GroshLink

For those of you reflecting upon following Christ in the midst of campus culture, I'd recommend you take a look at 2 essays recently discussed by a group of faculty at CMU:

1. Richard Neuhaus' lecture at Beeson Divinity School on Christ Without Culture, which engages H. Richard Niebuhr's Christ and Culture.
2. Mark Schwehn's The Academic Vocation: "Specialists Without Spirit, Sensualists Without Heart.

Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join the whole Fleming family in celebration of Larry Fleming's retirement from Grove City College's Accounting Department.  It was a great joy to give testimony to the Fleming family's deep care for students expressed by a years of connection with InterVarsity's work at Grove City College and Cedar Campus.

Now we are joining them in ardent prayer for the healing of Anna, Scott and Nalene Fleming's 3.5 year old daughter, who is currently in Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Earlier this week, she had a tumor the size of a grapefruit removed from her abdomen. That tumor had burst and was malignant. As of right now, Scott and Nalene are waiting to hear what kind of cancer it was and what treatment is going to look like for Anna. You can keep up with Anna day-by-day at this website: http://foranna.wordpress.com/. We ask you over the weekend to join us in approaching the throne of grace as we lift up Anna over meal time, devotional, and bedtime prayers.  In addition, pray for

1. The Father's continued gracious gift of physical strength and discernment for Scott and Nalene as they step forward minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day managing the complexities of Anna's care, her attentiveness to details, and the pressures of their regular responsibilities from a perspective shaped by the Word, guided by the Spirit, and enacted in the reality of our fallen world.

2. The People of God to be Christ for the Fleming family during this time of emergency treatment and beyond through the time of recovery . . . providing care, meals, space, and ears to listen. 

3.God’s sustaining work at Rocky Springs PCA, even a deepening of his Presence during a time of dependence upon his power in Fleming family and the lives of the local assembly as a whole.

I just couldn't refrain from commenting on Hospitality: Now and Then. I confess that the thoughts I share are true blog comments, i.e., basically the typing out of verbal processing. But I'd encourage you to take some time to read through McKnight's post and the other comments. This quote from Peggy led me to prayer and affirmed our family's commitment to walk alongside young families seeking direction/encouragement/support: Hospitality, in the era of the nuclear family, is almost impossible when your children are young and you have no family nearby. All my time is taken up in surviving … there is little left over for ministry at church, much less hospitality. More to share, but it will have to be later as our families are in the midst of hosting.

Almost forgot, I focus on Arlene Miller's Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing in my first comment and also check out the related post at Women Authors: Christine Pohl.

This question came up at our faculty conference in relationship to where we place our longing, desire, hope, security . . . in what we find our greatest joy/satisfaction.  Tuesday's email from www.wqotw.org reminded me of this conversation and I took some time trolling their archives for some clear definitions of and insights into worship.  I found the below quotes of greatest value with regard to this topic: 

1. Ralph Martin's brief etymological tracing of WEORTHSCIPE to WORTHSHIP to WORSHIP ("to attribute worth" to an object).
2.  D.A. Carson's strong definition. 
3. our response to what we value most, Louie Giglio
4.  consciousness of God, Patrick Kavanaugh
5. the contrast with idolatry by Marva Dawn and Noel Due

Here's a slightly explanded list of quotes, with references, which I found of particular interest at www.wqotw.org:

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Wish I had the opportunity to visit Yale this summer, but I'm not going to pass up my road trip to Engaging the University: Student Mission and the Christian Mind at Tyndale Seminary, Toronto.  But as I read End of Memory, I can imagine having an edifying conversation with Miroslav Volf (systematic theologian and Director of Yale Center for Faith and Culture) and Lamin Sanneh (historian and missiologist), while catching a glimpse of Indiana Jones teaching and then escaping those seeking his life.

If only Sean Connery could be convinced to come out of retirement to reprise his role as Professor Henry Jones. Hard for me to imagine Harrison Ford in action, seems like his day is done and I liked the way Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade wrapped up the series, but maybe Spielberg can resurrect both the actor and the series.

