MEDAL COUNT

According to the Olympic Medal Table USA has 40 total medals so far. We're top of the list again... now we can all feel better about ourselves, 'cause, you know, if Americans aren't winning medals, they're losing... yea... get a grip.

[NOTE: I absolutely love the Olympics, but can't stand the hype!]

Last picture from the retreat... getting ready to go


An extra for the blog... my room had its own potty... how cool is that?!

NO BLOGGING FOR OLYMPIC ATHLETES...

Wired News: You're Athletes, Not Journalists: "The International Olympic Committee is barring competitors, as well as coaches, support personnel and other officials, from writing firsthand accounts for news and other websites."

Bummer...

(on the other hand, apparently they can blog if they had a personal blog already)

RETREAT REFLECTIONS, 3 of 3

Third in a series of three. Some splat poetry and lots of questions. [Note: for those who are poetically challenged (Ann :-) I will be posting summarizing, prose-based, propositional truth statements sometime next week.]

All scriptures are from the Complete Jewish Bible

1 Kefa, first reading

This is too big to swallow just now, so for now this:
I am part of the POG
I am an undershepherd
I am a Messiah-follower
Therefore, I must be who I am.

1 Kefa, select lectio

1:13,15 “Therefore, get your minds ready for work. Keep yourselves under control… become holy yourselves in your entire way of life.”

Given that I am a member of the POG through Messiah, what does it mean to be…

physically holy,
mentally holy,
emotionally holy,
volitionally holy,

…set apart for God’s use in my-our entire way of life?

What is the work?

What needs control?

2:4-5 “As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him, you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be cohanim set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah.”

What does it mean to be built into a spiritual house that gets all its measurements and angles from Jesus, the Living Stone?

How do we-I make space for the builder to work unimpeded?

What must happen to be more aware of “we”?

3:13-14 “For who will hurt you if you become zealots for what is good? But even if you do suffer for being righteous, you are blessed.”

If I know someone will hurt me, what gives (develops) the courage (trust) to do good anyhow?

Am I willing to live with the consequences of speaking hard truths and asking hard questions?

Am I willing to ask myself the hard questions?

4:7-8 “The accomplishing of the goal of all things is close at hand. Therefore, keep alert and self-controlled, so that you can pray. More than anything, keep loving each other actively; because love covers many sins.”

Why are prayer and love the most necessary activities?

How do alertness and self-control relate to/enable prayer?

Why is this important in these times?

5:2, 8-9a “…shepherd the flock of God that is in your care… Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Stand against him, firm in your trust…”

Are those I teach being eaten alive? Am I? Do I even know?

What does shepherding God’s flock look like in my case?

What makes me not-sober?

What makes me not-alert?

What is my “trust”? How can I stand in it?

Day Four

So, I’m sitting here, about to take my first drink of coffee in four days. This is the return to regular time. Feels funny.

BIOLAN IN ATHENS

One of Biola's women basketball players in on the Olympic team for Nigeria! How cool is that?! Go Limda Oguga!

Another picture of the first pepper tree in California, with a mission bell in the foreground.

RETREAT REFLECTIONS, 2 of 3

Second in a series of three. The format is mostly splat poetry ( term I just made up to describe the process. Basically, I read through a selection, ponder a few moments, and splat down whatever thoughts come to mind.) It's long on the page, but not too long in words.

Reflections upon reading A SHORT HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY


The Rise of Christianity
Hopes raised
Dashed
Resurrected
Fear becomes courage
Pain-forced growth
Truth-fights inside
Existence-fights outside
Steadfast yet struggling
Pure yet corrupt
Faithful yet wavering
Kept by YHWH’s choice

Christianity and the Fall of Rome
From enemy to friend
Hunted to ruler
Truth and practice
Corrupted
Fought for
Regained
Pagans won
Barbarians invade
Latins, Germans, Celts remain

Day Three

I just thought to myself, “If there is no one in the chapel, that’s where I’ll have church.” Then I realized what an absolute impossibility that was. The learning comes slowly.

Christianity in Medieval Europe
Invasion of dichotomy
Sacred-secular struggle
Ruling
Learning
Worshipping
Creating
Lost in struggle
Corruption grows
Hopes dashed
No peaceful reform

Christianity in the Reformation Era
Luther
Bucer
Melanchthon
Calvin
Others unnamed
And suddenly
Shattered oneness
Lies exposed
Scots
English
Irish
Punctuated hostility
Continues
Anabaptists
Socinians
Jesuits
Increasing tribalism
Oneness lost
Oneness hoped
Schism

The History of Eastern Orthodoxy
East
West
Culture
Language
Icons
Nature(s)
Politics
Rome
Wars from West
Wars from East
Changing politics
Changing patriarchates
Ever old
Ever changing
The same

Christianity in Modern Europe
The big question:
Who’s in charge?
Church?
State?
Answers change
With years
And rulers
No answer
Worldly entanglements
Hinder piety
The unseen remnant
Always present
Sometimes noticed
Ever touching
Ever waiting
For when…

Christianity in the Americas
Freedom
Wrapped in control
Division
Unity
Revivalism
Frontier methods
Church-state
Separation
Connection
Top-down from the ground up

Christianity Encircles the Globe
Cross-cultural
Inter-cultural
Sometimes brilliant
Most times stupid
Gospel spread
Mixed up with culture spread
Where do we stand?

