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Jesus Take the Reins 

By Hannah Lee

The equestrian world is an ever growing career that has gained more popularity each year. Though it’s primarily a female dominated field, it can be quite diverse, embracing both men and women and people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities. That being said, that  diversity does not end there. Within the realm of Houghton’s equestrian related activities such as competitions, ownership, and academics, there is a strong central faith guiding the program. The program is designed not only to help its students grow in their equestrian knowledge, but also connects them more to their faith as they go forward. I am honored to be a part of Houghton’s equestrian legacy and to have the opportunity to write about the program. 

I have had personal experience with trusting God’s process in my time here at Houghton. Many equestrian students, if not all of them, will experience a setback that requires a level of trust that we can only find by leaning on God’s understanding. Trusting the plan God has in store is not always easy, but waiting and listening for His guidance yields the greatest outcome of success and peace.  Last fall I had a riding accident that left me with a broken bone and nerve damage to my dominant arm. It’s not uncommon to meet equestrians who have had similar injuries, and most of them will tell you it does not change their view on the sport, but it teaches us how to adapt to new challenges. These challenges are like the valleys we walk through in faith. They test us, and it’s easy to want to give up. My encouragement is to not give up and trust God’s process. I was terrified when I got my injury diagnosed, but there was nothing I could do to change it. I was told it could be a year before I gained all function back in my hand, and even longer before I could ride again. I had to change my major, albeit not an extreme change, but it was and is a setback. I had no choice but to trust God and His plan for me. We equestrians experience setbacks all the time, and the outcome will most likely not be what we want if we do not have faith in God. 

 As equestrians, it is our passion to care for and learn from the creatures we work with. I think of it as the special calling God has for us. We are stewards of one of God’s greatest creations, the horse. We are able to forge a unique bond with the animals that allows us to better one another. The bond between horse and rider is so special. We can see the fruits of our efforts in our dressage tests, jumping courses, and even trail rides. It can sometimes look like riding horses is effortless, but it requires time, dedication, and love to get to those levels of trust between horse and rider. I like to think of it in how I engage with my relationship with God. I am not going to have a good personal relationship with God and my faith if I do not put any effort into it and do not cultivate the relationship. The same can be said for horses. I won’t have a good ride if I go into it with a negative attitude and then don’t try to  get better. There won’t be any progress in my riding skills if I don’t try. Faith is important in our daily lives as Christians. We all know that, but how much more important is it when we are in hard times? Sometimes equestrians will go days and maybe even weeks without the good ride they were hoping for, and it can be really discouraging. As I said, we have to keep our faith; otherwise what are we in this for? 

The community of equestrians here at Houghton is very different from what we see outside of campus. Unlike most commercial barns and competitive teams, Houghton’s program does not focus on competing and good scores at shows. We care about supporting each other and becoming equestrian professionals. We want to develop our skills as people and Christians. The development entails being good stewards to the horses and each other. In my experience, there are many barns that are very toxic, and they thrive on tearing one another down. Our equestrian program encourages us to lift each other up and give each other constructive criticism so we can improve.One verse that has been very encouraging for me has been Proverbs 21:31: “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord”. We sometimes battle for each day, but we do not have to do it alone. We support each other at shows every semester, and the program is a tightly knit community that we all cherish.

Our horses, whether we own them or not, are teachers for us. They can teach us to be better riders, better people, and better Christians. It seems odd, but it is my belief that horses are some of the greatest faith teachers God has given us. The horses are what give equestrians the greatest challenges and the greatest tests of our faith, and that is what keeps me going. That faith—in the horses, ourselves, each other, and God—is what keeps us all going. Sometimes we just have to let Jesus take the reins. ★

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In Defense of Metz

By Hannah Smith

“Metz is terrible.”

We have all heard that one before. Metz has no options. Metz is nothing compared to home cooking. Metz is simply inedible.This comes up in conversations early in the morning, sometimes at lunch, and definitely at the dinner table. But I argue that there are more people in favor for Metz than we know. It’s too easy to get caught up in the rut of complaining and shortchange a good thing rather than appreciate what is there. 

