Oxford: The Arrival & Week 1

December 31, 2012

            The Adventure begins! Ryan and I took off from Chicago at 5:50 CST on a loaded 767 plane headed for London Heathrow. The plane trip went really smoothly(except for the landing, which was surprisingly rough and frightful) - I was able to get a good deal of reading done as well as fall asleep for about 4 hours or so. After arriving at Heathrow, Ryan and I were able to navigate to the Oxford Airline Bus Service Station and arrived in Oxford: Gloucester Green by 10:30. We then began our mile and a half (plus) trek up Banbury Street to our temporary lodging at the Adams' Guest House.  We will be here tonight and tomorrow night before we travel to Eynsham to begin Summit Oxford Orientation. The SO orientation will last approximately six days, after which we shall return to the city of spires to become familiar with the layout while settling into our flats(apartments). The Oxford Study Abroad Programme orientation will then begin and continue for  five days. Our official time of tutelage at the University of Oxford begins on January 13th. As the date comes closer and closer, I can not wait to see what the Oxford experience has in store, not only academically, but also culturally and spiritually.

Cheers!

-Sp

~ Colossians 1:9-14

           "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."~

Week in Review 10-21-12

Week 7 Overview

Monday-

            Today was our first "free" Monday in which we didn't have a class trip or any other obligations other than small groups at night. I spent the day "sleeping in" till 10, reading, hanging out, and resting. It was a grand day because for the first time since I came I was able to relax without worrying too much about classes and responsibilities. It was good to finally get a Sabbath.

Tuesday -

            We had a breakfast of hash browns and egg mcmuffins- it was awesome. We then studied Hebrews 4 and 5 before work crews. We chopped down trees for work crews with David. The remainder of the day was spent studying and sleeping. A group went to the Hot Springs, but I stayed back to read.

Wednesday-

            Mike Mandt who is a prominent figure within the Summit community arrived from Florida and lectured us on Christianity within the sciences, and creationism(young earth vs old earth, as well as the creation evolution debate). It was a good change and it was  beautiful noise to my ears to hear him talk about mathematics and science. I really enjoyed his talks. After class in the morning, I was able to go for a 2-mile run and make it down the hill and back up in under 20 minutes-which doesn't sound great, but with the think air(and my less than acclimated lungs) it makes for a hard run.

Thursday-

            After Mr. Mandt finished his time off with us in the morning, we plowed ahead with our study of Hebrews with Dustin. We studied chapter 6- it was really interesting hearing about how Christians around the world interpret it and use it within their theological structure. (It reminded me of the split between Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology). It was a good time of thought provoking teaching as well as conviction within the Word. We finished off the night by watching the 2nd Presidential Debate between President Barack Hussein Obama and Mitt Romney. I thought this debate was much closer and, to my dismay, that Romney didn't fight enough or stand up enough for himself but rather only attacked the President. In the end, I think it was a tossup, unlike the first.

Friday-

            Today was a strange day. Having few hours of lecture this week and a plethora of study time, today was a day where we didn't have anything scheduled besides study time and work crews. I spent the morning completing(and starting) my timeline for Eric Smith's class. (The timeline starts at creation and continues to the time of the early church fathers.) It was a blast doing it with Jonathan, Ryan, Isaac, Gunnar, and Leah(also known as Lesh- long story...). I was glad that I was able to get it done in less than 3 hours. After lunch, I was assigned to lead the weeding work crew. It was a change since no other student has led a crew to date(Idk about years past...). At first, I had Josh, Gunnar, Hannah, and Abby on the crew and it went really well. I was able to still exert authority without seeming like a tyrant.  However, towards the end of the 3 hours of work crews, Jonathan, Ryan, and Leah were sent to help(since they had completed the work necessary for the cleaning crew). From that point on it was crazy and I wasn't able to keep everything cohesive. It's not to say that they didn't do a good job- they did. It just wasn't as systematic as I would have liked it to be. It was a great work crew though, we got a lot done.

Week in Review: 10-15-12

Monday, October 15, 2012

            This past week was perhaps the most stressing week to date. On top of being the most homesick that I have been since I have been here in Pagosa Springs, I got sick for the 2nd half of the week.

