PIU Annual Board Meeting

This year our annual Board of Trustees meeting at PIU was scheduled to coincide with the anniversary celebration. This also allowed our board members to participate in the annual fund raising dinner, chapel, FOCUS night and PIU Days. It was very helpful to the students and the board to be able to meet and get to know one another. The board members were able to minister to the students and vice versa. I think we got a lot accomplished at the meetings and I am confident looking ahead to PIU’s future. Again some of the pictures are mine, some from Jo Romaniello and a few I pulled from Bill Schuit’s Facebook page. The picture above is a nice shot of the campus, taken by Bill, from the roof of the library.

The board heard the students sing in chapel and then enjoyed time with them after

The board met with the alumni on Tuesday night

They all had the opportunity to share a little with the students in the Tuesday chapel

And climb up on on the roof to take a look at the solar panels

PIU Anniversary Week–Annual Dinner

 

As I sit here this morning, after an early airport run, the PIU 40/25th Anniversary weeklong celebration has completed. Of course, there will be other events as we celebrate the anniversary throughout 2016, but our first and biggest event, which included the annual fund raising dinner, the annual board of trustees meeting, an alumni gathering and PIU Days, came to a successful completion last night with the final PIU Days program. I have been a little busy and have not been able to post, so I will be putting up a series of posts this week about the events, starting with the annual dinner event last Monday evening at Two Lovers’ Point. It was a good time of seeing old friends and introducing several new friends to what we are doing at PIU. Enjoy the pictures (Some I took, some from Jo Romaniello and some gleaned from others’ Facebook pages.

 

It was a beautiful, rainless evening with a pleasant breeze blowing. We could not have had more perfect weather for the event.

The PIU family (faculty, staff, board and students) were there.

PIU staff, and board member David Mayer, did a great job getting everything ready and making sure everyone had a ticket and place to park

The students supplied the music and our keynote speaker, 1st PIBC president Roland Rauchholz, told several stories about the early days of MIBS and PIBC.

There was a lot of time for personal interaction and for taking in the amazing view.

Paul and the Faithfulness of God Chapter 4

We are continuing to read through Paul and the Faithfulness of God, vol. 4, Christian Origins and the Question of God, by N. T. Wright. I am making a post on each chapter as I read them. Previous posts are here, here, here and here. Each chapter is long so what you are getting here is a very brief summary of this very important book. I welcome comments and discussion on my Facebook page. I am using the Logos version of the book.

Chapter 4 is entitled A Cock For Asclepius: ‘Religion’ and ‘Culture’ in Paul’s World. The subject here is the pagan religious background of Paul’s world. It was a world in which philosophy and religion were closely tied together. Though the gods were quite diverse, practice was regulated for the good of society. Their mythology defined who they were as a people and the practices bound them together.

 

Older attempts to describe ancient religion in such a way as to lead the eye up naturally to Christianity (whether in sharp contrast or as the pinnacle of a progressive revelation) are matched, in their propensity to distort the subject-matter, by newer attempts to paint Christianity as the repressive, dogmatic, ideological force which squelched the fascinating, free-floating cultural phenomena of the ancient world into a monochrome, rigidly policed but hollow uniformity. Despite what is sometimes claimed, however, ancient religion—even if we ignore its darker sides—was scarcely an ‘open’ or ‘tolerant’ system. Such a suggestion seems to be itself be a further projection, this time of a modern pluralist protest against Christian (or other) dogmatism. 247–248

What we can call, loosely and heuristically, the ‘religion’ of Paul’s world was not set apart from the rest of ancient culture. On the contrary: it was its beating heart, with every part of the body politic related to that heart by active and throbbing blood vessels. If the world was full of gods, the world was also therefore full of religion, full of cult; full of a god-soaked culture. 254

The Roman world of Paul’s day was “rooted in” and “shaped by” Greek culture and religion. There were multiple deities who provided prosperity and protection in the various spheres of life. Images resided in the local temples as places of worship and home for the god or goddess. This would result in benefits for the city. The gods would provide guidance through prophets, oracles, omens and signs. Mystery religions, like Mithraism, with secret meetings and ecstatic experiences, were also an option to Romans.

The absence of ‘sacred texts’ in the latter sense within ancient paganism is one of many fascinating differences between the common life of the ancient world and the message and worldview which Paul the apostle was commending. 263

The world of Paul was thus, already, a world full of ‘religious’ options. 265

The Roman gods were the focal point of Roman culture. But the gods of the conquered nations were also brought into and included in the pantheon and changed into Roman gods that reflected Roman cultural values. Rome itself, was considered sacred space and the religious leaders were very influential.

And with Rome—not least with her soldiers—went the Roman divinities. ‘Rome’s success was the gods’ success.’ As Hegel already suggested, some kind of syncretism might well be part of the imperial package: the Romans did their best to ‘assemble all gods and spirits in the pantheon of world domination in order to transform them into an abstract and shared entity. 269

‘Religion’ may not be ultimately the best category for describing or analyzing what Paul was doing, or what he thought he was doing. But it is certainly a key and basic element in what his contemporaries will have seen him doing and heard him saying. And with ‘religion’, in all of these complex senses, we are dealing with what today we might call ‘the fabric of society’, the things which held people together and gave shape and meaning to their personal and corporate life. 274

For the Roman, religious belief and practice was part of everything they did. Certain parts of their “religion” were very regulated, but there was room for all kinds of other beliefs and practices as long as they did not threaten the Roman way.