According to a comment from senior Abigail Young, “It’s not a restaurant, but it’s not bad food.” If we really look at Metz with open eyes, we can see that the options are much more varied than the typical college fare. Bethany Smith from Eastern Nazarene has said that almost every night they have a fried food option: chicken tenders or pizza. There are no self-cook stations or fruit stations. The best that can be done is to go to the store yourself to get some strawberries.

Houghton has cooking stations, a sandwich bar, a fruit bar, a salad bar with dependable vegetables, and a pizza station. Pretty much any option for what you’re feeling or can make yourself. True, there’s not always a hit at the Main Plate section, and it may not be home cooking, but as Abigail previously said, it’s not bad.

Junior Brynn Dixon says part of her own attitude towards Metz is because “I think I get disappointed sometimes because I’m tired. We live in the middle of nowhere and I can’t just run out to Wendy’s and get my four piece chicken nugget meal.” It’s hard! Living in a space where the closest restaurant is the local Chinese restaurant and Dunkin Donuts is twenty minutes out is difficult! Especially when most of us come from areas much more urban than Houghton is.

I think wishful feelings about missing home cooking are felt by a large portion of Houghton students. Home is far away, along with the comfort of a homemade meal, and college food can feel subpar compared to it. But we don’t hate Metz. They do a fantastic job and we appreciate the effort they put into changing and addressing our needs. But there isn’t much they can really do to subdue this feeling of wishing from Houghton students. It is simply the way it is when living in such a rural space. And Three Bums Pizza is not exactly a great option to get away from dining hall food. 

Metz has done a lot to accommodate students in terms of changes to meals and food options. In past years we had limited access to fruit, but they heard our desire for fruit, and this year we have a fruit bar. There were a lot of complaints about Poblanos being all day-every day, and this year we have a weekly rotation on that station. They hired a professional dessert chef. There’s even an ‘Ask Us’ board up next to the coffee station. They make sure to respond promptly to comments students post and do the best they can to make the changes asked for. That’s a 10/10 in my book.

Metz will never be home cooking. It will never cater to our taste buds specifically. But they do their best with cooking for the university body. I think it’s important to remember to be grateful for the blessing of the people who work to make our lives easier. Metz is fun to complain about, but we should be careful not to convince ourselves that it really is terrible, because convincing ourselves that something is terrible is surprisingly easy. ★

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The Constant Pursuit of Something Greater

By Evelyn Simanowski

What is a Vocal Performance major’s art? Short answer: I spend a lot of time singing songs I think are pretty. That probably seems like a rhetorical question and an even more obvious answer, though it’s not an answer I’m adverse to giving. I could say “I spend hours in a tiny practice room every day,” or “I’m taking 19 credits before ensembles,” or best yet, “I’ve shaped my entire lifestyle to meet the physical demands of being a vocalist.” Are these answers dramatic? Absolutely; but they hold just as much truth within them as they hold drama. I wouldn’t be in this major if these truths weren’t worth it.

I consider the art of singing to be one of complete connectivity and a far more dynamic art form than it appears at surface level. My career as a vocalist relies almost entirely on my ability to interpret and bring life to song, requiring me to view the piece through its historical, cultural, and artistic contexts. This idea of connection begins when I start studying a new piece of music. I’m first connecting with the notes and rhythms on the page, that’s a given, but during that time I also consider myself to be connecting with the composer and their intent. Despite having never met any of these composers, there’s a real closeness I feel with them when I consider what inspired them to write this music and exactly what they were trying to share with their audiences. There’s no guarantee that the circumstances and narrative they were writing in will fit my own; they hardly ever do. There is, however, a guarantee that each of these composers I’m honoring is an image bearer that shared in the human experience and used their God-given talents to express such experiences. 

My connection with the piece only grows as I spend more time with it and begin pouring my own personal experiences into the piece. The art of song, like any art form, requires interpretation. In this case, I the performer can interpret the piece in a way that is personally meaningful to my story and maintains the integrity given to it by the composer. Most of the music I choose to sing is by composers from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While they’re not working with me in person, the intentional time and consideration I spend interpreting their work makes it feel as though there’s active collaboration going on between the two of us. They spent hours writing these pieces and now I have the privilege of spending hours working them in the practice room to bring them their due respect.

