Showing posts with label Response. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Response. Show all posts
Guest Post by Abbie Fehr
The library’s about journals. I wouldn’t be a proper library employee if I didn’t at least give the obligatory nod to some of the other resources the library offers. I bet you didn’t even know this job was an option, but I worked two years as the Serials Clerk—stamping, shelving, and shifting the various periodicals that come into the library. They’re nifty, but most people don’t even know that they exist on the right side of the bottom floor of the library. Check them out sometime, except not literally because they’re set as Library Use Only and taking them from the library would be considered stealing. And that would make me sad. And for goodness sake, please use the online databases sometime. They make your work a whole lot easier and more credible, and you’ll have less to regret when you graduate and have no access to them anymore. At least make the most of the time you have. There’s also CDs and DVDs, including all three seasons of Downton Abbey, which of course you have the time to watch during the semester.
The library’s about studying. I didn’t actually do all that much studying in the library because, as an employee, I invariably got people coming to me with library questions when I was trying to do my homework. I didn’t like the tension between the joy of helping someone and the frustration at being derailed from my train of thought, so I just stayed away. But I’ll still think fondly of how I used the uncomfortable chairs to spur me on to finish my paper faster or how I felt lost and confused when I found that some cruel person had taken my spot at study carrel #42. Sometimes the library felt like an existential time loop, where hundreds of students have written that same eschatology paper in this building over the past 20 years. There’s a strange solace in that kind of solidarity.
The library’s about people. While library patrons are all well and good, the people in the library that will stick with me the most are the librarians. Having worked in both parts of the library—the “downstairs” Circulation department and “upstairs” Technical Services department—I’ve had the privilege of working with all 7 of Cairn’s librarians. (Yes, there are more than just the two you see on a regular basis.) I will miss the quiet kindness that I observed in Gwenn, the teasing I took from Alice, the thunderous theological discussions I had with Melvin, the vegan recipes I stole from Laura, the analysis of period dramas I thought through with Stephanie, the laughter I shared with Nang Tsin, and the polite banter I ventured with Dr. Hui. Those things might have little to do with actual work, but that is not to imply that everyone’s lazy. We’re not. We do a lot more than patrons will ever see, and we like it that way. More than all of the stamping and shifting and shelving that I’ve done in the library, these conversations that happened amidst and around that work will stick with me the longest.
The library’s about Jesus. Mostly, I think, the past four years have taught me that the library’s about Jesus. I mean this on more than the fundamental fact that it’s a theological library at a biblical university. That’s just the obvious part. But through example and explanation, I’ve seen the Gospel play out between those pale pink walls. I was forgiven one day when I completely forgot to show up to work as a freshman and then restored to the point where I was given a key and the freedom to come work on library projects at off hours. There was the time where I sent my boss an email because I was nearing an emotional breaking point and didn’t know if I could keep it together at work—and rather than lecturing me about professionalism—he simply told me that he and his wife were praying for me. From serious talks on Calvinism and church music to advice on how to seduce men with pie, I’ve been convicted, challenged, amused, unsettled, and encouraged by the various people at the library. They’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. But beyond a shared love of books, a shared love of Jesus draws us together in a way that nothing else can.
I’ve learned a lot in these past four years, and the library has been a big part of it. Though gone for less than a week, I already miss it. I will always be grateful.
Goodbye.
abbie fehr.
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
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
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
I am also reminded of this fact every time I walk through
certain isle of our library. One of my favorite isles on the second floor
contains shelves of Puritan literature, Spurgeon sermons, books written by Dietrich
Bonheoffer and others, . Sometimes I wish I would walk by and see more spaces in
those shelves, but I fear many people get intimidated bored by reading the old
dead guys on theology. While their writing style may be vastly different than
our own, I would strongly encourage you to search out the library, and dig into
some of the great resources therefrom.
We often talk of the fact that we are the church, and that is most certainly true, but I think we often forget to think of ourselves in terms of the invisible Church. The invisible Church, as most theologians describe it, is the body of God’s people throughout all of human history (or Pentecost, if you don’t include Israel). Regardless, I think it’s important to remember that when we are adopted into the family of God we are not by any means the only ones; there are a lot of those old boring dead guys who were bought by the blood of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit too. And, many of them had really helpful things to say.
~Zak Fixler
When God Doesn’t Make Sense- By James Dobson
0 comments Posted by The Masland Library Blog at 2:56 PM
Whether be it today, a month from today, or in ten years, I can assure you of one thing, we will at one point ask God, “ Why?!?” Why me? Why now? And we may even proudly scoff, “I could do better than this! You have NO idea what this is doing to my life.”
As if he didn’t already know what was happening and as if he forgot to wear his glasses today and was too far off to see you crying fountains in your bedroom. Well let me assure you of this: 5 The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.( Psalm 121: 5-6) He sees everything your going through, and He knows exactly what’s happening…even when it seems otherwise.
Dr. James Dobson makes it clear that he cannot answer the enduring “Why?” But he says this: “God always makes sense even when he doesn't make sense” Often when we are in the midst of trials we feel as if we’ve been abandoned by God. As if he really couldn’t care less about what’s happening with us, and we too quickly lose our faith and write God off as an uncaring and blind God. Our emotions and feelings….honestly, they are not the most reliable. If you’ve ever “followed your heart”, as you know the saying goes, you’ve probably often found yourself wondering why you ever did that. (Jeremiah 17: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ) “Establish your foundation not on ephemeral emotions but on the authority of the written Word. He promised never to leave us (Matthew 28:20).” (When God Doesn’t Make Sense- James Dobson)
So even when God doesn’t seem to make sense to us, He still makes sense… because He is God and we are not, and when we “feel” like He is doing a bad job, we need to stand upon the firm foundation of God’s promise. (Yes, I acknowledge, it is much more easily said than done. But with God’s empowerment….it is possible.)
God told Job…
Job 38: 4-8 4"Where were you (E)when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
5Who set its (F)measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
6"On what (G)were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7When the morning stars sang together
And all the (H)sons of God shouted for joy?
8"Or who (I)enclosed the sea with doors
When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb;
And just like Job, our response should be :
1Then Job answered the LORD and said,
2"I know that (A)You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
3'Who is this that (B)hides counsel without knowledge?'
"Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
Things (C)too wonderful for me, which I did not know."
4'Hear, now, and I will speak;
I will (D)ask You, and You instruct me.'
5"I have (E)heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
But now my (F)eye sees You;
6Therefore I retract,
And I repent in dust and ashes."
~Grace Sulaiman
The book can be found in the PBU Library here: BT732.7 .D628 1993
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