Kristyn Svoboda

 Describe:

As you have most likely inferred from the title, this post is my analysis of last week's Festival of Beginnings.  The festival was a service to welcome students, staff, and faculty into new positions on campus and give attendees an opportunity to accept them into those positions (I had to try to write it in different words than Josh did but, his sounds better).  The service had prayer, song, and scripture.  All in all, it was a lovely service.

 

Interpret:

In our most previous Honors Class, we talked about home and what we believed to be Basic or Universal "Truths".  Some of the truths I believe to be of utmost importance are a person's identity and sense of belonging, both of which were apparent at the Festival of Beginnings.  The people who were welcomed into their respective positions were given a new piece to their identities which was confirmed to themselves, and made known to those who attended in the congregation.  As for the sense of belonging, those the service was recognizing were not only welcomed into their new positions, but also welcomed into the community through them.

 

Evaluate:

I went to the festival simply to participate; it was my feeble attempt at getting involved and gaining comfort around campus.  What's amazing is that I did not leave the same way.  I sat with my aunt (Professor Kenyon), hoping to eliminate some homesickness, but, I realize now that it was not entirelly her presence that helped me, but rather my own presence there.  The service was organized, colourful, and much like those in my own church (Lord of Life).  The Festival of Beginnings confirmed to myself that I am a student here and that I have the opportunity to choose my future - this was the sense of identity.  The similarities between the festival and my own church gave me comfort, and, naturally, the music made me feel at home as well.  The welcoming nature of the service and acceptance of all kinds of people (students, staff, faculty, and congregation) created a sense of belonging for me.

Hello again.

 

Last time I wrote, I was very unhappy with the book and challenged much of what Kinnaman suggested.  This time, well, I think the title says it well enough.

 

Chapter 5: Antihomosexual was a quick read and MUCH more (for lack of a better word) tolerable.  I think I'm finally understanding where he's going with this.

 

Many years ago, I received a phone call from my best friend with a serious question.  She asked me if I would still be her friend if she were bisexual.  The question took me by great surprise and I was offended that she would think I would stop being her friend because she wanted to try dating a girl (whom is also a very good friend of mine to this day).  I assured her that it didn't matter to me and that I still respected her as long as she would respect my heterosexuality.  A few years later, when the relationship ended in turmoil, she underwent a dramatic religious awakening and carried a Bible around school to read.

Since then, I have had many encounters and relations with bisexual and homosexual people.  I have come to the realization that their sexuality does not matter in the slightest - it is uncomfortable display and aggression associated with sexuality in general that is bothersome.  I often say when arguing this point that I (and likely a majority of people) would be much more comfortable seeing two men holding hands than to be in a dressing room at Target next to a heterosexual couple making love; the younger generation loves to brag about the creative locations they have found, and you all know it.  It would not be completely honest of me to say that I am comfortable with the idea of homosexualtiy, but it is none of my concern!  They are no less human than I am and deserve any freedom America has to offer just as well as the next guy.  They also deserve God's love and grace.  This is really where Kinnaman spoke to me.  He pointed out that homosexuality is no worse a sin than obesity and that humanity likes to single it out and fight it.  He could not be more accurate when he wrote that the issue is not Christian opposal of homosexuality, but of homosexuals. 

 

UnChristian oftentimes brings my best friend to mind and, upon finishing this chapter, I realized that she is no longer the religious girl she had turned into.  I pondered it for a moment before grabbing my phone.  We had a deep conversation about religion and she informed me that, in her awakening, she attended a new Christian church and made many friends there.  For no apparent reason, they all stopped talking to her and, in a way, shunned her.  She then told me that they and Christians are hypocritical and claim to love everyone but cannot show it, and that she felt nothing short of brainwashed in that church.  Words cannot express how sorry I am that she got that UnChristian experience Kinnaman had just warned me about 2 chapters previously.  When she inquired as to why I had so many questions about her religion, I informed her of this novel and how it brought her to my mind.  Being the avid reader she is, she agreed to read it as well with an open mind, asking that we discuss it when she finishes.  I hope that she can see the difference between real Christianity and the UnChristian barrier and open her heart to Jesus.

 

All in all, I'm beginning to see the novel in a new light.  This chapter really changed my perception.  With that, the later section about outcasts tugged at the heartstrings a bit and spoke to me as well.  The difference between Christianity and the UnChristian barrier is getting more and more clear.

 Faith - noun     

1.     confidence or trust in a person or thing

2.     belief that is not based on proof

3.     belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion

.........

8.     Christian Theol.     the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

 

     I began this blog entry with the dictionary definition of 'Faith'.  I am continuing it with an apology for anyone who disagrees with what is to follow.  This time, there will not be any candy-coating; I am writing to voice the feelings UnChristian has brought out of me.

     It has, of course, begun again and procrastination has taken its toll.  Less than two weeks remain until we will all be together at CSP and I am not even through 100 pages of the book.  Every cloud has a silver lining: my math is better than my determination to read and, my calculation confirms that I need to read approximately 16.5 pages a day to finish before move-in.  Doable, right?  Well.... about that...

