Theological Concept!

So, Today in religion I was playing around with some ideas on what to do for my thesis paper this semester. It's basically going to be a two part paper one for mid-term and than we have to build off that to do our final thesis paper. I was originally going to do it on prayer and the lords prayer and interpreting the meanings into a modern context.

First of all before I say what I'm actually doing now I will give you a background for my class. We are studying the Lutheran theologian Paul Tillich. Tillich was a famous theologian in the forties and fifties and gave different ways of interpreting symbols, faith, and the meanings of Christianity. He doesn't change the concept of Christianity but rather sheds a different perspective on it. An example of this is Idolotry and how anything but the ultimate concern "God" can become Idolatry if one puts something above God. This is a really wierd/interesting way to look at it. An example that he tends to use is putting Jesus the human above God. God abides in Jesus but if one claims Jesus the human to be God than we lose the fact that the human part of Jesus is how God relates to the world. God sent his own son.

This idea through me for a loop when I first heard it. I struggled with this and digested it and finally feel like I have grasp on it. It isn't as radical or wierd as it first seems, Tillich just phrases it wierd. What he is attempting to get at is that Jesus is the messiah, the christ, and holds the presence and manesfestation of God here on Earth. This does not take away Jesus as a human because jesus is human but holds God at the same time. Its the fact he died for us that is important and that all of his works and his examples he sets for us is more important than the Jesus of Nazereth that walked the Earth 2007 years ago aproximatly. Anywho to sum it up, Jesus the Christ is more important than Jesus of Nazereth....

I hope that made sense, because it did in my mind. Like I said tillich phrases things wierdly and I'm not sure that I'm helping. At the end of this I still end up to the same conclusion that I had already had before I read him. Jesus died for us to relieve us of our sins, Jesus is our Messiah, Jesus is the Son of God "but not God himself but rather the manefestation of God" and that he is coming once more! Anywho the point of all that was to say that Jesus of Nazereth can become an Idol if we put him and his being above God and what Jesus Christ has taught us, because there is a clear dividing line between the man and the Christ. I think...

Anyways back to my paper topic, and actually the above really doesn't clarify it at all. I"m going to write on Science and Tillich and his beliefs to science and than for my final I will challenge Tillichs views and bring in different theologians to challenge it such as Ian Barbour, someone with the last name Peacocke.

Anyways thanks for listening to my ramblings.

ADIOS!!!

Hello everyone,
So I am mindlessly procrastinating once more listening to some Jazz/Rock which is quite relaxing. Anyways I am currently applying for an R.A. position for next year, which would be awesome, so I can go to camp the following summer.

The most current thing that has been waying on my mind is next January. I have been gifted with another oppurtunity to go to Germany once more. I would go on study abroad for month studying the Lutheran Heritage throughout Germany with my favorite proffesor. I am going to apply for some scholarships for this. I am really excited for this oppurtunity and I am praying that it works out. (fingers crossed)

Anyways before that I'm going to Eastern Europe in less than two months Eikes! I am going to start packing soon so than I don't have to later. . .....

I probably will forget though.

Anyways I need to go again

See everyone in a few weeks.

HELLO

Hello everyone! So J-term went by really fast, which might be considered a good thing, I finished up my opera last sunday and it felt good to be done with it.

This week we've started our new class schedule, I am taking philosophy, psycology, religion and my music classes. I was originally scheduled to have chemistry as well but I decided to drop that and just take philosophy instead. Well with all of these crazy things flying around I am going to have a lot to do. I finished my first paper last night for philosophy and I start psyc and religion today. Woot woot.

Oh and choir is amazing. We have a new director this month, Prof. Lamend has been sick and resigned her position as Choir of the West director, so the Choral director Prof. Nance is going to take over, which is not a bad thing. Prof. Nance is an amazing conductor and I am truly excited that he is directing us. Not to say that Prof. Lamend is not.

Anyways hope to see everyon eventually :)

MY BIRTHDAY IS TOMMOROW. hehe.

I GOT A JOB

So, out of no where Campus Ministry calls me and asks if I would like to arrange an interview with them. I said yes and went there today to meet with her. I guess they really did want to hire me last fall when I applied but didn't have openings. The job for this spring won't be as many hours as I would like; however, they said it would be a job training for the next fall in which I would become a full time employee of Campus Ministry. The job description is that I help with projects and arrange and coordinate church events a.k.a Saturday and Sunday Worship, Chapel, Holden Evening Prayer, Bible Studies, and other church events. I will be a leader for the PLU Community and I represent Campus Ministry wherever I go. I'm so excited for this job I can hardly stand it. I get to start monday or tuesday, and I will be continuing for the next three years of college!

Thanks for all the prayers, in the end God gave me a way.

Well than; I sure have been good at updating!

I feel very depressed that my last blog entry was over a month ago. I have had an extremly busy few months. I got done with my finals and headed back to Cashmere where I immediatly began working at the GBF and didn't stop until I came back here. So break wasn't necesisarily a break from all work; however, I did enjoy not having homework. Now that I am back I am getting ready to perform my Opera "Street Scene". This opera is not necesarily considered an opera because it has many broadwayish sound to it, but it also does have operetic moments. So with that coming up I am attempting to finish memorization, on top of that I am reading about sixty pages a night of text books for my Vikings History class. I'm really loving school but it has been extremly busy and stressful.

Anyways here are my opera dates just in case anyone wants to attend.

February 2nd, 3rd, and a matinee on the fourth. More information can be found at the PLU's website. www.plu.edu

So I sm fourty five minutes away from my Lit final. I have never felt so nervous in my life. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaa. But hou know two hours from now and I"ll be a free man for better or for worse. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh.
Be home tommorow. (friday)

See everyone soon!

Dead Week

Well I am aproaching possibly the most stressful week I've ever experienced this week; however, with my new found procrastination abilities I have been able to remain calm. Until now, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG.
I will attempt to do two papers and go to a concert tonight! YAY.

On the plus side I do only have two more days of Calc and one day of voice lessons (thumbs up signal).

WISHA ME LUCK!

Love tyler