Get Ready for Mark!
Yesterday, Chaplain Messner introduced our year-long study of Mark’s gospel, the book that he’ll preach through most Mondays this year. He introduced Mark as a book of action, noting Mark’s use of the word immediately and his fast-paced writing style. He also noted Mark as a book of mystery and suspense, particularly regarding the identity of Jesus.
- Who is this Jesus?
- What is He doing? How is He going to accomplish His purposes?
Mark’s confrontational style pushes us to examine whether we really know the answers to these questions.
Chaplain Messner jumped right into the first eleven verses, looking at the testimonies Mark presents regarding Jesus. Mark’s testimony is first, calling Jesus Christ, or Messiah, declaring him to be the Son of God, and proclaiming his gospel. He tells us clearly who Christ is, so that we can be ready to meet him.
Mark then shares the testimony of the heralds. The prophets Malachi and Isaiah herald John, who heralds Christ. John is also helping us “get ready” by telling us who is on the way, and presenting his baptism of repentance.
Finally, we get the testimony of the Godhead: Father and Spirit testify to Jesus as the Son of God. The power of this testimony was beyond the audience of that time, and really is beyond us as well. We get a glimpse here of the mystery that Mark will be showing us throughout his fast-paced narrative.
After these testimonies, does God have your attention? Are you ready? Are you prepared to meet this Jesus and understand what He is doing? Join us this year in chapel as we discover together some of the answers to Mark’s questions.
**For Covenant students, faculty, and staff, check with the chapel office for additional study material on the book of Mark.
Published on Sep 9, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 11:43 am.
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30 Days of Prayer
Although our campus wide Day of Prayer is not for another three weeks, it may be a good exercise to commit to prayer as we enter into the Ramadan season. This is the annual 30 day fasting period for our Muslim neighbors, and I’ve found it valuable over the past few years to remember this huge and diverse group of people in prayer in very specific ways over the month of Ramadan. World Christian.com puts out a very helpful guide, available online to help you pray through the month ahead. You can go to the site every day this month for personal stories, historical background, specific prayer requests.
Published on Sep 1, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 7:23 am.
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Saying No and Saying Yes
It’s good to have our returning students back and to welcome new students to Covenant this fall! After a few weeks of quiet at the beginning of the month, this is a welcome change.
For the first time, we had a chapel service at both 10 am and 11 am this morning. We will maintain this schedule throughout the year on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It’s a big change in how we’ve done things at Covenant, but the first day went well both logistically and otherwise. President Niel Nielson spoke to start the year off, and he encouraged us from Titus to ground our faith and practice in an understanding of grace.
Using Titus 2:11-14, he talked about what Jesus did, what Jesus is doing, and what Jesus will do. Jesus appeared and called people everywhere to follow him. Then, right now, Jesus is by His grace equipping, training, fitting us to say “No” to the things that destroy and to say “Yes” to the things are a right and good. He encouraged us to put on Christ in our daily life, as we interact with each other and as we are alone. This ability to say No and ability to walk in an upright manner are only possible through the grace of Christ. Finally, we by grace live in the hope of what Jesus will do. He will come again. Grace will appear most fully when our Saviour returns. Until then, grace enables us to have discerning hearts and minds as we live in community.
A few things I thought about as Dr. Nielson spoke:
1. Am I more likely to fall into legalism or license in areas of my life? Do I sometimes enjoy have a spiritual checklist that I think will give me favor with God? Or do I flee from that idea so far that I lack true godly discipline?
2. How is my saying “yes” or saying “no” affecting those around me in profound ways?
Published on Aug 29, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 2:46 pm.
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Below the Surface
(This is a post I wrote back in April, but thought I lost. The sermon was so good, I am going to go ahead and post my response here along with a link to the iTunes download. I’ll be gone for most of the summer, so will not be posting until August.)
Pastor Joe Novenson spoke to us on Friday, April 4 in chapel about the riptide (dangerous, under the surface, deadly) problem Paul mentions to the Ephesians in Ephesians 4 and that is also present in our own lives.
