My Adventures

This morning began the adventure, loading up into a '79 Ford truck, with a 50-year-old trailer in tow. After about 200 miles the back left wheel blew up. Thankfully my Dad was able to keep control of the truck and pull over. The wheel was totally shredded. Hot, blazing sun, middle of New Mexico, 20 miles past the civilization where we had stopped for lunch. It was about 30 miles to the next town. My dad put on the spare tire, which turned out to be nearly flat. Praise the Lord, we had all the tools he needed, and we also had an air tank in the trailer with just enough air to pump up the spare tire. We were able to get to the next town and have new tires put on!

However, our time to get back home is so tight. . . we lost too much time today. So, we got tickets for me to fly home from El Paso, Texas tomorrow(Thursday). This way I will be able to pick up my nephews from the airport on Saturday. My parents hope to get home on Saturday night unless they have more trouble.

Currently I am in our hotel room in El Paso, enjoying the wireless internet service. My poor dad is exhaused! Thank you for your prayers! Please keep praying for us! I'm glad that I will be able to meet my nephews, but I don't like that I'm leaving my parents here. I'm thankful for cell phones.

I'm interested in hearing how others are doing! Right now it seems to just be Doc, Matt, Abi, and me! oh well!

JEZEBRIELLEZEBUGOLLUM

O Brielle...I've been practicing, and I can say it...

Hullo

Kristen! I posted a post for you on the hymnology website, and then realized that it wouldn't be the most efficient place for it. hehe. basically, if you could email me a short blurb for john for our recital video, that would be great. you can email me with questions if you have them or check the hymnology blog for more details. :) thanks.
im glad to hear from you all- i miss you guys!
-abigail

Greetings From Arizona

Hello, everyone! I've been at my Grandma's house in Tucson since Saturday. My parents are here also, and my sister and her husband just left to return to California today. It was so nice to spend time with them for a few days, and to feel my new nephew "Racer" kicking. He's due in September, when we will find out his real name.
On Wednesday we will load up my Grandpa's old truck and start driving to Florida! Please pray for us! We are hoping to be home on Friday so that we can pick up my nephews from the airport on Saturday! I know, it's crazy, but until then I'll be relaxing in the pool and the sun! Hope you are all doing well!

The Gospel According to Owen......

John Owen defines the gospel as the revelation of the New Covenant in Christ. Personally, I've never heard the gospel defined that way before; although, it seems to make sense to me due to biblical writers' close assocation with the accomplished work of Christ and the covenants, specifically 2 Cor.3 and Hebrews 8-10. I believe that there are now and not yet prophecies regarding the new covenant, yet is the new covenant's relevance to the finished work of Christ supposed to be integrated into our Gospel message? Do you think that this doctrine is biblical or impressed truth? Is the glory of the new covenant a glory inextricably accompanying the resurrection? I'd love some thoughts...............

Jordan

just a quick line or two

Well, it's almost june, and the allergies are killing me! But besides that, things here in LI are going pretty well. I am past the big suprise party that the children threw for our parents, so that was one big stress that was looming over all of our heads that is now relieved. AMEN! I am still working on the house projects that I want to do, but it seems as though I am the only one who is excited to change some things about our house. Pray that my parents and my siblings would get involved, cause really, I thought that if I had to, I could do it by myself, but I was wrong. te he he....
Ah well....I am starting one of my jobs definitely next week, and Lord willing I will be starting my other job as well. God is good, and I know that whatever happens will be the best.
My brother is the "leader" (though he wouldnt call himself that) of a book group we are doign with the college-aged kids here in town. We are reading the book "The Dangerous Duty of Delight" by John Piper. It's going pretty well, and yesterday was the first time! There was some good input, and it seems as though when people get more comfortable with sharing their thoughts with this group of brothers and sisters in the Lord. I was greatly encouraged! It was good.

ok, so there are more than one or two lines...sorry.

BRIELLE!!! CONGRATS!!! I can't wait to give you a hug and to see the ring on your hand! oh fun!!

I love and miss you all, and I am praying for you as you go through the summer days! Don't loose sight of the Lord. it's so easy to get distracted and caught up in so many other things, and to lose track of the daily reading of the Word and Prayer time. Keep close to the Lord, and continue to grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Brotherhood and Sisterhood

I haven't taken much time to post the last two weeks. We've been busy with May school and the hymnology blog. Soon I will be in Arizona for a few days, and I intend to keep posting throughout the summer. I've got to start packing, but in a conversation with Sarah Joy my May school roommate we realized that this blog is a combination of all Chamber Singers--past, present, and future. So, does that mean the future members (like Melody, Niall) are already, but not yet???

Until later. . . Kristin

SEMINARY!

