november 23: update.

 

Well friends, SPU's campus has announced a complete closure for tomorrow.  This means we will not be meeting for Chapel in the morning!  Hopefully we will get to share what we have prepared for you at a later time--it was pretty spectacular.

Stay warm and enjoy the snow!

please meet...chelsea.

Full Name: Chelsea Anne Kerr

Hometown: Tustin, California

Year: Junior

Major:  Organ Performance/Business minor
 
Book you are currently reading:
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis


Album you have on repeat:  Sara Bareilles Kaleidoscope Heart

Passions: kids, community, and joy

Fun fact:  Chelsea has been a certified scuba diver for the past four years!  Past dives had her rubbing elbows with sharks, dolphins, sea lions, abandoned ships, and super colorful fish.
    

The sassy and charming Chelsea.

exhale: autumn quarter.

Event: Exhale

Snapshot:  a chance to reflect, worship, and create things using good art supplies (paint, pencils, cardboard, paper, yarn, wood panels and more), while being serenaded by SPU's very own String Quartet.  

When:  Tuesday, November 23, 8:30pm-10:00pm

Where:  Art Center

Contact:  Lingua

november 23.

Text:  Genesis 39:1-50:26

Speaker:  Priscilla Pope-Levison, Professor of Theology and Assistant Director of Women's Studies at SPU.

Find out more details about Dr. Pope-Levison's publications here.  


Big picture:  Combining a reflection on the life of Joseph with stories of thanksgiving from various members of the SPU community.  The story of Joseph reminds is that even in the worst life situations, redemption can be found.  God does not create the evil, but God's story of salvation can encompass and re-frame it. 

theology of brokenness

Here is the text used as spoken word this week in chapel:

"...A lot people blame a lot of things on Satan.
It's easy to deal with the reality of the fact that Satan is against you and all that stuff, and he's your problem.
But there's a whole other category and issue to let sink into you, when it's not Satan who's your problem, but God who's your problem.

Listen, if you're going to walk in the implications of the gospel then you're going to have to be marrried to the principle of brokenness.

Brokenness is the mark of a person that is qualified to be used by God.
At the end of the day people that are actually being used by God in a crazy way- in an off the meter way, are people that have been cracked up, who have been lunged at by God, and God has done something to them. Broken can mean:

Shattered,
Crushed,
Maimed,
Devoid of arrogance,
Wounded,
Contrite,
Injured,
Smashed,
Grieved,
Anxious,
Distressed,
Crippled,
Wrecked,
Demolished,
Fractured,
Handicapped,
Disabled.

Brokenness, based on the scriptures: The spiritual state by which one is disarmed of one's self-dependence and pride, therefore leaving one disabled and in desperate need of help, thereby making one a viable conduit for the glory of Christ.

We're not massochists, but we do kinda have a theology of brokenness."

Make sure to check out the original recording artist and author of this poetry, The Ambassador.

please meet...lyndsay.

Full Name: Lyndsay Taylor Field


Hometown: Canby, Oregon

Year: Sophomore

Major:  Political Science/Creative Writing

Book you are currently reading:
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens


Album you have on repeat:  Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz
 

Passions: mostly books.

Fun fact: has shown sheep competitively AND her two front teeth aren't real (she's just a fun fact kinda girl).

Hi lovely Lyndsay.

judah and tamar.

Last week's post of various artistic renditions of Jacob wrestling God seemed to provoke a lot of interest, so here are some paintings of this week's narrative: the strange union of Tamar and her father-in-law Judah.  Again--is there one that especially resonates with you? 

house of prayer.

Event:  SPU's House of Prayer

Snapshot: prayer, worship, meditation.  The House of Prayer is a place to meet personally with the Lord, worship together, and pray for the campus, the city, and the world. It is open for students to come and go as they please, with two-hour sets focused on either intercessory prayer or Scripture meditation.

When:  EVERY Thursday from 6-8 pm

Where:  Theology Graduate House (303 W. Dravus)

Contact:  Mark from relinquish for more info!

november 16.

Text:  Genesis 37:1-38:30

Speaker:  Dr. Stephen Michael Newby, director of the Office of University Ministries and the Center for Worship and SPU's Gospel Choir and Worship Arts Ensemble.

(fun fact:  Dr. Newby majored as a performance major on the flute for his undergraduate degree at Madonna College). 

Big picture:  The narrative of Judah and Tamar is strangely set into the beginning of the Joseph story.  But these two incidents share a common message: that God's plan for this family and nation will move forward, even if by strange (even profane) means.  Through the abuse and enslavement of Joseph, the nation will be saved.  Through the abuse and deception of Judah and Tamar, the line will continue.  And we learn that God may redeem methods and people that we once considered out-of-bounds. 

please meet...luke.

Full Name: Luke Christopher Clum

Hometown:  Port Townsend, WA

Year:  Senior

Major:  Theology

Book you are currently reading: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky



 
Album you have on repeat:  Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz

Passionate about: brie and feta cheese


Fun fact: loves the smell of laundry sheets

Luke working it.

your name will no longer be jacob.

Some interpretations by various painters of the scene of Jacob wrestling the angel of the Lord.  Which one resonates with you the most?

november 9.

Text:  Genesis 25:1-36:42

Speaker:  Dr. Richard Allen Farmer, one of those amazing jack-of-all trades.  He has experience as a pastor, a pianist, and a college chaplain.

(Also, according to his bio, he is a certified scuba diver, a motorcyclist, a Segway rider and an instrument-rated airplane pilot.  Wow).

For more info on Dr. Farmer, check out his web site or his blog.

Big picture:  After Abraham and his family are chosen to be God's agents in the world, the rest of Genesis tells the story of this family and their development into a nation.  They are an imperfect, struggling people, both successful and unsuccessful in their mission to be a blessing.  After a particular episode of wrestling with God, Jacob's name is changed to "Israel"--the identity of this people is decided. 

chapel family dinner.

Normally we use the blog to post updates and links...but here we just wanted to share a few pictures from one of our family dinners as a team (minus Josh the bass player and Bob the adviser). 

We really like each other.

And we really like you!  Hope we can hang out with you on Tuesday mornings.

 

 

Yum.

Happy weekend!

november 2: update.

President Eaton won't be able to join us after all this week, so instead, we present to you...

Bob Zurinsky!

And he will have really good things to say.  The man is wise.

Five words: Blessed to be a blessing.

november 2.

Text:  Genesis 12:1-24:67 (but we're really going to be focusing on chapter 12 this week)

Speaker: The man himself...Dr. Phil Eaton, president of Seattle Pacific University. 

Big picture:  In the covenant with Abraham and Sarah we find God's new plan for the redemption of the world.  Instead of destroying what has been ruined, God chooses one family out of all the people that "all the nations on earth will be blessed" through them.  The choosing of this one nation is intended as the means for healing the world. 

(It was hard to pick just one picture of President Eaton...look at all the great photos of him here.  What a happy man).