Showing posts with label Philadelphia Biblical University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philadelphia Biblical University. Show all posts
I have had two experiences during summer vacation so far
that I thought would be worth sharing, particularly on this blog. The first
comes from my summer job, and the second comes from my local library
in-the-middle-of-nowhere, Chester New Hampshire.
During this summer my life takes a very different pace, as I
am on the grounds crew for a local golf course. Instead of shuffling books or
helping patrons with Microsoft Word in a nice air-conditioned library—like
during the semester—my average work day here runs from 6:00AM to 2:00PM in the
cold, rain, and heat, doing all sorts of different landscaping type-jobs. This
year one of my more recent jobs has been teaching a new high school graduate
the ropes.
During my time with this new employee, the commonplace discussion
about school, life, and family ensued. Upon my saying that I attend
“Philadelphia Biblical University” (sorry, I haven’t started saying “Cairn”
yet), the discussion about Christianity came up. As this is my third summer
working there, all the guys on the course know that I’m a Christian and that I
study the Bible at a University. What was different about the discussion this
time was how much this new kid didn’t understand about Christianity—his parents were never
involved in any type of religion, and he was raised in a government school that
never taught him anything about Christianity or the Bible. He was shocked to
hear that Jesus was God. We started talking about the Bible. He had never heard
of Abraham before. He even asked me if Jews thought that Abraham was God the
same way Christians think Jesus was God. Now, I say all this not in any way to
make this fellow look bad—he is simply a product of our culture.
The second event was my looking through the catalog for my
local library. They don’t even have a
copy of Calvin’s Institutes. The closest thing to any sort of “Christian”
material available was Joel Osteen, the man from planet prosperity. I was
definitely disappointed, although not surprised, at the major lack of Christian
materiel available to the public in my area—New England. The land that once was
called home to our friends the Puritans.
I tell both of those stories to remind my fellow students of
what I was reminded of by them: we take for granted what we have, both in our
general understanding AND our library. Not knowing the name of Abraham, if you
were raised in a Christian household as I was, is something that’s hard to
imagine. As a PBU student, not having access to thousands of commentaries and
theological treatise is also something we don’t stop to think about, and often
times, it isn’t something we stop to use. Those things being said, I want to
encourage you to thank God for the resources he has given you—both through the
friends and churches that you have, and also the great collection of writings
available to us in the library. Go ahead, pick up a dead theologian. Read
Calvin’s Institutes. Praise God that you can.
~Zak Fixler
~ Allison Beyer
One of the first things you will notice as you step through
the wooden doors of the library are the colorful paintings on the wall facing
you. These paintings all carry a story, each of them unique. Art has a funny
way of expressing stories. Each piece adds a part to an even bigger story that
the curator tries to tell. And art, being a very subjective topic, will lead
you to interpret the story differently from you brother standing next to you
and your sister across the room.
And to think that just a few years ago, our library had very little to offer in the aesthetic realm. Our school has changed a lot. It's constantly ebbing and flowing, out with the old, in with the new. Soon, students will register for classes next semester, finish the semester strong, leave for the summer, and come back again in the fall. I know this next fall will be different. I know for sure that there will be new students who will contribute to a new PBU community culture. I know some of my favorite professors will be gone, and there will be new professors to fall in love with. Yet, loss is still a hard thing to deal with. Several of our students have been personally hit with this emotional tear, speechless, confused, angry, numb. Dr. Hirt, dean of the Bible department, has been struggling with cancer since last year. We've just been informed that Lisa Weidman, Director of Communications and Marketing and a key catalyst for the appearance of fine arts on campus, has a rare form of cancer. Unlike Dr. Hsu's death, theirs will be expected. We will have a little bit longer to celebrate our last times with them,
stories ebbing and flowing.
I wonder what stories Lisa intended to share with each piece of art she contributed to for our campus. I wonder what stories she will be sharing in heaven, stories that God has embedded on her heart, full of color and wonder and so much beauty, full of ebbs and flows.
~Hanah Bae
And to think that just a few years ago, our library had very little to offer in the aesthetic realm. Our school has changed a lot. It's constantly ebbing and flowing, out with the old, in with the new. Soon, students will register for classes next semester, finish the semester strong, leave for the summer, and come back again in the fall. I know this next fall will be different. I know for sure that there will be new students who will contribute to a new PBU community culture. I know some of my favorite professors will be gone, and there will be new professors to fall in love with. Yet, loss is still a hard thing to deal with. Several of our students have been personally hit with this emotional tear, speechless, confused, angry, numb. Dr. Hirt, dean of the Bible department, has been struggling with cancer since last year. We've just been informed that Lisa Weidman, Director of Communications and Marketing and a key catalyst for the appearance of fine arts on campus, has a rare form of cancer. Unlike Dr. Hsu's death, theirs will be expected. We will have a little bit longer to celebrate our last times with them,
stories ebbing and flowing.
