September 2011 Archives

            Concordia St. Paul vs. Minnesota State Mankato, the homecoming football game, was the excitement of September 24, 2011. Crowds filled the stands to root on the home team. Comet the Concordia mascot kept them on their toes and excited. Concordia was losing by a large amount but it didn't stop students from enjoying homecoming. The carnival for homecoming began at halftime and many students went to enjoy the festivities planned. Those that stayed in the stands watched a well-played football game. The game may not have ended how Concordia students would have liked but it was still a wonderful experience and a hard fought loss.

            Football is one of America's favorite pastimes. At first one may not see football as an enrichment activity, but it can be. What does it mean to be human in this interconnected world and, what does it mean to be human and Christian in this interconnected world? Being human in this interconnected world at a football game involves cheering on one's favorite team, enjoying the friendly atmosphere, and eating delicious stadium food. Sometimes games become hectic and crowds get worked up. This is where the difference tends to come in between being human vs. being human and Christian. Being a Christian at a football game many times involves good sportsmanship. If one's team is winning then there aren't many problems. If one's team is losing then the Christian must accept that and work hard to be a positive loser. Yes this sounds bad but sportsmanship is an important part of Christian priorities. Life is not going to be how people expect it to be. Sometimes it's better to face defeat and have a good attitude about it. Football games are just a small aspect of this priority in Christians. At a football game all the fans are connected in some way, whether it be rooting for the same team or just being part of a group. It's these times where most people only see the human side, but when the crowd gets angry sometimes it's possible to catch a glimpse at the Christians and their perspective on sportsmanship.

            I really enjoyed this football game. It was a lot of fun to be in the stands with my friends, cheering on the football team. It was sad watching them lose but I knew, as a Christian, I had to be positive. I was raised to have a lot of sportsmanship and to never get angry and upset at my team. This has followed me into college and even the football game Saturday. Instead of getting mad at the football guys I focused on having fun and goofing off with my friends. I accepted that Mankato brought their best game today and Concordia just wasn't prepared. It did however show me something about myself. I see that I can be positive even in a negative situation. Like the quote says, "there's always a silver lining". I truly believe this, especially knowing that God always works for the good of those who love Him. I believe that even in the hardest of times something good will come out of it. After the homecoming football game and the new perspective I have of it, I truly feel that I can handle disappointments and get through them. I have good sportsmanship and am very blessed to have gotten this far in life. The football team fought hard and I'm proud to be able to call myself a golden bear. God is great!!

                The theme for today's convocation was based off of the campus ministry at Concordia, St Paul and the theme for the school year, "We are all God's chosen people". The previous mission statement is as follows, "The mission of Concordia University, a university of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is to prepare students for thoughtful and informed living, for dedicated service to God and humanity, for enlightened care of God's creation, all within the context of the Christian Gospel." At the convocation, President Ries discussed what students, faculty, and even parents have experienced here at Concordia, St Paul. He would like to incorporate these elements into the new mission statement. The convocation discussed what was important to the people here at Concordia St. Paul and what it should promise to future students and faculty.

            Writing a mission statement is a difficult job. One must incorporate all aspects of an institution in a single sentence. Concordia is no exception. Along with the smaller elements of what make up Concordia, the mission statement must include the Missouri Synod Lutheran faith basis. This fits in perfectly with the Honors theme, "Being human and Christian in an interconnected world". According to President Ries, all humans have their own promise. Concordia, like humans also has a promise. While humans try to figure out who they are and what their place is in society, Concordia is attempting to write out its promise so that others can see what it is all about and if they would fit into the community. Being a human and Christian in this world is even more complicated. Not only must someone find their place in society but also find out what God has planned for their life and how they can serve Him. Just the same, Concordia must incorporate its elements of society with the word of the Lord. While humans find their place in the world, Christians and Concordia will work even harder to find their place and serve the Lord in all they do in this inter-connected world.

            This convocation was very interesting and insightful. I struggle trying to figure out who I am and what God's plan for me is. This is one of the main reasons I am here at Concordia. I wanted to figure out who I am and God's plan and being surrounded by other Christians has been incredibly helpful. I also love how Concordia allows us to speak about faith freely. All of these aspects of Concordia were discussed in the convocation and what we want to be in the mission statement. Another interesting aspect of the convocation today was how they incorporated the book of the year, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. President Ries paralleled the mission statement to the book through the many themes each incorporate. The mission statement must incorporate all the elements of Concordia while the book of the year incorporates many different themes from science to theology to English. Overall the convocation was a great experience. I learned a lot of the qualities Concordia has and got to know President Ries a little more.