Well, I'm heading off to CA on June 3rd to visit Westminster. I'll be staying with Jared and Jessica Mullins. I'll get back early in the morning on Wed., June 7 and then turning around on the 10th to drive down south with Christa and visit Southern in Louiseville, then Greenville Presbyterian Seminary in SC, then Reformed Theolical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. It's about a 4,000 mi trip, so please pray for us and pray for wisdom as we visit each place, that we would ask the right questions and get the needed answers.

I'm ENGAGED!!!

I wasn't going to post anything until I had a better picture...BUT I guess the word is out!!!
I'm ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As of Friday, May 19, 2006 I am happily engaged to my FIANCE ( I love saying that word!!) David Stallard!!!
It was a very cute, simple and traditional engagement...down on one knee..."Brielle will you marry me?"...and the rest is history! ( i didn't mean to rhyme but I've been working on my hymn text for hymnology and I'm stuck in a rutt of rhyme)
So yeah, we're tenatively planning on June 2, 2007 (about a year from now!).
The ring is BEAUTIFUL and SPARKLEY and for all the girls...
It's a georgous round cut solitaire Sitara Diamond from Littman Jewelers with 6 prongs and a simple but elegant band.
But even more exciting than an engagement and a ring is that I get to spend the rest of my life with David Stallard...WAHOO!:) I'm slightly twitterpated.

Ps. Sorry to those who I didn't get a chance to call yet!!!

Brielle's ring!

Engagement?

So...I was reading someone's blog, and they alluded to someone's bachelorettehood being put to death. Did someone from this group get engaged?

Thanking God

Hi Everyone!
I just have to leave a little note, praising God. I had a great first year at BBC. Last year I was at Alvernia College, which is not a Christian college, and I lived on campus. BBC has been such an amazing difference, and a blessing! I have really had time to think about this since the semester has ended. I have had the opportunity to build friendships on a deeper level than I ever expected. This is only because I have Jesus Christ as the foundation for my relationships - that was a factor that was missing in most of my relationships last year at Alvernia. Even this blog ring is evidence of God given relationships. God is so good! I don't want this to sound like a promo for BBC, but I need to tell someone how thankful I am for the blessings God has given! I was just challenged yesterday to not slack off, now that I am at home, away from the BBC Bubble. I have had the chance to learn so much and grow these last 2 semesters, now is the chance to put it all into practice on my own! I hope you are all able to do the same thing this summer! Have a great week! Thanks for letting me be a part of this...

Merry May 18th

Hullo there all..
Im really glad that I can just get online and read what everyone is thinking and keep in touch with you guys this way... I hope I stay consistant about it. I'm glad that both old and some new Chambers people are on now :) Well, you may all already know this, but a bunch of us are in Hymnology for May School and we have a blog going called Hymnology 2006. If you look under Doc's name, you could go check it out and hear our various rantings and thoughts and mental explosions. (Or at least check out our pictures with Krispy Kreme hats and Trinity Hymnals.)

If you could keep my friend Barbara in prayer, that would be great. She is a lady in her mid fifties with stage four cancer. She's a wonderful lady and a close friend, but she isn't saved. Pray that God would save her, and also for my wisdom in words when I get to visit her.

Well, I hope you're all having a fantastic May! Blog away.

P.S. does anyone have any thoughts/info on this whole DaVinci Code thing? I don't really know much about it besides what we talked about it Hymnology (thanks, Kristen, by the way, for your information). Just wondering :)

The Mind: An Eternal Enterprise

Hey Everyone. Thanks for inviting me onto this blog.

Besides Jonathan Edwards, Aristotle has given me a great understanding of what the mind is and what the role of the mind is. Though I am more aquainted with Edwards on the mind, I have an interest in the way Aristotle yokes the mind to eternality. Edwards does the same with the mind: the mind is infinite because its magnanimity is inexhaustible in high proportions. The distinction, however, between the two, is that Edwards makes an aesthetic case for the mind with an aptness to virtue as it is fastened by God's self-sufficiency. Aristotelian magnanimity links itself to the divine to get virtue by fastening itself to self-love. This in my judgment beckons Modernity. For one great highlight of Modernity is intrinsic individualism and anthropocentric status. Edwardsean magnanimity resigns to self-abasement so that the creature might be utterly and boundlessly be fastened to the Creator to display His eternality and infinite worth.

The epistemology of Aristotle with regard to the divine is not too far from the epistemology of Edwards. Aristotle believes that the greatest aim a man should have is to be immortal with all of his might. This is what it means to be alive. This sounds like Christianity in the sense that Christians aim at being or becoming like Christ through the grace of sanctification. Although, the end is the same, the means is different. Aristotle fastens the mind to self-love; Edwards fastens his mind to the intrinsic and inexhausible nature of God. In other words, God-likeness comes from outside yourself and rather from infinite supremacy.

