I Missed This

Our evening prayer at San Diego State is more than a weekly gathering; it is an opportunity to build meaningful connections, nurture faith, and create a sense of belonging in the midst of the busyness and pressures of college life. In a season when students are constantly navigating classes, relationships, responsibilities, and questions about the future, setting aside time each week to pause, pray, and share community offers a much-needed space for spiritual grounding and renewal. Through regular connection, we remind one another that we are not alone, that our lives matter, and that there is a welcoming community ready to walk alongside us wherever our journeys may lead.

Recently, a student who had been away for several weeks returned to our evening prayer and offered a simple but powerful reflection: "I missed this." Those three words capture the heart of what we hope to cultivate at SDSU, a community where students don't simply attend an event but discover a place where they are known, welcomed, and spiritually nourished. The student’s return reminds us that the impact of regular prayer extends far beyond the moments we spend together. It creates a rhythm of connection that becomes part of our lives, something we recognize and long for when it is absent. In showing up consistently, we offer students more than a prayer service; we offer a spiritual home where faith grows, friendships deepen, and the love of Christ is made tangible through community.

Our commitment to creating meaningful spaces for connection also extends to where and how we gather. Every Monday we offer evening prayer around a fire pit in the small parking lot in front of our building at SDSU, transforming an otherwise ordinary campus space into a place of warmth, reflection, and community. Gathered around the fire, students can step away from the demands of campus life, share in the simple beauty of being present with one another, and experience the sacred in an unexpected setting. The flickering flames offer a natural invitation to slow down, listen, and reflect, reminding us that holy ground can be found in the most unassuming places. By bringing prayer outside and around the fire, we embody a ministry that is accessible, creative, and responsive to students’ lives, creating opportunities for spiritual connection that feel both ancient and refreshingly relevant.

What began as a student’s desire to bookend our evening worship with contemplative, guitar-led music has grown into a beautiful expression of shared leadership and collective discernment at SDSU. Each week, students have taken turns leading this offering, creating space for reflection, prayer, and a deeper connection with God and one another. Six weeks into this practice, we have continued to listen and adapt, honoring both the passion of the group and the importance of sustainability in our shared ministry. Hearing a thread of Celtic spirituality from one of our student leaders, we explored resources from across Celtic traditions and recently introduced a new liturgical expression from the Iona Community in Scotland, drawing on its rich tradition of inclusive, creative worship rooted in community, justice, and the sacredness of everyday life. This evolution reflects our commitment to a ministry shaped by students’ gifts and desires, where worship is not simply something we offer to students but something we create together as we discover new ways to encounter God and nurture a vibrant community of faith.