo I'm going to remember the goals I've set and the calling I have."
The testimony Rebecca shared with me became part of our curriculum on Holy Baptism that night. She eloquently shared her story with the other students. Like me, they were moved by her explanation. And we spent a long time thinking together about how this was much like baptism. Marked with the cross of Christ. Called to service. Committed to discipleship. Reminded of our life in Christian community.
Rebecca's course work hasn't gotten easier; in fact, it's become harder. But she presses on. She keeps faith with herself and her calling. And in less than two years she'll have achieved her goal. Two marks one in the flesh
with ink and the other with water on her brow claim, guide, and call her into the future God has in store for her.
Lutheran Campus Ministry is in just the right place to share the struggles of life's challenges and support and celebrate life's victories with the young. Stay tuned to see what will become of Rebecca and her future. |
How does one prepare to handle such sadness, such grief?
Pr. Jim Norlie
Lutheran Campus Ministry at Oregon State University
When tragedy visited the greek community in November of 2006, Geoff answered the call to special leadership and ministry. His fraternity brother and friend went missing after a trek to the mountains. Apparently the jeep went out of control. Jeff was missing. The body of his girlfriend was found. Just last weekend Jeff's body was recovered and identified too.
How does one prepare to handle such sadness, such grief?
Geoff himself would say that several things made him ready: the faith his
grandmother shared with him, involvement in his home congregation, learning leadership skills through OLYO, and a place on campus where he could share his sorrows and get support Luther House.
You'd be amazed at the gentle way Geoff's assisted his grieving community in this time of sadness.
I first met Geoff at an Oregon Lutheran Youth Organization function. He
became an officer and I met him again. Then, during a summer Leadership
Training School our paths crossed one more time.
Geoff arrived last fall as a freshman. I took him to lunch to get better
acquainted. And during lunch he said, "I've been trying to do all the
suggestions on the flyer you gave me." Somehow it surprised me that he kept the handout I distributed; even more, it surprised me that he was finding it a useful checklist for his new life as a university student. One never knows just how well the seeds we plant will take deep root and grow.
On one of those visits I passed out a flyer developed by students at Luther
House (campus ministry at OSU) titled '20 Ways to Survive Your First Hundred Days on Campus.' Serious ideas such as "ask questions a good question will never make your sound dumb" were tucked in among humorous ones like "watch out for those so-called free offers" to help incoming students new to campus adjust well and find their spiritual center.
Increasingly I can tell Geoff is taking on more and more leadership for the organization he enjoys so much. No doubt he'll have more opportunities to help others and give witness to his faith. Stay tuned to see what God has in store for him. |
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A Place to Belong
Pr. Jim Norlie
Lutheran Campus Ministry at Oregon State University
She was brand new to campus, on the lookout for groups to join. She just happened to be a Lutheran from Pendleton, active in her church, and excited about her new life on campus.
I was present at the student orientation gathering for those looking for spiritual groups. The sign I carried said, "Lutheran Campus Ministry." From across the room Alina and a friend came, a big smile on her face, and said,
"I've been looking for you!" We talked, then exchanged contact information.
She came to the first gathering, a barbecue; then she came to lunch at Luther House; then to worship. And she's been coming back every since. She's active on the Student Leadership Team. She helps with worship leadership. She organized a retreat to which a dozen students came. She smiles, she invites, she takes responsibility all with a joyous, welcome spirit.
Because Lutheran Campus Ministry is there on campus, students like Alina have a place to belong, a way of getting involved, an opportunity to exercise their leadership.
Alina's only a second year student. She's matured so much so fast. Stay tuned to see what becomes of her and how she finds new ways to serve God and others. |
