Science and Faith: Compatible or in Conflict? Ard Louis speaks at Large Group

On March 23rd, Dr. Ard Louis, a theoretical physicist at Oxford University, came to Swarthmore College to talk about a hot-button issue for many here on our campus: the compatibility of science and faith in how we figure out our world. The speaking event was supported and made possible by the Veritas Forum and the Cooper Serendipity Fund.

Please watch Dr. Louis' talk in the video embedded below.



So what do you think? Are science and faith compatible? The conversations that were generated from this talk are many, lively, and important, so let's continue them!

Sacrifice

Lent starts this Wednesday, and right now, I'm struggling to figure something out.

What exactly does sacrifice mean?

It's a term used so often in the Christian church, how God sacrificed his one and only son so that we might be forgiven of our sins, but what does it mean for us, today?

This question stems from a campaign started by World Vision, and co-sponsored by Intervarsity, called Relentless ACT:S of Sacrifice. The goal of the campaign is to get our generation, college-students, twenty-somethings, those just starting to dig their feet into the "real world," to think about what it means to live a life that is sacrificial, that isn't about us at all, but rather about the larger picture of God's Kingdom.

I really love the idea behind this movement, because, as you can probably tell from previous posts, what draws me most to Christianity is the message of social justice present at its core. I think, in many ways, Christianity has one of the most radical philosophies out there: that everyone, regardless of race, class, background, or gender, can find an equal place in God's kingdom is crazy. No other philosophy is quite like that.

Which is why I am struggling to figure out what I, personally, can sacrifice this Lent. Obviously, nothing I do can compare to what Christ did (nor should it), but as William Penn so straightforwardly said, "To be like Christ is to be a Christian."

What part of myself can I give up?

The Dawn of Redeeming Grace

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." - Isaiah 9:2

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope that whether you are home for the holidays, abroad on some adventure, or anywhere else, that you are feeling the love, joy, and peace that this day traditionally symbolizes for us as Christians.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Love, because although we live in a world that is separated from God, He loved us enough to send Jesus down to earth. This wasn't Jesus' vacation, as my pastor said this morning, but Jesus' mission: to act as the reconciliation between humankind and God. When we read John 3:16, we tend to wield it as the ultimate Evangelical trump card: "Perish or have eternal life, unbeliever! Bible says so!" But how appropriate this verse is for Christmastime, especially the first half! God gave us his son! That's Christmas for you. The most priceless gift ever: a gift because God gave it to us for free, priceless because there's no way we could ever work to deserve it or repay it.

"And Mary said: 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.'" - Luke 1:46-47

Joy at the news of Jesus' birth! This was the moment that all of creation was waiting for: the incarnation of its Creator as one of its own, a being of flesh and bone, just like the rest of us. And who isn't filled with glee at the sight of a baby? The angels definitely had something to sing about. Mary was pretty stoked, too. Everything about Jesus' birth was "good news" - which, when rendered in Middle English, becomes gospel. The knowledge of God's love for us and the salvation we acquired through his son Jesus is enough to keep us joyful even when there are no decorations, no trees, no cookies, no carolers, no presents, parties, or even people. Christmas is all about just one person: Jesus, our Savior.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." - Luke 2:14

Peace on earth. Today, it seems both more desperately necessary and desperately futile to wish for peace. I mean, I don't think Jesus was even born on a "silent night". Probably lots of cows mooing and donkeys getting fussed up about a baby taking up room in their feeding trough. Of course, today it's hard to find silence anywhere, what with phones and TVs constantly feeding ads and music into our homes, missiles and bombs going off in a third of the world's unstable regions, people arguing, weeping, mocking, cursing; and when you want to escape it all and just withdraw into your own mind, it's hard even then to tune out the doubt, the anxiety, the pride, the distractions... in short, peace is hard to come by.

But it's so, so, so important to pursue peace, to make it manifest in our lives in the lives of everyone around us. To actively go out and create it in places or people that don't have it. It's more important now at this time of year than any other, and I'd say more important at this point in the history of the world than any other.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." - Matthew 5:9

No coincidence that Jesus is the son of God, is it? His birth was the beginning of the restoration of peace in the universe, the harbinger of shalom. But he has entrusted us, sons and daughters of God, to be peacemaker ambassadors of God's kingdom to this world. The celebration of Christmas should be a reminder for us to continue to live lives of peace, as well as lives of hope, healing, and salvation. But when Jesus was born, the message of the angels (God's messengers) to mankind was: peace on earth.

