I just made this post from within this great web browser called Flock. Check it out! It works on Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.
Blogged with Flock
]]>I just made this post from within this great web browser called Flock. Check it out! It works on Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.
Blogged with Flock
]]>
For the past three months or so I've been teaching a Sunday School series on the book of Hebrews. And, of course, like a good Presbyerian my preferred mode of communication has been the lecture. I have been doing my best to describe what the book is about on a very theoretical level. I have tried very hard to articulate the historical background of the book because understanding it is so vital to understanding the book as a whole. To that end I have spent a lot of time repeating myself and reminding the class not to forget the peculiars of the historical background. I feel compelled to do so because I know prone I am to take each passage in isolation. Besides, isn't repetition the best way to make concepts stick in our brains? If I want my class really to understand the book, I just need to repeat myself over and over and over again, right?
A few weeks ago, I had a wonderful revelation from a most unexpected source. I was reading the introductory pages of a book I recently got on Ajax (asynchronous JavaScript and XML), a relatively new web development method. Obviously, I wasn't looking for tips on teaching my Sunday School class from a computer book. After all, teaching the Bible must be done by a hallowed lecture, right? Yet, the author was describing my challenge as a teacher of the Bible to a tee. I may be able to get the point across to give my class understanding. But then my question is, do we remember those theoretical concepts? If I understand something, what good does it do me if I don't remember it?
This dillema was answered in large part by the methodology that this book is promoting. Let's look at what Brett McLaughlin is saying.
So what does your brain do with all the routine, ordinary, normal things you encounter? Everything it can to stop them from interfering with the brain's real job--recording things that matter. It doesn't bother saving the boring things; they never make it past the "this is obviously not important" filter. [Boring? ouch!]
How does your brain know what's important? Suppose you're out for day hike and a tiger jumps in front of you; what happens inside your head and body?
Neurons fire. Emotions crank up. Chemicals surge.
That's how your brain knows...
This must be important! Don't forget it!
But imagine you're at home, or in a library. It's a safe, warm, tiger-free zone. You're studying. Getting ready for an exam. Or trying to learn some tough technical topic your boss things will take a week, ten days at the most.
Just one problem. Your brain's trying to do you a big favor. It's trying to make sure that this obviously non-important [again, ouch!] content doesn't clutter up scarce resources. Resources that are better spent storing the really big things. Like tigers. Like the danger of fire. Like how you should never again snowboard in shorts.
And there's no simple way to tell your brain, "Hey brain, thank you very much, but no matter how dull this book is, and how little I'm registering on the emotional Richter scale right now, I really do want you to keep this stuff around" (xxiii).
As I said, McLaughlin sets out to solve this challenge. He asks the question, "So just how DO you get your brain to treat Ajax like it's a hungry tiger?" Here's his answer:
The faster way is to do anything that increases brain activity, especially different types of brain activity. . . More neurons firing = more chances for your brain to get that this is something worth paying attention to, and possibly recording.
No, he hasn't hit upon anthing that is completely revolutionary. I suspect that the reason we so rarely witness this type of education is that it takes extra work. It is easier just to gather the facts, organize them, and lecture them. (Zzzzz) I got inspired when I saw some of the practices McLaughlin impliments in his book.
Some of the Head Rush learning principles:
Make it visual. Images are far more memorable than words alone, and make learning much more effective (up to 89% improvement in recall and transfer studies). It also makes things more understandable.
Use a conversational and personalized style. In recent studies, students performed up to 40% better on post-learning tests if the content spoke directly to the reader, using a first-person, conversational style rather than taking a formal tone. Tell stories instead of lecturing. Use casual language. Don't take yourself too seriously. Which would you pay more attention to: a stimulating dinner party companion, or a lecture?
Get the learner to think more deeply. In other words, unless you actively flex your neurons, nothing much happens in your head. A reader has to be motivated, engaged, curious, and inspired to solve problems, draw conclusions, and generate new knowledge. And for that, you need challenges, exercises, thought-provoking questions, and activities that involve both sides of the brain, and multiple senses.
Get--and keep--the reader's attention. We've all had the "I really want to learn this but I can't stay awake past page one" experience. Your brain pays attention to things that are out of the ordinary, interesting, strange, eye-catching, unexpected. Learning a new, tough, technical topic doesn't have to be boring. Your brain will learn much more quickly if it's not.
Touch their emotions. We now know that your ability to remember something is largely dependent on its emotional content. You remember what you care about. You remember when you feel something. No, we're not talking heart-wrenching stories about a boy and his dog. We're talking about emotions like surprise, curiousity, fun, "what the...?", and the feeling of "I Rule!" that comes when you solve a puzzle, learn something everybody thinks is hard, or realize you know something that "more-technical-than-thou" Bob from engineering doesn't.
