Meditation on mid-terms #5
We’re tested on the Main things and what’s most recent. What we want to include as well is what we know and what is most recent and most exciting. Can they go together?
This is the last day for first semester mid-terms. Of course, we all know that’s not true. It may be the last day for the official calendar, but enough of you have commented to me about mid-terms coming next week or even the week after when there’s a more appropriate break for material to be assessed. One of two have even said last week was the big test. Whatever your specifics, there are some things we’ve learned about preparation.
The Main Things
First, be prepared to recall and assess the main things. An instructor will always want to know the material that forms the basis of the course. Whether muscles or formula, verbs or the key players and dates, we must always know the main things.
I had sort of a mi-term exam yesterday at the health fair in the MBSC ballroom. At lest forty groups were represented and students, faculty and staff were free to wander with bingo cards and learn. After setup, I approached or was approached about campus ministry for about 5 hours, non-stop. I needed to know the main things: our gatherings for food, our worship together, our justice issues and being useful. What most students wanted to hear about was the labyrinth, since that’s what they’d seen on the floor of the fireplace lounge. Folks often referred to it as “that round thing. I didn’t know what it was.” What I wanted to talk about was Tuesday night’s Inclusive Spiritual Seekers (see Wednesday’s meditation on our blog) and theeffects of tree climbing (at our retreat on Saturday).
Travel light
A pen, a clear head and #2 pencil are usually what is needed for most tests. That and a clear brain can do a great deal.
Taking only what was needed was a new event for me. For the past two years rolled into the health fair with gongs, TV set and DVD player. Last year I even brought an electric palm tree to draw attention to the site. I don’t know if this year’s display board and laptop was better, but it was surely more compact. Videos of our trips and work were shown directly from our website via my trusty laptop with attached speakers, and were easily referred to without being overwhelmed by “stuff”. The display board was put together by students in late spring, just prior to an annual church meeting. Student’s favorite pics and projects, with a few updates. I added “The Faith Club” to the books we read.
The “stuff” pack got lighter as the morning wore on. I gave away contact cards (designed by students, of course), bookmarks with ribbons (more contact info) and even a couple of our famous campus ministry T-shirts. A couple of blue shirted staff women wanted them “so they could work out.” After all, they have our blog on the back. More shameless marketing.
What to remember for your life today:
How would you market your test taking to an instructor with a display board? What’s the foundation of what you know?
On a “connect others with God” basis:
How would you market your faith to others? What is it’s foundation? Can you travel light, put the main markers on a display board and take it around with you? What pics and books and music and videos would you show?
Jesus gave a few instructions which are helpful and remind me of what we’re about:
Mark 6
6Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Friday, October 19
Thursday, October 18
meditation on mid-terms #4
Meditation on Mi-terms #4
Today I’ll be at the Health Fair in MBSC, talking with people about a healthy lifestyle that includes balance.
For students, and others, this includes breathing, eating, sleep, and paying attention to God’s presence, like we do in our ministry on campus: fellowship, justice seeking, being useful and progressive thinking about God. One of the things we do is meditate to help our sense of balance.
The yoga master used to say in response to the question: “What is meditation?” “Eat when hungry, sleep when tired.” While simple on the surface, the response is much deeper because most people in our circles eat and sleep on schedule. The problem is the schedule may not pay attention to when we’re hungry or tired.
Yesterday’s news contained a brief article on peoples’ perceived effective times for work. 55% said they were more effective in the morning, 20% felt more effective in the afternoon. On the surface, people are telling us we can’t really work effectively all day (but our schedules say we must). What’s a healthy response to that? The yoga master said, “sleep when tired”. When studying or taking exams, enough sleep is a must, naps are a good thing, too. And eat a little something when you’re tired instead of the gorging we are tempted to do.
Balance comes first when we breathe. There are various ways to breathe: deep breathing, meditating breathing, relaxed breathing, short breaths, all help us pay attention to the source of life. So I will encourage people to breathe—breathing is a good idea.
Today, pay attention to your balance and your ability to breathe, remembering that ‘nephesh’ (breath or wind) of God was there in the beginning, in the creation, in our fabric of being.
Genesis 1:1
1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Today I’ll be at the Health Fair in MBSC, talking with people about a healthy lifestyle that includes balance.
For students, and others, this includes breathing, eating, sleep, and paying attention to God’s presence, like we do in our ministry on campus: fellowship, justice seeking, being useful and progressive thinking about God. One of the things we do is meditate to help our sense of balance.