Said the king to the people everywhere, "Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people everywhere; Listen to what I say!
The child, the child sleeping in the night,
He will bring us goodness and light,
He will bring us goodness and light."

How are you pursuing peace?
What other reminders has God placed on your heart this holiday season?

Swat Night!

Hey all! Andrew asked me to share a bit from my Swat Night testimony, so here’s a short(er) version of what I said:

I was born into a Christian family, with two ministers for parents. My uncle was the pastor of the church we went to (my grandfather was the pastor before he died), another uncle was the choir director, and my aunt was the youth director. So, growing up my four siblings and I spent most nights of the week at church. I guess it’s not surprising that I accepted Christ and was baptized at six.

Maybe more (or less?) surprising is that it actually felt pretty awful a lot of the time, being at church so often and constantly surrounded by people so involved in the church. I remember at one point when I was around 10 years old my mom putting her foot down so to speak, and saying that we had to make some changes because we were at church entirely too often, and she was worried about the effect it was having on our grades since we were out so late every night. It sounds kind of dramatic, but it was true. At this point in time my father was the minister of music of a church with well over 5,000 members and my mom worked in the discipleship office. This church was also about 45 minutes from my house. This meant that it was not unusual for us to come home around midnight.

I’ve never had serious doubts about God’s existence. What I have doubted, however, is if I’m truly accepted by Christ. I spent a large portion of my childhood fearing that I wasn’t really a Christian and that I would go to hell. I think this partially comes from the fact that I accepted Christ too young to fully understand Him, and partially from my own insecurities. When I was in eighth grade I started going to my church’s teen program and in many ways it was a life changer for me. I was suddenly thrown into a group of teens, mostly older than me, who loved God and loved to have fun. My aunt, director of youth at church, constantly commented on how we were the most special group of teenagers she’s ever worked with. My social life at this point was more dominated by my church friends than friends at school. More than that, my church life became dominated by my church friends to the point where the only joy I had in church was in hanging out. I became a social church goer. I was good at pretending I cared about God but on the inside I was mostly apathetic.

This apathy was fully cemented by my sophomore year of high school. Almost all at one time most of the people in the teen fellowship moved, many of them out of state.A few months later my family also changed churches, moving to a much larger church, with over 23,000 people, because the bishop of this church was ordaining my parents. Having no family or friends here made me care less about church than I ever had before. Church had been the center of my social life growing up and for the first time I had no friends at church to lean on, and rather began to spend more time with my school friends, most of whom were not Christians. While this wasn’t bad, it contributed to me losing interest in God.

By the time I came to college I really saw no need for God. I believed that Jesus existed, but I did not feel I needed to do anything for him or that there was any kind of personal connection. My mother told me she was worried about my spiritual life, but I just didn’t see it as important. I didn’t see the importance of joining a Christian fellowship my freshman year, so I wasn’t a part of any. I did start off the year going to church, but by the middle of my first semester I was barely attending. Church at Swat was and is frustrating to me, because it is not what I’m used to at home. At the time I did not feel I was getting anything out of it (other than a free breakfast), because my concept of church was simply as a social gathering and not as a place to learn about God. I’d grown up in a black church, and I was looking for the same kind of experience, with the same kinds of people and music.

I hit a low point the middle of my spring semester freshman year. I was having problems with my family, and had decided not to come home that summer. Partially as a reaction to this I started attending church more regularly again. Somehow, the last few weeks of school it worked out and I agreed to come home that summer. I wasn’t ready to go immediately home though, and my friend Sonja had been bugging me for weeks about coming to this thing called Chapter Camp. I didn’t really know what it was, but I knew it would buy me an extra week away from home, so I signed up. In the process of all this turmoil I’d realized something I hadn’t thought of before: how I couldn’t separate my own beliefs from my parents’ beliefs, and I felt like I wanted to formulate my own thoughts. At Chapter Camp, for the first time, I was given the chance to discover Christ for myself. This opened up the door for me to really spend the summer exploring God, and to join two Christian fellowships when I came back to Swat.

