Is God Angry, Sexist and Racist? Event

If you, like many people, are confused by the God of the Old Testament who seems angry, sexist and racist, you need to attend this event! Dave Lamb, who studied at Stanford and Oxford, and is currently a professor at a local seminary, was the InterVarsity staff leader at Penn in the 90's. Thursday, March 29, 7:30 pm. Details here.

Greek Getaway 2012

Registration for Greek Getaway 2012 is now open! We will once again venture to lovely Martha's Vineyard for our year-end retreat. Questions you may have:

• Who should go? Leaders and anyone else who considers themselves a committed member of the Greek IV community (ie you attend Core Group and bible study faithfully).
• Which begs the question...who shouldn't go? People who are very new to our group, as we will spend a lot of the time planning for next year.  Also, people who just want an inexpensive trip to MV, but don't really care about Greek IV :) 
• How much is it? We are not yet certain, but there will be a small fee associated this year.
• When is it? May 9-13. We will drive to Woods Hole, MA and take a ferry to the island. Your cars and/or driving skills are most wanted! 
• What is it it? A year-end retreat filled with service projects, bible studies, planning for the upcoming school year, as well as the obvious- food, friends, fun. 
• Where is it? We will stay at the FOCUS Study Center. 
• Can I leave early/come late? We would prefer you didn't. 

Any other questions? Email Jamie Hawthorn. We hope you can come! Register today!

Lenten Devotionals, etc.

Lent is the period of time when we prepare our hearts for Easter. It begins today with Ash Wednesday. A number of resources are available to help you observe Lent:

• World Vision's act:s  which has been adopted by all of InterVarsity this year. 
• Huffington Post (!) 
• Christian Resource Institute Daily Readings 
• Past Greek IV Lenten Blogs 

Save the Date: Urbana 2012

URBANA STUDENT MISSIONS CONFERENCE

December 27-31, 2012

 

Register Today: Jesus Justice and Poverty: Education

Jesus has something to say about the way the world should be, could be, will be and is. He even cares about education, and He is especially grieved about the state of education in Philadelphia!

You are invited to a 24-hour in-depth, hands-on retreat hosted by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. February 24-25. For more info visit the registration page and the Facebook event.

(If you aren't attending the prayer seminar, you are strongly encouraged to attend!)

Highlights include:
Speaker, Dr. Chaz Howard, Penn Chaplain
Community Service Projects
Students from University of Delaware, Ursinus, Haverford, Swarthmore, Temple, Bryn Mawr, Arcadia, etc.

Don't miss this awesome opportunity to ask hard questions, to deepen your faith, to build friendships, and to serve the poor. Email me with any questions.

The S Word

"They (writers of Christian classics) would want us to understand the absurdity of sin...'We refuse ourselves to God, who only wants to save us. We give ourselves up to the world, which only wants to tyrannize over us and destroy us'...What do these testimonies mean? Away with self-serving testimonies that sound as if we do God a favor by repenting of our sin! God does us a favor by making us hate the sin that destroys us, by giving us the will to fight it, and by offering His grace to forgive it.

Quotes like these also remind us that if sin is a rat, we should start treating it like a rat. If you didn't want rats to break into your house, you wouldn't leave out food for them, and you would plug up any holes through which they might enter. If you were unable to keep them out on your own, you'd ask for advice or get some help. If you truly hated rats, you'd go to great lengths to get rid of them.

But how often do we accommodate sin, feed its desires, and treat it in the aftermath as a casual or minor mistake?"

excerpt by Gary Thomas, Thirsting for God

Seriously people, if you haven't bought this book yet, you must!

Greek Conference: Charlotte

Who are these beautiful women?! 

Although "our" Greek Conference takes place in the fall (in New York), those of you who weren't able to attend GCLI are more than welcome to attend Greek Conference in Charlotte, February 10-12. Details here. Interested? Email this guy.

Re: Tebow

Ah, Timmy. Tim Tebow. Today's hero; Tomorrow's disaster?

While it's perfectly OK to respect someone's faith and to desire to emulate them, I do cringe when I see the way the world is placing #15 up on a pedestal. Christians rally around him and lift him up while skeptics want to see him fall, and fall hard. I don't watch football but I know when Tebow scores. My Facebook wall blows up. The blogosphere alights. The Tweeters are atwitter. (You'd have to live a hole to not know when Tim Tebow has scored a touchdown.) You may have even seen my reaction to the game last night on Facebook:

"Everyone is saying "Tebow!" but I think the point Tim is trying to get across is: "God!" 