     I have come to find through the little reading I have done that it is the second hardest read I have ever had (the first being a novel titled Green Grass, Running Water).  Unlike that novel, the trouble I am having with UnChristian is not that I fall asleep immediately with every effort to read it, but rather that it angers me and I find myself zoning out or finding something else less... irritating to do.

     While I cannot deny that Kinnaman makes fine points and uses real data to support what he means to convey, the book has been grinding my gears.  Anyone reading his book may be quick to think, "Wow, these statistics are showing dramatic differences between churchgoers and outsiders!"  A skeptic like myself seeing the same thing may think, "Numbers can impress any average Joe, but, taking note of the data on, for example, page 32, it's easy enough to fool a reader with the differences in percentages since the sample size from the opposing groups are different by over 125 people".  As an aspiring math minor, I know that, were the groups equal, the percentages would be much different.  That being said, I have been reading through my typical lens of skepticism, taking careful note of points in every chapter thus far. 

 

     Chapter 4, "Get Saved!", has me in a defensive stance moreso than the other chapters so far.  By the book's definition, I consider myself to be a Born-Again Christian, however, the idea of living through a Biblical Worldview (see page 73), takes a hit at the devotion I have to the Christian faith.  When reading through what makes a Biblical Worldview, I finally found myself nodding along with what Kinnaman proposed, agreeing with the statements, until the fifth one: "a Christian has a responsibility to share his or her faith in Christ with other people" (73).  Jumping back to page 69, I had to double-check with my bible to be sure I did not miss something crucial to this:  a commandment encouraging Christians to convert others to their religion.  To my relief, there isn't one.

     I put the book aside and thought how ironic it was that Kinnaman had just written in the previous chapter about hypocrisy and the one-size-fits-all perception only to proceed in chapter 4 to encourage positive "sharing" of the Christian faith or, in other words, inviting outsiders to fit into that size.  He writes the importance of striving to be like Jesus rather than for perfection and sinlessness; the genius behind that being that his intention is to open the eyes of people living an UnChristian life, not those without Christianity at all.  This is where the offense comes into play:

     Kinnaman defines a Born-Again Christian as someone who says they made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important and that they believe they will go to heaven at death because they confessed their soul and accepted Christ as Savior (44).  Following that, he dubs those not living with the Biblical Worldview as UnChristian, bringing a Bible story to mind:  Luke 7: 36-50

It is the story of the sinful woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears, perfume, and hair to be saved.

     Jesus graciously accepted the sinner because she loved him, sought his guidance, and did what she could to show him that.  The arrogant Pharisee falls under Kinnaman's category of UnChristian. 

     How does this relate?  Well, as I said before, I consider myself to be a Born-again Christian.  I accept Christ as my Savior, and do my best to keep faith in Him.  Being human and imperfect, I have found myself losing sight of that light in dark times.  I am guilty of sins and am likely to become a lost lamb or waver in the future as well.  I do not live with the Biblical Worldview.  Does that make me any less Christian?  By not devoting all aspects of my life to religion, am I worth more or less to Him than someone who does?  Or does the shepherd no longer seek the lost lamb?  Does Christ only welcome those like the Pharisee who will give him the most or best, or those like myself and the sinner who give him genuine faith and trust?

 

     Going back to the one-size-fits-all perception, I can recall very few times that I was invited to explore religion in k-12 courses in any depth.  The one I would like to elaborate on is 11th grade world history in which our class delved into many different religions (Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism etc).  Each religion had the same ideals:  striving to lead a meaningful, respectable life in order to attain the desirable and perfect afterlife with the superior being or God in a heaven-like setting.  If each religion is truly so similar in structure, how can people (Christian or UnChristian) stress conversion in any way?  It is not faithful to God, or righteous as a Christian to "share" the religion with outsiders.  The UnChristian barrier is up because of the false perception that only Christianity can "save" those outsiders, leading those arrogant churchgoers to shove their religion at the wanderers, resulting in their bad perceptions and experiences.

 

My question is, where is the morality this Biblical Worldview holds if that lamb can only enter the Kingdom of God through the door of Christianity?

"They are more likely than previous generations to believe he committed sins; they are also more likely to believe that people can live a meaningful life without him" (Kinnaman 22).

     The paragraph in the novel this quotation comes from provokes not only thought, but also question.  Written in chapter two, Discovering Unchristian Faith, it describes the viewpoint studies prove the younger generation to have - they being the young people. 