As I reflect on my feelings about God I realize that so much of how I interact with God and how I feel about church is based on my social standing. While community is important, it’s easy to forget that God is the reason for that community. Although my relationship with God is stronger than ever, I still found myself thinking of the reason for church and Christian community being to satisfy me, rather than to glorify God. I’ve come to realize that putting God first is more than the action of me going to church and talking about Him, but it’s my mental state as well.

That's basically been my spiritual journey up to this point. I'm always happy to talk about this, or anything else, so if anyone ever wants to talk just shoot me an email!

Post-Thanksgiving Response

Hi friends, I sent Andrew an email response to his Thanksgiving posts due to my inability to be comment-length concise, and he requested that I share it with you as well. For those of you that don't know, I'm a '10er currently living in a French monastery with a Catholic-based, ecumenical, charismatic community. I'm nearing the end of a two and a half month formation in which I experienced community life and learned about the Bible, the Holy Spirit, ecumenism, Ignatian spirituality... and so on. Commence copy-and-paste of email:

We had a really good lesson a few weeks ago about Christian communities and how they work, etc., and there are a few points that might give you some room to think. So, the lesson in part was describing the difference between projects for God and projects of God. Projects for God start from our needs, move on to our plans, our organizations, and then finish with praising God. And it's not a bad thing for us to look around and assess our needs and move on from there, but sometimes we need to check ourselves and make sure that we aren't building up these great projects for God without actually asking God what He wants and how He wants to accomplish it. So yeah, we're God's workers, but it's important to remember that it's God's work first. If it's been coming from human sources only, even if you're doing it for God, it's bound to founder. (note: this teaching is based on Mt 7, 21-27)

But as you describe it, it doesn't sound like the work on campus is foundering. It sounds like it's not progressing as quickly as you see it in Acts. You have a good point in saying that we have the same Spirit as the disciples in Acts; the question is, are you inviting the Holy Spirit, personally and as a group, to come and work? A lot of songs about the Holy Spirit are songs of invitation (the only one in English I can think of right now is "Holy Spirit, come with your fire") and if you look in Acts 4, 23-31, very soon after Pentecost, the disciples pray again and are filled even more with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn't come once and it's finished, we've received all we can hold; if even the first disciples received a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost, then surely we too have a constant need to receive the Holy Spirit more deeply and more fully. God the good Father gives his Holy Spirit to those who ask of Him, but it's important that we ask, and ask often!

And then I'd also like to leave you with Luke 17, 7-10: "Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat? Won't he rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink'? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' " My question for you would be why it is that are not satisfied with the fruits you do see on campus. Is God asking you to do more and you're ignoring His call for other things? Are you looking for signs that what you have done was a success so that you can feel good? It could be good to take some time to discern why you're feeling so frustrated. I'd encourage you to pray, and in the beginning of your prayer, ask for the grace to know whether or not you're following His will, and you can even pray that your time of pray be aligned with His will, that He conform your intentions and your heart to His.

Yeah, so that's all over the place and not everything I want to say but it takes me forever to type on these silly keyboards! I'm trying to be encouraging, sorry if it didn't work very well. Pray, rest in the silence, take a passage from a Gospel and repeat a word or phrase that touches you slowly, allowing the Holy Spirit to engrave it in your heart, and seriously, seriously renounce any feelings of pride or perfectionism that might be driving you. If it feels like you're trying really hard and seeing no results, that means you're trying too hard. It shouldn't be you doing the work, and don't ever let anyone tell you any differently (including and especially yourself).


That's all from the email! Don't be a stranger if you have any questions or disagreements or clarifications.

Pre-thanksgiving thoughts pt. II

I feel stereotyped but defiant.

Labels mean a lot these days, even as we attempt constantly to cast them off. They're powerful enough that entire judgments are made about a person based off of a simple adjective. I'm thinking, of course, of the adjective 'Christian' used to denote a person, event, organization, etc. that seeks to identify itself with Christianity... whatever that means. Things that are 'Christian' have a bad reputation, it seems.

