Bonhoeffer Lecture by Charles Marsh

In his lecture, “Who is Christ for Us Today?: The Fierce Urgency of Bonhoeffer's Final Questions," Charles Marsh tells five stories of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life. The ‘first act’ tells of Bonhoeffer’s  experiences as the child of a close-knit German family, then follows him to Rome, where the young Lutheran encounters the mysteries of the Roman church. The third act recounts Bonhoeffer’s transformative year in the strange world of New York City.  Back in Germany, Bonhoeffer pursues a ‘new monasticsm’ in Finkenwalde, a Christian community living out resistance to Hitler.  The final ‘act’ of Charles Marsh’s lecture recounts Bonhoeffer’s final days in a Gestapo prison, suffering at the hands of the Nazis but alive to God’s grace and presence.  By telling compelling stories of Bonhoeffer’s personal and spiritual formation, Marsh illuminates Bonhoeffer’s witness in a fresh, new way. Click on the link below to watch the full 1.5 hour long lecture!

http://www.veritas.org/Talks.aspx#!/v/1291

Spiritual Friendship

St. Aelred of Rievaulx once wrote these words: “God is friendship. Those who abide in friendship abide in God, and God abides in them.” Today at Vintage, after a lunch of Helen’s sloppy joes and cherry pie, students read St. Aelred and discussed the topic of friendship. St. Aelred of Rievaulx was born in Durham, England, and was sent to the Scottish court for an education as noble and courtier. He was high in the court of the king of Scotland. At age 24, he left to enter the Cistercian monastery in Rievaulx in Yorkshire, where he eventually became the monastery’s abbot. Here, he was encouraged by Bernard of Clairvaux to write.  Today, we read excerpts from his book Spiritual Friendship, a collection of thoughts on friendship—a subject that was of utmost importance to him.

St. Aelred believed that true friendships are eternal. However, as we read today, not all friendships we have and experience are true. St. Aelred wrote that there are three types of friendships: carnal, worldly, and spiritual. In these readings, he describes the differences between them. While worldly friendships begin and are maintained simply for the sake of some advantage, spiritual friendships are born and “cemented by similarity of life, morals, and pursuits among the just.” Today at Vintage, students discussed what such a true and deep friendship looks like. St. Aelred had something to say on this. He wrote that there are four qualities that characterize a friend: loyalty, right intention, discretion, and patience.

We also talked about the real reason why our friendships are so important and meaningful.  According to Chris Heurertz and Christine Pohl, our relationship with God is “at the heart of it all,” and “a grateful response to God’s gift of friendship involves offering that same gift to others.” We love others because God first loved us not just as servants, but also as friends.

-Caroline Parsley, UVa '14

Looking From the Top: Amy Carmichael

Today at Vintage, students were welcomed with a lunch of homemade tomato soup and BBQ sandwiches before diving into a discussion about the amazing missionary, Amy Carmichael. Amy was born in Ireland, and she lived from 1867-1951. Her devotion to God was apparent at an early age and by the time she was 24, Amy felt called to be a missionary overseas. Despite suffering from an illness, Amy did not abandon her calling. At age 29, she arrived in India to be an itinerant evangelist, where she lived for the rest of her life. This brave lady founded Dohnavur, a home for young girls taken out of Hindu temples. In a religious tradition, these Indian girls were “married” and dedicated to a deity or to a temple, many of them being forced into prostitution. Amy was so dedicated to her new life that she took an Indian name, wore Indian clothes, and even dyed her skin with coffee. In her lifetime, Carmichael wrote 50 or more books including the devotional book we read today, Edges of His Ways.  Although Amy Carmichael’s life was marked by closeness with God, her life in India could also be lonely and challenging. During these times of difficulty, Amy offers insight and perspective with these words: “So the word comes, ‘Look from the top’. Come with Me from all that, come up the mountain with Me, ‘look from the top’. In every-day life this simply means, look from everything up to the Lord Jesus, Who is our Peace, our Victory, and our Joy, for we are where we look. From below, things feel impossible, people seem impossible (some people at least), and we ourselves feel most impossible of all. From the top we see as our Lord sees; He sees not what is only, but what shall be.”