The yoga master used to say in response to the question: “What is meditation?” “Eat when hungry, sleep when tired.” While simple on the surface, the response is much deeper because most people in our circles eat and sleep on schedule. The problem is the schedule may not pay attention to when we’re hungry or tired.
Yesterday’s news contained a brief article on peoples’ perceived effective times for work. 55% said they were more effective in the morning, 20% felt more effective in the afternoon. On the surface, people are telling us we can’t really work effectively all day (but our schedules say we must). What’s a healthy response to that? The yoga master said, “sleep when tired”. When studying or taking exams, enough sleep is a must, naps are a good thing, too. And eat a little something when you’re tired instead of the gorging we are tempted to do.
Balance comes first when we breathe. There are various ways to breathe: deep breathing, meditating breathing, relaxed breathing, short breaths, all help us pay attention to the source of life. So I will encourage people to breathe—breathing is a good idea.
Today, pay attention to your balance and your ability to breathe, remembering that ‘nephesh’ (breath or wind) of God was there in the beginning, in the creation, in our fabric of being.
Genesis 1:1
1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Wednesday, October 17
meditation on mid-terms #3
Meditation on Mid-terms #3
Anyone can make a contribution. That’s true for charitable causes and it’s true for mutual support.
Last night’s Inclusive Spiritual Seekers brought together three songs of special spiritual value to our group: “Blackbird”, by Paul McCartney (of the Beatles); “When David Heard” by Eric Whitacre.” a modern classical group vocal piece on the story of David and the death of his son, Absalom (2 Samuel 18:33); and the suicide referencing “Poison Oak” by Bright Eyes. The three presenters did not know what the others were bringing, so it was just one of those God things. We listened and shared from our depths—nothing pushy or flagrant. Just the realities from life that cause what John of the Cross called, “the dark night of the soul.”
Many people would agree that dragging around in discouragement would end in nothing but a deep cesspool of hopelessness. Not so last night. Analysis of form, musicality and lyrics revealed a biblically true and faithful hope that comes from unhappiness when declared, claimed, and shared. We recalled stories of birds: from Noah and the bird with the Olive Branch, “Man of La Mancha” little bird in the cinnamon tree, a blackbird singing in darkness and light, and a yellow bird of love (even if alone). There were more bird songs in our heads and hearts. I forgot to mention John Prine’s famous bird, “the dove of love fell off the perch” in his song, “Jesus, the Missing Years.”
When we claimed our periods of no hope, the gathering gained strength and shared purpose—not just to wallow in problems, but to describe God’s love and hope.
Jesus was not afraid of the dragging the depths either. He noted in this story, that when we are surrounded with emptiness, we can make a contribution. Any contribution can be strengthening, even if we think it small:
Matthew 24
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
Anyone can make a contribution. That’s true for charitable causes and it’s true for mutual support.
Last night’s Inclusive Spiritual Seekers brought together three songs of special spiritual value to our group: “Blackbird”, by Paul McCartney (of the Beatles); “When David Heard” by Eric Whitacre.” a modern classical group vocal piece on the story of David and the death of his son, Absalom (2 Samuel 18:33); and the suicide referencing “Poison Oak” by Bright Eyes. The three presenters did not know what the others were bringing, so it was just one of those God things. We listened and shared from our depths—nothing pushy or flagrant. Just the realities from life that cause what John of the Cross called, “the dark night of the soul.”
Many people would agree that dragging around in discouragement would end in nothing but a deep cesspool of hopelessness. Not so last night. Analysis of form, musicality and lyrics revealed a biblically true and faithful hope that comes from unhappiness when declared, claimed, and shared. We recalled stories of birds: from Noah and the bird with the Olive Branch, “Man of La Mancha” little bird in the cinnamon tree, a blackbird singing in darkness and light, and a yellow bird of love (even if alone). There were more bird songs in our heads and hearts. I forgot to mention John Prine’s famous bird, “the dove of love fell off the perch” in his song, “Jesus, the Missing Years.”
When we claimed our periods of no hope, the gathering gained strength and shared purpose—not just to wallow in problems, but to describe God’s love and hope.
Jesus was not afraid of the dragging the depths either. He noted in this story, that when we are surrounded with emptiness, we can make a contribution. Any contribution can be strengthening, even if we think it small:
Matthew 24
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
Tuesday, October 16
meditation on mid-terms #2
Note: Today the labyrinth will be set up in the Fireplace lounge, MBSC. Please join us and take a walk and help yourself focus and gain a deeper spirituality.