            Monday-

            We traveled to the Great Sand Dunes which was located in San Luis Valley, Colorado - about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Snow Wolf Lodge.  It was a rather enjoyable trip. We spent the day hiking the dunes, sand sledding, sand boarding, and playing beach speed volleyball. It reminded me a lot of home and the dunes by lake Michigan. After spending 4 or so hours at the dunes we made a stop at Wal-Mart on the way home for "junk food" and other necessities.

            Tuesday-

            We spent the morning studying before having the weekly family meeting. The family meeting is the time in the week where Dustin goes over the schedule and brings up any issues that need to be recognized and worked on. After a relativity uneventful family meeting we ate a quick lunch before hitting Work Crews. I was on the sanding detail. So, I spent the afternoon coating myself in sawdust- which while it wasn't enjoyable gave us a good sense that we were getting a lot done. We finished touching up the lower 10 feet of the siding so that it can be re-stained in the coming weeks before snow comes for good. Stephen Southerland led our crew and we quite pleased with all of our work- Brittany, Logan, Tia, Sydney, Lacey, and Myself. After work crews, we washed up had dinner. After dinner, all of the men went to the end of Blue Creek Road(about 4 miles of rocky dirt road) to the water front(Idk the name of the river) for a campfire and a joint small group time.  We talked about what it meant to be men- how to lead and be servants. Around 10 pm, the girls who are posing as men went back to the Lodge- luckily for them there were only a few of them. To some of the defense, a few of them were sick, but to the detriment of the others- there were a few who weren't sick. Regardless, after they had left we retired for the evening. Logan, Ryan, and I spent the night in 3 sleeping bags that we had connected. It was a good night, but I got a tad cold at points.

            Wednesday-

            We woke up in a freezing cold tent, rekindled the fire, shot Tony's pistol, the Judge. We spent our solitude time in the wilderness before packing camp and returning to Snow Wolf Lodge. We had Hebrews study with Dustin before lunch, exercise time, and study time. After dinner, Dr. Bauman arrived late due to another airplane delay. We watched "Leap of Faith" which is a movie about a fake traveling evangelist.  After a discussion, we were able to make it to bed by midnight. It was by far the most frustrating nights of class because I was spent from the camping trip and  run earlier and desperately needed sleep.  

            Thursday- Sunday

            We had normal days of 4.5 hours of class each day with Dr. Bauman, exercise time, study time, and three delicious Steven Calabrese meals. As a result of sleep deprivation, I woke up on Thursday with a cold. It was really frustrating in the fact that I have tried hard to eat healthy and not stay up too late at night socializing/studying. (The cold stuck around till the following Tuesday.)  The remainder of the weekend was a really awesome time. This past weekend we had Alumni weekend. During this event, 15 former Summit Semester students make the trek from various parts of the country to hang out with each other, us, and give us advice and encouragement on our current endeavor. It was a great blessing and encouragement to get to know a few of them and hear about their experience and "good times". ;) In addition, they diverted Dr. Bauman's attention in class a few times, which provided me with some time to think as the cold was affecting my focus and drive. By the time(Sunday) for them to leave rolled around, I was sad to see them leave. I was glad they were able to come and hang out with us.  Sunday afternoon I was able to Skype Dad and Mom for a sizable part of the afternoon which was uplifting and much needed. We were able to discuss the future and Summit Oxford. Sunday night we watched the Vice Presidential debate- I thought it was evenly done by both sides, although Ryan maintained his high standing in my mind.

            As a whole it was the most trying week that I have had out here. I missed home and friends back home the most, I was sick for the back half and academic part of the week(which was suuuper frustrating and humbling), and it was capped by late nights with little sleep due to the Alumni's visit. It, however, was a good week.

           

            

Week 5 & 6 Overview

            The past two weeks have been quite busy which is the reason that I wasn't able to update either week. My apologies for those of you who missed those updates.