Wes has likened our problem to that of the fraternities on campus. A lot of the recent comment war on the Daily Gazette articles stemmed from what seemed to be inherent prejudice against Greek life. Coming into play was this mental association of frat brothers with drinking, partying, slacking off, white male privilege, discrimination, and lots of other negative things. We at SCF don't have the same reputation, of course, but people are wary around us, too. Christians today and in history have been exclusive, oppressive, intolerant, unreasonable, stingy, hypocritical, and downright unattractive.

Pre-thanksgiving thoughts pt. 1

I feel jerked in two directions.

I know, I eschew dichotomies as much as the next person, but ideas have grown increasingly black and white over the past few weeks, and I don't know why, but this is what it's been sounding like for me...

On one hand, there is a kingdom of God that is small, like a mustard seed. (Today's sermon at Renewal was based off of Mark 4:26-34.) It has humble beginnings, and it grows slowly, but inevitably. It requires patience to see the fruit of this plant. Pastor Charles encouraged us not to lose the faith, even when Christianity became "boring". It isn't all about the mega-churches, the revival meetings, or the deadlines of a generation of results-oriented, perfectionist American Christians.

On thankfulness, privilege, and Occupy Wall Street

Hey all! Greetings from Belfast! I miss y'all a lot, and I hope you're having a blast back at Swat. I an attempt to bump the blog back into use, I posted a bit from my reflective journal below. it's somewhat long and and a bit of my personal ramblings, but I hope it can provoke some thoughts. Enjoy! -Josh

30-10-11
On thankfulness, privilege, and endurance

After church today, I was left with much thought. The ‘preach’ (as sermons are called out here) was provocative, on the topic of thankfulness. I realize increasingly how much I’ve been afforded. It’s always good to be reminded of this, since we are all to easily susceptible to negativity and complaining. I have found it too easy to complain, all too often. However, when I consider how much I’ve been given, it forces me to admit that I’m actually just a whiner. I have been reading a lot about Occupy Wall Street, given its current prevalence in the news. The jargon is always “the 99% vs. the 1%”. However, increasingly, I’ve learned that the 1% is a symbolic ‘other’ that we love to crusade against. In my studies with Peace and Conflict, I’ve seen ‘the other’ being used for blame a number of times…unfortunately, the result is very rarely positive. It’s much easier, of course, to blame a mysterious ‘other’ for the problems that affect us. It’s far easier to point the finger at an inhuman ‘other’, than to take personal responsibility. But my biases about personal responsibility aside, It’s plain when you look outside the US, that we are uncomfortably close to BEING the 1%. I mean, the average lower-middle class American is still in the top 90% of the world income, and even the bottom 2% in the US is STILL in the 63% percentile of world income[1].

Don’t believe me? Check out this site: http://www.givingwhatwecan.org/resources/how-rich-you-are.php

If we want to talk about the ‘haves and have nots’, we’re definitely the former. The thing that has frustrated my most about all the OWS stuff is that we are fantastic about complaining, but absolutely crappy about actually doing anything. It frustrates me beyond belief that all people want to do is complain. And before anyone calls me out on bias, I would like to point out that I actually share many of their sentiments. The difference is, I’m not going to sit on my rear protesting, I’m going to actually work for a constructive change…however I can. I can’t do anything about the behavior of politicians, financial conglomerates, or people, be they wealthy or poor. I can, however, continue to do good at my community placement, working with the youth of Short Strand, despite how difficult it can be at times. At the same time, I can live differently. Part of the reason my faith is practical is because I strive to live what I believe, practice what I preach, and to not push that attitude on anyone I meet, but rather, treat them with the same love and compassion I’d want shown towards me. I feel like by getting off our high horses, steeples, our intellectual ivory tower elite viewpoints, and getting down on the ground, into the community is how we can make the biggest practical difference. I know that circumstances are not ideal, but, they happened. We can’t control them, though we should be conscious and sensitive to them, but we can control our reactions to them.