This is good stuff. Again, not revolutionary, but so rarely implemented. So I decided to try something new, something different, something surprising. I have created a fictional, though realistic story of a young man named Simon from Troas, who lived in the time of the writing of the book of Hebrews. In fact, he was one of the typical recipients of the letter. Then, I turned that story into a reader's theater drama to be acted/read by members of the Sunday School class. We have done it for two weeks now, and though my drama writing skills can stand plenty of improvement, I think the people have enjoyed it. And, I'm pretty sure they understand the material and will remember it much better than they ever would have before. If I get the time and inspiration, I will post the first two episodes of "Simon's Dilemma" in the next few days.
]]>"Christian worship recognizes its own scriptural basis by the fact that the continual reading of the scriptures is a constitutive part of the liturgy: these scriptures narrate the fundamental story, up to and including its awaited consummation; they contain the promises, commands, and patterns that worshipers take up as they play their own part in the story. The theological frame is vital because scripturally derived doctrine concerning God, man, and their proper relationship proves the standards by which Christian worshipers seek to abide as they embody and enact the ongoing life of the Church before God that is Tradition. In very broad lines, there is a consistency in the content and structures of Christian worship across the centuries..." (4).
"God's glory, in the first instance, is the sheer 'godness' -- the deity -- of God, which is love (1 John 4:16). Christian theological speculation, prompted by the self-revelation of God in history, will figure this as the love among the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity in all eternity. It can be said -- after the event -- that it was God's love that freely undertook the creation of a world other than himself, and that it was God's good purpose especially to create humankind in the expectation of a loving response that would also please God. In the words of the late-second-century bishop Irenaeus of Lyons..., 'the glory of God is man alive,' whose 'life is the vision of God'... Humankind, however in its God-given freedom has preferred to go its own way: idolatry is, at root, creaturely self-worship. Thus humankind has failed to reflect the radiant, self-diffusive goodness of God (cf. Exod. 33:17-23). In so doing, humanity has missed its vocation, as made in the image of God, to 'render' glory to God. True worship occurs when human beings are restored to their original vocation and final end. This has happened redemptively in Jesus Christ, who is the image of God both from the divine side (2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:1-3) and from the Adamic side (Rom. 5:15-21; 1 Cor. 15:42-50), being himself (in Chalcedonian terms) on Person, the Son, known in two natures. 'And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father... No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known' (John 1:14, 18).
"Those who adhere to Christ by faith and are incorporated into him by baptism are being renewed after the image of their Creator (Col. 3:1-10), conformed to the image of the firstborn Son (Rom. 8:29), and may thus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, render God the glory that is theirs by reflection (Rom. 8:30; 2 Cor. 3:17-18). Their daily lives and their cultic acts will not be at variance. Eschatologically, Hans Urs von Balthasar suggests, the bringing home of humankind to God may be considered an 'additional gift' ... in the eternal and ever-new mutual self-giving of the Father, Son, and Spirit, in 'enrichment'... or 'enhancement'... of the divine life through its inclusion of the redeemed creature to which God grants participation in himself. God's generosity in creation and salvation is his own 'greater glory'" (8-9).
"Christian ritual constitutes a complex symbolic system—employing verbal, gestural, and material signs—by which the Church and the churches explore, describe, interpret, and fashion reality; express and form their thoughts, emotions, and values; and communicate across time and space in ways that both build and convey traditions as well as both allowing and reflecting social relations in the present" (16).
Well worth the read!
]]>
On Italy's northern border, about 50 miles north of Milan, sits Italy's second largest lake, called Lago Maggiore. The lake is a long and narrow finger that stretches so far north as to reach into Switzerland. About the place of the bottom joint of the finger is a bulge in the lake to the west. Within that bulge lay three small islands, called Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola Superiore. These three islands have been owned for many generations by the Borromeo family. Throughout Italy's history that wealthy family has played a part in Italy's commerce and religion. On the small island, Isola Bella, the Borromean family built a beautiful palace with extensive gardens. The gardens and palace have been carefully designed and decorated. And both contain variations of a common theme throughout, an symbol found on the family crest called the Borromean Rings. Notice those rings in the small blue portion of the crest just behind the horse toward the bottom. Throughout the estate these rings occur in the design of the flower gardens and in the inlaid wooden floors.