Any time I perform a piece of music, I believe that life is truly breathed into it when it’s shared with others and given what my voice professor and I call “people energy.” The exchange of energy that happens at this point in the process is electrifying and quite frankly what keeps me coming back for more. Within a single song, I’m exerting pure energy in my performance, exchanging energy with my collaborator(s), and feeling reciprocated energy from the audience. This dynamic energy exchange grants me the opportunity to share the meaning I’ve found in the composer’s piece with a group of individuals that can receive the meaning and interpret it through their own personal experiences and convictions. Standing on the stage and baring a little bit of my soul to an audience is, of course, a vulnerable experience. But in that vulnerability, there’s an even greater opportunity to share the joy and meaning I’ve found in the music.

My job doesn’t end when I step off the stage, nor is there any discernible goal or finish line I’m trying to reach. There are goals I have along the way, each of them indicative of a certain accomplishment or level of progress, but none of them representing perfection. It’s a grim thought, honestly, that no matter how hard I work or how talented I am, I will never achieve perfection in my performance, just as I will never be a perfect Christian. Still, I strive for excellence in all that I do, reminding myself that it’s okay to never achieve perfection. I remain conscious of the fact that I am honing the gifts God has given to me to be used to the best of my ability for His glory. I recognize the gift it is to bring new life to the work of my predecessors and to connect with countless individuals through a language that only He could create. I thank God for the art He has given me and the course He has set before me so that I may be in the constant pursuit of something greater. Soli Deo gloria. ★

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The Power of Faith in God

By Rebecca Dailey

It seems impossible that I once sat writing about coming to Houghton. I can remember a crisp summer turned fall day, being in my room working away, never thinking I would follow that particular article to write its sequel. God has a way of making things happen even when we least expect it. The original article that I’m referring to was from the September 2, 2023 issue, which doesn’t seem that long ago. I wrote about transitioning from my community college to Houghton and how wonderful it had been so far. It’s been a full semester and we’re four weeks into the second semester with a whirlwind of new experiences.

I’ve learned, and not only in class or practicum, which is required for Education majors (it simply means I’m out in the field in a school setting). I’ve learned a lot about myself and strengthened my relationship with God. I come from a very religious family, but it didn’t quite feel like something for me at the time. However, the older I’ve gotten, the more I have come to understand it: God’s undying love for me, for all of us. It’s not just something we say we are, it’s something we do. We choose to not only follow God, but to actively spread His love and show grace and support to those around us. It’s not something that can be simply done like a snap of your fingers. It takes time to build a relationship with anyone, but God especially, because it is so easy to forget His sacrifices for us. However, the community of Houghton builds upon this love to bring their community together, whether it’s sports events, activities around campus, or just even morning Chapel.

The building of community has been such an important aspect to my growth in God and Christ, knowing that there are others who have walked for years and those like me who are just coming to terms with what it truly means to be a person of God. Not only coming to terms with it, but also knowing that it’s not just about reading the Bible or attending church weekly. It’s about loving everyone around you, serving others, even simply helping with homework or comforting a friend after a long day.

I was reading a book the other day called The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. I didn’t even pass the dedication page without pausing to stop and think about what it said. The verse came from I John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” He loves us when we’re wrong, He loves us when we’re right, He loves us when we’re upset with our friends and even when we’re upset with Him. He loved us and loved us still to sacrifice His only son for us so that our sin could be washed away. And yet sometimes we still do things that we know are wrong but we do them in anger, loathing or envy for another person. Being purely good is an uphill battle that we will win because we have God on our side and the knowledge of His love for us. 

God’s love doesn’t only directly come from Him, it comes from those around us who live God’s word and serve the community around us. The entirety of humanity is a steadfastness of God’s love for us because we are created in His image. We are created to love and to be loved by all. With His love comes our faithfulness to Him and for Him. We are God’s children and brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s who we are as people and who we are as Christians. 

