LifeStation

A story…

There was once a lifestation in the Pacific Northwest that was renown for saving lives.  They were the fastest to the drownee and best at retrieving the person from the ocean.  Their success was well known and they soon were honored by many members of the community.  There were appreciation dinners, visits from the mayor, and so on and so forth.  

However, while they were busy having these banquets and receiving these guests they lost focus on the sea.  So as they were huddled in their lifestation many were lost at sea.  

This has been the fate of many churches and Christians today.  Rather than focusing on the mission that God had put before us to proclaim His Kingdom from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth we get stuck at home, within the walls of the church doing “church”.  

Let’s keep focused.

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N.T. Wright’s Paul: in Fresh Perspective

N.T. Wright offers up categories about Paul’s thought that help the reader and everyday Christian to understand how paramount Christ is in the panoramic of history, society, polity, etc.  Part I resolves certain themes which Wright sees as forefront in Paul’s writings, namely, Creation and Covenant, Messiah and Apocalyptic, and Gospel and Empire.  It is from these categories and platforms that Paul restores an appropriate view of Christ and His Kingdom.

One key term that Wright correctly redefines away from the time-bound presuppositions found latent within differing theologies is the “righteousness of God”.  Wright comments,

“The problem of how to translate this phrase is acute already in Isaiah and elsewhere, as it is in Paul.  Somehow we need a word which will pull together this entire complex of thought, which will evoke for us what the Hebrew phrase, and then its Greek equivalent (dikaiosyne theou), evoked in Paul’s day as it had done for a long time before: the fact that the creator and covenant God can be relied upon to act in accordance with his creating power and his covenant fidelity, to put the world to rights.  How can all this be summed up in a word?” (Wright, 25)

Many times this phrase automatically evokes certain schools of thought concerning imputation and ethical or moral standard.  Wright sees this as largely missing the point.  For a slogan such as this to be given such minute attention and prowess would be unjust.  Wright frames this idea within the larger context of creation and covenant and understands it to be an attribute that God holds within himself, but that affects his creation.  It is a character that leads to a resolve within the Godhead to restore things as they were once intended.  Other terms that might satisfy are the “justice of God” or “covenant faithfulness” of God.

These terms and this understanding are beneficial in that it steers away from a narrow perspective of Paul’s usage of the “righteousness of God” and places it in grander standing as it entails not only the singular effect of one soul, but the grand narrative of God’s plan and attitude towards all of creation.

week8-wednesday class reflection

Today’s class was about nationalism and our identity as Kingdom people.  Much that was interesting was said, but I especially appreciated what one of our sisters said when she told us to be sensitive when approaching the issue.  America for us is a tangible home and for us to go around telling other people to treat it as anything else is alarming.  There is a deep afinity even with those who think America sucks.  Its funny…kinda like I can make fun of Korean or Asian people, but if anyone else were to do so (non-Asian) I would get pretty upset.  There just needs to be some tact in approaching people.

week8-monday class reflection

What struck me today in class was the idea that hospitality is a core value of the Kingdom.  I always thought hospitality was something that the South was known for.  I categorized it along with smiling, firm handshakes, etc…  I just can’t find it that prominent within Biblical texts unless it is another way of fulfilling the divine mandate to welcome the foreigner and caring for the widow.

week7-classmate reflectino-brianna diaz wk 7 crimes and punishment

The bush-ranger is an interesting concept because it reminds me of Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.  Brianna had mentioned at the end of her blog that many criminals were victims, but I would like to reserve room for some of these criminals, particularly the bush-rangers as products of a rebellious voice that sought to overthrow the oppression of the power.  It is in the spirit of the underclass that stories such as Robin Hood come out and in the spirit of the under that craves the gospel of a God who comes down to live among the under.

week7-rivera-God at the crossroads (PBR)

There is an interesting take of Sophia as being a figure who has no clear definitions.  She is almost foreign, but not.  It is in this crossroads of self-identity and position that she is a full emobiment of God’s ministry and proclamation in that she is neither empire nor colony.

week7-huie-jolly-maori “jews” (PBR)

What was notable about the maori was that when they felt the oppression from Christian institutions and missionaries as their land was being taken away one would have expected a complete dismissal of the religion that came with such an oppressive force.  However, instead of dismissing the religion that recast themselves into another narrative, that of the Israeties in Egypt, and saw themselves as suffering righteous ones.

week7-fuellenbach-ch.6 models of the church

One of the more interesting and notable points in this chapter was the understanding that the church was a community of disciples.  “Duh”, is probably what you’re thinking, but the novelty lies in the realization that the church is not the end of what God had planned.  The church rather is in the process of being like Jesus and thus should be flexible to change and not so set on a structure or particular model.