Imagine the rings for a moment without looking too closely at them. Try to picture in your mind three separate rings, none of them interlocking like a chain. But image at the same time those three rings being completely interlocked among the three. Now look at the rings on the right, and you will witness exactly that. At first glance it may appear that some of the rings interlock. But no. These interlocking rings would be impossible to construct using planar (flat) rings. They must be constructed with bendable material or in two dimensions. (I have made some with cardboard.) Similar patterns were created by the Vikings, the French, the Africans, and the Japanese. And learned men have found this same idea in other areas of study like mathematics, geometry, physics, chemistry, and even psychology.
Individually, the rings would remain completely separate from each other. In interlocking pairs, the rings lose their individual identity. But when the three combine as one, they become inseperable and create a new reality greater than what each ring would be alone or in pairs. Break any one ring, and the whole creation falls apart. Such a wonderful picture showing the relationship of threeness and unity.
I don't demonstrate this unique design merely to find an illustration of Trinity as an abstract idea. Let’s think for a moment about the Trinity. In the Father, we have the most transcendent of the three persons. No one has seen Him at any time. Those who did hear His voice were stricken with fear and awe. On the other hand, we have the Son, Jesus. He lived right here on this earth. John, one of His own disciples, testifies that though He existed from the beginning, He is one “whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, whom we looked upon and have touched with our hands” (1 John 1:1). Thus, we have two, shall we say, extremes: One who is completely spirit, who has always lived in heaven; and One who is human, who sneezed, who had body odor, who felt pain, who cried tears and sweat blood.
At times men have been tempted to see two different Gods completely because of these (and other) seemingly opposing and irreconcilable views of God. But we know that such is not the case. Rather, Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father. And the Spirit is present to guarantee the exact correspondence between the Father and the Son. He is the bond of love that moves back and forth between the two. Without the Spirit, we indeed have two gods, two irreconcilable opposites. The Spirit is the binding arbiter who completes the Trinity. But as God cannot need anything outside of Himself and as He is totally complete within Himself, so the Spirit must Himself be fully God. He is not merely a force that interlocks two rings. He is the third ring. Thus, by not being interlocked with any other ring, each one maintains His full and individual identity. But because there are three rings, the identity of each one is inseparable from the other two. There must be three, no more, no less.
"Life is a phenomenon. Its production is due to the influence of the dynamics of the cosmos on a passive subject. It lives due to dynamics, each oscillation of organic pulsation is coordinated with the cosmic heart in a grandiose whole of nebulas, stars, the sun and the planet."
Alexander Chizhevsky (1897-1964), the author of the preceding words, spent years of his life building a case that extra-terrestrial influences (especially sun spots) correspond greatly to periods of scientific discovery, rare historical events (like influenza pandemics), and a revolutionary mentality (resulting in political upheavals, revolts, and civil wars). He is the father of a science called heliobiology, which one author says "verifies that the angular position of the moon and planets does affect the electromagnetic and cosmic radiation which impact with the earth, and in turn these field fluctuations affect many biological processes." Studies that have ocurred in this area of science find that times of cultural advances in the ancient Western civilizations correspond to those same times in the Eastern civilizations. I find it interesting that so many beliefs held by "superstitious" Medieval men are now being "verified" by "modern science." It seems that their Christian foundation compensated greatly for their lack of modern instruments of science.
It is also interesting to note that these findings of modern science give us another perspective from which to understand the relationship between the motions of the heavens and the activites of earth. The account of the maji, which we read during the advent season, has always facinated me. Certainly, those men knew divine revelation, which had reached those eastern civilizations from the exilic Jews. But they combined their understanding of that revelation with their correct interpretations of the heavens to guide them to the One who was born King of the Jews. The heavens are a pattern for the earth because they are an image of the highest heaven, God's abode. Thus, we must take the truths we understand from the heavens and impress them on the earth. And we must recognize that God's world is not composed merely of unrelated and atomized individualities. But all truth and all reality are connected to everything else.
Confused rambling, sure, but much food for thought and study.
]]>
In his book Trinity & Reality, Ralph Smith ably accomplishes the purpose he set for himself from the beginning: “In this book we will explore the meaning of the doctrine of the Trinity for the Christian worldview, aiming at an exposition of the Christian understanding of the world that is both biblical and God-centered, and also … clear and practical, with strong implications for the Christian life” (xiii). Besides one’s understanding of the world, Smith uses the word “worldview” to signify a “way of life,” “the story of the world” and of God’s people, “aesthetics,” “religious sensibility,” and “attitude on life” (xiii). Thus, for Smith, the doctrine of the Trinity is not just a doctrine; it is a truth that encompasses all aspects of reality.
