A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN STUDY
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S P R I N G 2 0 21
T H E S T U DY C E N T E R
THIS ISSUE: -
The Coming of Spring, page 3 Bill Wilder
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Hospitality During a Pandemic, pages 4–5 Casey Anglin
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Events this Semester, page 5
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God, Our Help in Ages Past, page 6–7 Fitz Green
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Our Small Groups, page 7
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A Study Center Crossword, page 8
STUDY CENTER STAFF BILL WILDER
Executive Director bill@studycenter.net
FITZ GREEN
Senior Director for Education & Programs fitz@studycenter.net
RICK CAMPANELLI
Photography descriptions and credit: On the cover: Abi Davis and Noah Hester, two of our Elzinga Residential Scholars (photo by Carly Vanness) Page 2: Foundations Week graphic designed by Rachel Gaffin, updated by Carly Vanness Page 3: (from top left) Bill Wilder (photo by Brittany Fan); students studying in the Main Meeting Room; Ellie choosing some fresh baked treats on a Friday morning; interns enjoying dinner under the tent (photos by Carly Vanness) Page 4: (from top, left to right) Casey Anglin (photo by Peter Larsen); Brendan Berkel and Grace Kurcina rearrange the tea; Interns enjoy dinner together under the tent; Elizabeth Armistead and Casey Anglin clean up after intern dinner (photos by Carly Vanness) Page 5: (in article, from top) Gen Pierre Charles, Madison Gould, and Elizabeth Armistead clean up after intern dinner (and find the ice cream) (photo by Carly Vanness); Casey Anglin bakes for Friday small groups (photo by Katie Hightower) Page 5: (in sidebar) The Mauritanian poster was provided by STX films for use in promoting our film screening event; Bob Goff poster provided by Law Christian Fellowship; all other posters were designed in-house Page 6: (from top) Fitz Green (photo by Brittany Fan); the Colosseum in Rome (photo by Carly Vanness), Jonathan Cummins (photo by Peter Larsen) Page 7: (in article, from left) students attending the Undergraduate Bible Study; some of the source material for the church fathers small group; students in a small group (photos by Carly Vanness) Page 7: (in sidebar) small group posters for “Getting to Know the Church Fathers,” “Christopher West’s Our Bodies Tell God’s Story,” the Undergraduate Bible Study on Daniel; and “Lead Like You Were Meant” to were all designed by Abby Vendt; the others were designed by Carly Vanness
Sign up to join our email list at studycenter.net/keep-in-touch. WWW.STUDYCENTER.NET The Study Center newsletter is published for our friends and supporters. University Christian Ministries, Inc. (d/b/a Center for Christian Study) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation EIN 51-0192618. A financial statement is available upon written request from the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs.
Director of Graduate Ministries rick@studycenter.net
RACHAEL GREEN
Librarian rachael@studycenter.net
BRET HEDDLESTON Facilities Assistant bret@studycenter.net
ETHAN HIGHTOWER
Director of Undergraduate Ministries for Men ethan@studycenter.net
KATIE HIGHTOWER
Director of Undergraduate Ministries for Women katie@studycenter.net
STUART HORNSBY Campaign Manager stuart@studycenter.net
JAN MATHEWS
Administrative Assistant jan@studycenter.net
DEBBIE RODRIGUEZ Director of Finance debbie@studycenter.net
CARLY VANNESS
Director of Programs & Communications carly@studycenter.net
DANIELLE WILCOX
Director of Development and Parent & Alumni Relations danielle@studycenter.net
Class of 2025
Foundations Week
Find your footing in gospel truth and Christian community—all before your first official day of college.
Learn more at studycenter.net/welcome. PAG E 2 | T H E ST U DY C E N T E R S P R I N G 20 21
WHO WE ARE We are a non-profit education and outreach ministry serving the University of Virginia and Charlottesville since 1976. We seek to serve Jesus Christ by fostering the serious consideration in the university environment of a biblical worldview, and by encouraging and facilitating wise discussion of the Truth in light of the challenges of contemporary culture.
