GroshLink

Bob, the interim pastor at our local congregation, passed along to me a forgotten English word

bibliobibuli: people who read too much, or to translate literally, people who are drunk on books.  The word comes from that strange scallywag, H.L. Mencken, who adds, They wander through the most diverting and stimulating of worlds in a haze, seeing nothing and hearing nothing. 

So, I am to take heart, my ailment has been successfully identified.  The cure, however has not yet been found.

I don't see what's wrong w/being drunk on books.  Hi!  My name is Tom and I've been dry of books for several hours.  Not saying, I haven't been tempted and that I'm not being tested even now  ;-o  Gotta go, I have John Stott's Your Mind Matters, William Placher's Callings: Twenty Centuries of Christian Wisdom on Vocation, and now Mark R. Schwehn & Dorothy C. Bass' Leading Lives That Matter: What We Should Do and Who We Should Be in hand and you're not taking them away from me as I delve deeper into being a follower of Christ, offering my mind, by the power of the Spirit, to the work as intended by the Creator.  More on that later . . .

On Saturday, 3 parties crossed the Columbia-Wrightsville bridge for the 7th Annual 5K River Run & Walk.  Theresa and Eunice took the lead, even though Theresa had a viral infection which took her out of commission most of Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday!  Hayley, Ellen, and Tom took the middle.  Carl and Eden took the back.  At the 2nd mile marker Carl crossed to the other side.  Hayley and Ellen caught up and walked with Carl and Eden, giving Tom the opportunity to blaze ahead, unable to catch-up to Theresa and Eunice who had already crossed the line, cheering me on.  Then Tom turned around and coaxed Ellen to run up the hill to the finish line.  Lots of Gatorade and granola bars later, we left to drop-off Theresa for an instant strep test which came back negative. Comparatively speaking, Theresa's feeling better this morning, but her voice is still scratchy. Tom's hoping she's back together by tomorrow so she can visit some friends this week and give him space to write.

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Southern Illinois University will again recognize a religious group whose student organization status had been revoked because its members must pledge to adhere to Christian beliefs.

Tuesday's announcement came 10 months after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an injunction re-establishing the Christian Legal Society's status while its lawsuit against the university proceeded.  For more see School, Religious Group Settle Lawsuit

Praise God! Due the countercultural nature of Gospel ministry, I’ve had to wrestle with similar issues above and below the radar on various campuses. God has been gracious and continues to provide openings for His work, but engaging the whole campus with the whole Gospel gets attention whether we seek it out or not. The tolerance which resembles indifference only goes so far . . .

Pray for God’s grace on campus and in your place of employment (and residence) as today we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12). What a joy to know, whether we’re victorious in our particular challenges/settings today, Our Messiah, Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col 2:15).  And Kingdom living stems out of this reality working out in daily life and the eager anticipation of the new heaven and a new earth, the Holy City (the new Jerusalem), coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband . . . Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne will make everything new!  Glory be to God!

Note:  related articles InterVarsity Reaffiliated at Georgetown University, Back on campus!

Ellen's response to Heidi's creme pie w/graham cracker crust after a fabulous stromboli provided in order for Theresa to focus her attention in care for Eden. Our family has been blessed by the people of God at Etown BIC and their desire to be present with us through the thick-n-thin of less than a year of presence in the congregation. AND we look forward to growing even closer together as we share leadership for a weekly fellowship/Adult Elective time of discussion and prayer based upon Philip Yancey's Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?. FYI: earlier post regarding prayer conversation at CPYU morning prayer time.

Does Prayer Make a Difference? Yes!
1. High on the transition list was finding a local congregation which would care for and value our whole family. And we have found that in Etown BIC.
2. Eden's doing much better than we expected with the collarbone break on her favored left side, eating w/her left hand and even crawling for short distances . . . which can be painful to watch at times. We're particularly careful when she's standing by supporting herself along a piece of furniture. She has not yet tried to stand-up unattended.
3. Even w/all the buzz, Theresa was able to visit the Melon Man for 19 cent a pound bananas today and give me space to press on with more writing to address ESN Question 1.

Praise God for his answered prayer of finding a supportive local congregation in a few short months, his rapid healing of Eden, and progress made w/ESN material.

Intercede for a deepening connection with the people of God at Etown BIC through communion with God in prayer and Scripture, Eden's full healing, and the completion of the first draft of ESN material by early June.

