Yes, it's back to work, classes, and "normal" schedules for most of us. Praying that you weathered the storm without significant incident. And...I hope the extra time was helpful for some of you trying to catch up on class projects!
Vicar Josh and I will be in the campus ministry office today from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Stop by and see us, or give us a shout and we'll meet you somewhere else on campus!
Bible study is a "go" for tomorrow night, Thursday, at 7:30 pm in the campus ministry office. We'll continue the Exodus with Moses and the rest! And we may even find some extra Halloween candy if you haven't had your fill already.
Save the dates! November 12-17 is Hunger and Homelessness Action Week at George Mason. Lutheran Campus Ministry is a co-sponsor, along with other campus ministry organizations. For our part, we'll be collecting non-perishables throughout the week for "Our Daily Bread," a local food bank. If you can help with a kiosk on Monday or Thursday afternoons, please let Vicar Josh and me know. Also--and this is the really big event--we're teaming up with Arise! campus ministry for a "Stop Hunger Now" meal packaging event on Wednesday, November 14, from 7-9 pm. Our goal is to package 10,000 freeze-dried meals in just 2 hours! Please plan to help!
And yes, it's Halloween and Reformation Day. From Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac for October 31, 2012 (c) American Public Media:
"Today is All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween. The modern holiday comes from an age-old tradition honoring the supernatural blending of the world of the living and the world of the dead. Halloween is based on a Celtic holiday called Samhain. The festival marked the start of winter and the last stage of the harvest, the slaughtering of animals. It was believed that the dark of winter allowed the spirits of the dead to transgress the borders of death and haunt the living.
"Eventually, Christian holidays developed at around the same time. During the Middle Ages, November 1 became known as All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day. The holiday honored all of the Christian saints and martyrs. Medieval religion taught that dead saints regularly interceded in the affairs of the living. On All Saints' Day, churches held masses for the dead and put bones of the saints on display. The night before this celebration of the holy dead became known as All Hallows' Eve. People baked soul cakes, which they would set outside their house for the poor. They also lit bonfires and set out lanterns carved out of turnips to keep the ghosts of the dead away.
"It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Martin Luther was a monk who disagreed with the Catholic Church's practice of selling indulgences, which forgave the punishment for sins. Luther thought that God offered forgiveness freely without having to pay for it, and he wanted to reform the Catholic Church. He posted the theses as points to be argued in a public debate. He had no intention of creating a new branch of the Church, but that is what he did, more or less. He set in motion a huge rift within the Church, which eventually led to the Reformation."
Pastor Terry
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Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University
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