I get frustrated with politics, both left and right, because neither gets it…and Christians are just as susceptible to manipulation as everyone else. Jim Wallis (head of Sojourners, a magazine I used to read) once said “god is not a republican or democrat”, which is very much true. It’s easy to use God as a political tool and both sides readily do so. The reason I like Shane Claiborne and others who utilize practical theology, of consistently living out one’s beliefs, (the ‘orthopraxis’ in addition to the usual ‘orthodoxy’) is because they (for the most part) can ignore political ideologies, and simply live together in community. I don’t think it’s right to protest a system when doing so prevents bringing about effective change. Don’t get me wrong, I support democratic, non-violent protests, but I think the problems of the world have a MUCH deeper, more sinister root…namely, that which lies within.

It is the dark side of human nature, which lies within me, which is the problem. I am capable of the same greed that got us into the same economic mess that we find ourselves in. This ugly truth is uncomfortable. My point is, that ‘others’ aren’t the problem. I AM. I could apply this language to all, saying ‘we are” , but I apply this language to myself since it’s the only person I can apply it to. In a criminal court, it is possible for proper authorities to delegate guilt but in all due honestly, I think that we cannot begin to address a problem, until we admit the guilt within ourselves. It is not some ‘other’ that caused the problem, except in the sense that the ‘other’ is actually comprised of individuals…who all have the same issue. Solzhenitsyn noted that “The line between good and evil lies within every human heart”, which is also where any form of change should start.

On a more personal note: we should take heart in that we can change. It's not really due to anything we do, but we're enabled to change through faith. Another sermon I heard recently (on 1 peter 4) was about 'the theology of doing the dishes'. I quote the passage (NIV) for reference, utilizing italicization to point out what stuck out to me...

⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

The difficult thing is to 1. not complain and 2. use our gifts (whatever they may be) to serve others. This means not using them for ourselves, or sitting around complaining, but selflessly loving others. I'm also reminded of Matthew 5-7, which are arguably the most direct, applicable and concrete commands of Jesus in the entire gospels. they very explicitly state what it looks like to practically love others. Others have talked much more elaborately than me about those passages, so I won't, but I would encourage you to go and re-read them... I found it challenging and edifying. I will however, focus on Mt 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

This perfectly illustrates our own tenancies to focus on the problems of others, rather than our own. it's humbling, and difficult to admit that we have problems.

Certainly, I hope for systemic change. I sincerely believe that Christians can be at the forefront of bringing it about, and that God can use us to practically show his love for the entirety of humanity, but, until that point, I think it is appropriate for us to, instead of complaining, think about what we are thankful for. Yes, there are problems in the world. But, it is important to hold everything in mind, and to focus on both being thankful, and applying the gifts and talents that we have been given to bring about practical change in the world. Go volunteer in the community, and be passionate about what you do!The best passage I could think of for illustrating my thoughts on this, was 1 Thessalonians 5, which I will close with

¹² But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, ¹³ and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. ¹⁴ We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. ¹⁶Rejoice always; ¹⁷ pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit; ²⁰ do not despise prophetic utterances. ²¹ But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; ²²abstain from every form of evil.

---

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/does-americas-99-percent-represent-the-top-1-percent-on-earth/2011/10/12/gIQA5JVQfL_blog.html

My priorities?

     I've been sitting in front of my computer after a great Sunday service and an amazing omelette, trying to wake up from a food coma. Then, I started thinking about my weekend, which was filled with the same message that Pastor Dan preached on today. Today's sermon was about Jesus' priorities (Mark 1:35-45). It really hit me today when Pastor Dan asked us, "Where are your priorities?" He also asked himself, "Before I'm a good pastor, am I a good Christian?", which made me question, "Before I'm a good student, am I a good Christian?".
     Couple of times this weekend, I've had to question my priorities. It might not seem like a big deal, but I was torn between an hour of homework and an hour of foot games with specs for Disco Swat. Something pushed me into going, and I'm so glad I did. I've met some great and passionate specs, and one of the specs ended up coming to church with us today.
     This past weekend, I've also been challenged by Cecelia's talk during Large Group. She talked about her time in Haiti after her graduation, which made me wonder how I would respond if God were to call me away from my plans. I've always told myself that since I am not striving for fame or wealth, what I am doing must be for God's glory. But through Cecelia's talk and today's sermon, I've come to realize that just because it is counter-cultural, it doesn't mean that I'm on the road to glorifying God. It could be, but it doesn't automatically make me a good Christian.
     I hope all of us will be challenged, and continue to be challenged, by the question: "Before I'm a good student (teacher/daughter/son/doctor/pastor/etc), am I a good Christian?"