Students discussed the importance of perspective and “looking” in our lives.  In fact, Amy goes so far as to say “we are where we look”. We are called to follow Jesus up the mountain to “look from the top,” however unnatural or difficult this might be. For it is here where our doubts and trials are put into perspective. And it is here when we are able to see as the Lord sees—not only what is, but what shall be. When we “look from the top” with Jesus, “our discouragement vanishes, and we can sing a new song.” Amy Carmichael’s life is a great encouragement to us all. She is a true example to us of what it means to live with such a perspective, no matter how difficult life may be.

-Caroline Parsley, UVa '14

Want to see the reading by Amy Carmichael?  Click the 'Member' flag and join for free.  You'll have access to all of the Vintage readings!

An Interview with Intern Caroline Parsley

Along with the fundraising intern Camille Loomis, Theological Horizons has also welcomed a new communications intern, Caroline Parsley. Caroline is a third year English major from Tampa, Florida. Aside from the Bonhoeffer House, her involvements here at UVa include Reformed University Fellowship and Pi Beta Phi. Caroline’s internship focuses on the communications side of Theological Horizons. Her main activities include writing for the TH blog, publicizing and promoting events, and communicating with students/alumni.

“I’m blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful organization as Theological Horizons. From Vintage lunch to Bible studies to Karen’s hospitality, the Bonhoeffer House is a place of warmth, encouragement, and growth. It truly is a home away from home for students here at UVa. This semester, I’m excited about the ways in which we’re reaching out to new students on grounds. I hope that more students will learn about the Bonhoeffer House so that they’ll be able to come and experience the amazing things that are happening here at Theological Horizons.” –Caroline Parsley

An Interview with Intern Camille Loomis

Theological Horizons has been blessed this semester to have Camille Loomis as the new fundraising intern. Camille is a third-year from Fairfax, VA. She is majoring in Art History and Religious Studies and is involved in various organizations such as Hoos in Treble, First Year Players, and Phi Sigma Pi. Describe your internship with Theological Horizons. My internship focuses on the fundraising arm of Theological Horizons. It takes a lot of support to keep a non-profit growing, so part of my job is to learn and imagine how we can continue to bring the message of TH to more supporters, and to constantly expand our reach!

How did you get involved with Theological Horizons? I got involved with Theological Horizons by taking classes with Professor Charles Marsh, and learning about the extracurricular events going on at the Bonhoeffer House. I came to Vintage for the first time last spring, and have been coming ever since!

How has Theological Horizons impacted you and your time at UVa? I have stayed involved because I feel so welcome here. As someone without a traditional Christian education or upbringing, it is so wonderful to have found a faith home that is inclusive yet challenging. The Bonhoeffer House is a respite away from the student universe and a great reminder of the life outside our immediate concerns.

–Caroline Parsley, UVa ’14

Along the Arabian Peninsula: Oman, Islam & Christian-Muslim Relations

Catholic theologian Hans Kung has said: “There will be no peace among nations without peace among religions.”As Christians in America we live at a very pressing intersection: How are we to relate well with our Muslim neighbors here and around the world? The roads of global urgencies in Egypt, Nigeria, and elsewhere often meet the path of great ignorance about Islam on the American street and in the American pew. All the while the trail of growing fears has a strong grip on many of us. Today's Vintage focused on these questions and issues. We had the privilege of hearing from a special guest, Nathan Elmore. Nathan is the Baptist collegiate minister at Virginia Commonwealth University and serves Peace Catalyst International, an evangelical peacemaking organization which concentrates on Christian-Muslim relations. He is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Global Christianity through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

In January, 2012, Nathan F. Elmore traveled to Oman for a graduate seminar on Christian-Muslim relations in Arabia. Today, Nathan shared pictures and stories from this recent trip, focusing on four stories. Each story provided a peculiar window into the larger narrative of Christian-Muslim relations:

• Iowa, frankincense, and the man from Salalah.
• What St. Thomas has to do with Muhammad.
• The redemption of Sharia will not be televised.
• Proximity and distance in the house of a sheikh.

