Christian Faculty and Staff Fellowship meets February 27

Indeed, No Brainer Day is on 2/27. What are some things straightforward enough to understand that we call them no brainers? Oswald Chambers wrote in his 2/27 reflection: "The well of your incompleteness runs deep, but make the effort to look away from yourself and to look toward Him." And that is certainly a no brainer. 

Come to the Christian Faculty Network lunch meeting on Wednesday, February 27 at 11:45 AM (done by 12:45 PM). We meet at the Baptist Campus Ministries building (University Boulevard and 4th Avenue). 

Plan on the best meal deal in town: You can get lunch there for $1 thanks to the generosity of local churches. Don't forget to thank the church workers for what they do for the students. 

We had a fascinating talk by Clayton Cullaton on 2/20, sharing about InterVarsity's work with students on campus. Their vision is to help students move from a cultural faith to a living faith. Bob Brooks will facilitate the book discussion (Chapter 5) on 2/27. 

Our book for this term: Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland (NavPress, 2012). The title is linked to Amazon. Make sure to get the 2012 version.

• It's an updated version of the book from 1997. If you have the 1997 edition, you'll find Chapters 7-9 are different. The other chapters have few changes. It's OK to use your older copy, however, because there is some good material in those older chapters. We won't include those chapters in the final exam!
• We will have a few spare books for those unable to get their own copy.
• Moreland makes the case for the intellectual appeal and rigor of Christianity. It has a cultural, worldview, and apologetics outlook and is relevant to us who want to be salt and light in the groves of academe. The book can be a basis for other readings we would do. 

Click here to get outlines of the book chapters. 

So my secret decadence is watching Hallmark Christmas movies with my wife. I came across an article that argues it's OK. In that article, Alicia Cohn wrote, "the quest for 'ideal love' modeled in rom-coms is ultimately a reflection of a human affection that’s modeled after God’s love." While the plots can be labeled unrealistic, maybe they can at least get us thinking about "a deeper affection for God." 

Today in the history of the faith:

• 280. Constantine the Great was born, the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. He established Christianity as the official religion of the empire.
• 1807. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born. He wrote the Song of Hiawatha and the Courtship of Miles Standish. He also translated Dante's The Divine Comedy into English and wrote the carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."