FGYM TEACHERS-BATTLEDAYZ

Schedule

10:30pm-Movie & Snacks(Ratatouille)1:00am-Lights Out5:00am-Teachers’ Prayer Meeting7:00am-WakeUp & Worship7:30am-Breakfast9:00am-Depart for Huntington Beach10:00am-Arrival/Introductions/Team break up and body-painting11:00am-Begin Battledayz (Part I)·         Untangling Race·         Tied-Volleyball Tourney12:30pm-Lunch and Intermission1:30pm-Battledayz (Part II)·         Sandcastle Competition·         Beachart·         Final Relay Race1^st Leg: Spoon-EggRun2^nd Leg: Fill Water Run3^rd Leg: Water Balloon4^th Leg: Hole Digging5^th Leg: Log Roll6^th Leg: Group Ocean Jump3:30pm-Bonfire/BBQ/Warmup5:00pm-Awards/Smores5:30pm-Worship7:00pm-Depart for FGLA   

Roster

1.       Esther (Cho/Lim?)2.       Jane ???3.       Michelle Cho4.       Kangbin Lee5.       Sebastian6.       Nick Park7.       Alex Kim8.       Philip Hazelton9.       Pedro Chang10.    Daniel ???11.    Alex Kang12.    Robin Choi13.    Jin Bae14.    Sooyeon Noh15.    Diana Kim16.    Grace Song17.    Jonathan Lee18.    Eunice Suh19.    Ivy Chi +120.    Jenny Park21.    Jessica Yoon22.    Erica23.    Deborah Shuh24.    Sarah Kim?25.    Frances Kim26.    Andrew ???Teachers:1.       Andrew Kim2.       Vicky Chung3.       Frances Park4.       Julia Cho5.       Benjamin Lee6.       Jin Bae7.       Jessie Lee8.       Charlson So9.       Sam Pyo10.    Clara Chang11.    Becky Lee12.    Audrey YunCooks: Helen Sun and David Ban 

Needed (for students)

1.       Bible2.       Toiletries3.       Beach Towel4.       No White Shirts5.       Sleeping Bag6.       Extra Clothes (will get wet)

Logistics

Untangling Race:·         Groups will have hands together and try to come untangled as fast as they can·         Will be timed against each other all togetherTied-Volleyball Tourney:·         Volleyball Tournament with students tied to each other by the waste·         No round-robin·         Best of three sets (rally points)Sandcastle Competition:·         Near the waterfront·         A timed competition·         Height, surface area, and detail will be held in considerationBeachart:·         A piece of art in the sand ·         Timed competition·         Graded upon overall work and team cooperationFINAL RELAY RACESpoon-Egg:

·         Egg in Spoon, Spoon in month, 50 yd dash

Fill-Water race:

·         Racer must fill buckets of water up to a certain point

·         Buckets will be set 15 yds from the water

·         Must use cupped hands to fill the buckets

Water Balloon???

·         I forgot what this was

Hole Digging:

·         Racer must dig hole

·         Teacher with measure will judge if the hole is deep enough

Log Roll:

·         Race will do a log roll for 25 yds

Ocean Jump:

·         While holding hands the team will run to the ocean and jump in

Breakfast:

·         Teachers: Vicky Chung, Benjamin Lee, Jessie Lee, and Clara Chang

·         Breakfast Burritos and Juices

Morning Worship:

·         Becky Lee lead worship

·         Julia Cho, Sam Pyo, Charlson So, Audrey Yun and Jin Bae attend worship

Drivers:

·         Benjamin Lee, Jessie Lee, and Vicky Chung

·         Andrew Kim and Frances Park will go ahead to reserve spot, order Pizzas, Buy Firewood, and Set up Tiki Torches

week7-wednesday class reflection

I remember taking a class on the Gospel of John and seeing this upheaval or replacement practice that Jesus uses in such acts as the production of wine and the meeting of the Samaritan woman at the well. The professor had made the point that Jesus was using Jewish rituals and markers, bringing them to fruition in himself, but doing so in manners that were not so “kosher”.  This allowed for the Kingdom to be opened to all.