CONTACT US Phone: (434) 817-1050 Email: info@studycenter.net Website: www.studycenter.net Find us on social media: @studycenterUVA
The Coming of Spring: A Letter from Bill Wilder Dear friends, As I write, spring is in the air. It’s cool outside but bright and sunny. The beautiful weather makes me cautiously optimistic that we might hope for a more general emergence from wintry gloom. Could it be that the pandemic is passing as well? While we are grateful that spring has sprung, we also know how it tends to spring back and forth for a while in Virginia! Thankfully, we have a firmer foundation for our hope than weather (or immunization rates) can provide: the Lord is risen; we too will rise! Spring is a harbinger of that greater hope. If you want more on hope (and who doesn’t?), be sure to read Fitz’s piece on our church fathers group this semester. You’ll find a reminder to make sure it is Jesus “[we] long for, the one who rose from the dead.” Those words come from Ignatius of Antioch, certainly not a household name for most of us. But then that’s typical of our educational topics this spring (a 9/11 prosecutor, icons, pacifism, anxiety, geology, Daniel, leadership), each of which might be introduced with, “And now for something completely different!” In all their grand variety they witness to the centrality and sovereignty of Christ in faith and life. Be sure to check out our archives online. This newsletter also contains a reflection on hospitality at the Study Center in this season, written by a participant in our Intern Program, Casey Anglin. Among other things, Casey makes it clear that hospitality is caring for people by caring about the little things. You’ll have to read Casey’s article for her illustration of what that looks like at the Study Center. Another example of finding new
ways to care for people in this season, now on display right outside the office window behind me, is the large tent once again covering the front north parking area here. As Casey notes, we haven’t been able to have as many students as we are used to in the building over the past year. Hope springs eternal on that front as well; we’re already beginning to make plans for Move-In Day Lunch 2021! One significant change at the Study Center this semester is a transition in our development role. As you may know, Nikki Flannery left her position here at the end of January to more fully pursue a Masters in Christian Spiritual Formation and Leadership. For three and a half years Nikki was a steady, wise presence at the Study Center who embodied the good stewardship she encouraged in others. She was also a wonderful colleague, friend, and sister in Christ. We thank God for her time here at the Study Center and wish her God’s best in the years to come. We also wish to welcome our new Director of Development and Parent & Alumni Relations, Danielle Wilcox. Danielle has deep connections to the Study Center and to UVA (she’s a 1992 alumna whose husband is on the UVA faculty) with a strong background in education and development. We’re all looking forward to working with Danielle and know that you too will enjoy getting to know her in the years to come. In the meantime, enjoy the newsletter, enjoy the spring. May they (and much else) remind us of Christ, who is our life. Yours in our Lord, Bill
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Hospitality During a Pandemic: My Year as an Intern The Center for Christian Study has been a “home” to me since my first week of college. From making me feel welcome during Move-In Day Lunch to being a place to rest during sorority rush, the Study Center has always been a place where I felt comfortable and cared for. I decided to become a Hospitality Intern at the Study Center my fourth year because I wanted the opportunity to give back to the place that has given me so much support over the past few years.
I cherish our dinners and look forward to getting to spend time with all of the other interns on a weekly basis. One evening as we were cleaning up after dinner, some of the interns in the kitchen were distracted by the tea display. They became determined to color-code the many different types of tea that we put out for students to enjoy throughout the day. We proceeded to spend the next 30 minutes in the kitchen deciding on how to rearrange the different tea flavors into the most aesthetically-pleasing color scheme.
As a Hospitality Intern, I have the privilege of greeting students as they enter the building, brewing coffee for students, and baking delicious desserts on Friday mornings for everyone to sample. Entering this role during the pandemic, I admittedly questioned what hospitality would look like during a year where lockdowns and restrictions seem more common than gathering people and building connections.