Meditation on Mid terms #2
There’s a lot of admiration in our culture about people who are stars. We are a country of entertainment stars, athletic stars, and educational stars. People are picked out and adored by the masses. People stand in line to get tickets to appearances. That’s why we have the Qwest Center—so we can have space for the stars and their adoring folks. Hannah Montana is coming to Omaha! The Olympic swim trials are coming to Omaha! Warren Buffet is coming to Omaha! Gerald Ford was born in Omaha! Mrs. B built a store in Omaha! Success is running rampant! Stars are everywhere! Woohoo! People want to worship these stars, or they want to be the stars themselves.
Taking a difference view is the idea that individuals do not and cannot make the kind of impact groups of people can. In the video of how the Travelling Willbury’s made their album. George Harrison who commented toward the end of it: “It was just some friends coming together to make music who happen to be very good at what they do.”
In the end, it’s just some friends coming together.
There are a few Bible stories with heroes who act on their own (Samson and Jonah come to mind, along with Elijah under a broom tree I Kgs. 19.4)) but the vast majority of these hope bearing folks were part of a group. Even God is quoted as saying , “Let us make mankind in our image,” (Gen. 1:26).
The stronger and more lasting Biblical image, I think, is of groups of people of faith, not individuals with power. Certainly, there are individuals who lead, have prominent roles, and are more visible, but even they rely on being with others for strength and courage. While the individual’s heart and mind can be formidable, faith is not a strictly individual business. Jesus stood and knelt alone at times, but he always traveled in a group. The twelve disciples were part of the fabric of his life and the life of the early churches across the region. It’s hard to imagine the spread of Christianity in those without it being a group event.
It is well to rely on good friends who come together, whether for study for worship, or as George Harrison said, to make music (Or anything else, for that matter).
Mark 5
5They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” 20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Who are your friends? How do they strengthen you and you them? Do you study with them? Do they encourage you? How do they persuade you in your faith?
Meditation on Mid terms #2
There’s a lot of admiration in our culture about people who are stars. We are a country of entertainment stars, athletic stars, and educational stars. People are picked out and adored by the masses. People stand in line to get tickets to appearances. That’s why we have the Qwest Center—so we can have space for the stars and their adoring folks. Hannah Montana is coming to Omaha! The Olympic swim trials are coming to Omaha! Warren Buffet is coming to Omaha! Gerald Ford was born in Omaha! Mrs. B built a store in Omaha! Success is running rampant! Stars are everywhere! Woohoo! People want to worship these stars, or they want to be the stars themselves.
Taking a difference view is the idea that individuals do not and cannot make the kind of impact groups of people can. In the video of how the Travelling Willbury’s made their album. George Harrison who commented toward the end of it: “It was just some friends coming together to make music who happen to be very good at what they do.”
In the end, it’s just some friends coming together.
There are a few Bible stories with heroes who act on their own (Samson and Jonah come to mind, along with Elijah under a broom tree I Kgs. 19.4)) but the vast majority of these hope bearing folks were part of a group. Even God is quoted as saying , “Let us make mankind in our image,” (Gen. 1:26).
The stronger and more lasting Biblical image, I think, is of groups of people of faith, not individuals with power. Certainly, there are individuals who lead, have prominent roles, and are more visible, but even they rely on being with others for strength and courage. While the individual’s heart and mind can be formidable, faith is not a strictly individual business. Jesus stood and knelt alone at times, but he always traveled in a group. The twelve disciples were part of the fabric of his life and the life of the early churches across the region. It’s hard to imagine the spread of Christianity in those without it being a group event.
It is well to rely on good friends who come together, whether for study for worship, or as George Harrison said, to make music (Or anything else, for that matter).
Mark 5
5They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” 20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Who are your friends? How do they strengthen you and you them? Do you study with them? Do they encourage you? How do they persuade you in your faith?
Monday, October 15
meditation on mid-terms #1
Mid term week #1
Long wet grey days are great for growing grass and drinking hot tea by the window during studies. A professor long ago quipped during one of New England’s famous cold, grey and wet periods, “this is why there are no scholars from the south.” What he meant was, there were no distractions to go outside and play—life was all about putting a certain glue on a chair and sitting on it until the work was done.
For those students with ADHD, it probably doesn’t matter if the weather’s nice or not. Jumping from topic to topic will still be the norm, even during intense periods like mid-terms and finals. For those who are studying for midterms, this week is the first major culmination of work, and the first major time of introspection. The question is, “Is this worth it and am I on the right track?”
Those of you who read this who are already out of school still have ebbs and flows on the calendar: times in the schedule that are highly pressurized. Life can seem complex. Pulled in various directions and by various commitments, the question remains the same, “Is this worth it and am I on the right track?”