     In the quotation, the first observation made - that Jesus committed sins - brings about an interesting revelation to the reader, myself included.  That revelation is that the young generation of present day is indeed guilty of the ignorance and religious disengagement Kinnaman writes about.  Immediately upon reading the passage, I stopped to think, "Of course Jesus sinned!  Is it fair to frown upon young people for believing what is true?  To be human is to sin and Jesus became one of us and taught us through our own eyes so that we would understand."  I set the novel aside and contemplated my defensive assumption.  Contradictions flowed, "How did He sin?  Everything we know of His life is documented in the Bible.  Does it give us solid proof that He ever sinned?  .....No."
     Given, I have not read the Bible and am rather unfamiliar with much of it but, I am under the impression that, growing up, Jesus was not a perfect child and was involved in/created mischief - I do not know where my belief comes from but a hazy story about Him upturning tables at some event came to mind.  The mental debate pressed on:
He was a troublesome child; the commandments clearly oppose that.  Honor thy mother and father!  Then again... is it dishonorable to be a child?  Did Jesus go out of his way to offend or rebel against his parents - Mary and Joseph, or God Himself?

     The realization that I too assumed Jesus to be a sinner brought me wide-eyed into the category of the younger generation that does not understand and value spirituality.  What is refreshing about unChristian is that Kinnaman makes an effort not to single any specific people out as right or wrong and brings the fault to light.  As written about the "generational coding", the younger generation is skeptical which contributes to my questioning of Jesus and his potential sins (Kinnaman 21).  What he fails to mention is that this skepticism is created by the older generation and society as a whole.  Is it not driven into the minds of young people that proof is crucial to knowledge?  Science as a whole is upheld by pure, visible logic and proof.  Why must children in school show their work on a math problem or do geometric proofs?  Again, solid evidence.  When called to court for a legal matter, it is in the best interest of both parties to provide such evidence for justification; the judicial system will not let someone off for their honest word.  The Bible is just as well - honest word.  Can they be expected to believe what they cannot see?  Can one man make such miracles because he possesses the Holy Spirit that we just need to believe and have faith in?  My question is this:

Hi again.

     All morning, I've been thinking about Concordia and the Honors Program - with roommate assignments coming soon, it's been on my mind a lot as I'm sure it has been for you as well.  I decided to re-read what I wrote in my first post and realized that it doesn't say very much at all, does it?  I was so focused on the task at hand and why I joined the Honors Program that my post doesn't tell you anything about myself that would help you get to know me!  So, I guess here's my second try.

     I'm going to Concordia to study music - I'm still on the fence between directing (instrumental) music and performing it.  I love to conduct more than words can say (and was thrilled to receive my very own baton as a graduation gift)!  On the other hand, one of my favourite things in the whole world is pit orchestra!  I could sit in the pit for the rest of my life and never stop smiling :)  So, I'm still trying to decide.  I'm bummed that Concordia doesn't have a marching band because it's the other half of my life but hopefully, we can make the pep band the peppiest group around!  I'm all for it!
     Although I spend more time in the band room than at my own house, I also like a lot of other things!  I may not look like it but I love video games!  Specifically, I enjoy the Wii and GameCube but play other systems too.  I'm an absolute nut for the Olympics (Winter more than Summer but I enjoy both) and don't miss a second of them - not even the commercials!  Animals are near and dear to my heart as well; I have a bazillion pictures of my two new dachshund puppies (Duke and Peanut).  Lastly, I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and have spent countless hours at the movie theatres (dressed up) seeing midnight premieres; I am on Pottermore too.  The less-important interests can be seen on the FacePlace.  Speaking of which...
     I tried to find everyone on Facebook but had a bit of trouble so, if I haven't added you as a friend yet, feel free to find me (Kristyn Irene Svoboda from Farmington).  I've been enjoying chats with other Concordia students and am always happy to meet more!

     Well, I hope this post is a bit more enjoyable to read and helped you get to know me!  I can't wait to hear more from you guys and see you in August!

Hello :)

     You've probably noticed that my blog looks a little different than the others - I would like to say that I did it to express my individuality and love of the colour (dark) green, however, in all seriousness, I clicked on it to see what it looked like and accidentally applied it..  You could say that this was a good mistake because no technology was harmed in the changing of my blog design, and it is (kind of, but not really) helping me lead into a small-ish explanation about myself and why I chose the Honors Program.

     In my family, school has always been the most important thing - work first, then play.  Until my senior year, it was never a big deal to me; A's were expected and I didn't put in much effort to get them.  Procrastination was my middle name and studying was a foreign idea.  Basically, I just got by.  At the end of the year when the top students were recognized, I was filled with shame and envy.  I was disappointed in myself for not doing my best.  Our class valedictorian is a good friend of mine and I'm upset to think that I could have been right there with her had I put in the time.  This realization was the butt-kicker for me.
     Cliche or sappy as it may be, I chose to apply for the Honors Program because I want to make my mother proud.  I want good scores to bring her as much joy as they now bring me.  I want to show her what I am capable of and give myself as many opportunities as my future can hold.  I doubt that "due dates are start dates" is going to work in college so I'm trying to stay ahead of the game here.. Please excuse my lackadaisical writing - I'm going to use "Summer" as an excuse.

     So, the special green blog design can be a stupid accident, or a silly representation of myself - whatever suits your fancy.

     One more thing:  I try to be creative so, I'll probably dink around with the layout of this thing too and try to get new fonts and such too.  :{) This smiley face has a mustache.  Thanks for reading!