Hey Everybody!

This is Brent;

I just wanted to let y'all know that I have a blog of my own, which I started in high school, about my religious thoughts. It pretty much went dead last year, but I'm hoping to revive it this semester.

Thought I'd share that in case anyone was interested. The blog is: brentswriting2.blogspot.com

That's all :D

Whose kingdom is this?

So... I should be doing my seminar reading now, but I wanted to jot this down instead because I'm blogaholic, in a sense.

If you've talked to me at all this past week you've probably heard me whine and moan about a cappella. I won't go into details here, but suffice it to say that I've been upset and cynical about the whole thing, and, especially after Sunday evening, I felt slighted.

But Sunday night, when I was trying to go to sleep, I found that I just couldn't stop thinking about how unfair the whole situation was, and my mind replayed over and over again so many different permutations of l'esprit de l'escalier (all the things you wish you could've said in the moment but only think about after the fact). I was tossing and turning, unhappy, for a good hour and a half before I finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I went for a run and thought that I could get my head cleared of everything. When I run, I listen to music I like and hum along, so I figured that it would block out space in my head. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before thoughts of disappointment, indignation, and spite crept back in. So I ran for forty-five minutes practically seething, and by the end of it I was tired physically, emotionally, and spiritually, too. I was tired spiritually because I realized that I actually hadn't let go of my disappointment. I thought that I had given it up to God, but I wasn't really willing to loosen my grip on the issue.

Prayer Gatherings!

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know that PRAYER GATHERINGS will take place every Tuesday at 9pm in SCI 104 (across from Cornell). The reason why I'm using the term "gathering" instead of "meeting" is because I really want these prayer sessions to be restful, restorative, and encouraging rather than yet another meeting in your busy schedule. We'll try to keep these gatherings short (about 45min).

This week in particular, we'll be covering WHY we pray, then follow up with some prayer. We're exploring the idea of having mini-workshops on a different topics surrounding prayer (such as how to concentrate, what prayer is, how to pray, how to listen to God, etc.). We'll also try to incorporate a variety of prayer styles (prayer walks, conversational prayer, liturgy, Common Prayer, intercessory prayer, etc.) throughout the semester. If there's anything you would like to see during a prayer gathering (or if you would like to facilitate one!), please please please let me know! I'd love to hear any ideas, suggestions, or requests you may have (even if you can't physically make it to prayer meetings)! Feel free to leave a comment, email scfprayer@gmail.com or just come talk to me (Kathryn).

Finally, if there's anything you would like prayer about, please shoot an email to scfprayer@gmail.com and indicate whether you would like your requests to be read by the prayer team alone or shared with the community at large. Remember that nothing is too big or too small for prayer!

With love,
Kathryn

Body & Soul

Hey SCF, I've got a mind to resurrect this blog. So I'm cross-posting from my personal journal into here. Read and leave your thoughts!

- - -

Wes recently read to me a fascinating excerpt from the book of essays by Wendell Berry that he's reading. I'd heard of Wendell Berry mostly through Greg, who wrote a very long poem of his (entitled "Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front") on a path with chalk to mark the start of National Poetry Month two Aprils ago. I thought it highly amusing to watch people walk up to that point in the path, and then turn around and start reading it while walking backwards beneath the young redwoods.

The rest of Berry's literary and academic work is just as intriguing. He encourages getting away from the greedy insanity of the modernized, over-technologized world, going back to our roots in the wild, staying local, knowing people personally again, sharing wealth and doing nothing for personal gain but everything for the community.

GET EXCITED!!!

Hey SCFers,

I know it's the last week of classes, and it's almost finals.  But we should all GET EXCITED!!!  You know why?  It's almost CHAPTER CAMP!

Bonjour from France!