Coming to Houghton was probably one of the most wonderful things that has ever happened to me. I came here because it was God’s plan for me. He wanted me here because He loved me and wanted to show me that even in my darkness there is still a life with Him. There is a life for all of us as an earthly community and with God. Whether we have admitted that or not, there are documents for all of us. In those dark moments, we can either hide or we can cry out to God because He loves us to show us the way out of the darkness and into the light. We will come into the light in our own way, on our own time, but in the end we will all come together as children of God. ★

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Volleyball: The Sport For Life

Lindsay Seddon

I remember my first day of modified volleyball practice when I was in 7th grade. My mom, who played volleyball in high school and here at Houghton, encouraged me to give it a try. I remember the majority of my friends heading to the soccer field while I headed to the outdoor makeshift volleyball court since the girl’s varsity team had priority for gym time. I remember in those first few days of practice finding the sport really hard, but I wanted to keep trying since it captured my interest. I couldn’t get my serve over the net, passing and setting to target was nonexistent, and a “kill” wasn’t even in my vocabulary at that point. However, volleyball was different from other sports I played throughout my life, and it was the beginning of what became (and still is) a huge part of who I am. 

You see, volleyball is so positionally technical, yet each member of the team has a very important role in the sequence of the game. You can’t get a swing without a set, and you can’t get a set without a pass. Everyone needs to work together to make an organized play happen. Culturally, it’s always been a very polite sport since it’s non-contact, yet the power and aggressiveness especially when going up for a swing or serve can be brutal. When you break it down, volleyball is all about being organized as a team, dominating your position, and keeping the ball in play on your side at all times. I love that. 

They say volleyball is a lifetime sport, and I agree. For example, our assistant coach for the HUMVB team, David Bourne, plays for a 55’s and over team who qualified for nationals this past fall. The game changes as you get older, but that doesn’t mean you can’t play. Often you see older teams beat younger teams because their game IQ is so high from playing for so many years. They know how to change up the pace and read the opposing offense which keeps them one step ahead, positioning exactly where they need to be on the court at all times. Another example is our very own Men’s Volleyball team. We have a range of experience levels as a beginner program. However, when they brought home their first win in program history this past weekend, it proved you can pick up the sport and succeed when you train hard and work together as one unit. 

Someone once said that watching our high school varsity volleyball team play looked like a ballet. Not because of its delicate nature, but how we flowed and synced as a team on the court. That’s how organized we were as six individuals behind a 7’4” net working close together in a 30x30ft perimeter court. We knew each other’s tendencies and thought processes. Our setter tailored sets perfectly to each hitter for a flawless swing resulting in a kill. We knew when we were going flat how to reset and pick one another up; finishing what we started together. If we were out of system on the court, we knew as a team we had each other’s backs to better the ball for the next person to keep it in play. I had full faith in our defense because I knew they would never let a ball touch the floor. As a team we weren’t perfect, and we had our losses, but we built trust and respect for one another through it all, and that took us to heights we never imagined. I can see why this person thought it looked like a dance, because we knew how to work together.

After modified volleyball, I began the pursuit of earning an athletic scholarship when making the varsity team my freshman year. During those four years we won sectionals, regionals, and went to states. I played club volleyball all year round where we participated in tournaments across the country, and a dream was fulfilled when I received an athletic scholarship to play for the women’s volleyball team here at Houghton (this is when we were NAIA). To say I loved every minute of it all would be a lie, but how do you learn to work with others and grow in character when you aren’t challenged or go through setbacks? Sports in general are a great teacher of that. However, there is something about volleyball that is so unique. 

Volleyball is a game that takes you on emotional and mental highs and lows. In soccer or basketball a mistake can be quickly erased by stealing the ball back, etc., since the game is in constant motion. If you shank a serve in volleyball, that’s it. The point is gone forever and given to the other team. Between every point in the game of volleyball is the opportunity to mentally train yourself to keep moving forward or dwell on mistakes that can bring a whole team down. Momentum, communication, anticipation, and organization are key, and if you lose it, a team needs to work fiercely to get it back.