I write all this because it amazes me how close a Romans 1 and 2 man (Aristotle) can get to grasping and attaining the divine. It all begins with the mind. The mind is that eternal and inexhaustible faculty that God has endowed to man out of any and every other brute of the earth. Men are 'tilted' to the divine as Augustine put it in his Confessions. How far are they tilted though? Reading Aristotle has taught me to never underestimate the filthiest pagan and his natural and innate capacities to reason. Praise God that, with the help of Edwards and the Bible, we have the 'mind of Christ'.

Peace to you all,

Gabe

OUTRAGE

I don't watch American Idol until the end of the season. Having said that, I am into it right now and I'm kind of perturbed about Elliot's departure tonight. I hear that there are groups of "anti-idols" who call and vote for the worse people so that the ones who should win won't win. Anyway, there's a little completely trivial rant. Oh, and Doc, did you notice tonight that no one hit a wrong note? On the night when the votes are already in and the singing doesn't count anymore, I think they ran everything through pitch-benders.

Where did the term "blog" come from?

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is enjoying their time off from school. I must admit that after reading some of Matt's posts, I am a little scared to post in fear of looking like a "Philistine." I am just kidding. I am enjoying working on maintenance here at BBC. We have been tearing apart Fletcher dorm, and there is something about smashing things that appeals to me. Maybe it is because of the fall? Pulling wheelies in heavy machinery is also a lot of fun.

So, who are all the people who are going to be in Chambers this year?

Catholic Chambers...HELP! I need somebody!

Would anyone like to do a little research and try to compile a list of the current email addresses of all Chamber Singers from, say, the last 4-5 years so we can add them to the blog?

It wouldn't be terribly difficult. It might just take a few phone calls or emails, and you wouldn't even have to be someone who's been around for that long. If anyone is willing or interested leave your comments here and I'll help get you started.

It would be great to start connecting the "catholic" Chambers circle from across the years and around the world.

Thanks.
-Matt

Good Times

The Circle was great.
Fun, Laughter, Serious, Tears, Forgetting Birth Certificate, Getting left at Avoca, Finally making it to Jamaica (Jess after me). Good times.........Spritely Vigor......Righteous........Out.

David Siegrist
Fall 2002-Spring 2004

miss it already

Hey everyone! I am glad that the school year is over, but I will be honest and tell you all that I miss you all so much! It's hard to think about next year, and how most of you will not be in the group.....sad. It really is! But I hope that doesn't mean that you won't all talk to me. As far as the summer goes, I have so many things that I want to get done, and I have so many people that I want to get into the lives of...but I am going to need a lot of prayer. A LOT. There are going to be plenty of opportunities for the Devil to try and discourage me, and get me off track of the goals that I long to reach. Please keep me in your prayers, and you can all be sure that you will be in mine!

What do you think?

SeeingandSavoring:Meditation after a recent trip to 10th Presbyterian Church in Philly

Member Profiles

We need everyone to fill out the user profile, using your real name, so we know who is who and who's posting what (i.e. semitikstallion--who are you?!). If you don't do this, you will be kicked off the blog until you email us with the info. I'm not trying to be mean or anything, we just want to keep this moderated and we want to know who we have participating. Thanks.

FYI Kristin is now my co-administrator of the site.

-matt

Picture CDs

Two people have come to me so far that received bad copies of the first picture and mp3 disc. Please let me know how many others this has happened to...thanks guys.

Josh

each misdeed...

Ok, here we go guys. My soul is heavy tonight concerning this whole issue of sin in relation to the believer. What do we do with sin in our lives? If we are in Christ, do we not stand righteous before God? If so, why did I grow up having 1 John 1:9 thrown at me? The verse, in context, seems to be speaking of salvation:

(8) If we say have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In other words, if we deny our sin, we are not (will not be) saved, but if we confess our sins, we will be saved. Let me know if that is not the valid interpretation. If it is, what is to be done with the guilt believers feel after sinning even though we stand righteous before God? Are we only to acknowledge that truth of our standing before God and move on?

If that is not the valid interpretation, I say it leaves us in more of a tough spot. It smacks of Catholicism to me, and what I mean is this. If those verses are talking about already-believing people, then the converse of verse 9 must be true--If we do not confess our sins, we will not be forgiven or cleansed from our unrighteousness. Do you see where that leads? It means that we are doomed if we do not keep our confession as up to date as possible. If we die with unconfessed sin, we are not cleansed. That cannot be the case. Who sins so rarely that he can consciously confess each transgression?

Basically, I have been proven a vile, deliberate sinner tonight. I am sick of reciting some incantation like "I'm sorry God" or "I confess that was wrong", and having to say it so many times to feel like I mean it. And I'm sick of this view of the Christian life that makes me think I need to go through an indeterminate time of purgatory wherein I willfully (more like "fleshfully") abstain from any "considerable" sin before I can minister to anyone in even the slightest capacity.

