Ok, so change of plans- Rosemary Ruether is coming on November 12! She's one of the major feminist theologians, and was described to me last week as "the nicest, most down-to-earth person you'll ever meet"- I'm really looking forward to her talk!
It seems that November 12 will be an amazing night at McAlister, as Tom Moore is also going to be holding a Bible Study that night! Rumor has it that we will be reading the story of Abraham and Isaac, and continuing in the theme of "Bible stories that won't let you go," looking at familiar stories on a deeper level. If you went to the study on the Good Samaritan earlier this semester or any of the talks about the environment and the Hebrew Bible that Professor Moore held last semester, you know how informative and inspiring these discussions can be.
This Wednesday, Catharine Grier Carlson will be leading a discussion on the theme of forgiveness. Come ready for a thoughtful conversation on a personal level!
***
A couple of weeks ago, we had a conversation about prayer, or communicating with God, extending beyond what we normally think of as praying. Alison Krauss has an amazing song about the idea of being a "living prayer"- here's the link: (as shown on Youtube with pictures of mountains!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9upE_PGJVq8
Also, a quotation from Thomas Merton's Seven Storey Mountain, which explains some important ideas AND uses an analogy from mineralogy! What could be better?
What is "grace"? It is God's own life, shared by us. God's life is Love. Deus caritas est. By grace we are able to share in the infinitely self-less love of Him Who is such pure actuality that He needs nothing and therefore cannot conceivably exploit anything for selfish ends. Indeed, outside of Him there is nothing, and whatever exists exists by His free gift of its being, so that one of the notions that is absolutely contradictory to the perfection of God is selfishness. It is metaphysically impossible for God to be selfish, because the existence of everything that is depends upon His gift, depends upon His unselfishness. When a ray of light strikes a crystal, it gives a new quality to the crystal. And when God's infinitely disinterested love plays upon a human soul, the same kind of thing takes place. And that is life called sanctifying grace. The soul of man, left to its own natural level, is a potentially lucid crystal left in darkness. It is perfect in its own nature, but it lacks something that it can only receive from outside and above itself. But when the light shines on it, it becomes in a manner transformed into light and seems to lose its nature in the splendor of a higher nature, the nature of the light that is in it (169-70).
November 2, 2008
October 28, 2008
Rosemary Ruether speaks about Christianity and feminism!
Pathfinder this Wednesday! Dr. Rosemary Ruether will be coming to talk with us about the intersection between Christianity and feminism. Half-hour lecture + time for discussion!
Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm. McAlister Center.
Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm. McAlister Center.
October 22, 2008
Professor Busch speaks tonight
At tonight's meeting, CMC government professor Andy Busch will be speaking about the current economic situation and other issues of interest. Hope to see you at 7:00!
October 7, 2008
Bible Study and Pathfinder Tomorrow
This Wednesday (tomorrow!) Tom Moore will be holding a Bible study about the Good Samaritan from 5:15 to 6:30. He's a physics professor at Pomona, knows lots and lots about the Bible, and always has good things to say. You don't want to miss it! Also, dinner is provided! We're collecting meal card numbers for students who are on meal plans, but don't worry about it if you don't have a meal plan or are saving your meals- we will have plenty of food!
Those who want to can stick around for Pathfinder at 7:00. We'll be having a bit of an open discussion, so be thinking of questions or topics you'd like to talk about. I'll also bring some passages and questions that we can delve into.
Again, Bible study at 5:15 and Pathfinder meeting at 7:00, both at McAlister. Hope to see you there!
Those who want to can stick around for Pathfinder at 7:00. We'll be having a bit of an open discussion, so be thinking of questions or topics you'd like to talk about. I'll also bring some passages and questions that we can delve into.
Again, Bible study at 5:15 and Pathfinder meeting at 7:00, both at McAlister. Hope to see you there!
September 22, 2008
This Wednesday: Christian Green Movement
We had a high-energy Bible study last Wednesday! We got through all of 1 Peter, with many twists and tangents along the way. It was great to have Chandler with us, sharing great bits of wisdom here and there. It was an interesting and joyful night! And yes, there was some discussion of guniea pigs.
For all of you Christians + environmentalists, be sure to join us this Wednesday- Eva will be leading a discussion on the Christian Green Movement!
For all of you Christians + environmentalists, be sure to join us this Wednesday- Eva will be leading a discussion on the Christian Green Movement!
September 17, 2008
Volunteer Study Break
The Volunteer Study Break will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at McAlister from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Our regular meeting time falls into this time, but we will still meet at McAlister! We will most likely meet in the McAlister library, but we can also spend some time at the study break, getting to know the different organizations that need volunteers.
The Turf Dinner was tonight- many thanks to Eva and Rebecca for making a beautiful poster and manning the Pathfinder table, and to James, who shared some interesting quotations and managed to sit with Pathfinder as well as Intervarsity! If you found this blog through the flyer or email list from the Turf Dinner, welcome! Stop by a meeting sometime and we can say hello!
