Pastor in Residence

     We have had Pastor Doug Klassen with us all week as our Pastor in Residence.  CMU brings in a pastor for one week every year.  It's an opportunity for students to learn about pastoral leadership first-hand, while also being able to take in some talks and maybe ask for some wisdom.  
     Doug is from Foothills Mennonite Church in Calgary.  He talks about the various nudges God has given him along the way towards becoming a pastor, and also the unique challenges that leadership brings.  Speaking to the CMU student leaders, Doug focused on how one lives with the tension of being a leader on campus - being a Residence Assistant, or Commuter Assistant, or a member of Student Council.  He advocated direct communication, humility, and avoiding an overbearing style of leadership.  
     Doug spent some time in the Blaurock this week, which is the student run coffee shop on campus.  I managed to catch the tail-end of his time yesterday, and over Tim Hortons doughnuts we talked for half an hour, even though he said he only had about ten minutes.  It's good to have him on campus, and I look forward to hearing him speak in chapel today!

Ministry Quest

     What is your calling?  Where do you see yourself going in life?  What's next?
     If you're about to graduate from high school, these are probably questions that you are wrestling with.  These are the questions that I took with me as I embarked on CMU's Ministry Quest program this weekend.  Ministry Quest is a two day retreat which explores the vocational call of ministry.  It was a group of about twenty people, and the weekend included many sessions with pastors and professors exploring the idea of calling.  Present also was Dan Unrau, our pastor in residence from last year, and someone whom I really respect.  
     He shared his story of call.  It's interesting because his story is one of deliberate calling as he was asked again and again to join the church where he is now a pastor.  Dan's philosophy puts a lot of weight on the praying people in his community to discern where he should be going.  Dan also pays attention to when he feels restless in a place, asking himself whether this feeling is a bad attitude or God's call.  
    Another presenter, John, talked about three important puzzle pieces in discerning calling.  Firstly, look at your outside influences.  What are people saying about you?  Is the community you are a part of pushing you towards something?  This might tell you something about what you are good at, and where you would fit well.
     Secondly, look inside yourself.  Trust your intuition.  Our bodies don't lie, and whether you can't sleep at night or are feeling calm and focused, you should be paying attention to what your body is telling you.  Your natural areas of passion are probably very closely related to your vocation.  
     Thirdly, pay attention to areas where you have experienced loss.  These parts of your life are tremendously helpful because they can teach you a great deal.  Loss is an opportunity for growth, and this growth can help determine calling.
     I'm finding all of this talk about vocation exciting.  The most important thing I realized this weekend was that vocation can be a long journey.  The stories I heard from current pastors emphasized the unexpected bumps along the way and the uncertainly that often accompanies the journey, especially the beginning and at key points of change.  This common experience of uncertainty is, I think, one of the most important lessons of Ministry Quest.

Dance Competition!

Doesn't it look like it's taken straight out of a scene from West Side Story?

     Last Saturday, the International Student Committee went out to a break dance competition.  Sean, a CMU student from Saudi Arabia, was competing.  The competition took place in a large warehouse which looked straight out of one of those Hollywood movies.  You know the ones where a few young people decide they want to dance, work super hard at it for a long time and then make it big?  Yeah.  Those ones.  The competition was set up as a tournament, in groups of two dancers each.  The groups went up against one another in one minute dance breaks.  It looked very competitive and the dancers did a really good job.  

     The ISC works hard to create activities for the international students as well as anyone who wants to join their group.  It is a part of CMU's student council, which operates many committees including the Doxa (student newspaper), Peace and Social Awareness Committee and Social Activities.  Student Council also owns and operates the well-used coffee shop on campus, which is run by student volunteers.  

     We're about to start a new week of classes over here, and personally I'm looking forward to Ministry Quest, which is an event CMU is putting on next weekend.  More on that later!

New Semester!

     We have now been back for about 10 days.  Christmas was very packed for me this year with events almost every day.  I really enjoyed spending time with Niverville friends and spending some time doing absolutely nothing.  

     I am SUPER excited about this semester.  I am taking two Biblical & Theological Studies courses, both taught by Irma Fast Dueck, who is amazing.  The courses are "Marriage and Family in a Christian Perspective" and "Theologies of Power".  And I get to take Theories of Communication and Media, which is a course essentially about how communication works.  I can't think of more interesting courses.  On top of that, I'm looking forward to even more time spent with friends, and, I'm sure, even more growth.

     I've made New Year's resolutions of course, and I'm looking forward to doing things a little better than I did last year.  I'm very happy to say that 2011 was the best year I have ever had so far.  I led a more balanced life, invested energy in my friends, and became more confident in many ways.  If 2012 is just a little bit better than 2011, I will be ecstatic!

     I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family, and ALL THE BEST IN 2012!!!! 

Christmas Gala!

What is he looking at?  I'm not telling you.

     Time to feast!  One of the only major student events in December is the Christmas Gala.  It is a massive feast that takes place on north campus for students, staff, significant others, and parents.  The event includes speeches and so on.  Most importantly, it provides a chance to use the "photo-booth" to capture the moments - moments resulting in the admittedly rather snooty picture above.  
     And afterwards?  We party, to a sick dance playlist late into the night.  Is there a better way to celebrate?  (No.)