That's about as honest and personal as you can get. Does this sound familar to anyone? Help me out...

Josh

p.s. Sorry about the length and seriousness of this post. Perhaps next time I can post on something lighter, such as the problems inherent to a literal-grammatical-historical-geographical-genetical hermeneutic approach to Scripture (Bryce and Matt will be expecting that one). Anyway, good night

Just for fun!

Update on Prayer

I realized that I requested prayer last week, but I might not have gotten to tell everyone the answer to it that I received. I decided to go with my original plan to graduate next spring, but next semester will be the truly deciding factor. So, Praise God for bringing me to that decision, and teaching me some things about money in the process. Thank you for praying!

Shortie

Hello all, here is a first shortie post for you. Just wanted to say hi and initiate myself into this blog. I must go and pack up my stuff and move home. I hope you all have safe and wonderful trips to your various locations this summer. (Some of you I will still see for may school.) Well, hugs to all of you and I will add more later!
In Christ,
Abigail

Individual blogs

By the way, it's easy to create your own blog if you don't have one.

I just started one.
www.seeandsavor.blogspot.com

If you have another blog (i.e. xanga or facebook) you can share it with us here if you'd like.

Reading and plans

Hey guys, I'm sure we all have high ambitions in terms of reading this summer, so let's keep a strain of postings going, like Doc suggested, talking about our reading.

I am going to be reading a lot in addition to doing some summer classes through correspondence. I have already started and will soon be finishing Crider's book The Office of Assertion on rhetoric and writing the academic essay. This is rather appropriate for me right now because...there is a good chance I will be starting grad school as soon as this fall. With only 5 credits left by next semester to graduate BBC, I will hopefully be able to finish them through correspondence while attending seminary. I have already bought a ticket to fly out to San Diego the first week of June to visit Westminster California. The other option rigt now is Southern down in Louisville. Guys, this possibility is so exciting for both me and Christa, so pray for these difficult decisions and for finances to do this if it's God's will.

I am also reading R. Scott Smith's book Truth and the New Kind of Christian, Give Praise to God by Ryken, Thomas and Duncan and will soon be finishing Love is Stronger than Death, a wonderful, poignent philosophy of death by Peter Kreeft.

More later!

matt

Tozer The Prophet, man

Whatever Happened to Worship?

It is amazing that even though A. W. Tozer died in 1963, this book is so relevant for 2006. He examines the churches of America and concludes that the church is “missing the genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and our worship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He compares the church of his time to the Laodicean church in Revelation. This was a church of great abundance, except for abundance in Christ. Some particular sins of the church in his time were lack of love for liberal believers which could be seen even by unbelievers. He desired the church to be “led by the Spirit of God” and for the church to “show forth the love of God this world needs,” in order to become “winsome saints.” He explains that becoming winsome is a result of understanding who God is. One reason the church is not winsome is because pastors are preaching a false gospel to their congregations. It is the nature and perfections of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that should be preeminent in preaching. He observes that even though the church is concerned with serving God, he is of the “opinion that we (the church) should not be concerned about working for God until we have the meaning and delight of worshipping Him.” The church of his time was too preoccupied with business (having a corporate God and so he writes, “God is trying to call us back to that for which He created us—to worship and enjoy him forever. Tozer responds to the person who does not believe the importance of worship by writing, “I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” The church of his day had problems such as pride over those in the church who would express themselves audibly in worship to God. And yet some of these divisive members of the church are the ones making church government decisions. Tozer pleads with the people of his day again by writing, “Oh, brother or sister, God calls us to worship, but in many instances we are in entertainment, just running a poor second to the theaters.” This is not an indictment to become better at reaching the culture, but an exhortation to become more concerned with the understanding of who God is. It is true; how can the church of Christ boast in God if they don’t even know Him. Tozer correlates worshipping God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24) to Christ’s promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples and to all believers (John 14:26). Then Tozer begins to discuss how the fear of God comprises what a worshipper of God is. The fear of God is a holy fear by which the believer knows the indwelling Divine and responds in awe, reverence, and delight, even in worship to God in His special presence in the church. This is what is lacking in the church. In fact I perceive that all of the above is a prophetic synopsis of what the church of today struggles with. The church needs to ballast itself to rejoicing in the truth with fear and trembling.

So here's my question, what is meant by "in spirit and in truth" or "in Spirit and in truth"John 4:24

Trying It Out

We just got back from Long Island, and I wanted to try this out a little more. I think it's going to be what we were looking for. This was a great last weekend with the group. I'm sad that it won't ever be the same after this, we'll be saying goodbye to some members and hello to new ones in the fall, but as Doc said, "Once a Chamber Singer, always a Chamber Singer." Anyway, I hope this works out as a good tool for the summer.
-Kristin

give it a go!

well, guys, i hope this works. give me some time and i'll see about adding members and customizing it to us a bit.