After the talk, students had the opportunity of asking Nathan their own questions, such as how we can engage in the Muslim community here on grounds. A special thanks to Nathan for visiting and sharing with us today!

A quick Vintage video!

Meet Max--a newcomer to the Bonhoeffer House--and hear his first impressions of Vintage. Watch the 30 second video now!

An intellectual at prayer: Soren Kierkegaard

It's snowing in Charlottesville today!  More than forty students came at the promise of a fire in the fireplace, homemade comfort food and a reading from Kierkegaard, our favorite existentialist.  At the age of 22, Kierkegaard (1813-1855) struggled with an issue that is very much alive for us today: "What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I know, except in so far as a certain understanding must precede every action.  The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do; the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live an die."  What a challenge it is to not only sort out the intellectual ideas and beliefs that we hold about God, but to truly live out that faith in the world. Kierkegaard's journal entries and written prayers [sign up here to read them] take us into the intense inward life of a thoughtful person seeking "to will one thing", a life in God, even through doubt, anxiety and distraction.  The philosopher reminds us of the astonishing, reassuring truth that "the seeker does not always have to wander far afield since the more sacred the object of his search, the nearer it is to him; and if he seeks You, O God, You are of all things more near."

God, who loves us with an infinite love, is moved to respond to our prayer:  "You are the One, who is one thing and who is all!  So may you give to the intellect, wisdom to comprehend the one thing; to the heart, sincerity to receive this understanding; to the will, purity that wills only one thing." For students struggling to grow into a adult faith of their own, Kierkegaard speaks as a mentor who has gone before us---as an older brother who witnesses to God's faithfulness in our wrestling.

Stories of Christian-Muslim Relations on Feb. 1

“Along the Arabian Peninsula:  Oman, Islam & Christian-Muslim Relations”

with Nathan F. Elmore

Friday, Feb. 1 at 1:00 pm: a Vintage Lunch at the Bonhoeffer House

Catholic theologian Hans Kung has said: “There will be no peace among nations without peace among religions.”

  As Christians in Americawe live at a very pressing intersection: How are we to relate well with our Muslim neighbors here and around the world?

The roads of global urgencies in Egypt, Nigeria, and elsewhere often meet the path of great ignorance about Islam on the American street and in the American pew. All the while the trail of growing fears has a strong grip on many of us.

In January, 2012, Nathan F. Elmore traveled to Oman for a graduate seminar on Christian-Muslim relations in Arabia. For this Vintage talk, he'll explore Oman through four stories, each providing a peculiar window into the larger narrative of Christian-Muslim relations.

• Iowa, frankincense, and the man from Salalah.
• What St. Thomas has to do with Muhammad.
• The redemption of Sharia will not be televised.
• Proximity and distance in the house of a sheikh.

Nathan is the Baptist collegiate minister atVirginiaCommonwealthUniversityand serves Peace Catalyst International, an evangelical peacemaking organization which concentrates on Christian-Muslim relations. He is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Global Christianity through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

All are welcome.  For more information or to rsvp, contact Karen Marsh  karen@theologicalhorizons.org

Strength in Weakness: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last week’s Vintage welcomed back students after winter break with some Italian comfort food and thought-provoking discussion. In honor of his recent birthday, we read and discussed a passage from Martin Luther King Jr.’s autobiography. King is most often remembered as a prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement who delivered the legendary “I have a dream” speech. However, at Vintage we learned about the more private and less known side of King, which revealed his struggles and weakness. In the particular passage we read, MLK Jr. experiences fear, despair, and self-doubt in the midst of pressure and threats from the Civil Rights movement. King even admits that at one point, he had decided that he would quietly back out of the protest. He describes that moment : “It seemed that all my fears had come down on me at once…And I got to the point that I couldn’t take it any longer. I was weak.”

