Christian Faculty and Staff Fellowship meets on October 17

Welp, time to bang the drums for another Christian Faculty Network lunch meeting on Wednesday, October 17 at 11:45 AM (done by 12:45 PM). We meet at the Baptist Campus Ministries building (University Boulevard and 4th Avenue). 

It's also 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. 

On 10/10, we enjoyed a special guest. Dr. Bruce Little, Retired Senior Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Francis A. Schaeffer Collection at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary shared with us about the Francis Schaeffer Society and Collection. 

For our 10/17 meeting, Lori White will guide discussion on Chapter 7. This is the last chapter of the book. Whoa - did it go that fast? 

Not to worry. Lots more coming up. We'll have a discipline talk and some guest speakers. 

PLEASE NOTE: No meeting on 10/24. It's the day before the fall break. BCM won't be hosting lunch. 

A reminder: We're finishing The Prodigal God before the end of this semester, so let's think about next semester. Take a look at the books in the interest survey we did this summer to see what books we could use and click the ones that interest you. There is also space to suggest a title that's not on the list. 

If you prefer, send me a note at LTHurt@ccs.ua.edu if you have a book idea. 

Did you know these things happened today?

• 1910 Julia Ward Howe died. We remember this writer and social activist for abolition when we hear or sing her composition, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
• 1912 Albino Luciani was born. We remember him as Pope John Paul I, the first Pope born in the 20th Century.
• 1979 Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Here's something to reflect upon. Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, is the most famous depiction of the parable, and we can get a feeling of the son's repentance, the father's forgiveness, and the older brother's displeasure. Henri Nouwen contemplated the painting and said, "The more I reflect on the elder son in me, the more I realize how deeply rooted this form of lostness really is and how hard it is to return home from there. Returning home from a lustful escapade seems so much easier than returning home from a cold anger that has rooted itself in the deepest corners of my being. My resentment is not something that can be easily distinguished and dealt with rationally. It is far more pernicious: something that has attached itself to the underside of my virtue. Isn’t it good to be obedient, dutiful, law-abiding, hardworking, and self-sacrificing? And still it seems that my resentments and complaints are mysteriously tied to such praiseworthy attitudes. This connection often makes me despair. At the very moment I want to speak or act out of my most generous self, I get caught in anger or resentment. And it seems that just as I want to be most selfless, I find myself obsessed about being loved. Just when I do my utmost to accomplish a task well, I find myself questioning why others do not give themselves as I do. Just when I think I am capable of overcoming my temptations, I feel envy toward those who gave in to theirs. It seems that wherever my virtuous self is, there also is the resentful complainer."