At our Pittsburgh reception on Sunday, I chatted w/the Beidemans, fellow Grovers and former IVCF staff, with regard to strategy games for kids with some chance/randomness to provide a leveling factor across kids of close age (they have 2 boys, ages 10 and 7). The family already enjoys Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan.  In addition, they were looking for what GCF-ers termed Das Flicky Game.  I introduced them to Cartagena and recommended Bohnanza (a favorite of mine) and Lost Cities.  On Monday I emailed our game master friends for advise.  From the Great North, Mike shared the following (note: to research these games and more, go to Board Game Geek):

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In an age of increasing diversity and stronger calls for tolerance, we are further and further from knowing the stories of the people with whom our paths cross only once in a lifetime or daily.  Instead, we converse more and more only with those with whom we share particular interests, becoming pot bound as our roots circle in on themselves.  Even online, we search the vastness for someone who, from what we can tell from his or her Facebook profile or site membership or blog, has something in common with ourselves.  It is natural to seek out kindred spirits, but it seems that such seeking should be balanced with a vulnerability to chance encounters, to mystery, and yes, even to embarrassment and disappointment. -- Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma, "Don’t talk to me about...anything" in catapult magazine

As I mine through over 125 messages (which I didn't get to while I was at Faculty Conference 07), the above quote caught my attention and reminded me that Christ Jesus, by the Spirit of God, leads us into relationship beyond ourself to the Other (i.e., the Father) AND through the Other to true relationship with others (i.e., the intentional community of the People of God and those with whom we labor in sowing the seeds of faith). 

The opportunity to spend a week at Faculty Conference 07 with 80+ brothers-and-sisters in Christ from a wide geographic, disciplinary, and age range is a Kingdom event and a great blessing.  When reflecting upon our time on Sunday with partners-in-ministry from Pittsburgh (special thank-you to Allegheny Center CMA for hosting), it comes to my attention that many of the friendships around the room (alum from CMU, alum from Pitt, friends from Allegheny Center CMA) began from scratch . . . slowly, awkwardly, mysteriously, but over time have taken root and by God's grace are but a small step into an eternity in which to flower (and flourish). 

Join me today in loving God and loving our neighbor (even within our family, those with whom we are most familar; even those who we term the other and by instinct distrust) w/abandon, to the glory of God and without concern for self, reputation, future. 

But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. -- Isaiah 43: 1-2

Yesterday, it was a great blessing to be with friends in Pittsburgh at Allegheny Center CMA, some pics are posted at Trip to/from Cedar Campus). During our time together Ernie Frederick, a IVCF-Pitt alum from the 1950s who received his call to ministry while at Cedar Campus (the conference site from which our family was just returning after a week encouraging/equiping faculty), led a time of prayer for our family and ministry.   (More)

We have family legends to share regarding our trip to and from Cedar Campus. For starters, here's some pics of

1. Hayley and Ellen taking turns steering a motor boat (great prep for their time in a motor boat at Cedar Campus and in a jet boat on their trip to Mackinaw Island w/Theresa) at a BP customer appreciation day (an excellent idea considering the cost of fuel) at which we learned about semi-twins (twins which are not fraternal, w/fraternal being defined as one being a girl and one being a boy, and not identical, of course) from a semi-twin as we received our hand-dipped ice cream.

 

2. BRONNER'S CHRISTmas WONDERLAND. The other year we hit Sea Shell City. We couldn't pass up the tourist World's Largest Christmas Store and the opportunity to drive through Frankenmuth, MI.

3. And what may be an annual deja vu playing on the swing set which Carl built at 3366 Parkview Ave and having lunch w/neighbor friends.

4. The memories are still being made. Libby told me it was a good thing I brought my laptop as I wouldn't have anything to do. While the younger girls are in bed, I believe the older ones are shedding tears over Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front AND we still have 2 days to go!