It was in this moment of utter weakness that Martin Luther King Jr. found strength. He came to the point where he couldn’t face life alone, and it was then that the Lord spoke to him. In this amazing moment with God, King says that “He promised never to leave me alone. At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.” And it was true; King was ready to face anything. He pressed on in his fight for rights, despite the endless threats on him and his family.

All the students at Vintage, including myself, were moved by the story. We were especially struck by MLK Jr.’s vulnerability and honesty with his own self-doubt and fears. These are struggles that every individual experiences, no matter how outwardly strong and confident one might seem. Yet paradoxically, King was strengthened in his weakness because it was in that moment of despair that he came to the end of himself and looked to God for strength. It was the divine strength of God in him that allowed him to face the dangers and toils that lied ahead. This reading was a wonderful reminder to us of an important truth—that strength can only be found while relying on God rather than ourselves.

--Caroline Parsley, UVa '14

To see the Vintage reading by Martin Luther King, Jr., go to the Member of this website.  It's free to join!

Our new video: wish you were here!

The Breakfast Bible Study is back January 23

"The Breakfast Bible Study at Bonhoeffer House has become a midweek respite for me in the last year and-a-half.  It is neither easy to be quiet in the midst of life’s noise nor to find God’s peace in the midst of its craziness.  But each Wednesday morning, ironically with a rather large group, I find them both. This wonderfully eclectic group of students, faculty, clergy and community members points me to Jesus week after week with their wise words, their challenging discussions, their gracious prayers and their welcoming smiles.  I leave with a greater sense of the Spirit's presence within and around me, the Father's provision, and the Son's compassion and call.  And the (strong) coffee and delicious breakfast only add to the blessings of this fellowship.  I hate when I have to miss – and I hope you will consider joining us."

 Kristan Livingston,

community member

 

Learn more about the weekly Breakfast Bible Study,

Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m.

 

The new semester of our study begins on January 23 --

the perfect time to join us!

We're a 2012 Top-Rated Nonprofit 2012!

2012 has been an exciting year for Theological Horizons, and we're excited to announce that we're wrapping up the year with an award: a top-rated nonprofit by Great Nonprofits for 2012! Friends of the Bonhoeffer House submitted reviews of the work coming out of Theological Horizons, the leadership, and our mission. It was great to hear from recent students, parents, and community members share their varied experiences. What I love about Theological Horizons is that there is something for everyone. Supporting Christians in academia is at the heart of our mission, but is expressed in many ways. Students gather for Vintage discussions and lunches on Fridays, friends gather for Wednesday morning Bible study with Saranell, and Karen brings in great speakers throughout the semester.

Molly's review expressed the warmth of the ministry when she said, "[Theological Horizons] provides students, parents and community members to engage in thoughtful discussions and events that empower individuals to understand culture, thought, faith and life. As a student at the University of Virginia, I found Theological Horizons as the place where I could escape and be fully known--where I could ask the tougher questions in life."

We hope that this place of escape and questioning can be true for many new UVA students and academics in the future. Thank you for your support in ensuring this ministry continues doing such good work!

See our full profile and all of the reviews here!

Sarah Salinas  UVa 2014

My experience of Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer has been a tremendous blessing in my life at UVa. It has been a perfect outlet for me to fulfill my desire to have a close, intimate relationship with my God, while allowing me to share my spiritual gifts with others. Waking early and spending 30 minutes praying and worshiping in our beautiful UVa Chapel really sets the tone for the day and allows all of us who join in Morning Prayer to offer praise and petition. It puts me in a place to hear the Holy Spirit speak into my life and provide direction for the day. -- Cameron Archer, graduate student, UVa, Mechanical Engineering

Join us for Morning Prayer in the UVa Chapel.  Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:15 - 8:45 a.m.

