Jen, Kerry and Me (varying shades of red hair at Women's Retreat)
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the Women's Resource Network Retreat in New Hampshire. I'm not going to try to spell the name of the lake where the camp was, but it's a famous one.
The speaker for the 24 hour retreat was Donna Petter who is a professor at Gordon Conwell. She spoke about how God is working on us because we are his temple. Much like people work on their houses to make them fit to live in, or to make them a home, God is doing the same to us. He is working to make us fit for him. In theology, this process is called santification. Her final message was that we are "wired for worship." It was a message that I really needed to hear, so I am thankful for that.
On the retreat I met a lot of women I had never even seen before, even though Gordon Conwell isn't that big of a campus. There is a divide between single students and married students - not intentionally, but since married students live in apartments - they don't tend to eat in the cafeteria where most of the socializing happens.
I also learned a new card game at the retreat called "Dutch Blitz" which is very similar to "Nerts" that I love to play. The game has its own cards that are very Dutch looking. Apparently the game originated with some ultra-conservative Christians who did not think playing with regular cards was appropriate. It is fascinating to me that you can play pretty much the same game, but if you have different cards - it makes all the difference. Anyway - it was fun.
We got back on Saturday night and then I spent Sunday recovering. It is kind of nice that this is my 2nd reading week - I can sleep in and still get work done. I finished a book yesterday by Christopher Hitchens - wasn't very impressed with it. Now I am researching Ralph Waldo Emerson for a research paper - much more enjoyable. Both men critique Christianity - but Emerson is at least respectable.
Not much else is going on. No visitors this break... which is probably good since I have a lot to do!
3 comments:
i absolutely love dutch blitz!!! i've met hardly anyone who knows the game...besides nerts, that is. good to know you share the love. we should play sometime. how does friday look for you?
Oh my gosh, Dutch Blitz! We Do have more in common each day! :) I used to play that when I was a kid... and still do, in fact! Perhaps re-inspired during my NWC days- Dutch country USA! :) Lovely image of us being a temple and wired to worship. I need to hear that too.
sorry I'm just now getting to this post--I've been bad about email/blog for about a month...oops.
Anyway, EMERSON!!
I'd like to read your paper. You can even go to the Green to soak up his essence. I'm sure it's still there.
For some reason the thing that keeps coming to mind about RWE was his take on charity and how he finds it utterly useless. He wants a hand up, not a hand out. Maybe it's the same with Christian evangelism. You can just throw God on someone and run away (a hand out, just giving money to someone who needs it) or you can lead by example to help someone find God, and keep at it (a hand up, like helping someone in need discover a sustainable life) The whole, don't give a hungry man a fish, teach him how to fish.
I'm rambling on and on...but really, Emerson is my homeboy, so I want to read your paper.
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