This morning, all the leaders of this weekend gathered together for one last time. We touched base on some logistical details and then created some space to share about the memorable moments from the weekend.
As leaders shared about students encountering the person of Jesus, I began to cry. These students are bearing more than their small shoulders ever should--grandma's dying from cancer, self-doubt from acne and from mental disabilities, a mom who passed away just weeks ago, and I could go on and on. But this weekend, they encountered Jesus and saw him beginning to put their worlds back together again. They began to trust how they are brilliantly created, how God is close in our darkest moments, and how he is in control and working in our world to put all this sh** back together again (sorry, sometimes ordinary words just don't carry the weight of the pain, brokenness, the sick things in our world that never should have been). They encountered him as they talked late into the night in their cabins, as they sat listening to Matt share the art, the teaching he has crafted from his soul and the truth he knows about his God, and as they stole moments to gaze up at the starry sky.
We saw a little bit of heaven this morning as leaders shared, a little bit of heaven coming to earth...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sacred Moment
A while ago, we had one of our PA winter snow (i.e. sleet) storms. The next day, as I was driving to a meeting for work, the sun had come out and was transforming the icy winterscape into a wonderland of diamonds.
A response slipped from my lips: "It's beautiful--thank you, God."
At that very moment, a sense that I was in the middle of a sacred moment made my breath catch and my soul tingle. It felt like something was suddenly right in the world.
What made this moment sacred?
Friday, January 16, 2009
Cold Engulfing the Nation...and Me
Reports of frigid temps are all over the news. A work contact in Chicago today informed me the wind chill there was rockin out at -51!
Last night, I decided to stick to my rhythms and take zuri for a run. The "real feel" temp was -3, so I layered up hardcore. I was still afraid of freezing though, so decided to cut my run shorter than usual. Good thing I did because:
1) My toes are still sore from getting too cold in those 15 minutes
2) I still had to stop and thaw my dog's paw 3 times
3) It was so cold my earbud wires immediately froze, making a thumpy, cold-creaky sort of noise as I ran
I was still glad I went, but tonight the real feel is -7 and I decided to stay inside curled up on the couch with a blanket. :)
Last night, I decided to stick to my rhythms and take zuri for a run. The "real feel" temp was -3, so I layered up hardcore. I was still afraid of freezing though, so decided to cut my run shorter than usual. Good thing I did because:
1) My toes are still sore from getting too cold in those 15 minutes
2) I still had to stop and thaw my dog's paw 3 times
3) It was so cold my earbud wires immediately froze, making a thumpy, cold-creaky sort of noise as I ran
I was still glad I went, but tonight the real feel is -7 and I decided to stay inside curled up on the couch with a blanket. :)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Origins of the Internet
Wow, who knew the foundations of the internet were being laid all the way back in the 1950s!? I get a little lost toward the end, but so it's a super sweet and interesting overview of how thing thing we depend so much on now came to be. Thanks to my friend Adam for sharing this sweet--albeit maybe slightly nerdy--video! :)
History of the Internet from PICOL on Vimeo.
History of the Internet from PICOL on Vimeo.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Reflections on Light from the Christian East: Part 4
Here's the next to last installment of my reflections on Light From the Christian East by Payton:
10/8-9/08
I feel like I am being rather UNorthodox in these journal entries. It seems they involve more the stuff of thought and emotion rather than of action. After all, isn’t the Orthodox tradition one that says experience informs theology? And here I sit contemplating theology apart from prayer and meditation.
Anyway, I digress.
In this section of reading, I learned about several doctrines that carry more weight in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. These included the doctrines of incarnation, transfiguration, and resurrection. Learning about the Orthodox view of these issues brought new significance to them. For example, I always thought the Transfiguration did not make sense. It seemed like a random account of Jesus deciding to meet with some glorified dead people. Even when my church taught on the Transfiguration, it was usually something like “Now Peter and John selfishly or proudly wanted to just stay in this exalted place they experienced, but Jesus taught them that they had to go back into the world to continue ministry for a time.” The Orthodox view, however, expounds on the incident as a display of the deification that we all will experience because of the incarnation and triumph of Christ. We would all do well to opening ourselves up to learn from the doctrines of the Orthodox tradition that we have neglected.
One of the emphases of the Orthodox tradition that stood out to me especially in this section was their emphasis on union with Christ and their view of this and of salvation as a more holistic process rather than a series of events. Their emphasis along with their view on the nature of grace brought me back repeatedly to the teaching of Ed Miller, a humble man from Rhode Island who was very influential in my father’s faith journey and, in turn, mine. Ed over and over again refers to these ideas of union with Christ being the source of our life and salvation and of God Himself as our salvation, grace, wisdom, etc. In one of his reflections, he writes, “We have no doubt begun to learn that there are times in our lives when He will give us strength in answer to our prayer, but it is His greater desire to reveal Himself as our Strength. He will certainly send help to His people, but He would rather we discover the He Himself is our Help. He will give wisdom to those who ask, but better far is the realization that He is made to us Wisdom” (God’s Dawn for Every Darkness: Morning-Fresh Glimpses into His Gracious Heart. Colorado Springs: Random House-Waterbrook, 2001. 47).
May we all find life and rest by faith through union with Christ, our very Salvation.
10/8-9/08
I feel like I am being rather UNorthodox in these journal entries. It seems they involve more the stuff of thought and emotion rather than of action. After all, isn’t the Orthodox tradition one that says experience informs theology? And here I sit contemplating theology apart from prayer and meditation.
Anyway, I digress.
In this section of reading, I learned about several doctrines that carry more weight in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. These included the doctrines of incarnation, transfiguration, and resurrection. Learning about the Orthodox view of these issues brought new significance to them. For example, I always thought the Transfiguration did not make sense. It seemed like a random account of Jesus deciding to meet with some glorified dead people. Even when my church taught on the Transfiguration, it was usually something like “Now Peter and John selfishly or proudly wanted to just stay in this exalted place they experienced, but Jesus taught them that they had to go back into the world to continue ministry for a time.” The Orthodox view, however, expounds on the incident as a display of the deification that we all will experience because of the incarnation and triumph of Christ. We would all do well to opening ourselves up to learn from the doctrines of the Orthodox tradition that we have neglected.
One of the emphases of the Orthodox tradition that stood out to me especially in this section was their emphasis on union with Christ and their view of this and of salvation as a more holistic process rather than a series of events. Their emphasis along with their view on the nature of grace brought me back repeatedly to the teaching of Ed Miller, a humble man from Rhode Island who was very influential in my father’s faith journey and, in turn, mine. Ed over and over again refers to these ideas of union with Christ being the source of our life and salvation and of God Himself as our salvation, grace, wisdom, etc. In one of his reflections, he writes, “We have no doubt begun to learn that there are times in our lives when He will give us strength in answer to our prayer, but it is His greater desire to reveal Himself as our Strength. He will certainly send help to His people, but He would rather we discover the He Himself is our Help. He will give wisdom to those who ask, but better far is the realization that He is made to us Wisdom” (God’s Dawn for Every Darkness: Morning-Fresh Glimpses into His Gracious Heart. Colorado Springs: Random House-Waterbrook, 2001. 47).
May we all find life and rest by faith through union with Christ, our very Salvation.
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