new church life: september / october 2013
culture.
While in an outward sense Abram in his lifetime did not realize God’s
promise fully, his living in the light of that promise provided him with
blessings at deep, rich levels. It imbued him with power to overcome famine,
family strife, military onslaught and temptations offered by both his potent
successes and his long-time lack of descendants. His sense of God-with-him
gave Abram a life of integrity, purpose, blessing and beauty – a life through
which God blessed all people.
While Divine promises enrich life in the physical world, they also
transcend the limitations of that world. Divine promise calls us to a personal
relationship we can have in spirit with our Creator. God says through Isaiah:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; You are mine.
You are precious and honored in my sight, . . . I love you. (Isaiah 43:1, 4)
These promises liberate us from confinement in the physical world alone
and invite us into a relationship with our Creator that sustains and redeems
our spirit, and that holds us and guides us as we follow the Lord’s call into
lands unknown. Ultimately, our living in this way intensifies the blessings the
Lord pours out on all people.
Returning to the here and now, we stand, metaphorically, in Haran and
God calls on you to leave the college state, your alma mater, and your friends:
Go to a land I will show you; I will make you into a great nation And I will bless
you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
And so you, like that ball of matter-energy nearly 14 billion years ago, will
be in a smaller, gentler Big Bang tomorrow, after you receive your degrees and
radiate out as beams of light throughout the world, bringing blessing to others,
enriching their lives and your own, as you put your many skills to practice.
On behalf of the faculty and staff at Bryn Athyn College, we thank you for
your deep engagement here and wish you the best as you go and create new
worlds.
Dr. Allen J. Bedford is Dean of Academics and Faculty at Bryn
Athyn College, and Associate Professor of Chemistry. He received
his B.A. from Bryn Athyn College, and Master’s and PhD from
Temple University. He and his wife, Gillian (Gladish), live in
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. Contact: Allen.Bedford@
brynathyn.edu
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