How frustrating that must be for him. He is trying to point the world to God, and instead, the world points to him.  So, if you really love Tim Tebow and you are really psyched about what is going on when he's on the field, do him a favor and:

• Give God the credit. (It's pretty obvious He's the one doing the work.)
• Be like him. Fer real. If he's not afraid to pray on national TV, you need not feel afraid to pray over your dinner. 
• Pray for him. Like I said, many people want him to fall. Pray that he would grow in his faith and that God will uphold him and keep him strong. Pray that people would actually know God through him.  

Re: Rush

It's the most wonderful time of the year...Rush! As you enter into a week+ of skits, small talk and bid celebrations, here are some things to think about:

• Remember what it was like when you rushed? Could you be Greek and a Christian? Would anyone understand your faith? And remember how awesome it was when you met someone during rush that told you that you can be Greek and Christian? (ie. Jesse and Erik) Be that person. Don't be afraid to talk about how Greek IV has enhanced your Greek life experience. Don't be afraid to talk about how God has deepened your friendships within your Greek chapter. 
• Rush is caddy. It is superficial. It is shallow. But you don't have to be. Try to speak well of everyone. Look for the good in others. Don't be a jerk. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. God has placed you in your house at this time for a purpose. Don't be disenchanted. Don't disengage. Be an agent of change. 
• Rush is long and tedious. People can get on your nerves. You can be tempted to live myopically for two weeks. Enter into rush prayerfully. Spend time praying alone and with your brothers and sisters. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17
• Finally, remember why we do what we do in Greek IV. If we don't keep our eye out for interested freshmen and sophomores, we can assume that Greek IV will fizzle out after our junior class graduates. This rush, promote Greek life and promote Greek IV. 

Thirsting for God: Yet Another Book Rec!

I just began reading a book for class that I already know I will want to recommend! Thirsting for God: Spiritual Refreshment for the Sacred Journey, is written by best-selling author Gary Thomas.  Here are some excerpts from the first few chapters:

"True Christian spirituality is not a search to discover ourselves or to be enlightened or even to add a new dimension to our lives. No. Christian spirituality is a relationship with God. This search is initiated by God, empowered by God and made possible by God. He is our desire. Not power, not experience, not the supernatural...but God, revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, Christian spirituality has more to do with what we receive than what we achieve. Our potential and activity depend entirely on Gods work in our lives. If we set out to be achievers rather than receivers, we have not begun to follow God. Achievers call attention to themselves, whereas receivers lead others to appreciate the Giver. If we insist on being achievers, seeking God so that others might admire our faith, our commitment, or our dedication, we become Gods competitors, trying to steal some of His glory." (pg. 16)

"One of the chief aims of Christian spirituality, second only to knowing God, is to enter other people's lives, pains, doubts, joys- to be other-centered...God must do a work in us before He can work through us...True fulfillment comes as we receive God's love and respond to it by loving others. This is the essence of Christian spirituality." (pg. 17-18) 

The book has short chapters (3-5 pages each), so it can be read in a devotional format, where you might read  a chapter each day and allow Thomas' thoughts and challenges to lead you into prayer.  Enjoy!

Christ Became a Humble Child

"He was a baby and a child, so that you may be a perfect human.

He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so that you may be freed from the snares of death.

He was in a manger, so that you maybe in the altar.

He was on earth that you may be in the stars.

He had no other place in the inn, so that you may have many mansions in the heavens.

He, being rich, became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might be rich.  Therefore, his poverty is our inheritance, and the Lord's weakness is our virtue. He chose to lack for himself, that he may abound for all. The sobs of that appalling infancy cleanse me, those tears wash away my sins. Therefore, Lord Jesus, I owe more to your sufferings because I was redeemed than I do to works for which I was created...

You see that he is in swaddling clothes.

You do not see that he is in heaven.

You hear the cries of the infant, but you do not hear the lowing of an ox recognizing its Master, for the ox knows his Owner and the donkey his Master's crib."

Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 2.41-42

Morning Musings on the Eve of Christmas Eve

"For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich."
2 Corinthians 8:9


"Let us then rejoice in this grace, so that our glorying may bear witness to our good conscience by which we glory, not in ourselves but in the Lord. That is why Scripture says, 'He is my glory, the one who lifts up my head.' For what greater grace could God have made to dawn on us than to make his only Son become the Son of man, so that human beings might in their turn become children and heirs of God? Ask if this is merited; ask for its reason, for its justification, and whether you will find any other answer but sheer grace." Augustine. 


"Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth."
Charles Wesley, Hark the Herald Angels Sing 

Book Suggestions

Here it is, folks: my annual Christmas book recommendation list! If you're a book lover and want to read some good stuff about God, here are some titles you might want to check out. But don't take my word for it....

• Anything and everything by Tim Keller (an InterVarsity alum!) 
• Anything and everything by Francis Chan
• A Praying Life by Paul Miller  
• Subversive Spirituality (and other titles) by Eugene Peterson 
• Ancient Christian Devotionals and Living the Christian Year  (devotional books) 
• Memoirs and books by Donald Miller and Anne Lamott (if you're in the mood for something insightful, intuitive and a bit unorthodox) 

If you are looking for a suggestion for a particular topic, please let me know!

Merry Christmas!  

Advent: Resources and Poem

As a student, I always hated this time of year. My heart was pulled in too many directions. I needed to work hard at studying. I wanted to play hard at formals and Ugly Sweater Parties (except they didn't really exist when I was student). But most of all I wanted to be home with my family, preparing for Christmas. 

If your heart also feels divided at this time of year, please use some of the following resources to center your heart on Christ as we prepare to celebrate His birthday in just a few weeks. 

http://www.catholic.org/clife/advent/

http://www.crivoice.org/cyadvent.html

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/default.aspx?page=3684

I will leave you with a poem by Luci Shaw.

Salutation

Luke 1:39-45

Framed in light,

Mary sings through the doorway.

Elizabeth's six-month joy

jumps, a palpable greeting,

a hidden first encounter

between son and Son.

And my heart turns over

when I meet Jesus

in you. 

Thanksgiving Hymn

O give thanks to Him Who made

Morning light and evening shade;

Source and Giver of all good,

Nightly sleep and daily food;

Quickener of our wearied powers,

Guard of our unconscious hours. 

O give thanks to nature's King;

Who made every breathing thing;

His, our warm and sentient frame,

His, the mind's immortal flame.

O how close the ties that bind

Spirits to the Eternal Mind!

O give thanks with heart and lip,

For we are His workmanship;

And all creatures are His care:

Not a bird that cleaves the air

Falls unnoticed; but who can

Speak the Father's love to man?

O give thanks to Him Who came

In a mortal, suffering frame

Temple of the Deity

Came for rebel man to die;

In the path Himself hath trod

Leading back His saints to God.

Josiah Conder (1789-1855)

What's on Tap this Week with Greek IV

Today: Greek IV BBQ, 1-3, 3932-3934 Spruce. Burgers, dogs, games and more. Be there.
More details here.

Monday: Greek IV Core Group Dinner, 7:00-8:30, "The Bank" 4038 Spruce. Email Shelby if you can bring something to contribute to the pasta dinner. Ben will lead a table discussion over dinner.

Tuesday: Area-Wide Worship & Prayer Night for all Metro Philly/Delaware InterVarsity Chapters, 7-9, Ben Franklin Room in Houston Hall. More details here.

Friday: Call for Justice, 7:00-9:30, Blue Route Vineyard Church (my church). If you want to learn more about the enormous problem of human trafficking, here and abroad, this even will show the movie Call and Response, as well as sell arts and crafts to raise money to benefit Love146, an anti-trafficking organization. (Not a Greek IV event, but could be cool to get a group together to take the trolley, attend the event, and talk about it over dinner at one of Media's terrific restaurants.)  Email Jamie if you're interested.

Sunday: Church Visits. Check out the last blog post about local churches. Grab a friend, visit a church, go to brunch.

Got Church?

Curious about what the different local churches have to offer? Here is your go-to guide on University City (and beyond) local churches that we recommend you visit! All information was provided by the church's main contact for college ministry. They are listed in no particular order.

Vineyard Community Church - West Philly; Sundays at 10:00 am, 4115 Baltimore Ave.