We were laughing and debating what the best order was. Brendan even engineered a contraption made of coffee stirrers to create a better display for our newly color-coded bags of tea. While this may seem like a silly and unimportant task, this moment was a perfect example to me of what it looks like to find simple ways to serve even during the pandemic. Every time I pass our beautiful and inviting tea display, I am reminded of the importance of practicing the simple daily art of hospitality.
Being an intern this year has taught me that hospitality does not need to be overcomplicated. The restrictions do not have to limit our conversations, and they do not have to limit our ability to serve others. Being an intern this year may involve a little extra sanitizing, but it does not have to stop us from embracing hospitality. This year, the Study Center interns meet weekly on Wednesdays to enjoy a meal together.
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Even in the smallest ways, we get to practice hospitality because Jesus modeled it first. Throughout his ministry, Jesus lived a life of hospitality, defined by his humility and the giving up of himself for others out of love for the Lord. In learning to live out hospitality like Jesus, we learn to walk in humility and our heart is transformed by his love for his people.
Events This Semester It is not always easy to see how something like brewing coffee ties back to Jesus’s ministry. However, every time I pause to reflect, I am reminded that even the smallest ways of showing his love matter. Hospitality at the Study Center this year has certainly changed during the pandemic. Some of the other interns and I were recently reminiscing on the days when the Study Center used to be so packed that we would be excited just to find a spot to sit on the floor. Although the building has not been as full as this year as it used to be on a regular basis, the Study Center is still providing for students in amazing ways. This year, my time at the Study Center has been marked by meaningful conversations, book clubs that spur me on in my faith, and the best baked treats on Fridays. When I walk through these doors, I am encouraged and drawn towards the hope that we have in the gospel, and for that, I am forever grateful.
by Casey Anglin Hospitality Intern Nurs ‘21
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God, Our Help in Ages Past: Learning to Long for Jesus Our small group topics can be pretty wide-ranging. If you’ve ever looked at a list of them, you might wonder, “How did they choose that one?” Certain things are core to who we are and will always be there. Scripture is central, for one. We also like to help students think about their areas of study from a Christian perspective (in groups about science, economics, and, this semester, leadership). A lot of times, though, I am just standing in the kitchen and ask a student, “What do you want to do a small group about?” Such was the case with one small group this semester: “Getting to Know the Church Fathers.” Jonathan Cummins is an Educational Programs Intern at the Study Center this year so, naturally, I asked him the question. His answer surprised me. He said, “I’ve been reading this church history book and enjoying it. I’d love to learn more about the early church. Could we do that?” I laughed. That’s been my own area of study, having come to UVA to learn from church historian Robert Wilken. I quickly said, “Of course!” Jonathan has been amazingly motivated, recruiting other students, compiling readings, and planning out discussion questions for us. After an introductory first week that we spent thinking about how the church fathers (leaders of the church in the first few centuries) are our spiritual ancestors and how we can benefit from learning our family history, we turned to Ignatius of Antioch.
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I found myself inspired anew by his faith. Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch, one of the great cities of the Roman Empire, in the early 100s. He was arrested during a local outbreak of persecution. Because he was a Roman citizen, he was taken to Rome, where he was tried and put to death in the Colosseum.
As he was taken in chains over land all the way from southern Turkey to Italy, he had visits from Christians in the towns he passed through, and he wrote letters back to them encouraging them in their faith. He also wrote a letter to be sent ahead of him to the church in Rome, telling them that he was ready to face his martyrdom. It is here that you get a glimpse of the man in his great zeal for Jesus: I pray that the events in that arena, and the unseen forces of wickedness behind them, will not conspire against me out of envy and prevent me from reaching Jesus Christ. Bring on the fire, bring on the cross, bring on the hordes of wild animals! Just let me get to Jesus Christ. Nothing on this wide earth matters to me anymore. I am at the point where I would rather die for Jesus Christ than rule over the whole earth. He alone is the one I seek—the one who died for us! It is Jesus that I long for—the one who for our sake rose again from the dead! Ignatius’s words can sound shocking to our ears. Having come to terms with his imminent death, he can almost sound like he is seeking it out! What he is really saying, though, is, “I want to be with Jesus.”