            Our first group trip(on September 24) was the Ouray, Colorado.  It is a mountain town that is about a three and a half hour drive from Snow Wolf Lodge. We packed the vans around 7:30 and arrived in Durango around 9. We stopped for a coffee run/ breakfast, for those of us who dislike coffee. :) We arrived in Ouray just slightly after 12 and quickly downed our brown bagged lunches before walking the town. Some of you might have been so keen to pick up on the fact that the drive time from SWL(Snow Wolf Lodge) to Ouray took about 4 hours(not counting the half hour stop in Durango). This discrepancy in the time of the trip is due to the Aspen Trees in late-September.  Along the way, we drove through a myriad of beautiful now changing color trees. The bright yellow/orange lit up the mountainside during the majority of our trip. We were able to stop twice to take pictures that didn't fully capture the beauty of the creator's work. (See Facebook for Pictures). We were able to spend roughly three hours in Ouray. We toured the town, ate ice cream, and looked for gifts for those back home. I really enjoyed the scenery and the homely town. Our first trip was a success due to the fact that all of us, the students, were able to decompress from 20+ hours in class the previous week with Bauman. We were able to take our mind off of class, read for pleasure, and gaze at the beautiful landscape for the day.

            Our second group trip(on October 8) was to 'The Great Sand Dunes". When thinking about the Colorado countryside, I generally think of mountains and valleys, but never of sand dunes.  Yet, they are at the foot of a mountain range and are quite large in size. Due to the sandy aspect of the trip, I didn't take my camera- so sadly there will be no pictures of the Great Sand Dunes on Facebook. We were able to spend three hours or so hiking, sledding, sand-boarding, and playing volleyball before heading back "home". It was a great experience to spend the whole day in the car with fellow classmates- getting to know them better and discuss key ideas-, while having a fun time.  While driving back through the pass, Ryan and I(mainly due to Ryan- since he had a gps) were able to discover that we topped 10,600 feet above sea level. To us, "flat landers" from Michigan, it was really neat- for him just because he can bike up the hill and for me just because the road's construction was a feat in itself.

            The past two weeks of academics, as noted earlier, were extremely time consuming, yet fulfilling. The first week( September 25 - 29), Dr. Bauman was back in Pagosa for another week of classes that would prove to result in the discovery of, yet again, more questions that require answers. We began to dive into the questions of "what is love?", "what is a good life and what good is life?", and "what is a good death and what good is death?" While I am fairly certain on my answers to the question regarding life, I have yet to find a practical and reasonable syllogism for the questions regarding death and love. Before this week of classes, I didn't realize just how elementary my views and beliefs regarding death and love really were at their core.  I have an understanding of what it means to love and to be loved, I am just not certain on how to fully express the views I have within a coherent argument(as will be required on the final exam). On the question concerning death on the other hand, I have yet to find a strong basis for what defines a good death. I know why it can be considered good, but a further strengthening of even this view is in the cards.

            The second week( October 2 - 6), we had the opportunity to learn under and be guided in our beliefs with respect to the Scriptures by Eric Smith. I really enjoyed the week of classes with Eric in so many ways. Eric doesn't come at you as much as Dr. Bauman(which is a nice break- and that's not to say that Eric doesn't step on your toes, he certainly does). Instead he helped us comprehend the foundations of the Bible and how the covenant in the Old Testament fits with the covenant made through Jesus Christ. The greatest source of discussion and controversy within the class was the "debate" of how the Mosaic covenant and law fit into the new covenant that Jesus ushered in with his sacrificial death. Ask yourself how you view it- does Scripture(what Jesus said) make sense within your view?

            This past Thursday, we have the opportunity to watch the Presidential Debate. Being the political thought lover that I am, I had a blast taking in what each candidate said(and what they claimed the other candidate said). I really thought firsthand that Mitt Romney did an excellent job at getting the base of his campaign across on the issues of taxation, federal spending, and the deficit. However, I have to concede that current President Barack Obama did a commendable job on making the voter base(at least myself) question what Romney will do should he be elected on the issue of healthcare. While I don't agree by any stretch of the imagination with Obama's policy on healthcare, I did begin to wonder how conservative Romney's policy on healthcare really is in its nature. Is it any better than Obama's? Certainly.

            Another development that occurred in the last two weeks was my acceptance into the Summit Oxford Programme. After a short interview with Program Director Kevin Bywater, I was informed that I had been accepted. For more details on the Oxford application, acceptance, and my decision- whether or not I will attend-  please see Blog Posts entitled "Summit Oxford: ...".

            Dear Lord,

            Thank you for accepting me the way I am and not requiring me to pass a spiritual "physical test" in order to be found in your grace. Your grace still amazes me. Regardless of my heart attitude, my actions, and my desires, you still accept me and call me yours. I love you Lord. Amen.