17Now this I say and testify in the Lord,that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
The problem is our futile thinking that separates us from the life of God. As we are deceived our desires begin to control us, and we don’t even realize it’s happening as we lose all sensitivity and become numb. The scary thing is that when we are numb, we can’t tell. As Rev. Novensen told us, we begin to use the Christian life as an air freshener, covering up the stench of our futile thinking and actions.
He took us to Psalm 51, where we see both a negative and a positive solution. David, a leader, a worshipper, a psalm-writer, a great king, became numb to the desires that controlled him. He had Uriah murdered, he didn’t repent of his sin with Bathsheba, for at least nine months. The negative solution he mentions is”the bones you have crushed.” When we become numb, God will crush the skeletal structure that holds us up–anything that is not Him, he will remove. Yet, when we are broken, and often think that God must despise us, the exact opposite happens: God draws near to our broken spirit.
Then, positively, God renews our thinking: at the core of who we are, we begin to understand the gospel. That our Christianity is not a bunch of ideas, but is reality. It transforms us deeply, internally and externally. Every time we fall, we are able to get back up, because we are wrapped in the armor of Christ–He defines us, he transforms us.
1. Are you using the Christian life as air freshener? What does that look like in your life? In your relationships?
2. What do you want more than Jesus? What structure does God need to remove in your life that is keeping you from depending fully on him?
The message is available on iTunes U, and I highly recommend hearing Pastor Novenson’s own words.
Published on May 20, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 10:58 am.
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There’s talent everywhere
Our chapel season is over for the academic year, and we ended with Dr. Nielson sharing thoughts particularly with seniors as they head onward from here. You can read his recent blog post, which touches on many of the same issues. After chapel, we had a unique event–Administration member, Wallace Anderson, had his head shaved before the gathered, cheering crowd. The shaving was the culmination of a week-long fundraiser for the needs of a student’s family (they are missionaries in Kenya). The exact amount that the family needed for their situation was raised. Here’s a photo of Wallace, post-shave, shaking hands with Ryland, whose family received the funds: 
This weekend, and into Monday, I had some wonderful opportunities to experience and appreciate the God-given talents of many Covenant students. Most of the creativity I saw and enjoyed was displayed outside of classroom assignments, although several were senior students’ SIP (Senior Integration Project–an opportunity to integrate what they have learned in their major).
Friday night was the First Watchtower Film Festival, featuring student films and art as well as special guest speaker Joe Kickasola, Covenant ‘94. This student-planned, student-led, student-attended festival was very well done. I walked into Jackson Hall, and hardly recognized the place. Great lighting, interesting decoration (including lots of goldfish), and something happening in three rooms. A Bergman film playing in one, two Hitchcock films (Rear Window and The Birds) and two Indiana Jones movies playing simultaneously to a separate musical soundtrack in another, photography and video displays from our art students, and specifically senior Liz Tubergen in the final room. Later, a classroom filled to overflowing for the showing of eight student films, and then Dr. Kickasola spoke about the challenges of directing: balancing desire for excellence and humility. Well-planned, well-executed, and very enjoyable! Thanks to the Covenant Film Club for putting this all together.
Saturday, I spent quite a few hours at the Bakertree Music Festival, where student talent was on display all day and groups took their turns playing and singing a variety of music. It was great to see some much collaboration–many of the students played in several groups. Here’s a student perspective on the event.
Then, last night, I stopped by the Sessions House, at the bottom of Lookout Mountain, to see the unveiling of Lauren Cox’s SIP, a fountain sculpture of a beautiful young woman. The sculpture was placed on a flat surface on top of a double foundation of tan rock. Here are pictures of the sculpture before she was placed on the foundation–but they don’t do justice to the final version, especially as she presided in natural garden setting on a beautiful spring evening. (Photos have been added of the final presentation now)
I praise God for the artistic gifts he has given to our students.
Published on Apr 22, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 1:04 pm.
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Senior Testimonies coming up
Tomorrow and Thursday, we’ll hear from six members of the Class of 2008 as they give their Senior Testimonies. The six were chosen by their own class to share a brief testimony of their time at Covenant.
