IC XC

Calc Test wasn't too bad. I totally need work on my integration. the inegration section of the test (3/10 problems) were giving me some serious trouble. my differentiation and limit evaluation seem up to par. A lot of people came out of the test bemoaning, "I just failed that test." or "what was the answer to [some problem that I knew]?". My Recon tells me that this class isn't curved, so my satisfaction might have to be that I scored in the upper 50% of the bell curve

I saw the movie "Luther" this week. I had heard about it first when I was at Biola. After reading works by Luther the pull question might be assigned to go and watch the movie and compare and contrast etc. To my surprise it was a very good movie. Joseph Fiennes delivered a convincing and relatable performance. The attractive young man on the silver screen stands in contrast to rather unattractive anti-semite that you might see in paintings. The movie portrayed Luther as bold, yet uncertain freedom fighter. I think one of the most powerful lines in the film occurs when Luther is being groomed to go before an eccumenical trial. His (spiritual) father is shaving the appropriate parts of his head to create the classic "monk" hair cut (crown and base of the head from ear to ear shaved). Luther says to him as he faces a jury that is inlcined to sentence him to death, "When you sent me out to change the world, Father, did you really think there wouldn't be a cost?"

That line I think, demonstrates one key in the minor chord of Christianity. Martin Luther it seems to me did two thing that forever changed Christianity. I'm no theologian and i'm not even that good of a Christian and as such (and not such) I could be totally wrong. But these are the two things that I've perceived him to have done.

1- He, heroically, boldly, and in the name of God stood up for the authority of the Bible, and defied the hypocracy and heresy of the Roman Church. He tried to restore that which the Church should never have been bereft of: the word of God, In the face of death and excommunication/anathama. He seriously loved the Church and wanted to reestablish a more holy faith.

The second, it seems was an unforseen and undesired consequence.
2- It seems he set a precedent of division. It was clearly not Luther's desire to create a schism within the Chruch. And from what Jim has told me about Luther's writings, Luther was grieved that there was a schism. Nevertheless, Protestantism (if it can be considered one body or branch of Christianity) remains mournfully ununified.

Baptists (aside from being internally divided between North, South, Race, and confession) don't get along with Methodists over the method of baptism. Methodists don't get along so well with the high church episkpols over liturgy. Prebyterians and other similarly minded Calvinists hold so tightly to one spec of theology that they go so far to say it is true "Biblical" Christianity. The Anglicans (with their noble yet still schismatic attempt at via media) are condescended by Roman Catholics as bastards of the true Church, while protestants tend to group them into "basically Catholics". The Orthodox are very quick to say that they do not claim to know or judge those who are not Orthodox (and even many who are). They say that their eternal verdict judgment of their souls is not known. That it is very possibly the case that many non-Orthodox will arrive in heaven. Yet in the same breath they affirm that those who are not Orthodox are not apart of The Church and therefore not apart of the Body of Christ. I don't know how one can arrive in heaven to salvation and perfection of their souls without being The Bride, The Church of Christ. Or we end up worrying about terms like "priests" and "pastors" and "presbyters" "bishops" and the "episkopate" and "deacons" and wether or not it's ok to call your [insert clerical heirarchal title here] "father".

Now, (almost exclusively in protestantism), whenever there is more than one interpretation of any given passage you can find at least on rival church that has based their entire theology around their singular interpreation.

I can't claim to know a solution or cure, but it breaks my heart to be a spectator and a participant in Christianity and see us in such a state as this.

There is a local church in Albuquerque (Southern Baptist Affiliates) who have just announced their plans to have a campus of their church within 15 minutes from anywhere in Albuquerque and surrounding areas. They plan on training up worship leaders and "facilitators" who will perform the "necessary" tasks. After those "necessary" tasks are completed, citizens of Albuqueruque will be invited every Sunday watch high definition DVD's of the pastor's Saturday night service. And the first of the this plethora of campuses will be erected in Rio Rancho which has more churches than I care to count

It's absolutely heart-breaking for so many reasons. 1) there already is a church fifteen minutes from anywhere in Albuquerque. Instead of spending 15 million dollars on satellite campuses, why can't you partner with all of the other churches in town? what is it about the Jesus of the Catholics or the Anlgicans, or the Methodists, or the Non-Demoninationals that you just can't cope with? that you feel like setting up church across from theirs so they can hear your sermons? does this just reveal a belief that this pastor might have that his chruch is about his teaching and not about serving the community both believers and non?

I don't know why the body has to be this way. This was not Luther's intent. Luther wanted to restore the Church not divide it! and now we face the greatest number of denominations and schism we have ever seen, and every time. I really have trouble believing that one church is more Holy, more Catholic, more Apostolic, (in accordance with The Creed) than the others. And maybe for a while I thought that mass conversion would be the answer, but it's not. God is clearly working in all sects of Christianity. Hear the stories of miracles happening at the Sacraments. Of The Virgin appearing and presenting clergy with clerical garments. Of confused Baptist Preacher's sons, in obedience, evangelizing whole native tribes to the glory of God. Of monks making the sign of the cross over the ill and making them well. Surely no one denomination can say to the other's, "you are not the body of Christ" We can use Sola Scriptura or Ecumenism or Apostolic Succession or whatever we want but it just seems to me like it ends up in the same place. We ought to be one, for Christ is one. I don't know how to solve it? I don't know if a solution is even possible. All I really know is to follow hard after Christ and to show people the God with whom I have at least some level of communion.

(Ritual Disclaimer: My statements apply only to divisions over "ambiguities" within Christianity. Schismatic groups such as JW and LDS are schismatic over issues that are unambiguous to normative christianity e.g. the diety of Christ,)

Today has been one of those goodbad days. I only had one class, Philosophy of Science but it was cancelled becaue the prof wasn't feeling well. I made it to school at about 8:30 this morning. I got there early because i was going to buy a backpack from Josh Nif, but I made it as far as the ATM before I realized that I left my house without my wallet. Josh was cool and said I could pay him tomorrow.

I really like this backpack! It's a Dakine Pro II. Makes my books for Calc, Logic, Philosophy and the rest feel 50 lbs. lighter. (thanks Josh)

I'm sitting in Satellite taking a break from homework. Calc II test tomorrow. I'm really gonna have to study hyperbolic trig functions. I seriously have no idea where those came from. If anybody knows where sinh(x) cosh(x) tanh(x) sech(x) csch(x) coth(x) and their inverses come from feel free to give me a history/etymology lesson.

Some stuff for this test seems as simple as arithmetic and then there's some crazy out of nowhere stuff that doesn't even seem solvable, but that's math i guess.