Seeing the sport grow over the last decade is proof that it’s rapidly capturing the interest of generations to come. 2023 saw the highest number of men’s volleyball programs added in the NCAA (including Houghton!). In August, a Nebraska Women’s Volleyball match broke the world record for the largest crowd ever in a women’s sporting event, beating the Women’s Soccer World Cup final crowd record just a few months earlier. And last week was the launch of the Pro Volleyball Federation, a professional league for women’s volleyball here in the USA. I love sports, but I love volleyball the most. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think volleyball is the sport for life, and I’m so thankful to know it. ★

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The Language of Music

By Katrina Kaufman

“Where words fail, music speaks.” This was the Hans Christian Anderson quote on my piano teacher’s wall before coming to Houghton. This is a quote that many musicians likely have come across, and while it may be overdone, it is not incorrect. Music contains power. Music can both heighten and express emotion. According to a neuroscientist, music has the power to rewire your brain chemistry. In my own life, music has helped me to process emotions as well as process hard truths in life. Music is soothing as well. We see this in the Bible when David soothes Saul’s inner demons. I recently learned that musicians are hired to choose/compose the best music in advertising to make sure that even the music helps convey the exact message that the advertising company is trying to convey to their audience.

Music also has the power to connect people. When a musician is able to be vulnerable and share themselves with their audience, the audience is able to connect both with the music and the musician. The joy of performing with other musicians on stage and getting to create music together rather than alone is a fulfilling experience that is unforgettable. 

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a class discussion where we dug deeper into questioning music. Something we discussed is the idea that music is not truly essential when it comes to survival. Back in the ancient days, cavemen were struggling to survive. They were fighting to live, and yet they still made rough instruments for themselves. While music was not essential to them the way food, water, and shelter was, music still filled a less tangible need they had. Our ancestors must have felt the need to have music as a vehicle to feel connected and a sense of community, as well as the use for spiritual purposes and not just social. Keith Richard said “Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.” 

I believe we as humans make music because God put music inside of us. I believe I experience a little of God’s glory and awe when I am filled with awe soaking up all the beautiful music at a symphony. I also feel a sense of beauty and awe in my soul when I am listening to a beautiful soft rock song and feel a progression and cadence happening in the music. 

Another aspect of music that I love is its healing properties. Music helps people in their suffering. Music helps people to feel and process their emotions. Music also helps people to feel understood and validated in their suffering, therefore making them feel less alone and more seen and validated. One of the wonderful things about music is its ability to meet a person where they are at. A song that expresses the emotion or idea that a person is experiencing can help that person find more meaning in their suffering and give them courage to keep moving forward.

Most importantly, music can connect us to God through the act of Worshiping. Koin is an excellent way at Houghton to experience connecting to God through Worship music. As a Performance major, I have been exploring what it means to worship God through the act of pursuing excellence in music as an act of worship and devotion. I really appreciate the atmosphere at the Greatbatch School of Music and how the music professors live out what it means to be a Christian musician who is making music for God’s glory rather than a secular music school that provides an environment where self-glorification is easy to pursue, or where music is worshiped rather than God. I value GSOM’s commitment to putting Christ first and creating a healthy environment to grow aspiring musicians. ★

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Good Tidings & Good Grief

By Molly Connolly

As the holiday season runs its course, we see familiar scenes of warmth: being wrapped up in flannel and knit blankets, lilting melodies drifting through the air with warm sugar and spice scents swirling around us. We see friends and family gathered around tables filled with favorite foods as good conversation and love abounds. However, in those beautiful moments of fellowship and company, it can sometimes make the spaces once taken up by loved ones who aren’t with us anymore that much more obvious.

Grief in a season marketed on the basis of curating an exuberant display of joy, excitement and sociability can make an already incredibly complex experience that much more difficult to process. The ever-looming pressure to be a chipper Kris Kringle for Christmas can make the growing and groaning of grief feel Grinchy. If we’re lucky enough to not be the ones grieving, which can be complicated in its own right, seeing friends, family or loved ones in pain, being distant, or just not quite being themselves can be tense, awkward or even isolating, not just for us, but for all involved. 