On Wednesday, Trey Nation, Katie Bell, and David Scott will speak. Then, on Thursday, Charlotte Okie, Michael Shaw, and Ruth Osondu will speak. Each chapel will be available on iTunesU shortly afterwards.
Published on Apr 15, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 3:28 pm.
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Right thinking and right acting
Yesterday, Chaplain Messner preached from Philippians 4:8-9.
He addressed a problem that is prevalent in evangelical Reformed circles of focusing so much on getting doctrine right, but that doctrine often has little impact on our actions, our treatment of others. This is not to say that right doctrine is not worthy of pursuit or worthy of defense, but are we just affirming those truths in our minds or are the things we believe to be true the priority of our lives? Paul calls us to rigorous habits of the mind with continual practice of reflection, since what we meditate on, reflect on, set our minds on impacts our actions and behaviors.
Rather than narrowing what we think on, Paul is actually challenging us to expand our thoughts. Beginning with the person and work of God [creation, providence, redemption, mercy, love, grace, victory etc], we also are called to meditate on those things in art, literature, science, government, and other areas that are reflections of his character. We don’t see those things as ultimate or place them above the creator, but we do dwell on them.
One of the challenging questions Chaplain Messner asked, was “What fills your mind?” What does your mind generally drift towards?
In your area of study or work, what things are beautiful, praiseworthy, or excellent? How can you train your mind to dwell on them?
Published on Apr 1, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 3:24 pm.
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Letting go of your right to be right
As Chaplain Messner preached today from Philippians 4, he focused in on the character of Euodia and Syntyche. Throughout Philippians, unity is a major theme, and finally in this chapter, Paul moves from the general principle of unity to the specific situation of these two women. A few things to note:
–Paul has addressed earlier in Philippians what matters are worth separating over; matters of the gospel itself. The issue between these two women was not a gospel issue or an issue of clear violation of Biblical standards. Their conflict was a real one, one that was not just affecting these two believers but the unity of the body.
–Paul is not suggesting that we should not hold opinions, or have views on particular subjects. But, are we so concerned with our views or opinions being right that we damage the unity of the church? Are we willing to let go of being right in order to be in right relationship with those around us?
Questions for further thought:
1. Is being right more important to you than anything else? Where do you find yourself drawing lines in your relationships?
2. How does prayer figure into issues of conflict between brothers and sisters?
3. How can you refuse to let disagreement become discord? What are some practical means to prevent this movement toward disunity?
Published on Mar 26, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 3:15 pm.
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Spring Semester is flying by
It’s been nearly a month since I posted last. Two of those weeks I was out of the country and as far away from cellphone, email, and the web as I could keep myself. When I return from one of those breaks from technology, I always find it difficult to jump right back in. It’s not that I was far from technology in either Belgium or Ireland, but after checking my email one time, I didn’t go back. So, although I took notes on chapel talks last week, I never got to posting them.
We moved along in our studies in Philippians with Chaplain Messner on Monday, and then heard from the five teams who traveled for Break-on-Impact in Wednesday’s chapel.
This week, we’ll hear from Chaplain Messner Wednesday and Dr. Nielson on Friday. This weekend is Campus Preview Weekend, so we’ll also get an influx of potential Covenant students.
At the end of chapel on Wednesday a brief clip of Chaplain Messner was played. He drove the team van down to Bay St. Louis for a Break on Impact trip helping with rebuilding efforts there. In case you missed it . . .
Published on Mar 25, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 3:11 pm.
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The week before spring break
My posts will be a bit slower this week. I’ve been afflicted with the bug that seems to be going around campus, and I am praying that it will clear out by the time I get on a plane Saturday morning to head to Brussels, Belgium where I’ll be spending a week with 13 others from Covenant on a Break-on-Impact trip. Students all around campus are gearing up (or down) for Spring Break. Do be in prayer for our students, faculty, and staff as they travel.
I will try to put some notes up following Anthony Carter’s talks which begin tomorrow morning. Rev. Carter is the pastor of Southwest Christian Fellowship in Atlanta, and is speaking this week on “Remember, Lest We Forget” a chapel series in honor of Black History Month.
Published on Feb 26, 2008 by Christiana Fitzpatrick at 3:52 pm.
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