Welcome College Students
The LCMS U at OU would like to thank you for stopping by. We have free dinner and Bible study every Tuesday night at 6:30 pm (Bible study at 7:00). We meet at the Vicar’s house located at 419 Castro Street. Please park in the Church’s parking lot and enter through “The LSF Gate.” We enjoy fellowship with each other while studying God’s Word and singing hymns! If you have questions or would like to know more, please feel free to email the Vicar.
LCMS U at OU is a campus ministry of Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Norman, Oklahoma. The church is located at the intersection of Classen Blvd. & Alameda with Divine Service at 8:00 and 10:30am, with Bible Study at 9:15 am on Sundays. We welcome and encourage you to join us in worship on Sunday mornings, especially if you are unable to attend the Tuesday night meetings.
From the Vicar
Rob Schrader
About this time every year, it’s common to hear the observation: “I can’t believe how quickly it gets dark!” In fact, you’re receiving this article right around the winter solstice – the day when we have the fewest hours of daylight and the most hours of night. It’s also usually around this time, that people begin to get sick of the cold, dark winter, and start longing for the warmth of summer with its long, bright days.
This cycle of the seasons that we all experience, can help us to better understand an important aspect of the Christian life. Just as many comment on the darkness of the days this time of year, so also many comment on the ‘darkness’ we see in the world – the evil, pain, suffering, and death that we so often encounter. In fact, the Bible equates both the ills of this world & hell with darkness (Col. 1:3 & Matt. 8:12). But just as the darkness of the winter, causes us to hope for the summer; so also the darkness of this world causes us to hope for eternal life with Christ. We read in Romans 5:3-5 that “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” If we experienced no darkness – no evil, pain, or suffering – we would never have reason to look to God to end our suffering. It’s in this, that suffering can actually be seen as a blessing – suffering forces us to look to Christ and encourages faith in Christ to end our suffering. The darkness of the world, compels us to seek the light that is the eternal life we gain through Christ. Revelation 21:23 describes this eternal life as such, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the lamb.”
The dark suffering of this world points us to the one John describes as “The light (that) shines in the darkness” and “the true light, which gives light to everyone” (John 1:5,9). If the darkness of this world is getting you down, be reminded that in a sense, the darkness is a good thing because it causes us to hope for the light. And indeed that light did come into the world, he did die on the cross and rise from the dead – he overcame the darkness! And now he gives the assured hope of eternal light to all who believe this!
Vicar Rob Schrader
LCMS-U CAMPUS MINISTRY EVENTS:
- Presentation: Is the Bible Believable?
Since the Bible is the basis for our understanding of and faith in God, it is good for us to ask the question: Is the Bible believable? The vicar explored this question in a presentation given at the Oklahoma Memorial Union on the university campus. You can download a PDF of his PowerPoint below if you would like to explore this important question for yourself.
Is the Bible Believable - LSF BIBLE STUDIES with Vicar Rob Schrader – Vicar House by Church
- Vicar’s house next door to the church
- Tuesday
- Dinner at 6:30 p.m.
- Study at 7:30 p.m.
Note: Church families, please begin signing up for meals to be provided on the sign-up sheet in the narthex.
- ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (E.S.L.) begins on Saturday, January 18th. It will meet each Saturday from 10:00 am-12:00 noon.