I want to encourage all of us to take those tense or awkward moments, or the moments where we feel alone in our grief, and embrace the heart of our hurt. When we are missing the loved ones we no longer gather with, I want us to reflect on the memories and traditions we had with them. Continue those traditions or make new ones in remembrance of them. Allow yourself to be sad, angry, and hurt when those feelings come up. You do not owe anyone the comfort of convenient emotions, and you deserve to feel fully and deeply in all circumstances.

 For those who are not grieving but have someone close to us who is living with grief, don’t be afraid to be beside them at this time. Be a constant and supporting presence. Ask them about their lost loved one. Don’t force a silver lining, but give them a way to share the love they have for the person they are missing. In those moments we are given the bittersweet blessing of getting to share this love, and learn about the love we wouldn’t have been able to experience without that person.

There isn’t any right way to process loss and there isn’t a set way to support someone going through that process, but I urge each and every one of us to take those opportunities to grow closer together rather than to shy away from those “uncomfortable” or “inconvenient” emotions. Instead, embrace it all throughout the holiday season. Ways we can incorporate the grieving process can take a myriad of different forms, whether that’s trying to follow their famous cookie recipe, watching their favorite Christmas movie, singing along to their favorite seasonal songs, hanging up their stocking and filling it with some of their favorite snacks. Regardless of its form, let that love be lifted up in ways the season already encourages. Let laughter, tears, and everything in-between flow freely and make space for those feelings to be felt for those around you. ★

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Christmas Music in November

By Abigail Young

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t love Christmas music. I can get into the holiday spirit as much as the next person—at least toward the end of December. However, hearing Christmas music in the early weeks of November tends to get on my nerves. It still looks like fall outside, and I don’t appreciate having early Christmas cheer encroach on my favorite season, fall. Christmas music is also largely the same every year (Mariah Carey). Especially when it’s played for two whole months before Christmas day, it can get a bit old and is not as enjoyable when it’s actually Christmas time. 

This seems to be a widely debated topic at Houghton. In the last few days and weeks, I have overheard many conversations in the dining hall, dorms, and even a chemistry lab about whether we should start playing Christmas music now or wait until after Thanksgiving. Some of these have been surprisingly heated. Those who want to start playing Christmas music in November often claim that there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a particular genre of music or beginning to celebrate Jesus’ birth early. Those who would rather wait tend to point out that much of the Christmas music being played is more related to commercialism than Christ’s birth. Personally I prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving to start playing Christmas music. This is partially due to personal preference, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with starting to play Christmas music in early November. However, I think waiting to play Christmas music until at least after Thanksgiving could help us appreciate November and Thanksgiving more and might make Christmas more meaningful. 

November at Houghton can be a difficult month. The weather is cold and miserable, and this time in the semester, October break (which was too short anyway) is far behind, while Thanksgiving break is not close enough. We have deadlines closing in and an endless burden of assignments to finish. Even while we may enjoy friendships, classes, and the many other gifts Houghton has to offer, a lot of us are waiting for classes to end and Christmas break to start. Some people probably start playing Christmas music in early November to feel happier and start looking forward to the Christmas season. However, I think playing Christmas music this early may cause us to skip over November to get to Christmas, and I think there is something to be said for living in the present moment, even if the present moment isn’t our favorite. Even though November can be cold, stressful, and boring, there are still good things happening. It might be harder to appreciate those good things if we are already starting to celebrate Christmas. Waiting to play Christmas music might help us look forward to and enjoy Thanksgiving more, which is sadly often overlooked. Also, spending some time waiting before starting the celebratory aspect of Christmas might help us to appreciate Christmas more and understand the meaning of it better when it does come. 

Waiting is a theme of the Christian life, especially during Advent, where we remember how the Israelites waited for a Messiah and also how we are waiting for Christ’s return. I have often heard in chapel and elsewhere at Houghton that waiting is something that can help us grow and become closer to God. November can also be a time of waiting. I think we often want to skip over things that are boring, unpleasant, or cause us to wait. However, even though November is not the most pleasant month, maybe we could use it as a time to grow and specifically try to notice God’s presence within us. ★

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The Gospel of Jesus Christ

By Joshua Armstrong

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1: 1). These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20: 31).