Celebrate GIVING TUESDAY

National GIVING TUESDAY is a day to support more than 2,000 charities from all 50 states of the United States. Theological Horizons is a 501(c)3 registered charity and all of your gifts to us are tax deductible... so GIVE BACK generously on Giving Tuesday, November 27! Support us in the work of meeting students where they are on their spiritual journeys and partnering with us to transform lives, by the grace of God.  Students come to the Bonhoeffer house as a place of refuge in the midst of the hectic college world.  They are met by people who welcome them, walk alongside and invest in the matters of the heart.

During this season of giving, we welcome you to join us in the ministry of Theological Horizons and to partner with us in the work of sharing the Good News with this special community.

Vintage Reflections: Henri J.M. Nouwen

Henri J.M. Nouwen (1932-1996) Today's Vintage lunch welcomed students in from the cold and included hearty ham biscuits, sweet apple cider, and a heaping of warm welcomes. It's hard to believe that we're nearing the end of the fall semester, and today's reading of Henri Nouwen on gratitude and grace could not have been more fitting as students prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Nouwen was an intellectual, a priest, and a servant of God. Born in war-time Holland, he would go on to teach at Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard, write thirteen books, and serve as pastor of a L'Arche community church, serving and assisting the handicapped. His experiences shaped his conclusions on gratitude, and Nouwen sincerely believed that gratitude was a choice in rather than a reaction to circumstances.

Students remarked on feelings of gratitude. Many feel gratitude when overwhelmed by positivity or when given an opportunity or a gift. Others feel gratitude when they're reminded of simple blessings such as the ability to walk or the chance to celebrate a healthy and happy family, but for Henri Nouwen, gratitude is not an occasional or spontaneous feeling. It's an active decision and habitual response to all situations - the good, the bad, the unexpected. Rather than remarking on intermittent reminders of blessings, individuals should practice gratitude with sincere effort. As Nouwen explains, "the call to be grateful is a call to trust that every moment of our life can be claimed as the way of the cross that leads us to new life". Therefore, the Lord enables our gratefulness and peace in all circumstances through grace.

As discussion over Nouwen's writings continued over the hour, I started to feel grateful for the challenges that the Lord has put in my path lately. Not because they may end with rewards, but because they are opportunities to practice the choice of gratitude. Nouwen explained, "each time I make it, the next choice is a little easier, a little freer, a little less self-conscious... until finally, even the most normal, obvious, and seemingly mundane event or encounter proves to be filled with grace".

A very happy Thanksgiving, indeed. Sarah Salinas, UVa 2014 

Click here for the Henri Nouwen reading from this week.

Click here to join the website (free of charge) and access all past Vintage readings.

Vintage Reflections: Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day (1897-1980) The living room of the Bonhoeffer House this week was more crowded and buzzing than I’ve ever seen at a Friday Vintage lunch. After a long and busy week, chili casserole hit the spot, and the aroma of hot apple cider filled the air.

After the chatting students quieted, Karen introduced the life of Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker newspaper and movement, a devoted follower of the Lord, and a radical activist. She was an active member of the women’s suffrage movement, she spent days in and out of prison, and she opened various hospitality houses to serve the hungry and homeless during the Great Depression. Her biographer, Jim Forest, said it best when he wrote “there you have Dorothy Day in two words: saint and troublemaker”.

Day’s writings grappled with the idea of loving and serving others in the most humblest and selfless of ways. She recounted a day in which she cared for a man in need. Day brought him into her house on a Sunday afternoon, gave him a bed for a nap, helped him look for a job, and made him coffee and sandwiches, and after the man left, she discovered he took her wallet as well. When most would take the opportunity to be angry or vengeful, Dorothy Day instead wrote of how she was in to place to understand or judge the man’s situation. Her role was simply to love and serve others to the best of her abilities, and God would take care of the rest.

Students discussed the contradiction of how we should love and how we should judge. While they came to many different conclusions they settled on one universal truth. It’s easy to forget that we all face times of trouble and hardship, but Dorothy Day spent her life seeking these people who were at their lowest lows. And not only did she serve, but she served in the name of God. Day understood that Christ did not neglect the weak and hungry, rather he sought them in a crowd, and that was the impetus for the growth of the Catholic Worker movement all over the world.