I wonder what stories Lisa intended to share with each piece of art she contributed to for our campus. I wonder what stories she will be sharing in heaven, stories that God has embedded on her heart, full of color and wonder and so much beauty, full of ebbs and flows.
~Hanah Bae
Slow Down, Stop, Look, Observe… and Contemplate
0 comments Posted by The Masland Library Blog at 4:02 PM
The Library is such a cool place. Not only because of all
the cool books but also for the art that is displayed throughout the
library. Recently new art has been
displayed in the main lobby of the library. It is very easy to simply overlook
it as you walk through on your way to printing your papers that are due in 10
min or while you are on your way to meet a study group. I myself have walked past it without every
really stopping to look. One of my
favorite things about art is that to fully appreciate it you have to stop,
observe (for a long time), and contemplate.
The same thing goes for the art in the library. At first I kind of thought that the artwork
was cool but I never gave it a second glance, but since I work at the front
desk in the library I obviously spend a lot of time in the main lobby. This has given me some time to just sit and
look at the artwork and ponder what the meaning or message behind it might
be. It has been a really cool
experience. Instead of getting bored of
looking at the same artwork over and over again my appreciation for it simply
grows. I would like to challenge each
person that comes into the library to take some time to notice the artwork that
the Library has to offer. You might be
surprised to realize that you do actually appreciate art!
~Emily Rush
~Emily Rush
Art: http://acgosser.com/archives/prepress_portfolio/alice
Amidst the many other assignments due from other classes, research can be tedious, especially when it feels like there are no books on your subject; but trust me there are! When I initially did research for my section of the project I saw only 5 books that contained to my subject. I was nervous that I may not have enough information, but eventually found just the book I needed. The next day when I arrived at work there were over 60 books containing the subjects we needed for this project that needed to be re-shelved! Imagine my surprise when I had previously assumed there were only 5. Many times people, including myself, just don’t put in the right terms in the search bar to find what we are looking for; but don’t worry you are not alone! There are many student workers here who would love to help you and our lovely librarians Laura and Alice are amazing at finding just the source you need to make your project a breeze. So don’t hesitate to ask for help! We would love to give you a hand.
~Leia Brunette
Image: http://www.penn.museum/collections/object.php?irn=117842
Something I found of interest from Dr. Black’s session was the way in which he
compared worry and anxiety to an individual putting themselves back under the
Old Testament law system. Worry certainly does increase a sense of
self-conceit and self-reliance. When an anxious person tries harder and
harder and yet they fail, this results in a disordered person. Dr. Black
suggested that grace from the law and grace from the thinking that an individual
can manage it on their own, is the only way out of this trap of worry.
Ever since this session at the conference, I have found this topic to be of
interest and even applicable to my own life. I don’t know about you, but
I know sometimes life can be really stressful. Know that anxiety does not
always have to be an officially diagnosed disorder. Our busy lives simply set
us up for this. Because of this, I have taken the time to find some
additional resources on this topic, so I hope you will too! Our library
does not have these titles, but you can request them through Interlibrary Loan
at no cost to you!
Suggestions:
Anxious for Nothing by John MacArthur
Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver
-Christa
Joy Ciotta
These
are the years where you can pick up a class on obscure subjects, so please; do
not waste this precious time. There is
still time left to sign up to audit a course with only a ten dollar processing
fee. You could read Andersen fairy tales
with me or delve into Victorian Literature with Professor Ebersole. If you are not literarily inclined, there are
dozens of interesting courses and I am sure one of them will spark your
interest.
~Rosalyn Forbes
Kush, Vladimir. Book of Books. 2001. Private. Art Brokerage. Web. 30 Jan. 2012.
Throughout the 2011 fall semester at P.B.U there were a lot
of wonderful activities that took place. I had the opportunity to attend a few
of the activities, such as the Agora conference, and "Wars of the Wings" hosted
by Heritage Hall Dorms. These were fun and exciting things to do in my spare
time. However, the one activity that I was most interested in was playing
basketball with some of the P.B.U students at 10pm on the weekends. In doing
so, I made good friends quickly and easily. As a freshman in college you want to
meet new people and make some new friends. In just a few weeks of playing
basketball with my new friends, I became confident that my years here at would
turn out very well, now I am thanking God in advance. I am able to call these
guys up at any time to study, go out to eat, join them for thanksgiving dinner
at their homes, attend concerts together, or hang out in the city-the best
thing is that we all get together on the weekends and play ball.
I recommend to all incoming freshmen students that you get out and try new
things, meet new people, and be a part of fun activity that will make you feel
good on the inside. For me it basketball on the weekends, but that is not all.
We have inter-mural sports, Christian conferences, social work group
activities, mountain climbing trips, mission trips, study groups in the library, and so forth. So, enjoy
your Christmas break and News Year’s celebration and come be a part of our
growing family here at Philadelphia Biblical University as we continue to serve
God and grow together in the body of Christ.
