Bridge
Sujay Natson ’16
to the universal (catholic) church and not the local church,
but the local church is our most tangible part of this organic
whole in which we can find our place. Meaning, part of what
it means to belong to the universal body of Christ is to belong
to a local church. The local church is where preaching of the
Word ministers to you. It is where you build relationships with
other brothers and sisters in Christ. But most uniquely, it is
where you partake of the sacraments that Jesus decreed
for us, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Bible calls you
to commit to a local church, and it is the best way that we
can show love to others and thus, to God (Matt 25:34-36).
Admittedly, this is something hard to do as college students.
We are transient residents of Providence, often with a church
at home and it can be tempting to see campus ministries as
checking that box off the list, especially if we attend a church
on Sunday mornings. This, however, is the reality. When you
walk out of those gates you walked in the day before classes
started your freshman year, unless you become a staff member
of a campus fellowship, this institution will cease to be a
relevant one for you. What are waiting for you beyond it are
local churches. And yes, there will come a day you outgrow
being a leader in your youth group. They may not be the
college students we are used to conversing with, but imagine
what an incredible witness it would be for visitors to see an
elderly couple having lunch with a couple of young college
students. That is the result of committing to a local church.
Let us not be too hasty to accept society’s definition of love
as being uninhibiting. We love others and allow others to love
us best by committing to one another, as friends, members
of a campus fellowship and as members of the church.
Even if you do not identify as a believer of Jesus, consider
this as you read through the other articles of this magazine
and look out for this consistent theme of commitment: to
spreading the Gospel, to loving others, to seeking God.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
(PSALM 37:5, NASB)
In Christ,
Nicholas Chuan
Editor-in-Chief
Fall 2015
3