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1: 1). And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1: 27). And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1: 31). Then sin came into the world through one man, for as in Adam all die (1 Corinthians 15: 22) and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5: 12) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3: 23). All are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “The way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3: 9-12, 17-18). And the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness (Isaiah 5: 16). And Jesus who is lord of lords and king of kings (Revelations 19: 16) is to judge the living and the dead ( 2 Timothy 4: 1). 

However, mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2: 13). For ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty’ (Numbers 14: 18). 

For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15: 3-4), and that he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high interceding for those who are in the faith (Romans 8: 34) (Hebrews 1: 3). For God So loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3: 16). Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14: 6). For there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4: 12). For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6: 23). For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10-11).

A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified (Galatians 2: 16). For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” — so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith (Galatians 3: 10-14). For by grace we have been saved through faith. And this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5: 11, 14, 15, 16-21). ★

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Enjoying Houghton

By Anna Catherman

“In for the Highlanders is #24, Hannahhhhhhh Smith!” I grinned and pumped my fist as my sinkmate jogged out onto Burke Field. Our friend Anna and I quietly “analyzed” the game, laughing at our soccer illiteracy. We walked back, amazed at the beauty and warmth of the October night. When Hannah got back, arms full of balloons and Senior Night gifts, she thanked me for coming. Later, I received a text from Anna: “Thanks for dragging me out of my hole 🙂 it was nice to be outside.” It was a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday night – one I wouldn’t have considered weeks earlier.

I had obligations on Wednesday nights: Student Council, then Jumping I Club Time. But three weeks into the semester, my life shattered. Literally. A freak fall off a horse sent me to the hospital with multiple broken bones. Once I got back to campus, I was left with a gaping hole. No more evenings riding under the lights. No more Saturday morning scrambles to the barn. My body demanded rest.

The change in routine has brought an unexpected blessing: an opportunity to rediscover the abundant joys of the Houghton community.

In the hours I would’ve spent in the saddle, I helped at Harvestival. I hung out at the English and Writing Open House. I marched in the Homecoming Parade. I listened to vocal performances at Studio. And for the first and last time, I watched a friend play soccer. These moments and a recent class discussion got me pondering how important “student engagement” is – and how little we students think about it.

As a senior, I can look back and see how the events, clubs, and activities I’ve attended have shaped my time here. They’ve introduced me to close friends, taught me new things about the world, and made me laugh. They’ve encouraged me to pick up a second major, helped me grow my faith, and helped me through a frustrating, painful, one-armed semester. It’s easy to “hole up” in our rooms, our favorite study spaces, our areas of expertise – especially as upperclassmen. But if we’re too focused on our niches, we miss out on the rich, diverse experiences that Houghton has to offer.

My classmate Keiryn recently wrote an essay on the word “abundance.” She noted that “[a]bundance, as a word, begs an energetic enjoyment of blessings.” On our campus, “abundance” is 24 clubs, 17 sports, 46 majors, and six graduate degree programs. “Abundance” is floor events and Midnight Breakfast and chapel and SPOT and faculty lectures and Lyric Theatre and the rock wall and Koinonia. “Abundance” is 705 main-campus students, 58 teaching faculty, 11 non-teaching faculty, and 109 staff, each made in the image of God, all with different stories, viewpoints, and skills. Of course, taking part in every aspect of the abundance that God has given us here at Houghton is impossible. But we can proactively seek to “energetically enjoy” the blessings around us. 

The next time you’re feeling stressed or burnt out, I urge you: if your diploma isn’t at stake, take a break. Get out of your hole. Call that paper “good enough.” Cancel your plans for an extra practice ride. Instead, find a friend to support. Stop by a professor’s office just to say hi or thank them. Go for a hike. Sit with someone new at dinner. Attend an event outside your wheelhouse. And enjoy the abundance. ★