~Chris Smith
~Chris Smith
There’s nothing more beautiful than watching the sun rise above the horizon early in the morning. As
it slowly peeks above the horizon and seeps between the branches of the trees,
the warmth it sheds is enough to warm every passer by’s shivering hands.
This semester I’ve had the joy of watching the sun rise as I walk to work in
the library early in the morning . It’s been something that has brought joy and
warmth to my heart and my hands on cold wintry rainy mornings.
As I ponder the little joys in life, like the rising sun, I thought about our porcelain lives, so fragile and frail… only one crashing wave away from being shattered to peices. Yet with every day I wake and watch the sunrise, I somehow manage to take it for granted. With every breath, I fail to realize His grace in giving me yet another moment.
Another moment to breathe,
to see,
to dream,
to hope,
to grow in godliness,
to smile,
to be His,
to live a Holy life,
and to Love in obedience to His command.
It’s so easy to get distracted by the grandeur of this world and all it has to offer, and I am not immune. But I wonder…what would it look like, if every porcelain life lived wholly dedicated to His purposes? What would my life look like if in light of my hopes and dreams, I let His light shine the way and change the path where He sees fit?
Maybe a porcelain life isn’t that bad after all. If it’s shattered by a crashing wave of reality, all it’s pieces will rest in the hand of the one who molded it to be in the first place.
C.T Studd put it this way:
Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
…
Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13: – 18
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that , we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
~Grace Suliman
Last
Friday, I was informed of the loss of Dr. Hsu and my friend Harry Mikula's
mother.
This
news was hard to swallow. I did not know what to do. I sat and let the words
sit on me, sway across the air.
It
still feels weird.
Because
I remembered the times he would greet me with an
"Ahn-nyung-ha-sae-yo" (Korean for 'hello'). I remembered how he had
played piano so beautifully for our school.
The
absences of these two people came so abruptly that I almost did not believe it.
I
once heard from a friend that she found out more about herself through the
death of a parent. She said it was like peeling a layer away. I wondered what
she meant by that.
The
loss of these two people would peel a layer away too. What could be learned
through this? What good did these things serve? In my limited human
perspective, I am quick to ask all these questions. Life is fleeting and so
fragile. Why does God make us in that way? Through Dr. Hsu's life and his
legacy, I found myself looking to him as an example, I want to live using the
gifts God has given me in bringing glory to Him. I want to live for Him... Dr.
Hsu did the same - he wasn't in it for the money or fame. He genuinely loved
God, PBU, and the students. Perhaps this was why he could be used in such a
high degree. He simply showed love, touched his audiences with the love of
Christ. He did not argue about the correctness of his theology. He
just...
~Hanah Bae
I have been at PBU for 10 years this semester. I started my undergraduate work in Fall 2001, I lived in Davis Dorm with a wonderful group of women who loved adventure and had huge goals for the future. It is has been a privilege seeing how their lives have changed and the paths they have taken in the last 10 years. I have remained at PBU to work in the library as my life has always revolved around books, my parents and grandparents fostered this love in me and my work as a librarian here at PBU is rewarding as I get to help students at PBU learn and exceed in their academic studies.
During my undergraduate years a large percentage of my friends consisted of music majors and through them and my cousin in the honors program I was introduced to Dr. Hsu. My first thoughts on Dr. Hsu was that he was brilliant on the keys, he played superbly and yet was one of the most approachable men I have ever met. I worked in the library and it was months before I realized Dr. Hsu and the Dr. Hui's were all related, I think it finally sunk in when I was invited to Ms. Stewart's house for one of the holidays I couldn't get home for that year.
In the last 10 years I have been blessed to know and to learn from Dr. Hsu, not piano (I am a hopeless cause there), but rather in his wisdom and love of the Lord. My roommate for many years was a music major and when several of my classmates and Dr. Hsu's personal assistants had left the area my roommate and I would on occasions take Dr. Hsu home. Those trips were always interesting and filled with grand conversations. I especially remember one trip out to a friend's wedding in Shoamokin, PA when my roommate and I took Dr. Hsu out there so they could play a duet together for the wedding. Dr. Hsu was internationally known and yet he was always so involved in his students and former students lives that he would frequently play at their weddings and events. He is a man who left a deep impact on the people in his church and here at PBU. Even when he wasn't feeling well he would always have a smile and a kind word.
We will miss Dr. Hsu, but we also know that he is with the Savior he loved so well. He spent almost 40 years with the students at PBU, investing and sending them out to the field. I am sure if you asked him how the time went he would say quickly, and yet what a wonderful investment.
~Laura Saloiye
From the PBU Facebook site:
Dr. Samuel Hsu Memorial Visitation Wednesday, December 7, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Dunn-Givnish Funeral Home in Langhorne, PA, the family will receive visitors. Memorial Service Thursday, December 8, 10:00 am at Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA. There will be a prelude beginning at 9:30 am with former students of Dr. Hsu playing. The service will also be simulcast at Philadelphia Biblical University in the Chatlos Chapel.
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