On the Oxford Decision

            As I have been thinking throughout the week and discussed the idea of attending the Oxford program with various people, a few ideas have come up. Below contains a brief synopsis of what I agree with on the will of God concerning Oxford.

            One of our speakers that spoke to the decision in this manner. "As long as what you will be doing is morally acceptable and you are making disciples in the process(or preparing to make disciples), then it's in the will of God. " This makes perfectly good sense to me in the fact that God doesn't demand us to make the most precise decision. While he does hold his plan for our living in his hand, he allows us to choose what we will do and how we will do it. It also comes down to the fact that we need to be actively doing something, because an object that isn't moving can't be redirected. Another point that was made was that "God's will in our life is to be loved, love others, recognize our gifts and use them to be glorifying to him." I think that through the Oxford program that I will be using my gifts within the academic world to glorify him. I will also have the ability to love those around me while loving him. In this nature, I will be fulfilling God's will in my life.

            Earlier in the semester, Jeff Myers stated that "Our life goal is to create value." In this view, as long as the Oxford program is creating further value in me, then it will be within God's will. While it doesn't relate directly to the Will of God, it does speak to a blanket purpose for human beings, who have trusted their life, fortunes, and honor to Christ Jesus. Since I will be working towards fulfilling my purpose in life, I believe that it is the Will of God for me to attend the Summit Oxford Program.

 

On Being Accepted to Oxford

            As many of you know, over the last year or so I have been contemplating applying to the Summit Oxford Program, preparing to apply for the Summit Oxford Program academically, and in time applying to the Summit Oxford Program. The decision to apply was made with the belief that if God wanted me to attend, I would be accepted.  While applying, various concerns rose in my mind. Some of these include: "As an 18 year-old fresh out of high school, will I be able to live away from family for four plus months across a vast ocean and survive?", "Am I ready academically for the rigorous program?", and "If I do end up going, how will it affect the rest of my schooling(from a scheduling standpoint)?"  Although I have an idea about how these questions can be answered now, I trust that God has the entire situation and experience, should it happen, in his hands.

            Last Sunday, September 30th, I had the opportunity to be part of an interview with the director of the Summit Oxford Program, Kevin Bywater. After talking, I was informed that I had been accepted to the program. Instantly, I thought "Had God spoke by allowing my admission?", or did I "put God to the test" by asking him to show me his will through a choice that was made by humans for human gain? I was torn. I knew it was something that I wanted to be do, something my parents wanted me to do, and my brother wanted me to do, but how could I be sure that it was something that God wanted me to do?

            For me, it has always been a great struggle to make the big decisions in life, often due to being overly reliant upon myself. Often enough, I will make decisions in a flippant manner that shows no regard for what God's will is and purpose may be for me in my current state.  In the current situation,  I am hesitant to pass over the process of making this huge decision about attending the program with the understanding of the apparent "approval" of God. How can I make sure that this is what I, an insignificant recent high-school graduate,  am to do with the next semester of my short life? I know God wants us to push ourselves and put ourselves out of our comfort zones in order that he may be more fully glorified, but often, in my life, I know that "projections" of what I want God to want me to do can become what God wants me to do incorrectly in my own mind. With that said, I am going to take the next week or two to petition God and those who he has put in my life at the current time to more fully understand how we, as Christians, can more fully know the will of God. Please pray for me, should you be reminded of me.

            Dear Lord, Please help and guide the conversations and discussions that I have on this issue within the next weeks to be a help on deciding whether or not I should attend Summit Oxford, You know that it is something that I want to do, but please make your will known. Do so not as a matter of answering my plea, but as a testament of who you are in character. Your will be done. Amen.

Book Review: Week Six

            As I have done previously, this post will entail a brief synopsis of the book that we are currently reading/have read in the most recent weeks.

New Dictionary of Biblical Theology-

            This book is what it sounds like it is. It is a reference for all things Bible-related. It contains articles on the overarching theme(s) within the Bible, as well as individual topics such as: Scripture, Inspiration, and Testing. It also includes an article on each of the biblical authors.

            Thus far, I have really enjoyed reading through the articles that we have been assigned. They have raised numerous questions, an example being- what is the difference between testing and temptation?- and have helped me understand more fully certain aspects of how the biblical canon was compiled.

