February 2012 Archives

             Last Wednesday evening, Honors students at Concordia met with Mr. JoBe Cerny over dinner. The meeting was an informal discussion that gave students the opportunity to ask Cerny about his opinions on vocation. Cerny works in the movie business. He is well-known as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, but has also worked with Second City and done some writing for the Twilight Zone. After talking briefly about his career, Cerny asked students to share their career goals and what they saw as the biggest obstacle to overcome. Several students bravely shared their dreams with Cerny and in return, he gave them advice on reaching their goals. Cerny stressed the importance of dedication and planning a realistic path to achieve a goal.

                The discussion was perfect for this semester's theme of vocation. As we (the Honors students) learn about the history of Christian vocation, we also contemplate our futures. We must ask ourselves if we are choosing a career that will allow us to serve our neighbors. Will that career make a difference in the lives of others? While these are certainly important questions to ask, it is possible to be so caught up in thinking about a career itself that the necessary steps on the path to the career are forgotten. One does not become a teacher by wishing it were so; teaching requires attending college, earning a degree, filling out job applications, and being hired. That is why Cerny recommended planning out each step.

                As I listened to Cerny give us career advice I began to feel confident that I am already taking the right steps to prepare for the next stage in my life. I know which classes I will need to take each semester next school year in order to graduate in May 2013. Furthermore, I have looked at the application requirements for the graduate programs I am interested in and know which tests I will have to take before I can apply; I know when I need to take those tests and have started studying for them as well. That is not to say my future is guaranteed, but I feel confident that I am making my best effort to reach my career goals. I believe that if I can apply Cerny's advice to my other goals, I will be able to achieve them as well.

          Last Wednesday JoBe Cerny, better known as the Pillsbury Dough Boy, presented during Concordia's convocation about his work directing the Bible as an audio book. He told stories about the people he met and worked with over the three-and-a-half ear project. He also provided the audience with a nine-minute clip of the New Testament. That clip demonstrated his hard work to make the experience of listening to this bible similar to watching a movie. Although he used only the words of the Bible, Cerny made the audio book more than just a recording of those words. He eliminated narrators where possible, preferring to have each character speak directly, and added in sound effects. The overall effect was so dramatic that a woman well-versed in scriptures turned to him after listening to the book and asked, "Where did you find the script for this?" At the same time, Cerny made an effort to present the Bible as intended by its various authors. He worked closely with various scholars to ensure an accurate translation was used.

            Cerny's effort to understand the Bible in the context in which each book was written aligns with our efforts to understand the readings on vocation in Callings this semester. By not understanding the context in which something is written, one can easily misinterpret its meaning. It is important to understand the political, cultural, and historical background of each piece. For example, suppose I read a hagiography praising a monk's extreme self-denial. Out of context, I may find this quite strange. However, if I know this was written in a time when monastics practiced self-denial to strengthen their relationships with God, the writing suddenly makes sense. JoBe Cerny understands this.

            Presentation is extremely important. The story of the woman who did not even recognize the words from the Bible reminded me of that. Just by changing the way the words were presented and adding a soundtrack, Cerny changed the story. The same is true when presenting anything. Perhaps this is why I learn more from professors who are passionate about what they teach. When the topic seems boring or unimportant to the professor, I tend not to absorb the information presented.

                On Tuesday last week, I attended the Republican Caucus in my area. After initially congregating in the gymnasium of a local elementary school to hear speeches on behalf of various candidates, the group was separated into precincts that met in separate classrooms. Because of where Concordia is located, all of the Honors students who attended ended up in the same room. The first order of business was to elect officers for the precinct. This included a chair, vice-chair, and secretary. Immediately following that, everyone (except those of us observing) voted for the candidate they felt should represent the Republican Party in this year's presidential election. Next, delegates were selected to represent the precinct at various Party meetings. Lastly, the group leader asked if anyone had an issue they wished to discuss. One of the women (who also happens to be a former Honors student) brought up the issue of the Republican Party's stance on casinos in the official state platform. Currently the platform says Republicans are not in favor of state-run casinos and aims to tax Native Americans who run casinos. Initially, she wanted to amend the platform to be in favor of state-run casinos, but after a long discussion in which extremely varied opinions were shared, she decided the section about casinos should be removed entirely from the platform. Everyone in the room agreed with this suggestion because gambling seems to be an issue that Republicans are divided on. It does not make sense to present a unified opinion when one does not exist.

                The caucus relates to our discussion on Monday night about community living. After reading about the early middle ages, we talked about the monastic life in that period. It was extremely community-based. Monks ate together, prayed together, and took turns with kitchen duties. They learned to rely on each other and work together. The caucus is like a modern day version of this community living in that people get together to talk about issues they feel are relevant to members of the neighborhood, city, or state. Selecting delegates to attend meetings means relying on them to represent the opinions of the entire precinct, much like the monks relied on each other for their daily need.

                To be honest, I expected the caucus to be uninteresting, so I was surprised by the lengthy debate on casinos. Everyone who contributed to the conversation did so thoughtfully, and their opinions were respected by others. I found what they had to say very interesting, and it made me think of casinos in a new way. I really appreciated how carefully everyone considered the issue before forming an opinion. In the end, I thought they came to a very sensible conclusion by suggesting the statement be removed from the platform. The whole process gave me a better appreciation of how the political system is broken down on the community level.

                Most of the readings in Callings from the early Church after 313 provide insight to the life of early monastics. After Christianity was legalized, Christians began to wonder if following Christ could really be so easy. Some Christians felt called to a more rigorous life. Thus began monasticism. The readings from this section tell of monastic life in the desert, which was often harsh. These Christians focused on self-discipline, denying themselves sleep, food, and/or water to strengthen their relationship with God. Also included in this section is an excerpt from about Augustine's conversion from his Confessions.

                These readings ask what it means to be a Christian. Is it really as simple as some make it out to be, or does it require more sacrifice? The question, in a similar form, is still relevant today. What does being a Christian require? Americans live in a country where it "normal" to be Christian. Following Christ does not mean risking persecution. Many of society's standards evolved from a Christian lifestyle. It is enough to go to Church every Sunday and pray every day? Most daily activities for a Christian do not differ from daily activities as a non-Christian. Should there be more of a difference? Should following Christ mean more of a lifestyle change? If so, how drastic should that change be?

                One important aspect of Christian life discussed in the readings is that of Charity. The story of the two brothers, Pasius and Isaias, was one of my favorites. Both brothers desire to live a Monastic life, but disagree on how to do that. One brother chooses to give all his belongings to charity so they may benefit others, while the other used his money to build a monastery and aid those in need. When asked which of them lived the perfect life, a well-respected leader replied they both had. This story reminds me there is often more than one way to do the right thing. When it comes to volunteering, the act of helping others is more important than the individual tasks performed. Performing seemingly unimportant or boring tasks does not mean I am not helping others. It is all the little tasks combined that will add up to make the difference in someone's life.