He actually sounds a lot like Paul, who wrote to the Philippian church from prison, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil 1:23). Paul writes similarly to the Corinthian church, “I would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8). (Better still, Paul insists, would be to be further clothed in a resurrection body and also at home with the Lord.) Paul knew, however, that he had more work to do. He was called to remain—for the Philippians and all the other churches to which he was an apostle. Ignatius knew that he was called to die for his faith in Jesus, and he was ready. He did not fear death.
Paul and Ignatius, facing different callings, both longed to be with Jesus. These great men of faith are inspiring to me. Do I long to be with Jesus as much as they did? As we look back over this last year—the toll of death from this pandemic and the fear and stress it produced—Ignatius’s voice calls out to us. In concert with the voice of the apostles, he reminds us that death doesn’t get the last word. There’s something more final. We will be with Christ, who is our life. by Fitz Green Senior Director for Education and Programs Center for Christian Study
Small Groups Getting to Know the Church Fathers Starting February 12 Biweekly @ 11:00 a.m.
GCF
Graduate Christian Fellowship
“Putting it into Practice”
Graduate Christian Fellowship
DCF i
Undergraduate Bible Study:
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LCF
Law Christian Fellowship Weekly Bible Study Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m.
Darden Christian Fellowship
Darden First Year Bible Study
Fridays, 9:30 a.m.
Lead Like You Were Meant To
Daniel
Starting February 5 Fridays at 1:00 p.m.
Fridays at 6:00 p.m.
Starting March 19, Fridays at 2:30 p.m.
‘Iάκωβος
למד
Greek Reading Group Fridays, 12:00 p.m.
Hebrew Reading Group Wednesdays, 4:00 p.m. PAG E 7 | T H E ST U DY C E N T E R S P R I N G 2021
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U.S. Postage
Center for Christian Study
PAID Waynesboro, Virginia Permit No. 129
128 C H A N C E L LO R ST R E E T, C H A R LOT T E S V I L L E , VA 22903 ( 4 34 ) 817 - 10 5 0 W W W. ST U DYC E N T E R . N E T A D D R E SS S E R V I C E R E Q U E ST E D
Study Center Crossword Across: 2. The wi-fi password at the Study Center 5. The last name of our founder and the name of one of our rooms 7. Romans 12:2; “be ____ by the renewing of your mind” 11. _____ Christian Fellowship; from aerospace engineers to linguistics scholars, you can find this group meeting at the Study Center on Friday nights 14. (2wds) Exploring one theme, from Genesis to Revelation 16. (3wds) A tour of Charlottesville and its history, led by Louis Nelson 19. Acronym for our ministry to those studying the law 20. _____ Harrison Warren; author of Liturgy of the Ordinary 21. (2wds) Held one of these events on Just War and Pacifism this semester 23. _____ Christian Fellowship; our ministry that gets down to business 25. The nickname for the men and women in our residential program 26. It has an exit sign Down: 1. Most likely place in our building to get caught in an unplanned conversation 3. Theology on the ultimate destiny of humanity and the world 4. Easter is a celebration of this miraculous event 6. Where we buy all of our coffee, paper towels, and plastic spoons 8. Number of Grounds ministries that rent offices in our building 9. Priests and kings; our _____ 10. Messy, radical, Christ-like inclusion of strangers and friends alike 12. Esau ____; Author of Reading While Black (past Study Center lecturer) 13. (3wds) Students love this Exam Snacks meal when they can “Eat Mor Chikin” 15. Spice Dragon Red Chai, Earl Grey, and Peppermint 17. (2wds) Our library does not have these; check out a book and keep it for as long as you need it 18. A cozy room in the Study Center that is rarely empty 22. C. S. _____; Author of The Great Divorce 24. God’s Word