Hello, everyone! I'm so sad that nobody has posted anything all semester long... oh well! I'm just here giving a short update on some of your fellow SCFers abroad (see previous post). Those of us who are currently in France (Jenna, Jeewon, and me), took a short weekend to visit an SCF alum, Katie Becker, whom most of you know! She's in Chambery, France, finishing up a year she spent teaching English to middle- and high-schoolers. When we visited, the weather was beautiful, so we went hiking up to the Croix du St. Nivolet, which is the huge cross pictured below.

It completely dwarfed the four of us, as you can see. We also had an American picnic at the peak, "in the shadow of the cross"! It was "American" because we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...

I, personally, was psyched to have a mini-SCF reunion that weekend. It was made even better by two opportunities to Skype with SCFers, Wes, who is abroad in Beijing this semester, and Alan Chiu, who graduated two years ago and is currently in med school in Philly. But being around all these SCFers just made me miss all of you back at Swat all the more!

Well, that's all! Just trying to keep this short. If you want to read more, you can check out my blog posts from France. And all four of us put up photos on Facebook, naturally.

See you all this fall!

- Andrew

Off-Campus SCF-ers Spring 2011

Happy New Year and new semester, SCF! Unfortunately, this semester, nine SCF-ers will be missing out on all the fun by being off-campus, either home or abroad. Don't let us be lonely! Write letters! Send photographs! Care packages stuffed with junk food from Essie Mae's!

Well, that last one isn't necessary. But if you'd like to write, here are some mailing addresses for you to quickly refer to! Remember, this blog is private (for SCF eyes only), so you must be added as an author to this blog before you can access the post.

Andrew Cheng (Grenoble, France)

http://swatsnapshot.blogspot.com/

S/C Famille Sémavoine

45 rue Antoine Polotti

38130 Echirolles, France

Jeewon Kim (Grenoble, France)

S/C Famille Marchal

10 avenue de Valmy

38100 Grenoble, France

Jenna Zhu (Paris, France)

5 rue Cassini
75014 Paris, France

Porsche Poole (Morocco)

tba

Rebekah Yang (South Africa)

http://swatadventures.blogspot.com/

http://captionsfromcapetown.blogspot.com/
9 Rhodes Ave
Mowbray
7705
South Africa

Wes Willison (Beijing, China)

tba

Hana Lehmann (Beijing, China)

tba

Daniel Pak (Seattle, Washington)

http://swatadventures.blogspot.com/

tba

Shari Rutherford (London)

tba

Chaos. And then there was... a baby

"When they [the shepherds] had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." -Luke 2:17-19

Christmas is awesome. Period. No discussion there.

I mean, how can it not be?

This is the story of a deity who created a world of unbelievable things: things that twinkle and wink at you in the night sky; things that grow out of the ground, look beautiful, then wither away, only to come back again and again; things that bay, oink, growl, and tweet; things that pounce on you and lick your face when you walk in the door; things called humans, who were made in his very image; and a thing called love, which is greater even than the amazing things called hope, joy, and peace. Scratch that, this deity is the very definition of love, which is in and of itself unbelievable.

This is the story of a deity who loved what he created so much that he could not bear to see it plunge into darkness of its own accord. He loved it so much that he decided to take this world's iniquities upon his own back, not so that he would fall under their weight, but so that he could triumph over them in a glorious embrace of reconciliation.

This is the story of a deity who came down not to condemn, or slander, or meddle, but to love and bring hope, joy, and peace.

This is the story of God who so loved the world that he sent his only Son Jesus, a great light shining in the darkness.

And like the rest of us, he was a baby -

a little bundle of joy who took that euphemism and multiplied it ten times over because unlike the rest of us he was also the very definition of love itself.

How much more awesome could you possibly want?

And while we celebrate with food, friends, parties, and the general spreading of joy, don't forget to take a moment like Mary did to treasure these things up and ponder them (kinda like taking that last piece of German chocolate cake and savoring it by yourself in some coat closet, but better and with zero guilt). Why? Because that little baby, who yawned a cute little baby yawn before shutting its little baby eyes real tight to fall asleep that first Christmas night, was born for you.

Merry Christmas!

Some photos of the crazy things we do!

This is a special photo dump for events over the past few months!