We hope that you'll find our service welcoming, encouraging, and spiritually connecting.  The worship style is a mix of contemporary, gospel, and traditional influences, all presented in a way that is easy to relate to and participate in as much as you like.  Sermons are taken from the Christian Scriptures and our goal is to make them inspiring, practical, and relevant for those listening.  There are opportunities to receive prayer for those interested at every service and always opportunities to make a friend as well.  For a full description of what to expect, check out our website and click "What to Expect" on the home page, right under "New Here?"

College students often comment that they can relate to the sermons, love the worship music, feel comfortable bringing their friends, and can walk to church.

  

Contact info:

www.vineyardwestphilly.org

info@vineyardwestphilly.org

215.382.1130

Antioch of Calvary Chapel is a non-denominational church that is focused on the inerrancy of the Word of God, and expository teaching from Genesis to Revelation.  Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thursday - 7:30PM
Sunday - 9:00AM & 11:30AM

Website - http://www.antiochphilly.org
Phone :: 215.474.1050

As a church that is "planted" near college campuses and understand that many are in need of a "home away from home," we desire to serve and help build the faith of those students.  We do this through providing a "Kampus to Koinonia" shuttle service (39th & Walnut on Sundays) to encourage students to attend if they have no transportation or are unfamiliar with the city.  We also try to provide some specific ministry tailored to the student experience (from feeling overwhelmed with work to attending an institution that can be hostile toward the Faith).  The congregation is very diverse, so it will be an opportunity to fellowship with believers of various nationalities and age groups.  And there are many occasions to serve if they choose to fellowship with us during their college career.

Liberti East

9 and 11 am

Casual and liturgical (but contemporary at the same time).  It's a PCA church.

• It's a young crowd (20s/30s primarily) 
• We are really interested in reaching out to our neighborhood and loving the city (incarnational ministry)
• It's pretty easy to get to from UPenn
• They connect with the teaching
• There are unique discipleship opportunities for college students (Spring Break service week in Philly and Summer Internship opportunity)
• Our values: WORSHIP, COMMUNITY, MERCY

http://www.libertichurcheast.org/

Director of Campus Ministry: Tara Atchison, atchison.tara@gmail.com

PENN NEWMAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY at The Newman Center, 3720 Chestnut St. (behind Pottruck Gym)

Visit us on the web at www.newman.upenn.edu!

The Penn Newman Catholic community -- part of Saints Agatha and James Parish -- offers Penn students a number of ways to get involved with social events, community service, sacramental ministry, retreats, discussion groups and more.

Weekend Mass at Sts. Agatha & James (38th and Chestnut)

- Saturday vigil 5:30 pm

- Sundays 9:30am + 11:30 am + 5:30 pm + 9:00 pm

Daily Mass at the Newman Center

- Monday-Friday*: 7:30 am + 12:05 pm + 5:30 pm*

- Saturday 8:30 am

*No 5:30 pm on Fridays

Staff:

- Fr. Jim McGuinn, Director of Penn Newman and Pastor of Sts. Agatha & James Parish

- Jeff Klein, Assistant Director of Penn Newman

Contact: Jeff Klein, jeffklein@newman.upenn.edu, 215-573-8920

City Church

4:30PM, a liturgical service. Getting off campus to a church you can walk to gets you into West Philadelphia.  People like the music and the community is great.

Tuesday Nights are called Whitefield Society Meetings focused on worship and a study on vocation, calling, and identity in Christ.

Website: www.citychurchphilly.com

Welcome Back! {Mark your Calendars}

Hey y'all! Welcome back to a new semester at Penn.  Get your calendars out and pencil in the following dates. Stay tuned for more details!

Kick Off BBQ: Sunday, September 18
Core Group: Monday, September 19 at 7:00. Bring something to share- this is a family-style dinner!
Small Groups: 3rd week of school (the week of September 19)
Greek Conference: September 30-October 2. Register Today!

Rouse Us, O Lord

On this rainy morning I came across this prayer in my Ancient Christian Devotional. 

"Rouse us, O Lord, from the sleep of apathy and from tossing to and fro in our thoughts, that we may no longer live as in a troubled dream but as people awake and resolved to finish the work you have given them to do. By your humble birth root out of our hearts all pride and haughtiness, that humble ways may content us, if so be that we may serve the humble. By the life of compassion for those who labor and are heavy laden, teach us to be concerned one for another and to bear one another's burdens. By your hallowed and most bitter anguish on the cross, make us to fear you, and love you, and follow you, O Christ. Amen. " Brigid 

Remain in Me

 ¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

   ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

   ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.