Scott McKnight recently posted on the Problems of Professorhood:

1. Committee work
2. Politics
3. Income
4. Grading
5. Perfunctory students in perfunctory classes

Pray for IVCF's upcoming Faculty Conference: In Thy Light We See Light Theological Acuity and Academic Vocation to provide rest and rejuvination for faculty.  Pray for participants to leave following the model of Jesus as teacher, see The Academy and Jesus, and servant, see Helping Students Love God by Washing Their Feet.  Pray for the Kingdom to come to campus through followers of Christ called to offer their gifts in academic vocation.  

Note:  really looking forward to seeing Susan Norman, now w/IVCF-Canada's Graduate and Faculty Ministry, and several faculty from Pittsburgh at the faculty conference.  See Integrating Faith and Vocation for a report from last year. 

Ruth Haley Barton's most recent email featured a piece from her forthcoming Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Experiencing God in the Crucible of Ministry (InterVarsity Press, 2008). Take a few minutes to reflect upon A Leader's Lifeline in the Crucible of Ministry and pray for those God has called to shepherd His sheep. My prayer focus is for the team of pastors and the church board which is leading our local congregation through a pastoral search process. Here's a quote from her acquaintance Gary Hogeboom, a former NFL quarterback who starred in a season of Survivor:

"I didn't want to be the leader because the leader always get voted off the island."

I [Barton] immediately thought, "Now there's a man who knows something about leadership!

Barton goes on to discuss Moses' leadership in the desert with the People of God.  Note:  for current IVP releases by Barton go to http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/author.pl/author_id=868

Thought I'd update you all on Eden's second day, post trauma.  She was much better than I expected today.  She didn't cry with pain at all, as far as I could tell.  I kept her pumped full of Tylenol, but I wouldn't expect that to make a huge difference if she was really in serious pain.  She was even bearing a little weight on her left arm, e.g. bracing herself while sitting.  I think I winced more than she did today when she would lift her arm higher than I thought should be comfortable for her.  But I guess she wouldn't lift it if it hurt her.  She managed to get some food into her mouth using her left hand (her highchair tray is pretty close to her chin), but does reach for things with her right hand too.  She just doesn't have the fine motor skills in that hand to hold objects very well.  She seemed a little swollen and bruised this morning which had me worried that the bone was poking her skin (something I'm supposed to watch for), but it seemed fine later in the day.  I tried an ice pack a few times, but she tired of that quickly.  I'm going to try to take her to her pediatrician tomorrow since I can't get into the orthopedic clinic until Friday.  I'll feel better making sure that everything is how it should be until then.  She slept fine last night (Sat. night).  She was bored this afternoon after not being able to get around by herself all day.  So we went for a walk (Eden in the stroller) down to the farm where we got to see the pigs loaded onto a truck and 2 calves.  She enjoyed that, especially the calves.  To say that Eden is obsessed with babies, of any species, is an understatement. 

PS.  After the girls fell asleep, we left a relative in charge of the house and we went out of the house to decompress over some Rita's Ice. Note:  original post at Eden's broken collarbone

Theresa wrote the below in response to Eden's breaking of the collarbone, on the left side, yesterday morning before the family headed out to Marietta Day (Hayley, Ellen, & Tom went to Marietta Day w/the Tom's parents and Theresa went to Hershey Medical Center with Eden).  Please join us in prayer for Eden's quick healing over the course of the next 4-6 weeks, use of sling, and development of the other side of her body for greater mobility and the ability to feed herself.  Also pray for Theresa's continued grace-filledness during the increased time pressure/focus which this will demand.

Eden broke her collarbone on Sat. when she fell off the couch (she was standing on the couch, swatting at Ellen).  After about 30 min. of not being able to console and after checking her out, I was pretty sure something was wrong with her left shoulder.  She cried when she lifted her left arm.  Eden is one tough cookie and doesn't cry at much, and certainly not for any length of time.  She also started to fall asleep in my arms and again laying on the floor.  That was way out of character.  So I took her to the ER at Hershey Med . . .  

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Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see a number of Grosh family photos which stretched from the late 19th century through the 1980s.  Lots of memories and loss of memories.  This morning, when I began the new day, I had once again remembered my dream from last night.  But almost an hour with the girls and it has faded away except that it was about remembering, possibly even living in, the past.  Maybe it will come back to me later, in another form  

Eden is fascinated with the pictures on the computer.  Sometimes I set them to scroll as she calls out for baby (i.e., Ari, Jaycob, and herself), at other times she catches them on the screensaver feature.  Yesterday, instead of bemoaning every picture that wasn't a baby, she started to identify the pictures (Hayley, Ellen, Mommy, Daddy).  I think that Hayley and Ellen may have nurtured her in that direction by sitting w/her at times and reminding themselves (and her) of the various people and places (including a number of our old house).  Eden identifies all our basement project pictures as Gock-ah (Grandpa Ginder) . . . She always thinks he's close by waiting to visit.

