Congratulations to Julia Schulteis, winner of the Presidential Inauguration Poetry Contest!
To commemorate the inauguration of Erik P. Ankerberg, Ph.D. as president of Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, Concordia’s Office of Student Success, in partnership with the CUWAA English Department, invited students to submit an original poem celebrating the CUWAA mission:
Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.
For her winning entry, Julia Schulteis was presented with a $200 gift certificate for the CUW Bookstore. Congratulations, Julia!
1st Place:
Mind, Heart, Soul | by Julia Schulteis
This world is hard as rock,
stubborn as unrelenting wood.
We are to be salt, light.
So in this in-between earth and heaven,
do the best with your mind
love with all your heart
believe with all that is in your soul
that Jesus is Lord.
Show this hard, stubborn world
the power of Christ
to change hearts and lives!
Other Entries:
“Live Uncommon” | by Dominic Stevens
Those words keep getting said,
Time and time again.
Live uncommon.
Live differently.
Live as one who is free.
But what does that even mean, to live free, to live differently?
To follow the one who controls everything under the sun?
It involves learning, and laughing, and loving, and loosing, and choosing.
Choosing to do what is right,
Giving glory not to yourself, but to the one who is the light.
The light that pierced through the darkness touching the scarlet-stained flower that is our soul,
Purifying it and making it whole.
Repairing the broken and torn-up petals.
Allowing us to bloom anew every single day.
Now some say that you can always live happily,
But that’s not a reality.
On the bright side, there is hope.
God gives us hope,
Joy,
And peace,
And allows us to live differently.
He gives us joy in our sorrow,
Allowing us to be thankful for today and for tomorrow.
We can have this mentality in everything we do,
Giving others the same joy as we go.
Both to and fro.
There is nothing more true,
Then when Jesus shares his love with me and you.
And we are called to do likewise,
To be a beacon of hope in this dark world.
So, let’s live as one who is free.
Let’s live differently.
Let’s live uncommon.
“Ad Concordian—The Cross the Other Night” | by Magdalene Lane
I looked and saw the cross the other night,
Blazed on our chapel wall like holy fire;
The hearts and faces of His friends were bright,
Their hands red-hot to do the Lord’s desire.
By this we know the ones who love their God:
That they are honorable in word and deed,
Their bodies sacrifices, sacred and unflawed,
Their love outpouring on their neighbor’s need.
His Word, an arrow to the muttering heart,
Pierced through the souls of all who gainsaid Him,
Who said, “Yes take us, but not every part!”
Gave God their lips but not their life and limb.
If this be so shall we be likewise pierced?
While mind obeys the Lord, the flesh doth stray;
Shall we stand with the saints, we who are cursed?
In natal blindness we have spurned their way.
Yet look, my soul, on Him who lies
In thy dark stall and choked for thee
On sweat and blood and bitter tears,
Yet holds thy face when thou dost weep,
And pours His mercy in thine ears!
Our way is Christ’s way, pure and clear,
His bleeding feet make our path right,
His body makes our burdens light;
Our minds’ work profitless and trite-
Dazzling when Jesus Christ is here.
Our General makes our bodies strong for fight.
Now forward in his name and farewell fear!
The Captain on the cross fill all our soul and sight.
I looked and saw this cross the other night.
“Mind, Body, and Spirit Born and Reborn” | by Harrison Harbach
In the beginning, God made man in His image. In the image of God was man created.
Bound was he to serve and hear in service of God, to rule as prince o’er all of creation.
Crowned with mind to see his path, to ponder truth and nature’s pattern, to know “Holy is the Lord!”
Upon his body a holy temple, built to serve both God and neighbor, quick to speak “Holy is the Lord!”
Wisdom, grace and mercy seated in spirit, a righteous, holy heart enthroned to cry “Holy is the Lord!”
In these ways was creature made to image Creator, yet wasn’t creator instead creation.
So, a holy name was made to serve and praise the only Name. For this was man created.
What a calamity, the fall of man’s purity. How tragic the story of how creation died.
The loss of spotless future and paradise. How twisted the image of God by death.
The mind once wise now lazy faints at truth and knowledge and settles for lies and vanity.
The body made for courtship clean lusts for every impurity and withers to dust in its vanity.
The spirit born for virtue now devises every Godless philosophy, finding delight in vanity.
Every day does man resent and curse the holy God. Man from God is split by death.
Every mind lacks truth, all bodies decay, every spirit is wicked. Man has surely died.
The wonder that God should love him still, and unto thousands show His mercy.
In everlasting love, He sent His Son, the perfect man, to buy the world redemption.
Conceived to share decaying humanity, Christ was born with flesh of man and spirit of life.
Undertaking sinful men, the king became a servant, working miracles and proclaiming life.
Wrath was poured on Him upon the tree. He drank the cup, for it was His, and gave His life.
But the grave was forced to yield its sovereign prisoner and suffered resurrection.
The king of life and love defeated death. And with His blood He won eternal grace.
By grace had man been saved through faith alone, dying with Christ and rising reborn.
The man of sin is put to death. A man of righteousness takes His place in holy rebirth.
Cherishing truth once more, the mind pursues knowledge and wisdom, knowing “Worthy is the LORD!”
Unearthed bodies once defiled are freed from guilt. They live in purity breathing “Worthy is the LORD!”
Wonders of love and justice delight the spirit. With tears of joy its heart is crying “Worthy is the LORD!”
This is the righteous man salvation has made, revived by the body and blood of rebirth.
So, that first creation is healed, the image of God at last recovered, the holy man reborn.
Forevermore will man train mind, body, and spirit for the work and praise of God.
Want in?
Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world. The faculty, leadership, staff, students, and alumni carry out this mission each and every day as we pursue a vibrant path to the future. To apply today, click the link below.