Shocking behavior!

Teachers grade papers. Some of us love reading student work. Some of us find it tedious.

I'm in both camps. Learning is fun so it's interesting to see what students come up with. But how I hate assigning grades to student work! If I taught the same courses over and over, it would be easy to come up with a metric and adjust it by student level and culture. But, because I've been teaching such a variety of things over the years, I keep having to reinvent the grading system to fit the course.

I've just gone through the batch of "Research Methodology" papers that arrived last week from my summer class in SE Asia. The students made great progress. They have done interesting research. Now I have to assign grades.

Sometimes we're tempted to rate our fellows, as though we were giving marks for personhood or accomplishments.

• She gets an A+ for niceness, but a C for the way she dresses.
• He gets a D for a messy apartment, but a B for generosity (he picked up the lion's share of the tab at the restaurant).
• She get a C+ for effort but an B+ for friendliness.
• He gets an A for accomplishments, but it comes so easily that he only gets a C for effort.

"Who are you to judge another person's servant?" Paul asked church members who were criticizing those around them. "God decides if he's pleased or not."

I'm surprised by the furor recently over CEO Marissa Mayer's Vogue fashion shoot and the  VMA performance of Miley Cyrus. I'm especially puzzled by Christian chatter: after all, what do we expect of another's servant?

Mayer was a good model for Vogue - they do "artsy" anti-expectation poses. I don't see the appropriateness but again, am not shocked by it. Mayer was modeling: haven't we seen similar poses on America's Top Model and other TV shows?

I agree that it's completely inappropriate for Cyrus to gyrate in public at a show that families watch and attend. But I'm not surprised. Attention-getting is for the insecure, and some will pursue attention by being outrageous.

(Back to the papers I'm grading) One of my students researched how Christians are perceived by their peers and non-Christians. He wanted to know if we portray the transforming power of the gospel, if we are like Jesus in our interactions of love, kindness, goodness, and morality.

He concluded that many of us act like Jesus makes no difference in our behavior and attitudes. We may attend our religious club (church) and consider ourselves members in good standing. Yet outside its walls, we live as though Christ has little to say to us. We lie, steal, cheat, and sleep around like the world does.

I think that's the real shocker. We ought to be completely, totally outraged. At ourselves.

Read more:
*O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless. Psalm 60:11 NLT

*Jesus said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Luke 7:14-15 NLT

*Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he
has sent.” John 6:26 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Eternal Creator, we are in humble awe of your grace and forgiveness. At the same time we thank you for also challenging us for personal betterment and improvement. Restore us and shine upon us as we bow before you. Amen.

*CS Lewis wrote a letter to Genia Goeliz, who had asked Lewis for a prayer in her struggle to believe: Lewis’s prayer for a daily increase in obedience and faith. (18 March 1952)

... Don’t bother at all about that question of a person being ‘made a Christian’ by baptism. It is only the usual trouble about words being used in more than one sense. Thus we might say a man ‘became a soldier’ the moment that he joined the army. But his instructors might say six months later ‘I think we have made a soldier of him’. Both usages are quite definable, only one wantsto know which is being used in a given sentence.

The Bible itself gives us one short prayer which is suitable for all who are struggling with the beliefs and doctrines. It is: ‘Lord I believe, help Thou my unbelief.’ Would something of this sort be any good?
     Almighty God, who art the Father of lights and who has promised by thy dear Son that all who do thy will shall know thy doctrine: [John 7:17] give me grace so to live that by daily obedience I daily increase in faith and in the understanding of thy Holy Word, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lent Day 34: Sunshine in my soul

What a lot of big brains in one room! I love to listen in on conversations. Scholars get very passionate and emotional about their research.

"I couldn't believe it, but there it was!!!" he's almost jumping up and down.

"You should have seen our faces when we put it all together," she exclaims.

Most of the world worries about what they're going to eat or drink. The researchers at this conference are well-fed and content. But their minds wrestle with God's interaction in the world. I'm glad to sit in the classrooms to hear them read their papers.

There's sunshine in my soul, watching how God has called out a few to learn and tell. Scripture tells us Christ's Body includes many parts. The members of the Body have various functions and are viewed differently. Some of us are "eye" or "ear" or "hand" or "foot." Seeing these "brains" walking out and breathing in their calling fills me with joy.

When do you feel all filled up? What excites you? What's your passion?

Read more:
*Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:1-7 NIV

*Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. Psalm 112:1 NLT

*Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. Proverbs 3:13-18 NLT

*And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 NLT

*In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Lord, grant that we may hear your voice when you call and not be distracted by the world around us. Keep us grounded in your word and help us to do all in your name. Amen.

Lent 33: Looking for information

We're attending an academic conference this weekend. W presents his findings on a difficult passage on women speaking in church (1 Corinthians 14). I'm reading a paper on the effect of Spirit baptism on women who were early Pentecostal missionaries. Such different topics, such different interests.

We love scripture and enjoy studying how it's changed the world. He's the theologian. I'm the connector (interested in stories and resources - hence history.)

We read all kinds of books, stay up on international news, listen to speakers, and think about the effect of Good News on people, culture, and policy. Our sources inform and influence our thinking.

What are you reading or learning today? Whom do you consult when you want information or help?

Read more:
*When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists," should not a people consult their God? Isaiah 8:19 (NASB)

*When God had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Christ. Colossians 2:15 (NASB)

Moravian Prayer: Thank you, gracious God, for all you have done for us. You have given us life, your love, and Jesus, your Son. May everything that we do and say this day be a pleasing gift to you, in grateful response. Amen.