Just woke up from a dream in which I (Tom) woke up in a bad mood while staying at my parent's house with our whole family (Theresa, Hayley, Ellen, Eden).  My disposition was so poor that I was basically sent back to bed and told I could not lead the adult education class on evil, unless I shaped up. 

Father, grant me the grace to live today as a member of your new creation.  By the power of your Spirit, fill me w/the love and care given by Jesus, the Messiah of the world, through the cross. Shake me out of my dark dreams and into the light of Kingdom living as an individual, as a father, as a neighbor, as a member of IVCF GFM staff, as part of the People of God, as a steward of your creation and the gifts you've given me . . . As I turn to breakfast conversation w/Hayley and Ellen, continue to open our eyes to your word in the Gospel of John.  Enable us to more deeply embrace and be embraced by the grace & truth which came through your Son Jesus while rejecting the father of lies and those which follow him (brief study of John 8:42-7, John 3:31-6; Beginning with John's Gospel by Susan Harding).

Just came across All the World is Singing, cover article for the May/June 2007 Issue of Mission Frontiers, published by the U.S. Center for World Missions:

The idea for [the collection of stories in All the World is Singing] can be traced to one memorable comment I heard in 1997 at an international gathering of Christian leaders in Pretoria, South Africa. Following my report about the growth of worship in different parts of the world, John Bendor‑Samuel of Wycliffe Bible Translators jumped to his feet with a vigorous response to the report: “Here’s the experience of Wycliffe in two quick sentences. In areas where translators encouraged new believers to sing newly translated Scriptures, the churches grew rapidly.  Where that did not happen, churches grew more slowly.”

The power of the Word in song! Toward the end of All the World is Singing check out the Ethnodoxology in Missions Links.

Related post:

Spiritual Discipline of Singing/Music?

On Wednesday morning I participate in a prayer gathering with youth ministry leaders at the Center for Parent & Youth Understanding (CPYU) coordinated by Derek (one of the staff members). This week, he shared some quotes from the first chapter of Philip Yancey's Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? The focus was on the prayer warriors of the past and where are we at w/prayer in our own lives and ministries? I've already been digging into this book, as Theresa and I will be co-leading a Fellowship Group/Adult Elective time of Yancey's book with another couple from our local congregation. Nate, our local congregation's youth minister, shared a quote from Mother Teresa regarding prayer which he heard on a talk show (p.65 in Yancey's book)

My secret is a very simple one:  I pray," wrote Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a modern master of the skill:

Prayer is simply talking to God.
He speaks to us:  we listen.
We speak to him:  he listens.
A two-way process:
speaking and listening."

--Mother Teresa, Everything Starts from Prayer (Ashland, Ore."  White Cloud Press, 1998), 35.

As one participant pointed out, it is hard to picture Mother Teresa on a talk show. Yes, nothing like members of the popular press/media placing the religious on stage and trying to expose their secrets.  It takes a strong relationship with God to humbly testify to the power of God in such an arena.  AND there is something so countercultural about the unvarnished, real Gospel which exposes the charade and brings the true Light in an uncomfortable manner for those seeking to consume a product.

But she was first in the Presence of God
Second on the talk show

But she was first in the Presence of God the Father, by the work of the Son, and the continuing power of the Spirit.
Second on the talk show reproducing the likeness of Jesus in our world, letting the Spirit transform lives as the Light of the Gospel is spoken in word, life, and deed to the glory of God the Father.

Recently reflected on Evangelical Essentials by returning to John Stott's Evangelical Truth (Winner of 2000 Christianity Today Award of Merit). If you haven't read this brief piece, less than 130 pages of text, I would encourage you to do such as it reminds us of

the three essentials to which evangelical people are determined to bear witness. They concern the gracious initiative of God the Father in revealing himself to us, in redeeming us through Christ crucified, and in transforming us through the indwelling Spirit. For the evangelical faith is the trinitarian faith. This is why evangelical Christians place such emphasis on the Word, the cross and the Spirit.

The postscript summarizes evangelical/trinitarian Christianity w/the 3 "Rs" -- revelation through the Father, redemption through the Son, and regeneration through the Holy Spirit, giving birth to humility:

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Rejoice with me in answered prayer:

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA will resume on-campus activities at Georgetown University this fall, as a recognized affiliate of the Office of Campus Ministry, after being disaffiliated nine months ago. “I am very pleased with this news,” said InterVarsity president Alec Hill. “I give a lot of credit to our staff and student leaders who did not overreact. They were firm but diplomatic in their dealing with university officials.”  For more go to InterVarsity Reaffiliated at Georgetown University.  Also a brief interview of Kevin Offner, IVCF's Graduate & Faculty Ministry Staff at Georgetown, is the first piece posted at Steve Coleman's A Closer Look (click the brown box titled A Closer Look).