I believe Day understood the urgency of living after God when she wrote, “we are not expecting Utopia here on this earth. But God meant things to be much easier than we have made them. A man has a natural right to food, clothing, and shelter… A family needs work as well as bread… We must keep repeating these things… Eternal life begins now”.

Click here for the Julian of Norwich reading from this week.

Click here to join the website (free of charge) and access all past Vintage readings.

Sarah Salinas, UVa 2014

Vintage Reflections: Martin Luther

Martin Luther (1483-1543) Today’s Vintage was a wonderful amalgam of barbeque, slaw, Martin Luther’s thoughts on anxiety, and pecan pie.  Martin Luther is considered the Father of the Protestant Reformation.  He devoted himself to Augustinian monasticism at the age of 20 and was ordained at 24 years old.  Luther became concerned with his salvation – where to seek it, where it was embodied, and how to secure it.  He resolved that his salvation relied more so on his personal relationship with and faith in God and set his life to come to a biblical understanding of Christ.

Yet through Luther’s commencement of the modernity in the Church, he struggled with crippling anxiety.  At Vintage, we looked at 3 passages on this topic, each from his preaching on the Sermon on the Mount.  Luther speaks on distinguishing greed from the concern of love.  We decided that the difference lies in showing concern for others or allowing self-concern and self-interest to dwell in our hearts.  Luther also declares birds as schoolmasters and teachers.  Birds are made to preach through their song.  They are oftentimes caged, relying upon owners for food, care, and shelter.  However, Luther believes that birds were created to be free – happier, singing praises, and relying solely on the provisions of the Creator.  Birds “exhort you with this Gospel. Not with mere simple words, but with a living deed and an example.”  A wonderful idea – to appreciate each bird’s song heard on Grounds as a testimony of “the art of trusting Him and of casting cares from themselves upon God.”

 We students replaced the word “anxiety” with “worries”, and then applied it to our college lives – overwhelmed by grades, social scenes, and academic challenges.  However, encouragement was found in Luther’s words in the final passage:

“So forget your anxieties, since you cannot accomplish anything by them.  It does not depend upon your anxiety but upon His knowledge and concern.”

Reflect upon anxiety with us by accessing this week’s Vintage reading – click here!

To access past Vintage readings and become a TH member (free of charge) – click here!

Boldly and without hindrance,

Betty Li, UVa 2015

Vintage Reflections: Julian of Norwich

Julian of Norwich (1343-1413) Today's Vintage discussion focused on the life and writings of Julian of Norwich, a theologian, anchorite, and daughter of the Lord who lived in England in the 14th century. Apart from her life's commitment to God's work and her intimate understanding of his grace, Julian of Norwich was an example of a godly life in a time of great suffering. Julian was moved by God's goodness and how that translated into his loving care for us, his children, and as we consider her profound thoughts today, I cannot help but smile at the simplicity of them all. It took the tiny object of a hazelnut to remind Julian of God's creating, loving, and preserving power. Because she understood that God loves even the smallest of and seemingly insignificant things, she clung to God's life giving goodness. How trivial is one life in a million? It's small, but made valuable and powerful through the goodness of God.

"For the highest form of prayer is to the goodness of God. It comes down to us to meet our humblest needs. It gives life to our souls and makes them live and grow in grace and virtue. It is near and swift in grace, for it is the same grace which our souls seek and always will."

Students in today's discussion were encouraged by the idea that all goodness in life comes from God's goodness, and we were struck by the fact that a "vintage thinker" from the 1300s would have such insights into the things that concern us today. To understand the immense love of God, to Julian of Norwich, was to find rest and purpose in Him alone. As she wrote, "never can we stop the desiring and longing until he is ours in the fullness of bliss."

Click here for the Julian of Norwich reading from this week.

Click here to join the website (free of charge) and access all past Vintage readings.

Sarah Salinas, UVa 2014

Family Weekend Open House at the Bonhoeffer House

Click on the invitation to rsvp.  All are welcome, with or without families!