Martin Luther King, Jr. recounts driving through the South and looking at the many churches, “Over and over I have found myself asking: ‘What kind of people worship here? Who is their God?’” Perhaps now is the time to ask this of ourselves; as we board up our churches that we haven’t been in for weeks, as we worry about the loss or destruction of our churches’ property in the midst of these riots, let us ask ourselves, “Who are we who worship in these places? Who is the God we worship, and what does that God ask of us?”

O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who appearedst unto Moses in a flame of fire in the bush, and gavest unto him the Law in Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

Thinking about different options for "formation" offerings for the Fall, I've been reading a couple great books, one of which I just finished. The Apostles' Creed by Ben Myers, an Australian theologian and acquaintance of mine, is an outstanding read.

When I think about the work of a college chaplain, I envision someone a bit less enigmatic and a lot less physical than Mr. Miyagi, but the principle remains. What people need, what I need, is not a spiritual boss to tell them what to do, how to vote, what to eat, drink, or wear. Instead, what we all need is help and companionship.