Previous posts regarding Georgetown include:

Simply Christian (N.T. Wright's visit)
Georgetown Chaplain Resigns
Georgetown
Call to prayer
Front page Washington Post
Call to prayer for

i think one-on-one works best when it's about something else...not "i would like to meet with you just to spend time with you",  but "i have some work that has to be done here at the house, and wonder if you can come over to help..."...then conversation comes naturally...cs lewis in "four loves" says real friendship is focused on some common interest the friends are focused on outside themselves...it's not staring at each other and thinking, "let's talk, let's get to know each other"...i think that's why meeting students or whoever for lunch, or late night snack is productive in developing a relationship, and providing a context to talk about a lot of things...in teaching this math class, students make appointments to meet about problems they're working on...but in the process of working through and discussing their questions, we usually talk about many other things in their life...and one history prof in virginia said that he finds that students who need academic help usually have other areas where they're hurting...so before they leave his office, he asks if he can pray for them ...he said no one has ever said no...and one jewish student came back later in the day and said, "i have some other things i want you to pray for" -- contributed by Miller Peck, Mathematics Professor Emeritus, Westminister College

I appreciate Miller's thoughts on this topic and many others.  Previous contributions by Miller include:

A heart divided between career and minstry
Teaching with a long view

Have you seen this summer list on the city, good stuff.

After our time in 'da Burgh, our family has spent the past 9 or so months adjusting to life back in Lancaster County.  There is much the same, yet much different about getting to know our neighbors across fields and a highly trafficked road (trash trucks going to a landfill with hotly contested expansion plans).  It is a joy to see kids running across the grass to their grandparents and have the opportunity to cross the road for times with extended family and other neighbors.  Last weekend Hayley and Ellen spent time with their visiting cousins and a neighbor, capped off by a neighborhood socials.  What a blessing to have a community which celebrates birthdays, Christmas, sledding, and 19 cent a lbs bananas (at the veggie/fruit distributor's store across the road).  Quite a unique transition as we reacquaint ourselves with friends/family and an area which has changed a lot since we've been gone (Amish have moved into the neighorhood, developments going up overtop many fields, and road expansions on the horizon). 

Thank-you to our friends from our local congregation who are enabling us to go out tonight and celebrate Theresa's birthday (May 6).  Too bad we're a day early for Spidey   I guess we'll have to wait another month for another night out or even DVD in a few months.  Meanwhile we can read all the conversation regarding the politics of Hollywood and whether the call for Hobbits can break-up the webcrawling trio before the next series goes into production. And despite my interest in the next plot twist, spending time over dinner, face-to-face is a much better use of our time together as Theresa celebrates her ____ year of life.  But I must confess, I've started to make plans for our trip to see Spidey on Broadway, set to U2. (More)

In case you haven’t already heard or read the news, the Chronicle of Higher Education's Open House runs from May 1-8. For the first time ever, everyone will have access to all of The Chronicle’s Web site absolutely free for one full week. You don't need a password, have a subscription, or work at one of the more than 600 institutions with campuswide access. AND when you visit the site during the open house, you can enter to win one of seven iPods. So, if you’re not already, I’d encourage you to take an inside look at Higher Education:

1. The full text of the May 4 issue.
2. Fresh news updates every morning and throughout the day. E.g. Faculty Members and Coaches in Pennsylvania System Vote to Authorize Strike
3. A searchable archive of back issues dating to September 1989. E.g., John Sommerville’s The Exhaustion of Secularism.
4. Data from the Chronicle’s annual Almanac issue and other Chronicle surveys, including salaries, in easy-to-search databases.
5. All of the essays and opinions in The Chronicle Review. E.g. Check out The DNA of Religious Faith.

And much, much more. Great to have such a tool available as we’re a part of God’s desire to see “Students and faculty transformed. Campuses renewed. World changers developed”

Interested in learning about the Amish? Come to Elizabethtown College on June 7-9 for a conference which will explore Amish health, history, gender roles. I'm not going to miss this opportunity to learn more about followers of Christ in my neighborhood (saw a number of buggies on Sunday, Church must be assembling somewhere close by, including a courting buggy)! In a related article, An open invitation to a closed culture, Stephen Scott shares about his conversion to the Old Order River Brethren Church in 1969. Stephen works at Elizabethtown College's Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, which will be hosting the The Amish in America: New Identities and Diversities Conference.

Note: Earlier posts regarding the work of the Young Center.