Smith begins by outlining the basics of the biblical teaching of the Trinity. Perhaps more than any other doctrine, the Trinity is universally affirmed by all branches of Christ’s church. Thus, this book may be profitably read by Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant Christians. Smith states that the Trinity may be established from Scripture by proving the following five propositions: “there is one God; the Father is God; the Son is God; the Spirit is God; and the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinguishable persons in relationship with one another” (3). The doctrine of the Trinity must be discovered in Scripture and believed by faith rather than arrived at by reason. Scripture, therefore, is the key. “God’s revelation in His Word is our ultimate standard for judging all that we know and learn, while it presupposes that God is revealing Himself in every thing that He created and in the process of history as well” (14).
Based upon his brief introduction to the biblical basis of the Trinity, Smith spends the rest of book exploring its implications in every realm of truth. Though the doctrine of the Trinity may seem difficult or even contradictory, “truth is an entirely rational and perfect system, for God cannot contradict Himself” (17). God as Trinity is a personal God, interacting in fellowship within Himself. Christianity is the only religion whose God is not only absolute but also personal. Thus, God Himself is the ground of all personal virtues like righteousness, faithfulness, and goodness. For instance, “righteousness for the triune God means that each of the persons respects and preserves the boundaries of the others” (19).
Probably the best portion of Smith’s book is in Chapters 3, in which he explores the truth that “what God does in history reveals who He is in eternity” (31). The nature of God is the foundation of all earthly relationships. In God, the essence or bond of the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is love. “God’s covenant love for His people reflects something deeper and more wonderful: the eternal self-denying love that each of the Persons of the Trinity has for the others” (38). Men who live in a covenant relationship with God indwell within God and God within them. “God in His saving grace brings His people into that same covenantal love that is shared by the Persons of the Trinity” (45). Also, highly significant in this regard is Smith’s work on the essence of a worldview, which I would categorize into metaphysics (transcendence), priority (hierarchy), ethics (commandments), epistemology (sanctions), and teleology (succession).
Throughout the rest of the book Smith discusses many issues that may be traced directly to one’s worldview. He demonstrates the superiority of the Christian view of the origin of the world over the Big Bang theory. His view of Christian cosmogony is essentially covenantal. “The covenantal meaning of the world, then, is that the world is the love gift of the Father through the Spirit to the Son. It is an expression of the covenantal fellowship of love in the Trinity, an aspect of their mutual enjoyment of one another” (58). This understanding also establishes a symbolic view of reality. Furthermore, Smith discusses God’s purpose for creation, His revelation of Himself to creation, and God’s work in history—including the “problem” of evil, miracles, the incarnation, the gospel, the kingdom of God, and the great commission. Each of these issues is properly understood only within a Christian, Trinitarian world.
Smith continues by describing the significance of the Trinity to an individual’s role in society. He answers questions that concern the relationship between an individual and the society in which he lives. He states, “our self—who we are—is determined by our relationships, just as the three Persons of the Trinity are who they are in their mutual relationships” (163). He speaks of the covenantal institutions that God has established in the family, the church, and the state. To end, Smith deals with the issues concerning eternity: hell, heaven, and eschatology. Only as the Christian understands these topics in relation to the Trinity can he adequately live consistently with the biblical teaching. Our understanding of who God is and our relationship with God as Father, Son, and Spirit guide us in our expectation of heaven and the end of time. “The enjoyment of God includes the enjoyment of all the things He created and of every gift He gives. … Every biblical expression that points to the fullness of our salvation leads us to contemplate the greatness and wonder of God Himself. In order for us to enjoy and glorify Him as we should, Paul tells us that we will be made like Him” (201).
Without a doubt this book is foundational to a completely and distinctively biblical worldview. Especially for those who are not yet familiar with thinking in presuppositional or worldview terms, Trinity & Reality demonstrates that everything a Christian knows and does finds its source in our God. Highly recommended for Christians from all traditions!
