WRONG! that was constantine, right? WRONG! it was emperor theodosius.
yesterday i had my first history of christianity test that went from 0-1300. you might think, “aren’t there a lot of names and events in 1300 years of church history?” and yes, you would be right! it honestly wasn’t as bad as it sounds (but that’s my perspective AFTER the test). i’ve relearned another valuable lesson. though hype (and rumors) can jump start healthy studying habits, chances are that the aforementioned hype isn’t as daunting as it first seems. it’s ok to take a deep breath every so often.
athanasius
oh, and athanasius was the one who argued that christ was “homoousios” with god (of SAME substance) whereas arius argued that christ was “homoiousios” with god (of SIMILAR substance). it’s that skinkin’ “i” that has changed the course of church history and theology. and though constantine’s conversion signaled a momentous shift for christianity, he did not make christianity the official religion of the roman empire. he was the first christian emperor which meant a reduction in state sanctioned persecution. it wasn’t until emperor theodosius that christianity and state were officially wed.
this post is dedicated to my dear 6th grade teacher who many years ago said i would never make it through junior high school. my best wishes to you and your future endeavors.
it’s been a while, so i just want to put some new words on the screen.
after today, i’ll be two weeks into my senior year! my classes are going well so far. it’s weird this semester because most of my classes are bible classes. for the past 2 years, i’ve been surrounded by the world of adventure education…and little contact with the bible world. it’s odd because while i’m excited to participate in the educational community of the bible department, i’m also sad that i have little contact with my comrades of the backcountry. nevertheless, here is my class list:
bible senior seminar
christian theology of religious pluralism
hebrew 3
history of christianity
u.s. history before 18-something
the holocaust
it seems like a lot (and it is), but most of the classes are ones that i have looked forward to for quite some time. so optimism prevails for today.
sandie, my girlfriend, is coming down to grantham this weekend for the concert on campus. ingred michaelson? is that how you spell it? i don’t know…and it really doesn’t matter. the point is that i get a chance to spend time with sandie (and apparently the music shouldn’t be that bad…at least that’s what sandie says). messiah sab (student activities board) always seems to know something no one else knows…so i trust that it will be a good concert.
in all the hype after phelps’ 11th olympic gold medal, this question has been tossed around a little too lightly. is phelps the greatest olympian ever? everyone’s answer seems to be a resounding “yes.” i’m not about to argue that phelps isn’t great…even insanely great. my objection concerns the basis for this claim.
when stating that phelps is the greatest olympian ever, what is the evidence cited? 10 olympic gold medals…more than anyone else. ever. period. i cannot and will not argue that this is amazing. upon winning his 9th my roommate responded “9, that’s insane. i wish i could have 1!” yes, 11 olympic golds (with the hope of many more to come) are something worthy of a parade (maybe even 2 parades). this is the reason he is considered the greatest olympian ever. it was only after winning his 10th that broadcasters began addressing him with this title.
but is it fair to state that he’s the best olympian ever based solely on gold medal count? i argue that it’s not. medal count is a good indication of how good you are, but it shouldn’t be the sole indicator of “greatness” (at least all-around greatness). what about marathon runners? there is only one chance every four years for 1 medal. 1 medal per 4 years. same with soccer, field hockey, basketball, etc. there is only one gold up for grabs per sport every 4 years.
phelps? isn’t he going for something like 8 medals just in beijing? how is it fair to compare him to a marathon runner when he has the chance to win up to 8 medals every 4 years? it’s near impossible for a marathon runner or basketball player then to be considered for this lofty title. it just doesn’t work that way. it’s like comparing apples to oranges or a swingline stapler to a manila folder. it doesn’t make sense.
greatest olympian ever? it’s really impossible to assign that title…to anyone. he’s definitely one of the greatest olympians ever. perhaps even the greatest olympian swimmer ever. but i don’t think it’s fair to determine the greatest olympian ever based solely on medal count. thanks for playing. try again.
this summer’s motto of “denial and repression” is slowly being shot to shreds as my final fall semester looms in the near (very near) (undeniably near) future. i believe the count is at 3 weeks. this is all a facade to reality, however, as summer residents move into fall housing one week from today. though the semester has a few more weeks to slap me in the face and wake me up from this temporary hibernation of sorts, the crystal ball (or pickle if you’re from dillsburg, red rose if you’re from lancaster, or wrench if you’re from mechanicsburg) has begun its slow descent. time to switch gears.
on a positive note, let me mention a few things that have caught my attention the past few weeks.
the dark knight
i saw this movie at the beach a few weeks ago. awesome! i keep replaying parts of this movie in my head and can’t get over how fantastic this movie is. go see it NOW!
dusk and summer (by dashboard confessional)
i don’t think this cd got enough press when it was released in ‘06. i’m a huge dashboard confessional fan. i prefer the earlier acoustic stuff…so i didn’t pick this cd up until about 4 weeks ago (approximately 2 years late). i’m currently listening to it (which might now explain the dark undertone of the opening paragraph!) and would argue that this is one of their best cds. a must listen as the summer is reaching dusk.
spring cleaning
if you can have christmas in july, why can’t you have spring cleaning in august? that’s all i’m asking. yesterday the office i work in (marketing and pr) took the entire day and cleaned. it was amazing! if you don’t believe me, come for a visit and check out 3rd floor old main or ask any of the admissions work studies that enjoyed our little yard sale in the stairwell!
