What You Don't Expect to Find at Seminary...

So i was listening to a Triniatarianism lecture today and the professor played a rap for us done by a former student on "the trinity". It was pretty darn amazing... so i started looking around for the video on youtube (found it!) And in the process discovered that he is the rapper now known as "The Ambassador" (see bio below) And I thought how cool that Dallas Theological Seminary is producing individuals for the sake of Christ's glory in as many forms & styles as there are students here. That's one thing i really appreciate about DTS, is the freedom to be who God has created me to be - for His glory. They have said that a few times... but finding things like this really affirms it! Here is the rap on the trinity - (since the seminary has a filter... you'll have to wait until i can get off campus to upload the rap)

THE AMBASSADOR

Artist: The Ambassador Genre: Hip Hop / Rap Label: Cross Movement Records Website: www.theambassadoronline.com

William “Duce” Branch a.k.a. “The Ambassador” is a co-founder and primary spokesperson for the nationally known Christian rap group The Cross Movement (signed with Cross Movement Records (CMR)) and is co-leader of an inner city church plant (Epiphany Fellowship) being launched in Philadelphia, Pa, USA. Duce also served for several years as the president of the non-profit organization Cross Movement Ministries.

Duce has been ministering the Gospel through rap and preaching for nearly fifteen (15) years seeking to be a model and a messenger of the gospel’s transforming power especially (but not exclusively) among the hip-hop generations. With a passionate commitment to the kingdom of Christ as well as a firm belief that faith must integrate with culture, Duce has become known for his devotion to proclaiming Jesus Christ to urban contexts, and through urban mediums.

He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Bible from Lancaster Bible College as well as a Masters degree in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS). His master’s thesis, Theological Implications of Hip-Hop Culture served as the inspiration for his latest Christian rap audio cd, The Thesis, and laid a much needed foundation for his current ministry campaign—“hip hop missions.” Duce is married to Michelle and they have four children together.

What is the Gospel?

Matt Chandler is the pastor at my church here in Dallas. I believe Matt is one of the most effective speakers to this generation. He understands this culture, what it means to be the church and his messages are full of truth.

This is my favourite so far... What is the Gospel? (i renamed it, but it's GREAT!) I know we live in a busy day in age, but for real, download it and put on your ipod. Listen to it at the gym (that's what i did this morning!)

And while you're at it subscribe to the Podcast. You won't regret it!

Five reasons I Love Starbucks...

5. they have really good Caramel Machiatto's
4. it's a great place to listen to and observe life going on around you... and maybe even detect the heartbeat of American culture - what's important to people today...
3. a better place than my room to read my many, many books!
2. it reminds me of good friends & memories (Alice, the Hashes, Esther...)

and the number one reason i love starbucks is....
1. i lost my wallet a few weeks ago, with EVERYTHING in it... including my starbucks gift cards from Christmas :( but... since they were registered they were able to replace them and return to me an entire semester of studying at Starbucks for free! (thanks mom & aunt connie!)

Gotta Love Texas!

So it's a little funny to a Canadian girl that the great state of Texas shuts down when there is a hint of winter... yesterday it was cold and a little icy and the campus closed down at 5pm. I woke up this morning to this notice on the website. No school! Yippee! I feel like a little kid in elementary school. One of my professors here said, "Education is the only thing you pay for then hope you don't get!" There may be some truth in that.

All that being said, even Canadians would recognize that black ice is the most dangerous of all winter conditions, and that is what they seem to get here. The way people in Dallas drive (fast and crazy) leads to excessive problems on the motorways and people spiralling out of control. Needless to say, i'd rather them cancel school and plus it gives us all more time to read the million pages we still have left to read this semester!

You Do Not Know What Tomorrow Will Bring

Who Is God?

I have a class on the nature of God this semester, and I'm loving it. But i don't want to just 'do the assignments' but really take time to reflect and think on who this God i claim to know and serve really is. In a great article i read by JI Packer he characterizes God as:

1. God is personal and triune
2. God is self-existent and self-sufficient
3. God is simple, perfect and immutable
4. God is infinite, without body, all present, all knowing and eternal
5. God is purposeful and all-powerful
6. God is both transcendent over and immanent in his world
7. God is impassible (meaning no one can inflict pain on Him)
8. God is love
9. God is both awesome and worthy of adoration
10. God uses his gift of language, given to mankind, to tell us things directly in and through the words of his spokesmen- prophets, apostles, the incarnate Son, the writers of the Holy Scripture, and those who preach the Bible
    

God's Refrigerator Art

Yesterday at chapel the speaker was talking about business in Christian service, the balance between rest and work; recharging and discharging. He quoted Oswald Chambers in saying, "The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus Christ is service for Him." I think what struck me most and will remain in my mind is the word picture he used as he closed...

In referring to all our great works of ministry and service (knowing that some listening in the audience will go on to be the most influential men of the church in the coming decade) he said that all of our acts of service are like Refrigerator Art to God...

Take for example the drawing above. Why does a parent or grandparent put up their child's picture on the fridge? Is it becaue he truly believes that his child is an 'art progidy' likely to become the next Picasso? That his creation is likely to end up in the National Art Musuem? NO! If we were honest we would admit that the child's art really does not IMPRESS the parent. But he hangs it on the fridge out of LOVE for the child and RELATIONSHIP to the child. He places the childs art in a place of honour to be viewed not because it impresses him, rather it pleases him.

How freeing and greatful i am to serve a God who delights in me and is pleased by my desire to serve him and others, yet TOO great to ever be impressed.

Beautiful Souls

Zuzia - Lena - Majka - Kasia

These are some of the girls i was closest to in Poland last year. I miss them, love them and am so excited about the women God is making them into for His glory.

On Desire

I have A LOT of reading to do... but thankfully much of it is very enjoyable.
This is from Piper's, Desiring God and really struck me again.

1. The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful.
2. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction.
3. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God.
4. The happiness we find in God reaches its consummation when it is shared with others in the manifold ways of love.
5. To the extent we try to abandon the pursuit of our own pleaseure, we fail to honor God and love people. Or to put it positively: the pursuit of pleasure is a necessary part of all worhip and virutre. That is,

The chief end of man is to glorify God
BY
enjoying him forever.


… Our Lord finds our desire not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. (CS. Lewis)

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy, because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment… (CS Lewis)

The Beginning of Acts

I am so excited to be back at school and learning more about God's word...
My first class was yesterday on Acts and as i was reading this morning i came across these few lines...

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

The simplicity and profoundness of these words of Peter struck me anew... the deep truth in them that there is NO OTHER NAME under heaven given to men by which we may be saved... I am also taking Theology and World Religions this semester and have started reading about the other names that people around the World call on to be saved... Budah, Allah, Mary... but THERE IS NO OTHER NAME!

Peter's boldness is attractive and challenging. The text says, "then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit"... such ordinary men, recently 'abandoned' by their friend, leader and Savior... waited for 10 days, without him they must have realized their need for Him, and been extremely grateful for when He sent the Holy Spirit he had promised!

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

Oh, how i long for people to not only see God's courage in me... to see His power... and to "take note" that "these men had been with Jesus!"

Acts 4.12-13