Tidings from Friends
The Weekly Newsletter of Guilford College Friends Center
Welcome to Tidings from Friends, the weekly newsletter published by Guilford College’s Friends Center. In this time where we are more disconnected than usual and trying to find ways to connect and support the campus, we offer this as a means of lifting up our campus community with a brief thought and other reflective pieces for you.
Each week this newsletter will contain a list of upcoming events, a selection of local and/or student artwork or poetry, some resources for navigating religious life on campus, and a “mindful moment.” This mindful moment might be a passage of scripture, a written meditation, a link to a video, or something else. If you are interested in submitting artwork, poetry, or a mindful moment, please contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.
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Artwork
Mindful Moment
On Tuesday night before bed I went out, into the snowy cold, and trudged down to the Guilford lake. I did this not to go for a swim (thankfully), but to admire the “Wolf Moon,” a name for the first full moon in January, when the moon is closest in orbit to the earth. While it is difficult to capture on camera, the reader can see my attempt to do so above. I sat with a friend on a bench overlooking the lake, staring up at the moon and what few stars were visible over the light pollution of downtown Greensboro. As I sat in the cold, feeling the refreshing wind against my face and my toes go numb from the snow, two ideas came to mind:
First, I remembered part of the lectionary reading for the First Sunday after Christmas, December 26: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1.5).” I could not help but notice this incredibly bright light in the sky, a light that was not overcome by the darkness of the night but dominated the darkness. Several years ago I went camping in a snowy January during the Wolf Moon, and was kept awake by the brilliant light in the sky. During the day we take the sun for granted, but at night we are impressed by the continuing light of the sun reflecting off of the moon.
Second, after noticing the brilliance of the moon, I realized how few stars were visible – and remembered how few stars are normally visible in Greensboro. It occurred to me that we have blocked out natural, celestial light with our own, artificial, human-created light. Perhaps we should take a moment to leave our artificial light (a light which for most of us is powered by earth-destroying energy) and observe the brilliance of the light provided for us.
This Mindful Moment provided by Jacob Perkins ’22
Upcoming Events
| Day | Date | Time | Event | Location | Organization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | 1.20.2022 | 6:00 PM | Student Game Night | St. Mary’s House | St. Mary’s House (Episcopal Campus Ministry) |
| Thursday | 1.20.2022 | 7:24 PM | Student Fellowship | Moon Room | Guilford Christian Ministry |
| Sunday | 1.23.2022 | 11:00 AM | Informal Episcopal Worship: liturgy, communion, prayers, & hymns. All are welcome. | St. Mary’s House | St. Mary’s House (Episcopal Campus Ministry) |
| Tuesday | 1.25.2022 | 6:30 PM | Community Meal: home cooked meal and with friends, new and old! Optional Bible study at 7:15. | St. Mary’s House | St. Mary’s House (Episcopal Campus Ministry) |
| Tuesday | 1.25.2022 | 7:00 PM | UKIRK Tuesday | Holderness House | UKIRK Greensboro (PCUSA/ Presbyterian) |
| Friday – Saturday | 2.18-19.2022 | Ripple Conference | Virtual/Friends Center | Elon University/ Friends Center |
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Resources
To find information about the Interfaith Leadership Council, faith leaders who work with students on campus, or to see a full calendar of all campus faith-related events, visit our Multifaith page.
The Friends Center Prayer Room is available to students of all faiths and spiritual journeys. Ideal for prayer, meditation, or reflection, we encourage folks to make use of this space. See our flyer for more information.
To contact Friends Center Director Wess Daniels, email danielscw@guilford.edu.
To contact QLSP Director Liz Nicholson, email nicholsonea@guilford.edu
For a variety of self-care resources, visit our Self-Care page.
To provide feedback or suggestions, submissions for artwork or Mindful Moments, or questions about this newsletter, contact perkinsja1@guilford.edu.
About Friends Center:
Friends Center is a collaborative project between the Religious Society of Friends and Guilford College. Friends Center is responsible for nurturing Quaker life and renewal on campus, building and sustaining interfaith cooperation on campus, and building relationships with the global Quaker community. To read more about Friends Center, visit the homepage of our website.