Church History in Plain Language - Bruce Shelly -- 3rd Edition

            This book has a range from the time of the Christ to the church of today. It does a great job of not losing the details when discussing the early church. We have read through a number of chapters for Dr. Bauman's class on which we have been quizzed. We have read about the "The Age of Jesus and the Apostles" and "The Age of Catholic Christianity". What I have learned the most is that conceptions that I had about the early church, while they may be partially true, were not true in their nature.

 

We begin to read a book called "La Place de la Concorde Suisse" by John McPhee this coming week. This book is about the defense system that is employed in Switzerland. Having not read it, I cannot tell you anything about it. I am really looking forward to reading and discussing the contents of the book.

Week Two Overview

Saturday, September 22, 2012

            This week was filled with great experiences. Monday and Tuesday, Dr. Jeff Myers was here and lecturing us on how to cultivate relationships. He made some amazing points over the course of his 4 lectures. These include: "To grow wise is not to move away from trouble, but to move towards it", "To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society"(Teddy Roosevelt), "You can always do more things than you think you can", "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, kisses from an enemy can be deadly", and "Advice is a dangerous gift, even from a friend to a friend." He was very positive on how we, as a class

            After Dr. Myers left for Manitou Springs, Colorado on Wednesday morning, we hiked part of the national forest that is around Snow Wolf Lodge. The three and half mile hike was absolutely amazing. We saw some amazing sights(see pictures on Facebook).  Tony(the Maintenance/ Guide) and David(the Property Manager) led the hike, so we didn't have the opportunity to get lost.(Darn!) The incline up the mountain was tolling- by the end of the day, I was sore all over. By 10:45, we reached the cross(that had been placed on top of the mountain-ish hill) by the first Summit Semester group. Then we had the awesome experience of literally running down the mountain- you should all try it sometime. Isaac, Matthew, and I took off in front of the rest of the group.  In retrospect, I probably should have worn sunscreen instead of merely thinking that I would be alright. My face ended up severely sunburned. Whoops! :P

            Dr. Bauman arrived late Wednesday night. Being the most anticipated part of the week, we were all super scared, nervous, excited, and serious when he arrived. The first week of classes under Bauman was definitely a lot different than I anticipated. Coming into the week, I thought that the majority of the class time would be Bauman grilling us over our beliefs on various subjects. However, this first week of classes was quite different.  There was a great deal of teaching within class time. I would say about 2/3 of the time in the classroom was dedicated to him teaching us about the history of the church, political theory(which I LOVED), and English literature. Now, the other 1/3 of class time was strictly speaking a time of interrogation. It has been a learning experience thus far, but I am really excited for the remainder of the semester- Its going to be amazing to see how his tutelage will change my thoughts and thought processes. I foresee his teaching style having an immense effect on me.

            Throughout the semester, Dr. Bauman has promised us that we will be studying  four questions(among others in depth). These questions are "What's a good life, and what good is life?", "What's a good death, and what good is death?", "What's a good love, and what good is love?", and "What's a Human Being?" These questions are excellent in nature. I cannot wait to see how we discuss and persuade each other over the semester.
            One of the main thoughts that I took away from the first night of class was that "most of what happens inside a human mind is not thought. Most people will not think a thought(their brains are active, just not with thought, but with conversation, etc).  We must stop parenting but thinking." While I thought that a majority of people don't think often, it was interesting to hear him claim that the majority of people don't think at all. Thinking about that is quite scary. Do you think?

            Secondly, I re-learned that an "education is not what you are given it is what you get." We must work to attain the knowledge and wisdom like those who have come before us have done. It is not merely going to be the result of mindless schooling. Going through the motions of learning is not learning. As Dr. Myers would say, Wisdom is not gained by merely doing, but doing and acting well and hitting difficulties hard- instead of going with the flow. Are you actively pursuing wisdom and an education or are you letting the system tell you what to do with your mind?

            Work crews this week consisted of trench digging and sanding. I had been on the trench crew three times out of three times come Friday, so I was over joyed when I was put on the sanding crew. We had been digging ditches in order to keep the rain from washing out the driveway and from eroding the ground. Sanding, to me, was so much more enjoyable. We are sanding the old stain off of Echo Canyon- the girls' dorm and the classroom. We likely won't complete it before winter hits, as most locals have been saying that we will have an early and rough winter. Some say we will have snowfall as early as the first week of October.

            The question of the week is: Can you die a good death if you haven't lived a good life? (what is a good death?)