At out fun day away this past weekend, the concluding piece of fun was to create a personal life line. You can make one of these quite simply by drawing a horizontal line across a page and dividing it into halves and halves again. The line is now divided into even quarters. Place a zero on the left hand end, and your current age on the right, Divide your age by two and put that number in the center of the line, and similarly, put the half that number over the first quarter and add that to that halving number, and put that on the third quarter number. Using these numbers as a guide, place significant events along your life line, both those which seem to add positive or negative value to your spiritual or emotional life.
A sample looks like this for a twenty year old:
0 5 10 15 20
Just give it a try or email/call me for help. What we noticed on Saturday was this: what seemed like isolated events and how we felt about them were generally part of a longer pattern. Life didn’t just get great or terrible overnight. For some of us, it took a long time to get to a certain point.
This is helpful and hopeful information. It’s helpful because by analyzing and looking around at our lives, we learn about ourselves. It’s also helpful to do this as a group exercise—we find people who have similar and divergent patterns from our own, and we get a sense of “yeah, life is like that!” The project is hopeful because we always ask the question, “where did you see God in that?” The notion that God is among us at all times, whether perceived as good or bad, is wonderfully uplifting.
Here’s a Psalm for today:
Psalm 51
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then you will delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
In Hebrew poetry, a second line is often there to modify the first. For example, in vs. 17, The words “broken spirit” are modified by the next line’s “a broken and contrite heart.” This who phrase is about being pliable and seeking God’s presence. It’s not about being busted or broken into pieces. It really goes back to vs. 12—“sustain in me a willing spirit.” Skip the burnt offerings thing, it’s just not done anymore; the idea is to find ways to seek God’s presence in your life.
Use this as a mantra today: “Make me a willing spirit.” Or “Show me a sign I’m on the right track.” Let me or a friend know how it goes.
Long wet grey days are great for growing grass and drinking hot tea by the window during studies. A professor long ago quipped during one of New England’s famous cold, grey and wet periods, “this is why there are no scholars from the south.” What he meant was, there were no distractions to go outside and play—life was all about putting a certain glue on a chair and sitting on it until the work was done.
For those students with ADHD, it probably doesn’t matter if the weather’s nice or not. Jumping from topic to topic will still be the norm, even during intense periods like mid-terms and finals. For those who are studying for midterms, this week is the first major culmination of work, and the first major time of introspection. The question is, “Is this worth it and am I on the right track?”
Those of you who read this who are already out of school still have ebbs and flows on the calendar: times in the schedule that are highly pressurized. Life can seem complex. Pulled in various directions and by various commitments, the question remains the same, “Is this worth it and am I on the right track?”
At out fun day away this past weekend, the concluding piece of fun was to create a personal life line. You can make one of these quite simply by drawing a horizontal line across a page and dividing it into halves and halves again. The line is now divided into even quarters. Place a zero on the left hand end, and your current age on the right, Divide your age by two and put that number in the center of the line, and similarly, put the half that number over the first quarter and add that to that halving number, and put that on the third quarter number. Using these numbers as a guide, place significant events along your life line, both those which seem to add positive or negative value to your spiritual or emotional life.
A sample looks like this for a twenty year old:
0 5 10 15 20
Just give it a try or email/call me for help. What we noticed on Saturday was this: what seemed like isolated events and how we felt about them were generally part of a longer pattern. Life didn’t just get great or terrible overnight. For some of us, it took a long time to get to a certain point.
This is helpful and hopeful information. It’s helpful because by analyzing and looking around at our lives, we learn about ourselves. It’s also helpful to do this as a group exercise—we find people who have similar and divergent patterns from our own, and we get a sense of “yeah, life is like that!” The project is hopeful because we always ask the question, “where did you see God in that?” The notion that God is among us at all times, whether perceived as good or bad, is wonderfully uplifting.
Here’s a Psalm for today:
Psalm 51
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then you will delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
In Hebrew poetry, a second line is often there to modify the first. For example, in vs. 17, The words “broken spirit” are modified by the next line’s “a broken and contrite heart.” This who phrase is about being pliable and seeking God’s presence. It’s not about being busted or broken into pieces. It really goes back to vs. 12—“sustain in me a willing spirit.” Skip the burnt offerings thing, it’s just not done anymore; the idea is to find ways to seek God’s presence in your life.
Use this as a mantra today: “Make me a willing spirit.” Or “Show me a sign I’m on the right track.” Let me or a friend know how it goes.
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