Mercies in Disguise

It is with great sadness that I write that our seminary community has lost a wonderful student, classmate, and friend, Esquire. She extended a warm welcome to me during my first campus visit and helped me figure out that Drew was, in fact, to be my new home. She had a beautiful smile and a strong spirit, which energized and inspired the community. Her absence will be all too noticeable as we return in the fall.

The last time that I saw Esquire was a chance meeting at Seminary Hall; I was taking an intensive course over the break. As we talked, I told her how good it was to see her and how much we missed having her there. That conversation is even more unforgettably poignant to me now; it remains a reminder to me not to leave these simple and yet important things unsaid.


This Sunday, I'll be singing the song "Blessings" in church. It's a wonderful piece that first found me at just the right time (while I was driving along the Interstate, as it were) and spoke to me loud and clear just when so much seemed confusing and unsure.

And so, at this time of mourning, I would like to offer a prayer of gratitude and hope. I believe that sometimes it is the most difficult experiences during which we are most healed, guided, and strengthened, perhaps in ways we do not even understand. And I also believe that we may, for a period, perceive distance from God or question God's will and character before we can (re-)embrace the fullness of the Spirit within us.

My prayer comes in the form of these lyrics written by Laura Story. I will share this piece now and on Sunday in memory of Esquire and in honor of all who still struggle with loss, uncertainty, and the trials of an earthly life. May we be ever more open to God's grace and healing.

(Photos above by Sungchun Ahn, posted to the Drew Worship album, Fall 2010.)




We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

Lyrics and music by Laura Story
© New Spring Publishing

(Dis)agreeing with Friends and Partners

What quality is more important to you in a friend or partner: the conclusions that they make or how they have arrived at their conclusions? That is, would you rather that someone agree with you on a subject or issue even if you disagree with the way they formed their views, or would you prefer to disagree with them but somehow appreciate the methods by which they formed their views?



I intend this question not as a matter of judging a person as a person but of evaluating one as your own companion. Imagine yourself spending a great deal of time with this person. Which quality would bother you more? Would the nature of the subject upon which you are agreeing or disagreeing greatly affect your response? What scenarios, real or hypothetical, does this bring to mind for you?



Feel free to respond to any of these questions below, and for those with blogs who wish to address this topic that way, link here to your post.

Travel Bound

All the essentials.

If the weather cooperates, by the time this post is published I will be in the middle of a layover in Atlanta, on my way to Florida to see my favorite man.

I will have already been traveling for seven hours, but I imagine I'll be too excited to rest, so I may have to go exploring.

Hmm. I hear Atlanta Airport has a nice interfaith chapel...

Theo Geek WIN.

Safe travels to all those who are venturing out or returning home!

Out of Reach

Friends are never really out of reach.

Call someone you haven't spoken to for a while -
or someone you miss enough
that it seems like it's been a while.

Luau Luau

Because we had an annual luau (the fourth, in fact). Like ya do.


It was also a birthday party for a few people.
There was cake and much rejoicing.

Best read after this video... and a fine video it is:



I said Luau Luau, oh oh, I said we gotta go.
Ah yeah-yeah yeah-yeah-yeah!
Luau Luau, oh baby,
I said we gotta go.

My Green Villa friends, they wait for me.
It's quite a trip through all the trees.
The squirrels that try to stare me down
Can't stop me when I'm Luau-bound!

I said Luau Luau, oh oh, I said we gotta go.
Ah yeah-yeah yeah-yeah-yeah!
Luau Luau, oh baby,
I said we gotta go.

Alright now, yeah...

(guitar solo)

When students need some levity,
Our "Captain Sparrow" leads festivities.
Sadly, next year he'll be gone,
But Luau feasts always will live on!

I said Luau Luau, oh oh, I said we gotta go.
Ah yeah-yeah yeah-yeah-yeah!
Luau Luau, oh baby,
I said we gotta go.

I said we gotta go now.





Thank you all for great food, great company, and a great time!
We'll miss you, Captain!

DrewTube

This post is especially for those who are not able to view facebook videos (hi, Mama! <3) but would like to see Craig Chapel and the worship services there, as well as last week's matriculation service, which was very uniquely sort of worship/academia-mania all rolled into one. Just one more reason to love Theo School.

Also a special shout-out to Nehemiah and the Sarah Lawrence Gospel Choir/Res Miranda - I miss you all very much and hope you're rocking out the year! If you miss Nehemiah's voice as much as I do (or don't know yet what you're missing), check out the second video here.

If you prefer to see the true blue Drew Worship facebook page and see what else is new in the chapel, you can do so at this link.

But if you simply don't feel like moving any further than scrolling down... you're in luck!

Here is the celebration in which our incoming class signed The Book. My only regret is that you don't get to see our Church History professor deliver the address or the Korean Men's Choir sing "You Raise Me Up"... but at least there's The Book (oh, and the Dean):



And here's a service from Thursday, November 2... which I sadly missed while sick. Sarah Lawrence College's gospel choir's former director, the amazing Nehemiah Luckett, makes a guest appearance and sings a solo for one of the hymns in Part 1.








I probably will not post these often (not sure how well videos load for you all?), unless there is something in particular I'd like to share or address, but if you are interested in seeing more in the future, please let me know.