MADE SOME CHANGES TO What I'm Reading

Divided each book response/review into a separate entry for linking.
Added a new book: Christian Perspectives on Being Human

What I'm Reading

RETREAT REFLECTIONS, 1 of 3

First in a series of three. The format is mostly splat poetry ( term I just made up to describe the process. Basically, I read through a selection, ponder a few moments, and splat down whatever thoughts come to mind.) It's long on the page, but not too long in words.

REFLECTIONS ON TORAH

(I read Torah in the Complete Jewish Bible, translated by Dr. David Stern)

B’resheet 1-11

God-made image bearer
Rusted by choice
Glorious
Corrupt
Graced
Earth-ruler
Planet-swarmer
Singled-out grace-line
God’s choice:
Adam
Seth
Noach
Shem
Terach
Avram
The line of the One
And me
Grafted in.

B’resheet 12-22

Avram
Then Avraham
Barren exalted father
Blessed father of nations
Blessed
Blesser
Prophet
Liar
Husband-brother
Impatient waiter
Covenant by blood
And severed foreskin
Idolater
Believer
Imported by grace clean

Day Two

B’resheet 23-50

YHWH says,
I am your God,
Walk in my ways.
But they
Mixed in practice
Walk in YHWH’s ways
Yet keeping idols
Follow yet not
What is required?
YHWH’s choice!
Avraham believed God
And it was counted
As righteousness
This God,
He is God of my fathers and mothers
The God of Harvey and Cloyd
The God of Doris and Martha and Hattie

Sh’mot 1-6

Land of plenty
Land of salvation
Was Egypt
Land of labor
Land of slavery
Egypt
Moshe
With halting voice
Aharon with Moshe’s words
Spoke, Let my people go!
Pharaoh stole YHWH’s people
Denied YHWH
Punished the people
YHWH spoke,
I will take you as my people
And I will be your God.
YHWH’s choice
YHWH’s grace

Sh’mot 6-40

Heart-hardener
Glory-seeker
Worship-planner
Command-giver
Who is this God
Who strikes out
Against his people
While giving grace and mercy?
YHWH
Maker of heaven and earth
Holy
Jealous
Gracious
Demanding
The One who by his presence
Shows his favor

Vayikra 1-5

Bulls
Goats
Sheep
Doves
Sacrifices
Sin
Guilt
Peace
Thanks
Atonement by blood
Confession by display
Forgiveness by grace

Vayikra 6-10

Continual fire
Holy eating
YHWH’s choice

“Through those who are near me I will be consecrated, and before all the people I will be glorified."

Unholy fire-makers
Consumed by holy fire
Nothing left to say.

Vayikra 10-13

Whole life holiness
Holy eating
Holy business
Holy family
Holy farming
Holy health
No sacred-secular dichotomy
YHWH is God of all
So all of life is worship
Worship of YHWH in obedience
Worship of anything else in idolatry
The whole life is worship of something

Vayikra 14-19

I am YHWH your God
…and you are NOT god.
YHWH
Egypt conqueror
Slave-freer
Law-maker
Sacrifice-demander
Grace-giver

Vayikra 20-27

“I am YHWH your God, who has set you apart from other peoples." (20:24)

“…you are only foreigners and temporary residents with me…” (25:23)

Resident Aliens
Hmmmmm.

B’midbar 1-36

Wandering feet
Wandering hearts
Jealous God
Vengeful God
Gracious God
Still his people
YHWH’s choice

D’varim (entire)

“See now that I, yes, I, am he; and there is no god beside me. I put to death, and I make alive; I wound and I heal; no one saves anyone from my hand.” (32:39)

“Happy are you Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by YHWH your defender helping you and your sword of triumph? Your enemies will cringe before you, but you will trample down their high places.” (33:29)

Foreigners inside
We treat as brothers
Foreigners outside
We stand against
Declare their sin
Teardown their high places
We are God’s people
YHWH’s choice
We walk in his ways
Yet grace

Loaded some more retreat pictures on my fotolog. Though I spent lots of time in my room reading--as this picture attests--I did go outside and enjoy God's beauty. I read through the Torah and a book on church history. Got my bearings a bit.