wikipedia two days ago it was really slow at work so i had a chance to look up a few articles. the target of my search? the bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki and the accident at chernobyl. very interesting topics. check ‘em out!
cnn
i have been continually surprised how 5 minutes at cnn.com can make me feel like i’m updated w/ all the pressing issues within the states and internationally. my conclusion: the world is messed up (but still provides me w/ a good 5 minutes of action-packed entertainment).
lastly, brett farve i don’t know if you’ve followed this fiasco, but it’s been, well, almost as action-packed as cnn’s “latest news” section. my thoughts, shame on you green bay packers. it’s freakin’ brett farve. let the man play! how many times has he saved your organization? give the man his job back! to brett, i wish you the best w/ the jets. may your passing arm be strong and your side-step juke agile.
i can’t wait for monday to share this news…i’m officially done w/ classes for the summer. what, what!!! i also never have to take another science class…ever! time to relax…finally.
…the complete and utter disdain for anything that requires more than 5 minutes of your time, is beyond reach of your current physical location, or requires genuine neurological synapses between the extremities and the brain.
this is the first time i’ve stopped…totally stopped…since christmas. before that?…spring break of sophomore year.
i wish bob dylan was wrong, but gosh darnit if he wasn’t a prophet as well as a talented musician.
if you haven’t caught wind of the new “times” in the office of marketing and pr (ompr), take a seat b/c you’re going to need it. it is true, there have been some personnel changes on 3rd floor old main. the casualties? our beloved scott trobaugh (graphic designer) and becky kasparek (editor).
the very talented scott trobaugh will soon begin a new job in lancaster (for you auslanders, that’s pronounced “layncuster” not “layncAster”) with a marketing firm. you might remember him from the redesign of the messiah college homepage, the front cover (and feature) of this past winter’s issue of the bridge (in which he did AMAZING illustrations), or from your first year t-shirt (just a few of the pieces scott recently designed). this particular change has struck a little too close to home. scott has been a mentor, role model, educator (mostly in the department of music and cultural studies-i owe my love of coldplay in part to him), and most importantly a friend. any attempt to say thank you will fall short. i wish him the best.
the departing of our editor, becky, comes with both a smile and a frown as well. becky is leaving us for a noble cause…her newborn daughter! fortunately, she won’t completely be leaving us as she begins her first semester as a messiah college faculty member. there are some very lucky first year students out there that will have the privilege of learning from becky in their first year seminar. so while this is technically goodbye, it’s more like “see ya around, professor!”
to end on a positive note, i would like to suggest that the annoying little redheaded actress may have been on to something. though yesterday was arguably the worst day of the summer so far, i’ll be darned if the sun didn’t come out today (until about an hour ago when the heavens unloaded in a fury). i must face the reality that we will mourn, regroup, and continue on. the little carrot top may have won this round (though i would argue that the mac and cheese at lottie helped a great deal)…but i shall live to die another day (did i mention it was cliche friday?).
7 am-wake up
8 am-start work
noon-lunch
12:30-do homework
1 pm-back to work
5 pm-dinner
5:30-do homework
11:30/midnight-go to sleep
that’s right…homework…and a lot of it. i apologize for not blogging in a while. i have had a lot of things to say, it’s just that i’ve been, well, insanely busy. subsequently, any writing that didn’t reward my task-oriented, selfish, and over-achieving mind with some flavor of an “a” ultimately went unwritten.
this summer i have been managing a schedule that has included a full-time job at messiah college and two online classes (a theology class at messiah and an ecology class at hacc). originally i was hoping to get a part-time job over the weekends too…i’m glad that didn’t work out! here’s a free tip: take classes over the summer, but don’t take two AND have a full-time job. i’m not sure what i have is “burnout”…but there’s this unquenchable “worn” feeling deep within what the hebrew language refers to as my nefesh (plainly understood-and butchered-in contemporary evangelical terms this means the whole body…both the body and soul). i’m not tired…just worn. it’s weird. so don’t say i didn’t warn you.
quick recap since i’ve blogged last (and really the only thing that matters): the release of the new coldplay cd viva la vida! if you aren’t currently listening to this cd as you read these very words, you’re priorities aren’t set right! i know the critics have come down kind of hard on this cd. here’s the reality: coldplay at their worst is still infinitely better than most bands at their best. it’s good stuff and you NEED to be listening to it about 2 hours ago (so that by now you could have listened to it once, let it sink in, and have the same mindset as I do right now)! i started listening to coldplay after my first year of college and haven’t stopped…and this cd is already in my well-worn coldplay playlist. listen to it until you can put my blog post’s title in context. listen to it NOW!
in other news: LISTEN TO THE NEW COLDPLAY CD VIVA LA VIDA!
limited engagements available (he’ll probably be thrown away by friday due to the heat).
this special concert series brings back all the favorite hits from the good old days, such as:
looks like we made it (into a fruit salad)
can’t take my leaves off of you
she’s a starfruit
rags to ratatouille
raindrops keep falling on my stem
it never rains in southern california (which is why i’m leaving)
there’s a kind of blush
baby, it’s cold outside
the long and winding row
bluer than blueberries and of course:
copacabanana
don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity! visit old main 3rd floor to meet with singer and song writer peary manilow!
credits:
wardrobe, make-up, and hairdresser-brandie stonge
song writers-mackenzie martin, dan custer, barry manilow