Jenna got baptized at Blue Route Vineyard Church! (10/9)

The annual Freshman Raid! We kidnap 2014 and have our way with them play sardines and the Foot Game with them in Bond Hall. (10/21)

Spencer dressed up in a King Crab suit. (10/21)

And we danced! (10/29)

Happy birthday, Octo-November babies! (Liz, Hana, Tiffany, and Steven!) (10/29)

The annual Freshman Banquet! (11/20) More people came than are shown in this photo, promise. In fact, more freshmen came than members of any other class! Yeah 2014!

Several intense rounds of Mafia followed. SCF youth group went on a road trip to Idaho, and people died each night along the way... (11/20)

The hilarity of White Elephant gift exchanges, at the annual Tri-Co Christmas Party! (12/3)

We're so weird! And awesome! Yeah Tri-Co IV! (12/3)

AND AND AND! Greg Albright ('10) got engaged to his longtime sweetheart Heather, this past Thursday at Rittenhouse Square! Click on the photo if you don't believe it- enlarged, you can see her ring! (12/2)

Finding Your Purpose

I was wandering around campus across the beautiful Parrish lawn, admiring the sunlight streaming through the majestic trees, and wondering about my purpose in life, not knowing I was about to have an encounter with God. I had been having a bit of a difficult day. I had missed a leadership training for SCF in the morning, and I had to give up going to a Christian conference that I was really looking forward to going to for school obligations. “What was my purpose?” I was wondering. Like Benjamin Braddock from “The Graduate,” I guess I was “worried… about my future.” ‘Worried about my future?’ you might be wondering (as I’m sure readers of this blog should be able to identify with). ‘Why should you, a student at Swarthmore College, ripe in your youth, ready and able to tackle the world and to do so with a smile on your face, too, of all people, be worried about your future?’ Even if that were true, it wasn’t always so easy. I was worried, confused, and, more than anything, stressed out about my purpose. It just didn’t seem so clear once God threw a challenge my way, and I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with my life anymore.

That evening after the church service, I was going to dinner downstairs when I saw a gathering of folks around the table discussing something intensely. Thrown for a loop, I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to help out with the planning of the Kids’ Christmas Service, which was happening right then. As I sat dumbly for a while, God intervened. “We’re going to read a traditional folk tale,” the Kids Ministry Leader more or less said (forgive the imperfect quotation), called “The Three Trees.” As she began to read, I felt something change inside of me.

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said, “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!” The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. “I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!” The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”

Years, passed. The rain came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day three wood cutters climbed the mountain. The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. “Now I shall make a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!” the first tree said.

The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It's perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. “Now I shall sail mighty waters!” thought the second tree. “I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!”

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last wood cutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the wood cutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and awed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the wood cutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. “What happened?” the once-tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God...”

Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hand to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

It’s amazing what stories can do to you, isn’t it? After listening to that, I had little to complain about. “The next time you feel down because you didn't get what you wanted, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you,” the last words of the book read. After I heard the story, I no longer felt as worried, upset, or confused. I still did, to some extent, but that was work that I needed to do, not because that’s how God wanted me to be.

God has a purpose for you, and you don’t need to worry about how big or how small it is or how exactly it will turn out. All you need to have is an idea, and that’s enough for Him to go by. After all, when you “delight yourself in the LORD… He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). “Pray, trust, and don’t worry,” Padre Pio says, for God already knows the desires of your heart (and, as my friend Liz aptly points out, He was the one who put them there, in the first place). And even while I was wallowing in gloominess and misery, I knew that God had a purpose for me, and that, through Him, it was all going to become clear again, in the end.

Patience is a virtue

As we mature as believers, good fruit becomes increasingly evident in our lives...

If 1) balance is the Key to Life, and 2) Jesus came to give us life abundantly, (both of which I know to be true) then 3) as we grow in our walk with God, we should strike that balance in all areas of our abundant life... being able to walk this narrow path skillfully. Since 4) God grants the desires of our hearts, and 5) He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask, 6) I'm excited to see more balance in being self-disciplined and showing love to my loved ones! 7) Anticipation sets the atmosphere for miracles!!!

Patience is a virtue... so while I wait, I LOVE Jesus <3

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[edit] 11-29-2011. This blog is now public, readable by anyone. Certain posts have been set to private, the settings of which are the same as above.