Thank you Lord for keeping me safe this week and for sustaining me when I felt down and out.

 

Week One Overview

Monday September 9th

            Wow. One week in to my experience at Summit Semester, I have come to live a remarkably different lifestyle than I am normally accustomed to living. The normal schedule of my days(Tuesday through Saturday) are as follows:

6:00 - 7:30       -- Rise, Shower, Devotions, and Reading Time

8:00 - 8:30       -- Breakfast

9:00 - 12:00     -- Class (Under the tutelage of the visiting scholar, which varies by week)

12:15 - 12:45   -- Lunch

1:30 - 4:30       -- M-W-Th-S -- Sports Time/Free Time/Study Time

                        -- T-F              -- Work Crews

5:00 - 5:30       -- Dinner

7:00 - 9:00       -- Class (Again, under the tutelage of the visiting scholar)

9:00 -               -- Free Time/Study Time

On Sundays:

8:15-9:00         -- Breakfast/Pack Lunch

9:15                 -- Leave for Church

10:00 - 12:00   --Church at Grace(EV-Free) Church in Pagosa

12:15 - 4:30     -- Lunch/Internet/Sports Time/Shopping Time in Pagosa Springs

5:30                 -- Dinner at Snow Wolf Lodge

7:00 - 10:00     -- Movie Night

Mondays are generally our "Saturday" in the fact that we are able to lounge without having to do much hard work. While these days are for the most part open, we will on occasion have group trips to various locations(More on those later). Suffice it to say that Monday is our most lax day when it comes to tasks we must complete.

With this basic knowledge of what my schedule has looked like for the past week, and what it will look like for the coming 11 weeks, I can now explain some of the nuances of it.

Work Crews - This time is set apart twice a week by the staff of Snow Wolf Lodge for maintenance work-such as digging ditches, staining log siding, painting, and random tasks(To date, I have worked on running electrical lines-Not live, don't worry Dad- and plumbing). We also do a variety of weekly chores, such as cleaning the duplex(where the guest speakers stay while teaching), deep cleaning the kitchen, and general cleanup inside both lodges(Echo Canyon and Snow Wolf Lodge).

Movie Night - While this activity is optional, the purpose of the watching a movie is not merely to keep us sane while in the middle of nowhere without a great deal of modern conveniences(ahhem- internet) and cell phone service. While it is nice to see a form of entertainment on a weekly basis, the main purpose of watching a movie is to critically engage in the messages received from the film. After the movie, there is a discussion that takes place for 30-45 minutes.

Throughout the semester, we will have a variety of professors from all over the country travel to Pagosa Springs to teach us for the week. Generally, they will arrive Monday, teach Tuesday through Saturday, and then fly out/drive back the following Sunday.

This past week we were honored and blessed to have Eric Smith come out and invest his time our learning experience. This was the first of two weeks that Eric will be with us in Pagosa. His insight into the scriptures as well as prompting questions served as a great reminder and source of new insight into the areas of my faith and worldview that I need to study more in depth(or need to start studying in a few cases). While I can't fully disclose what occurred during the week, you should know that there was a great deal of reading assigned- somewhere along the lines of 4 books of the bible with numerous articles(and these aren't short articles) on the side. The biggest thing that I took out of the first week of Eric's teaching is that often we can elevate the Bible in our minds to the point that it becomes a god. Often times, the act of reading our Bibles takes precedence over truly living out the gospel or growing further in a different area. Don't take what I say out and distort it. This isn't to say that the reading of the Bible isn't worthwhile, or shouldn't be done on a  regular basis- it should. I just see it as a problem when an individual is putting the reading of the Bible over praying, or helping those around them the true spirit of Christ likeness.

A second point that I found very convicting that Eric made was the this: "We as Christians should know what we are for, not only what we are against." I found it convicting primarily because I enjoy shooting holes in others arguments. I need to know the weaknesses and strengths of Christianity, not only the weaknesses of conflicting worldviews.