]]>
Today, Apple invited a few privileged people to a special event next week. Of course, Apple is always secretive about their announcements, and so lively speculation is going on all over the favorite Apple sites. The most popular guesses involve a video iPod (again) or some other upgrade of iPod or the new Intel-based Mac. My favorite idea is a new iTunes video store on which movies could be bought or rented for a reduced price (no shipping). With that, Blockbuster and Netflix would have some serious competition. You wouldn't have to go anywhere to get a good movie on a Friday after a long week at work. You also wouldn't have to worry about the movie you had your heart set on being checked out. My only question about this is the amount of time it would take to download the movie. But with the updated QuickTime 7, I guess Apple has already prepared for that. I'd be surprised with a video iPod because in the movie world, bigger and louder is better. I'd certainly rather go somewhere to watch a movie on a big screen than to view it on a portable player on which I could hardly recognize the actors. Check out the rumors and speculations at Engadget, Macworld, Apple Insider, and The Unofficial Apple Weblog. Whatever it is, I can't wait to find out; I'm sure it will be awesome! What do you think it will be?]]>
Because Rachmaninoff's music mirrors the Russian culture, I have often noted that no one plays Rachmaninoff like a Russian. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Etudes-Tableaux, played by the Russian Evgeny Kissin, is unparalleled in mastery, beauty, and power. The album begins with one of the most sensitive interpretations of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto that I have heard (on par with Vladimir Ashkenazy's, a fellow Russian). Kissin understands the flow of the piece from beginning to end. As a result, he builds the tension by accentuating the rich chord progressions that fill the piece. He then resolves that tension with the precision of a story-teller and the sensitivity of a master artist. Though the music stretches the ability of even the greatest pianists, Kissin plays through the difficulty in order to paint a landscape of musical progression. He hears and invites his audience to hear the intricate sub-plots that recur all throughout the work. Perhaps Rachmaninoff's most famous composition is married with a true master artist.
The album ends with six powerful Etudes-Tableaux. Once again, Kissin hears and emphasizes both the predominant theme as well as the innumerable sub-themes, often overlooked by lesser musicians. My favorite is Etude-Tableau No. 5 in E-flat minor. This extremely difficult piece builds tension through increased dissonance until a lofty climax. That dissonance almost becomes unpleasant to the ears, creating an atmosphere of extreme melancholy. I imagine that tension mirroring the inner turmoil that an individual experiences through a difficult time of life. But when that tension and internal cacophony can get no greater and the person is at the point of breaking, grace comes! The beauty of the resolution is far more beautiful against such a dark backdrop. And any person who has been through difficulties can fully enter into the emotion of the music. And anybody who is currently experiencing pain and suffering can take hope, even from this music, that resolution will come.
I highly recommend this album for frequent musical enjoyment, even if classical (romantic) piano music might not be your thing. The links above direct you to the album on the iTunes Music Store for only $9.99. That's where I bought mine. But if you're not into that, Amazon sells it as well on CD for $16.98. You won't be disappointed!
Of course I am biased toward anything Apple, but I am especially impressed with their new iPod nanoWill the nano give Apple an even greater edge on its competition? If it's possible, I think so. Compared to its competition, nothing even comes close in size, capacity, and coolness. If it weren't for the fact that I just bought the now-discontinued iPod mini (which is also very cool), I would snatch one of these little guys up. I enjoy greatly listening to music, lectures, sermons, and audiobooks on it wherever I go. It will also carry around your address book, calendar, and notes. And you can use it simply as a portable hard drive. With these newest ones, you can even view your pictures from it. One feature that the nano has that I really wish my mini had is a stop watch. That would come in very handy when I go running. With imagination, the uses for these tiny things are almost limitless.
Who's going to give me a great deal on one? Of course, you won't ever find any discount sellers of Apple products (that's a sign that its a good product). So the most common way that the retailers compete is by providing accessories to accompany the goods, kind of like frosting on the cake. The best place I've found is MacMall. They are offering free engraving and a free FM transmitter with theirs. However you get it, though, I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
]]>
Over the last several years, Laurie and I have discussed off and on different approaches to teaching mathematics. I have never been entirely satisfied with the approach of any one curriculum, though most seem to have its own particular strength. To me, though, there seemed to be something missing. I think I may have begun to find out what that may be. Math, very frequently, is taught as an end in itself, or at best a means for only certain people and activities, like adding, accounting, or doing whatever engineers do. But I think an approach that takes from the principles classical education can be effective. Consider these words from the book A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science by Michael Schneider:
"It's a shame that children are exposed to numbers merely as quantities instead of qualities and characters with distinct personalities relating to each other in various patterns. If only they could see numbers and shapes as the ancients did, as symbols of principles available to teach us about the natural structure and processes of the universe and to give us perspective on human nature. Instead, 'math education' for children demands rote memorization of procedures to get one 'right answer' and pass innumerable 'skill tests' to prove superficial mastery before moving on to the next isolated topic... It's no wonder countless people are innumerate. We've lost sight of the spiritual qualities of number and shape by emphasizing brute quantity" (xvii).
Perhaps the activities of mathematics like addition and subtraction, geometry, trigonometry, and so forth can be viewed as part of the "grammar" portion of the trivium. In that way, then, these truths gained by rote memorization become the building blocks to discovering many more and much greater truths about reality.
]]>