Klesis Combined!

This past Friday, for the first time, all three Klesis Homegroups met together! We all got together at Durant Loft, seeing old friends while meeting new ones at the same time! To have all the students and staff from Klesis together was awesome; definitely looking to future combined events!

The night started off with a bang, with our first freshmen-hosted skit! The Klesis Class of 2020 performed the "Mask" skit, as one eager freshman found herself trying out many different social groups, seeing where she best fit in. Whether it was the Cal spirit squad, the ambitious business majors, or the dancing dreamers of Lower Sproul, she persistently sought a community. Perhaps it was the constant change in her habits and outfits, or her habits that got tailored to each group, but we witnessed a common occurrence on the huge Berkeley campus, an identity getting stretched thin and a soul being tossed to and fro. A great job by the freshmen class, and hopefully more in the future from them!

Two juniors, Chris and Aurora, shared their stories of how they became Christian, giving testimony to how God has been working in their lives. While the details were different, the end story was the same: a newfound love and commitment to God and a declaration of who He is and what He's done for them. Thank you to both of them for opening up in front of all of Klesis and sharing their personal walks with God!

 

Afterwards, Tim spoke on John 8, the story of Jesus, the Pharisees and the woman caught in adultery. Trying to catch Jesus in a trap, the Pharisees asked whether to stone the woman or not, according to the Mosaic law. Jesus didn't play along asking, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her," not condemning nor abandoning the woman. Tim highlighted that there was only one big difference between the woman and the Pharisees; she had her wrongs exposed, while their sins remained hidden. In the story, Jesus, the only one qualified to condemn the woman in the first place, gave forgiveness only to the woman who was dragged out into the open, not to the Pharisees who remained in the dark. Who is this Jesus, that chooses to forgive rather than condemn?

The freshmen, the juniors and Tim definitely provided a lot to think about for the night, but we also had a chance to just enjoy fun afterwards, playing ridiculous games with Oreos and balloons with the freshmen, juniors and seniors. It was hectic time, but a blast to just go all out and let loose. Props to Jin L. for being a great trash collector for the night.

From beginning to end, it was an action-packed night, and I know for sure that I can't wait for the next all-Klesis Friday night! See you there!