Bryan in AIIAS

“Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land. During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach, the captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his encampment. When the captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army...

"Pastors [in the past] were valued for their ability to bring and keep order rather than for their ability to bring and lead change. The reality was that pastors were being equipped to preserve the past rather than to create the future. We became known for being traditional rather than transformational. The ritual replaced the radical. The pastor/teacher replaced the apostle/evangelist. The Church soon lost her momentum and had less and less to manage. Seminaries were producing pastors who were ready for their pulpits but not for the challenge. pastors found themselves experts in biblical exegesis, but novices on cultural exegesis. The rapid shifts in society only added to their dilemma. We knew something was wrong, but we couldn't quite place it. America was turning from a Christian-friendly nation to, at best, Christian-indifferent. The playing field was definitely changing, and we were unprepared for the new rules. In many ways the emergence of the parachurch reflects t...

There's a story about a flock of geese flying south for the winter. As the birds were heading to their winter destination, an early snowstorm forced them to take shelter. They spotted a farm with an open barn, landed, and took shelter in the barn overnight. The farmer was quite surprised to find that he'd left the barn door open and that the barn was now occupied by a flock of wild geese. But he took compassion on the snowbound birds and provided food for them. The snowstorm lasted several days, and the geese decided to stay put. The farmer continued to feed them. When the storm finally broke, the geese debated about whether or not to continue on their journey. Because the farmer had been so kind, they decided to stay a while. The farmer thought it was quite a novelty to have a flock of wild geese at his disposal, so he continued to provide for them. The arrangement worked for all parties involved, and the geese decided to stay the winter. When spring finally arrived, the...

Today I came across an illustration from Craig Van Gelder’s The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001), pp. 99-100. “Growing up on a farm in rural Iowa provided me with an object lesson for understanding the church’s being mission by nature. Each county in the state employed an extension agent to work with farmers…. As new farming technologies, seeds, and fertilizers became available, the extension agents introduced these to the farmers. My dad, like many farmers, was often hesitant to acce3pt the innovations. One of the methods extension agents used to gain acceptance of these innovations was demonstration plots. A strip of land, usually along a major roadway, was selected as demonstration plot, where a new farming method, seed, or fertilizer was used to raise a crop. It was uncommon for farmers to remain skeptical throughout the summer as the crops grew. But there was always keen interest in the fall when crop was harvested. I...

I came across this parable which I thought could be used for a youth talk someday. So in order for me not to forget, I thought that I will just copy it up and publish it on my blog too. According to the website that I copied from, Lynn Fowler wrote it. But after googling up the story, it seems that this is a modified version of a parable originally from India. Nevertheless, I know you’re going to enjoy this story. The Camel's Nose Principle - A Modern Parable It was a cold night in the desert, as most desert nights are, but Ahab the Arab was not concerned. He was quite comfortable in his tent, with its waterproof goats hair outer covering (not that it often needed to be waterproof out there!) and its rich tapestry hangings lining the walls and ceiling. The desert sand of the floor was covered with a thick carpet, over which were strewn huge, soft cushions. Ahab was curled up on these, his blankets pulled about him, when he felt a slight draught from the direction of the ten...

What kind of person will you become when you finish doing your PhD? This is the kind of question you may want to ask yourself when you go home to your respective countrie with an additional three letters after your name. Many students that I have observed have had dramatical changes when they finish their studies. Yes, indeed all of them are more knowledgeable compared to the first time they came here. But what about their willingness to work? Their capacity to adjust to others who are not PhDs? Their humility? Their attitude towards their colleagues? Their attitude towards the 'work'? These questions are for you to ask yourself. Please try to answer them in such a way so that you can do some soul searching and be happy and contented with what you will become, after your PhD. Related articles, courtesy of Zemanta: Sense and Reference: Shut up, Jeff Reflections on Graduate Education PhD retrospective This is NOT the future of librarianship at Attempting Elegance ...

In each person's life, whether rich or poor, young and old, there will come a time when he or she will finally realize that he's got to do something in his life. Something to improve his living condition, from bad to good, from good to best. I have reached that point. I realize that all my New Year resolutions are just slogans that are just meant to be slogans; promises that are made to be broken. I have to make drastic changes in my life. It should not wait. It should be now. After an overnight fast I went to take my blood test and health screening at the gym. I was able to get the results of the health screening right away. The blood test results, however, will be available after a few days. I found out that I was 'sick,' very 'sick.' I am 35 years old but my body age is 63 years old. I am overweight, an obese person with 95 kg on the scale. I am well on my way to 100 kg in no time if I will not put a stop to it. A few days later, I was shown the results...