In closing, the most exciting thing that has occurred this week would be the sightings, activities, and unwanted visits made to us on numerous occasions by bears. We first saw a bear the second night I was here. The baby cub was up on the porch looking for food before Josh, Gunnar, and I scared it off. It proceeded to come back 2 more that night before finally leaving the premises. This past Sunday however, the situation got a whole lot worse. When we returned to the lodge from church, we discovered that the bear had gotten in through an errantly open window. It made a huge(but luckily not too huge) mess of the kitchen and left two "presents" for us on the floor. Since then we have seen it numerous times attempting to get back into the kitchen via the back door. While at first it was scared off by human voices, it now will not leave until rocks are thrown in its direction. The Rangers have been out today to take care of that matter, so it will likely be resolved in due time. However, the cub that we once thought was an orphan has now brought his mother back with him to the lodge, which is even greater cause for concern. Please be praying for safety and for the situation to be taken care of in a timely manner.

Thank you Lord for a good first week of immersion. Please help me to grow more like you daily and to seek after the things that you would have me seek. Thank you for the protection thus far, and for the great friends I am making, please bless this coming week. Thank you for Dr. Bauman and for his willingness to be your tool in equipping the next generation of Christians with indispensible tact.

 

Book Review: Week One

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

            This first week of reading has been a hard week of reading, as it should have been. After completing orientation on Wednesday of last week, we were given the assignment of reading C.S. Lewis' An Experiment in Criticism and Dr. Jeff Myers' Cultivate. As the week ensued, we were given various assignments from Eric Smith. This blog post will vary from my other entries in that it will primarily concern the books and articles that we have read, instead of the various activities and updates.

            An Experiment in Criticism was by far one the hardest reads that I have had within recent times. I cannot remember a book, which I have read, that was written with a harder lexicon. As I read the book over the period of 4-5 days, I had to re-read a number(about 4) of chapters in order to ensure that I understood what Lewis was saying within the text. Having never had to re-read much of anything, this was a very humbling experience and it put a proper perspective on what I need to work on over the coming months and years. I would greatly recommend this book to be put on your reading list, even though it may be a bit hard to understand at points.

            Cultivate is a book that has been set up as a reference book for mentors and mentors-to-be. It discusses what my generation lacks and desires within mature relationships. It caused me to think about how I can affect those around me(here and when I return home to Michigan) in a more full and godly way. While I have been attempting to help others, I feel like this book has helped clarify what I can do and how to do it in a better manner. Its organization makes it an excellent resource for youth leaders, adults, and anyone who plans to mentor within the near future.

            The Books of the Bible NIV: Covenant History and The Books of the Bible: New Testament ,both of which are printed by Biblica, are the bible written without the chapter and verses so as to encourage longer reading and greater understanding with the full story in mind. I have found reading the Bible in such a way very helpful as I am not caught up in how many chapters I have read or how far I need to go, it keeps my interest peaked. I would highly recommend that you buy a copy of each(I think it's a set of three books for the whole Bible) for your library/home.

First Sunday in Pagosa

Today was our first experience at the Grace Church in Pagosa. I really enjoyed the service and the welcome of the pastoral staff as well as the congregation. While it's not BCBC, I really do like how the church is set up and the genuineness of those who were in attendance. The remainder of the day was spent playing volleyball, speed, Frisbee, and walking around Pagosa with Steven and Isaac. It has been so cool interacting with people of various upbringings and to see how they respond to conflict, awkward situations, and the depth of small group study time. I was able to continue reading C.S. Lewis' book entitled "An Experiment in Criticism". I am not going to lie, it has been one of the most difficult reads that I can remember. The almost foreign version of the English language that Lewis uses makes comprehension dramatically hard. I can't remember the last time I have had to re-read almost the entire chapter because I was not fully focused on what I was actually reading. Dustin has said that it is going to be one of the hardest reads that we will have to complete over the duration of S2, but I hope that the challenge of reading it does not start of a chain reaction within my confidence that goes downhill. At this point, that would be my biggest fear.

 

            Thank you Lord for the opportunity and time that I have to be at Summit Semester. Please help me within the study to rely on you and your strength...it's a new thing for me that I really need to work on. Please help me to know when to share such fear and  ask for help in keeping my eyes on you, and not rely on my own strength.

