GroshLink

Jim Bibza, Professor of Religion, suffered a heart attack on the morning of Saturday, January 19. He tried to push through it, but on Tuesday, January 22 he went to the hospital for tests and it was confirmed that he had a heart attack on Saturday. He had successful double bypass surgery on Friday, January 25 at Butler Memorial Hospital. Pray for his continuing recovery.

Eden's really excited about the Big Baby in her mommy's belly.  But she also thinks she's having 2 babies of her own!  And she knows what that means, because she now counts up to 4 on her own (part of playing hide-and-seek).  Maybe she'll start saying that she's going to be having 4 babies!  Can't wait for the stories she'll tell as she's consistently speaking in sentences . . . what a joy to witness God healing and developing hand.  He is Eden's Hiding Place. 

Praise God for the good growth He's given the young one as she is knit together in her mother's womb by His hand.  Pray for our Father to be her refuge & strength for all the days of her life.  Pray that Theresa and I will be filled with His Spirit/insight as we seek to raise her in Christ-likenessness in the midst of our family's struggle (in the context of the people of God) with the flesh, the devil, and world.

A brief update regarding the Mid-Atlantic Graduate student retreat which I directed this weekend, before I take a much need rest (particularly considering I picked up bacterial conjunctivitis again). The retreat was a God thing in a way that I may never have experienced before. Pictures and stories will go up shortly, but here are participant responses to What I enjoyed 'most' about our time together.

Dear Brothers-and-Sisters in Christ,

In a few minutes I'll finish packing and head to Camp WoMeTo, Jarrettsville, MD for the Mid-Atlantic Graduate Student Winter Retreat. As conference director I've had a number of last minute details and conversations which have taken my attention for the past several days, in the midst of a number of other projects. Pray for my safe travel, strength for various situations which will arise, and preparation for leading a Sunday morning reflection upon Psalm 120-122 based upon material from Eugene Peterson's A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Some items to remember in prayer over the course of the next several days:

A meditation for you as you wake up this morning and focus for your new day. Thank-you Miller.

"There are always some in the church who say that the best way to express the Christian faith is as a pastor, or missionary, or monk, or nun-- or in medicine, or social work, or educational enterprises. There are always some who know exactly what another is best suited for. But no one knows us well enough for that. Each of us has unique gifts, for which there are no precedents, yet which will be used in ministry. And we are quite free to resist anyone who tells us differently."

My friend Miller passed along a recommendation of Arseny James Melnick's America's Oldest Corporation and First CEO:  Harvard and Hendry Dunster (infinity pub, 2008, isbn 0741442744).  Note:  Jim is a graduate of Westminster College and Harvard University.  Go to bbotw.com for the cover and link to take a sneak peek inside.  Here's Miller's comment:

i'm trusting that jim melnick's new book on the early history of harvard and its first president henry dunster receives attention...on page 175  jim says, "Harvard's abandonment of its Christian core values would sadden him (Henry Dunster) deeply but not in any final sense.  Henry Dunster realized that 'an inordinate love of human learning' apart from God leads to emptiness. ..he beileved that pride of learning for its own sake, without bringing knowledge under clear direction (to Veritas, to truth) would leave both the individual and the College soulless...as former harvard Dean Lewis said in his book "Excellence without a soul"..

Also of interest, R.R. Reno's First Things article Harvard’s Postmodern Curriculum, take particular note of the conclusion:

A few days ago, when I was in a funk regarding pioneering work among faculty and pressing on with our Mid-Atlantic Graduate Student Retreat, I received an email from InterVarsity's donor services confirming another new donor. Praise God for His calling of His people to support His work!

I emailed back regarding the importance of the new support which we've been receiving in Central PA as we pioneer faculty ministry. My colleague at donor services responded:

I confess I lacked faith in the G-men as they went into overtime . . . but the 3rd field goal try was the charm.  Maybe the Patriots will learn some humility at the hands of a Manning.  Good to have all my encouragments to Giants fans this season to not have been in vain.  A team of destiny which plays hard on the road.  What talk.  Love the hats the commentators are wearing    Wish Plex was as disciplined in 'da Burgh.  Not going to mention anything about Dallas.  Anyone having a Super Bowl Party?  Enough rambling.  Time to go to bed.

The other day, a faculty member shared how seldom he found reading outside of the classroom, i.e., when it wasn't for a grade.  How does InterVarsity address the countercultural nature of mentoring/apprenticing students into a life of practical reading and contemplation of the divine?  I confess it's hard, except among a small group of students. 

In my own work, prayer, encouragement, and drawing together small learning communities around particular topics (i.e., discussion/conversation groups) have been valuable.  I'm not quite as strong a critique of the One Book reading clubs as John Wilson in his recent Books and Culture article On Eloquence.  This fall I participated in One Community, One Book program which read/discussed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night.  Several years ago, the whole CMU Grad Fellowship read Deitrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together, watched Hanging on a Twisted Cross, and had a presentation by a Lutheran pastor which drew attention to the importance of Bonhoeffer's writing/actions/death. 

But Wilson's recommendation of Denis Donoghue's On Eloquence looks particularly good and I commend it those with such concerns. A quote from the book/article is given below.