The Flowing Light of the Godhead was written around 1269, Mechthild of Magdeburg (approx 1210-1280) after her confessor "urged her to write done an account of her vissions and reflections. Mechthild was raised in a noble family but left that life to join a Beguine Community. The main point, I think, that Mechthild was trying to get across was share her "her ideal of leaders who would be truly the servants of those thy led." In regard to the question posed for Christianity at this time "Being a Christian can't be that easy, can it?", Mechthild shows through her writing that being a good Christian, in her mind, is anything but easy. Throughout the excerpt, she emphasizes the importance of putting others before oneself and examining oneself instead of just being sitting around doing nothing and not recognize our sin and need for forgiveness.
The Flowing Light of the Godhead was written around 1269, Mechthild of Magdeburg (approx 1210-1280) after her confessor "urged her to write done an account of her vissions and reflections. Mechthild was raised in a noble family but left that life to join a Beguine Community. The main point, I think, that Mechthild was trying to get across was share her "her ideal of leaders who would be truly the servants of those thy led." In regard to the question posed for Christianity at this time "Being a Christian can't be that easy, can it?", Mechthild shows through her writing that being a good Christian, in her mind, is anything but easy. Throughout the excerpt, she emphasizes the importance of putting others before oneself and examining oneself instead of just being sitting around doing nothing and not recognize our sin and need for forgiveness.
For my first honors blog of this semester, I chose to write about the Martyrdom of Perpetua because I've always had a great deal of respect and admiration for martyrs and because I thought I had to write about both readings, before I read all the directions, and I started on this one first. Perpetua's Martyrdom took place in the year 203 AD in North Africa. The writing of the account of her imprisonment, torture and subsequent death may have been done by Tertullian, not long after her death. Perpetua's personal account of her imprisonment is also included. Interestingly, the background information preceding the actual account mentions that Romans were not overly eager to kill Christians and were more than willing to let the Christian go, granted they provide a sacrifice for the Emperor, which helps to show the resolve and strong faith of many Christians when they opted out of the easy way. Perpetua undoubtedly felt it was important to be a Christian, had she not, she would not have endured the physical pain and suffering she endured, and most likely would have taken the opportunity to make a sacrifice to the Emperor and be freed. She must also have felt it somewhat important to be public about her faith, if she hadn't, it is doubtful that she would have been arrested for that faith.
The only real mention of the Christian community interacting with Perpetua and imprisoned companions was when the two Deacons, Tertius and Pomponius, bribed the guards to let the Perpetua and her fellow imprisoned Christians to move a better part of the prison for while, in an effort to take care of them. From this example, descriptions of interaction between Perpetua and her imprisoned brothers and sister in Christ, and from prior knowledge of early Christians, the primary role of the Christian community at large was providing care and encouragement.
As a Christian today, especially one living America, I don't have to worry much about being thrown into prison, tortured, and finally killed before an audience because of my faith. I do, however face the very real possibility, of ridicule, and not so much because of what I believe and have faith in, but more because of how I go about showing that. But although the persecution it self and reasons for it are different for us now, the role of the Christian community has remained much the same. We should always keep our fellow Christians in our prayers, when we see our brother or sister being ridiculed, we too should go and show our support for them and even take part in the suffering for Christ, and when our fellow Christians are going through times of trial and tribulation, we should over our support, encouragement, and again, keep them in our prayers.
Plans for Kool Klub
One of the things I have mentioned in talking about my project, on more than one occasion, is the fact that I have such great and somewhat unique opportunity to play a Key role in determining what directioin Kool Klub goes. One small thing I had already thought about doing was, keeping an attendance sheet for all the kids. Although it may seem like something small it can be used for than just making sure certain people show up. We can use it to keep track of all the kids who are showing up and how often they are showing up, and it will be easier to know if kids are not showing up for periods of time and then we can try and follow up with them and find out why. We can also more easliy see which kids are comming on a consistent basis and follow up them too and find out why it is that they keep comming. Speaking of following up reminds me of another thing I am planning on doing, home visits. It will one, show the children that I do care about them, enough infact, to come see them at their house. It will also give me a better opportunity to get to know the children and their families and their living situations and make connections between how their living enviroment is and effects it maybe having on their lives. I also would really like to expand Kool Klub to more than once a week and hopefully opening it up also to older youth and possibly having days set aside for just tutoring for the children/youth that will be attending. So those are a few of my ideas, just figure I could share those with you.
Well this project so far has not been what I expected. But saying that I guess I don't really know what I expected. Admitadly I assumed it would go smoother, I kinda just figured I would be able to plug into LINC Twin Cities, just like I could with LINC North Texas at home, but boy was I wrong. I came to discover that LINC TC was much newer than LINC in Dallas and that they didn't have any specific intership postions which posed a bit of a problem considering that I hadn't really looked into alot of other organizations. But as I was trying to figure out what other organizations were availible to work with, Kool Klub just kind of "fell into my lap". Working with Kool Klub was just about exactly what I wanted to do (except I would prefer workin with older youth, but thats it). It gave me an opportunity to work with inner-city youth, develope one on one relationships with them, and really have a positive impact on their lives. Something in particular I was excited about with Kool Klub was the flexibility with what I get to be doing their, and the fact that I am in a position to really have a voice in how Kool Klub is going to change and grow, and since urban ministry is something I would be interested in as a Pastor, if, God willing, I continue down that path, it is a really good opportunity get first hand experience. So before I start just rambling too much, basicaly I just want to share how I think it is really awesome how everything seems to be coming together and I pray that God will do his will through me and though all of those envolved in the honors project.
Well monday night I did my presentation for the project, and I actually felt pretty good about it. I mean I went past the time limit, but I felt like, if I had had more time, I could have said alot more. I also felt good about it because, unlike my last presentation I wasn't really supper nervous, I just went up, dove right in and didn't give my self to time to be nervous, which worked out well. Over the break its gonna be a little tough to get hours in for my project, but I think I'm going to work on putting together some of the ideas I have for improving/expanding Kool Klub. And I suppose thats about all I can do for my project over break, but it will be good, and when I get back I can implement the ideas, after going over them with Pastor Raddatz of course.
Holy Conola Oil Batman! Chapter Two was tough! But my hands are clean of it, atleas for now. Over the break I am going to try and figure out what I am going to do to get hours for my project. Since I am going home to Texas, I'm going to have to come up with some creative way to still log hours work on my project, but I think I have some ideas. Like I said in my last post, I am looking forward to really getting into my project, I just hope I will be able to arrange my schedule so that I will be able to devote plenty of time and effort to my project. I suppose we will have to wait and see, but not too long because next semester is comming up quick!
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! I finished chapter 1 and the project contract! w00t! It is a pretty big releif to have that stuff done, especialy since it was a wee bit behind schedule, and I finished just in time to begin working on chapter 2, which has to be in on time. Absurd, I know, turning an assignment in on time, what is this?! College?! But hopefully chapter 2 goes well. I am looking forward to really diving into my project working at Kool Klub, I know there is so much I can do, and alot God can do through this program, the only I am worried about is, having enough time to devote to my project. I have to keep remind myslef, that the fairly open schedule I have this semester is not going to carry over to next semester, and so I am going to have to plan accordingly, to be able to stay on top of my school work, and devote alot of time and effort to my project. So we will see how it goes, but I am deffinently excited about it!
P.S. I was going to try and have some kind of consistant signiture/ending for all of my project blogs, but I always seem to forget what I put at the end of the one before, which is a problem that I suppose could be solves by just looking at the previous blog, for what ever reason I haven't done that, so I will end my post with a thought Living in the past is dumb.