The Turf Dinner was tonight- many thanks to Eva and Rebecca for making a beautiful poster and manning the Pathfinder table, and to James, who shared some interesting quotations and managed to sit with Pathfinder as well as Intervarsity! If you found this blog through the flyer or email list from the Turf Dinner, welcome! Stop by a meeting sometime and we can say hello!
September 12, 2008
Community and Christianity
We had a great meeting on Wednesday! The passages used to inspire our discussion are included below. We talked about how the early apostles were living, what that kind of community would look like today, and how it would be perceived. We talked about salvation, about mustard seeds, about Mary and Martha, about sharing the Gospel, about difficult times in the faith journey, and all sorts of other topics that came up.
James Page has very graciously offered to lead a Bible study that would be affiliated with Pathfinder, but would be separate from our weekly Wednesday meetings. We would pair readings from the Bible with commentary and other theological writings. A topic (or series of topics) hasn't been chosen yet, but suggestions have included studying a particular Gospel (John?), going through the lesser-known epistles (James, Peter, John, Jude), or picking a thematic focus and finding passages that relate to that focus.
Here are the passages from this past Wednesday. We begin with excerpts from the book of Acts and move on to quotations from "The Irresistable Revolution" and then from Dieterich Bonhoeffer's Life Together.
Acts 2:34-47 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 4:31-37 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
Quotations from “The Irresistible Revolution; Life as an Ordinary Radical”
"...the only way I know to invite people into Christian faith is to come and see. After all, I'm not just trying to get someone to sign a doctrinal statement, but to come to know love, grace, and peace in the incarnation of Jesus, and now in the incarnation of the body, Christ's church" (p 126).
"We are trying to shout the gospel with our lives" (p 127). –Sister Margaret
"It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle" (p 128).
"People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world" (p 129).
"Today the church is tempted by the spectacular, to do big, miraculous things so people might believe, but Jesus has called us to littleness and compares our revolution to the little mustard seed, to yeast makingits way through dough, slowly infecting this dark world with love" (p 132).
Quotations from Diettrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God Himself accordingly. He stands adamant, a living reproach to all others in the circle of the brethren. He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community, as if his dream binds men together. When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure. When his ideal picture is destroyed, he sees the community going to smash. So he becomes, first an accuser of the brethren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself . . . He who loves his ideals of community more than the individuals of the community is a destroyer of community.
Christian community is like the Christian's sanctification. It is a gift of God which we cannot claim. Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification. What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God. Just as the Christian should not be constantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so, too, the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking its temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as God pleases.
And finally, one more quotation about community, one that unexpectedly arrived in my inbox this morning:
Community is not some sentimental ideal place or time where everybody lives together, loves each other, and always gets along. That’s never going to happen. Community doesn’t require total emotional harmony. Rather it offers us the context where we try to love one another and receive the love and care of others. - Henri Nouwen
James Page has very graciously offered to lead a Bible study that would be affiliated with Pathfinder, but would be separate from our weekly Wednesday meetings. We would pair readings from the Bible with commentary and other theological writings. A topic (or series of topics) hasn't been chosen yet, but suggestions have included studying a particular Gospel (John?), going through the lesser-known epistles (James, Peter, John, Jude), or picking a thematic focus and finding passages that relate to that focus.
Here are the passages from this past Wednesday. We begin with excerpts from the book of Acts and move on to quotations from "The Irresistable Revolution" and then from Dieterich Bonhoeffer's Life Together.
Acts 2:34-47 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 4:31-37 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
Quotations from “The Irresistible Revolution; Life as an Ordinary Radical”
"...the only way I know to invite people into Christian faith is to come and see. After all, I'm not just trying to get someone to sign a doctrinal statement, but to come to know love, grace, and peace in the incarnation of Jesus, and now in the incarnation of the body, Christ's church" (p 126).
"We are trying to shout the gospel with our lives" (p 127). –Sister Margaret
"It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle" (p 128).
"People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world" (p 129).
"Today the church is tempted by the spectacular, to do big, miraculous things so people might believe, but Jesus has called us to littleness and compares our revolution to the little mustard seed, to yeast makingits way through dough, slowly infecting this dark world with love" (p 132).
Quotations from Diettrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God Himself accordingly. He stands adamant, a living reproach to all others in the circle of the brethren. He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community, as if his dream binds men together. When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure. When his ideal picture is destroyed, he sees the community going to smash. So he becomes, first an accuser of the brethren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself . . . He who loves his ideals of community more than the individuals of the community is a destroyer of community.
Christian community is like the Christian's sanctification. It is a gift of God which we cannot claim. Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification. What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God. Just as the Christian should not be constantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so, too, the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking its temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as God pleases.
And finally, one more quotation about community, one that unexpectedly arrived in my inbox this morning:
Community is not some sentimental ideal place or time where everybody lives together, loves each other, and always gets along. That’s never going to happen. Community doesn’t require total emotional harmony. Rather it offers us the context where we try to love one another and receive the love and care of others. - Henri Nouwen
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