christian life A HISTORY OF
photography by Brian L. Morgan
CHRISTIAN LIFE
written by Greg Lisson Director of Christian Life
T
WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • FALL 2013
hroughout the Old Testament, the people of God were instructed to remember. Moses, who is credited with writing the first five books of the Bible, expressly understood the human tendency towards forgetfulness and repeatedly commanded remembrance among the Israelites. These excerpts from Deuteronomy 8, following the Exodus in the wilderness, provide just a few examples:
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they began to forget. Once they were comfortable and secure, their memories became hazy. God’s role in their deliverance faded in their minds, and they began to magnify their own power and ability. I pray that we at Wesleyan will never succumb to such forgetfulness.
And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not…
God has done mighty and miraculous things at Wesleyan. The stories of God’s protection and provision are woven into the fabric of this place. And yet we, like the Israelites, have a tendency to forget. Therefore, as our school becomes more established and secure, we must pause to remember what God has done here. Let us keep our memories sharp and attitudes humble, and let us recall the faithfulness of God.
Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His rules and His statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery…
This faithfulness is particularly evident in christian life at Wesleyan, especially considering the relative youth of our program. After all, Wesleyan only sponsored its first mission trip in the year 2000. Our first Freshman Retreat wasn’t until 1999; we held our first Service Day in 2001, and our seniors went on their class trip for the first time in 2003. All of these events now seem integral to a Wesleyan education, but they are, in reality, somewhat recent additions to life as our students know it.
Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…
I reached out to Amy Barrett, who served as our very first director of christian life from 2001-2007, for some perspective. She recalls, “It was exciting to dream with a team of other people about long-term goals for christian life and to begin laying that foundation together.” Brad Mauldin, who succeeded Amy, expressed a similar sentiment: “When I started at Wesleyan in 1999, there were no mission trips, no retreats, no yearly theme, no chapel bands, not even a director of christian life. There was just a pioneering spirit among the community.”
God did mighty and miraculous works among the Israelites throughout the Exodus. From the plagues in Egypt, to the parting of the Red Sea, to providing manna in the wilderness, to the pillar of fire at night, God repeatedly protected and provided for His people. And yet, once they were in the Promised Land,