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Stress Relief!

1.  It's winter, and the snow hasn't happened!  Honestly, it feels like spring still!

2.  I've spent the past few days helping people with their work, and then distracting those same people from their work.  Honestly - there isn't a whole lot going on around campus other than work.  Late work, overnight work - you get the picture.

3.  A few days ago, I got into a really good truth or dare game in the lounge.  People came and went - and the scary truths ("what's the name of the person you most regret telling you liked?") were matched by equally scary dares ("be tickled for 1 minute without fighting back!").  I know - kind of juvenile.  But it's what students will do for stress relief!

4.  Another aspect of any sort of stress time is that some people show up to fewer classes.  This is not generally a good strategy if you want good grades, but when four 10-page essays are due, you sometimes need to push through.  Time management!

A CMU Christmas!

     Christmas @ CMU is one of my favorite times of the year.  Many different concerts, lots of people I know both inside and outside of the school, and hot apple cider make it an evening I really enjoy.
     The event is a massive "create your own concert" experience which takes place all around north campus.  It happens twice, and during each of them the place is simply packed with people.  My family comes every year, so it's a good time to see them and to catch up.



     I can't pick just one highlight, so I'll have to go with two.  I really enjoyed the reading of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  The Grinch was played by Dietrich Bartel, one of our music professors, during the first event and by Earl Davy, VP Academic, for the second.  They had very different styles, but both of them made me burst out laughing in the audience.  Well done!  Secondly, this year we ended the evening with a rendition of the Halleluiah Chorus - the largest I have ever been a part of.
     Christmas @ CMU was exactly what I needed to get relaxed and ready for Christmas.  And as an extra bonus, the residence students got hot apple cider all day.  Merry Christmas to all!

Student Life + Christmas @ CMU!

     Crunch time continues.  Yesterday I managed to get together with a friend and go to Starbucks with some people, but I still had to get five hours of studying in.  I need to keep working to survive!
     One way that we are taking breaks is through Settlers of Catan.  We have played absolutely ridiculous amounts of this game in the past while.  How ridiculous?  Two games a day for ten days straight.  It's becoming a very serious endeavour for at least a few of us.

     People have also been trying to continue to exercise.  Sometimes working out is just what is needed - and the weather is still quite warm!  There's also a group going out for wings this week.  Still others have been taking the opportunity to prank their friends, making their lives just a little bit - well, fun, hopefully!
     Christmas @ CMU is coming up soon, and so lots of students have worked hard making cookies out of the goodness of their hearts.  The event is this weekend, featuring a bunch of live music, cookies, and apple cider.  You should come!  Here are the dates: Saturday, November 26 at 7 pm, and Sunday, November 27 at 3 pm.  

To remember is to work for peace

     Yesterday, November 11th, was Remembrance Day.  Mennonite Central Committee has for years produced Remembrance Day buttons with the phrase, "To remember is to work for peace."

"On Remembrance Day we honour those who fought in war and we remember what they gave in service of our country.  The "peace button," an initiative of Mennonite Central Committee, invites us to remember and to work for peace.  Together let us seek and apply non-violent ways toward more justice and safety in our world." (MCC)

     MCC yesterday held a "flash mob" at the Forks in observance of Remembrance Day.  I went with two CMU friends.  Over a hundred people gathered at the Forks Marketplace.  Many students from the school were there, as well as others from my church.   In a low-key gathering, we sang "Freedom is Coming", unveiled a peace banner, and dispersed.
     We remember.  And we will do all we can to work for peace.

Crunch Time!

     Well, it's the beginning of November.  Mid-terms are right behind us, and many of my fellow students are hard at work on their papers.  It is not uncommon for us to have between 10,000 and 15,000 words to write in our various assignments at this time of year.
     Of course, we also need to have fun.  Two weeks ago, we had the Fall Ball, with some outrageous costumes, a spooky haunted house, and a fire truck to boot.  (It turns out that smoke machines turn on fire alarms.  Who knew?)  Student Council had been collecting song suggestions for the party from students, so the music positively rocked (although my favorite song, strategically placed on ALL FOUR suggestion sheets around campus, was not chosen!)  There have also been random dance parties here and there, and longer snack times at 9pm because everyone wants to keep the essay away half an hour longer.  Yesterday, Sean on our floor turned 18.  Something had to be done!  We trecked to the local Original Joe's and toasted in his honour.  OJ's was the first time that the floor had been able to get together and go out somewhere, and it was a blast.  Between the conversations (which ranged from politics to classes to sport teams) we took a well-deserved break from everything.
     I didn't notice it as much this year, because I'm taking less courses, but this is a very stressful time for many students.  I know a few people who are writing papers all night and stressing over the work they have to do.  I wrote papers for what seemed like forever in my first year.  Believe me, you will get better at dealing with it!
    There's still a good deal more work to be done (and fun to be had) before the term ends.  I see some snow-ball fights in my future...!

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