Arriving: Anything But Easy

            Friday was an adventure to say the least. After getting up around 3 am and having gone to bed the night before around 11:30, I was glad that I would be getting to Durango before 1pm. I hoped that I would be able to nap/rest from the time I arrived until orientation started(at 5). Unfortunately, my plans for the day were drastically changed in Chicago. After getting to O'Hare by 5 am CST, I had about a three hour layover before my flight was scheduled to leave at 7:59 am. However, after boarding the plane and seemingly being ready to embark for Denver, we were notified that the plane needed maintenance, which would result in half hour delay. From this point onward, my flying experience for the day only went downhill.  Following the first delay we were again told that we would be delayed for another hour. At this point, many of the passengers began to disembark the plane to return to the terminal. However, since I was naive of such complications that arise at O'Hare, remained on the plane hoping that we would be able to leave after the end of the hour. Not twenty minutes later we were told to gather our carry-on baggage and other belongings and return to the terminal so that when the maintenance was complete that we could board in an orderly fashion. Needless to say the plane was never deemed fit to fly and the flight was cancelled 25-30 minutes later due to continued complications. (Come to find out, the "necessary maintenance" was really a broken door. The door between the cabin and the flight deck would not lock properly, thus we were not cleared to leave the airport.) After finally having my worst fear concerning the flight realized, I let dad know what was up to see if he could figure out anything on his end. I was able to discover that the two flights to Denver that left within 2 hours of my flight's cancellation were totally booked with massive waiting lists. Thankfully, dad was able to rebook me on a flight to Colorado Springs at noon. At this point, I wasn't particularly glad that I would be stuck at airports all day, but I was glad that I was able to get a seat to the springs within two hours of the cancellation. Due to the fact that some 150-200 people were trying to get to Denver, I count it a small miracle that I was able to get a seat(the last one) to the springs so quickly. The remainder of my day was spent in airports. I had a 45 minute layover in Colorado Springs and then a 15 minute flight to Denver before waiting nearly 4 hours in Denver before my 45 minute flight to Durango.  I arrived in Durango at around 9pm, only 8-9 hours after originally planned.

            Although my day did not go as planned, I do think there was a divine message behind the madness that happened as a result of the cancelled flight. First of all, I believe God wanted to slow me down, to be patient with those around me, and to make the most of my time. Sometimes I can get so caught up in the daily hubbub of life that I often overlook the fact that we really shouldn't be solely driven to complete our tasks. We should not be so focused on the task at hand that we totally dismiss those who are with us as we strive to complete those tasks. It's not that we shouldn't be focused on the task-we should-, but we should be always looking to do a work in another's life that could have eternal consequence.

            Secondly, I feel like God was telling me(and in a sense helping me) take a step back from the big picture to more fully grasp our world. An example would be just watching various members of the masses as they conduct themselves. To really start to glean from their actions what's important to them and what makes them go. In all of the "people watching", I noticed that the vast majority of people were really complacent and not really looking to change the culture around them. What I took away from this time was that while I have been really striving to stand up within my youth group and within political issues, I have not been doing nearly enough on the personal level within my daily life/business. 

            After arriving in Durango, I was luckily able to retrieve my baggage as well as connect with the Summit liaison who had driven to pick up the three of us who had been delay due to various reasons. The ride from the airport to Snow Wolf Lodge lasted roughly 95 minutes, as we got turned around a few times on the way home. ;) I gladly ate up the remnants of lasagna that had been for dinner, quickly unpacked, and found my bed by midnight. All in all it was a really stressful, and trying time to kick off what will likely be the three most influential months of my life within the areas of theology, philosophy, and thought formation. I definitely did not see the beginning of this journey starting off in the manner that it did, but God saw better. Praise be unto Him.

A Blog for a New Season.

Welcome!

                Over the next few months, I will be posting about the happenings and experiences that I will be blessed to be a part of while studying  in the middle of the Colorado wilderness.  I hope to be an encouragement to you, but also I hope to give you an insight into what I'm doing while secluded from the rest of the world and many of the "conveniences" that is has to offer.

                For those of you who are not familiar with Summit Semester, I will briefly take a moment to explain the program that I will be attending. Summit Semester is a three-month long worldview intensive that takes place in Snow Wolf Lodge in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The term lasts 12 weeks, running from September to early December. Typically, the students range in age from 18-22, ranging from "fresh" high school graduates to those who have accomplished a significant amount of college work. It is a time to learn how to think critically, and to formulate one's beliefs on a variety of issues while in a close knit community of Christian scholars.

                 As I prepare to leave on Friday, I would like to ask you to pray for safe travels and for the first week of orientation to go well as we become acclimated to the environment, schedule, and work load of the Summit Semester experience.

Peace,
Samuel Prahlow