But it is important to stress at that very point that whereas indeed for Christians, starting with Paul, ‘belief’, and in particular belief about who ‘God’ really was, took centre stage, this had never been the case for the Greeks and the Romans. For them, religio was something you did: ‘even the idea of personal “belief” (to us, a self-evident part of religious experience) provides a strikingly inappropriate model for understanding the religious experience of early Rome.’ 276

The Christians, from the start, behaved not as a new variety of pagan religion but as a new and strange variety of Judaism, though with the added puzzle (for the watching world) that while the Jews (like everybody else) offered animal sacrifices the Christians did not. 278

Another Week at PIU

We are halfway through the Spring semester at PIU and we are gearing up for the big anniversary celebration next week. But this does not mean that we did nothing this week. It was a busy week at midterm with lots of activities, midterms, etc. We enjoyed two good chapels, a volleyball game and ended the week with several of our students at church on Sunday. I also enjoyed seeing my new grand-niece Jayna for the first time. All in all, an enjoyable week. (above Mely, Olin and Janny are multi-tasking Bible study and kid care.

Tuesday chapel featured a hymn sing with Bill Wood (left) and counseling teacher Karyn Sorenson talked about the importance of coming together as a community to help each other through the pain that inevitably comes into our lives.

Friday chapel was our PIU Days preview chapel. We sang several songs that were written for previous PIU Days celebrations. I feel like I was tricked into getting up and singing one from 2010 but it was ok.

Saturday we played the Kingdom Seekers Church. Several PIU students grew up in this church and we have a close relationship with the church and Pastor Arnold. Even though there were PIU students on both teams I still rooted vociferously for our official PIU team. It was a well-played close game but we narrowly emerged victorious.

One more picture of Jayna with her mom Jonie and PIU students at church.

Reading in Joshua This Week #2 (Chapters 12-24)

This week we complete the 2nd half of reading through the book of Joshua accompanied by the commentary, Joshua, The College Press NIV Commentary, by Mark Ziese. Joshua describes the successful conquering of the land of Canaan by the 2nd generation of the redeemed slaves of Israel, and then the beginning of the process (which would take at least 200 hundred years) of settling into the land. We looked at the first half of the book here. I am posting quotes from the book on my Facebook page on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (NT is Mon-Wed-Fri) and we can discuss comments and questions about the passage there. As usual, quotes from the commentary are in blue below…

Chapter 12 begins the transition from conquering the land to occupying and settling the land with a list of the 31 kings conquered. The point would be that God has been faithful to bring victory to Israel, and now each tribe must trust God's promises in the same way as they move to occupy the allotted territories. The division of the land east of the Jordan is remembered in chapter 13 and then the division of the land west of the Jordan begins in 14. It is introduced with a short section about Caleb's request for land around Hebron and his settling of the area. Faithful Caleb becomes the example of how all the tribes should have settled their allotment, but they did not follow his example.

How did Yahweh lead Israel into Canaan? The answer is simple: victoriously. Joshua 12, 254

Boundary lists and village inventories hardly make for gripping narrative, unless, of course, the larger trajectory is kept in mind. Israel has been charged with “a great commission.” To be successful in this, they must be strong, courageous, careful, and meditative—not just once—but over and over again. Site by site, boundary by boundary, region by region, tribe by tribe, as each name is pronounced, a new opportunity for faithfulness—or faithlessness—arises. Joshua 13, 256

Caleb becomes the poster-child of obedience and success in Cisjordan; his vignette provides an opportunity to compare and contrast all other examples (such as the Joseph tribes in 17:14–18)...Caleb’s story serves as a calculated prelude to the mechanical description of land division to follow. Will other individuals of his ilk rise to the challenge of giant-killing and stronghold-taking? Joshua 14.6-15, 276

Chapters 15-19 continue the story of the division and settlement of the land. Each tribe is responsible to trust God's promise and settle into the land. Judah (15) does better than Joseph (16-17) but neither fully drives out the Canaanites and settles into the land. This does not bode well for what will happen in the next generation. Women, Acsah and the daughters of Zelophahad, seem to be the positive exception as they boldly seize the promise and receive more than would be expected.

All told, site names and boundary lines collude to suggest this is no make-believe land. They are pebbles of promise that collectively give voice to a larger prayer: a prayer for a future kingdom where heaven and earth are one (cf. Matt 6:9–10). Joshua 15, 280

The careful reader must place the demand of Zelophehad’s daughters beside the similarly positioned demand of Caleb’s daughter, Acsah (15:13–19). Finally, the passage has pull due to the striking observation that the request for inheritance emerges from the mouths of women. As in the case of Rahab at Jericho, the “alien” at Shechem or Gibeon, or even Caleb the Kenizzite, the narrator continues to challenge social boundaries of identity, power, and gender drawn by, between, and among the people of God.  Joshua 17.1-6, 310

Rather than facing their assigned duty, they ironically clamor for more, requesting an additional—or possibly an easier—assignment. This can’t-do attitude stands in sharp contrast with the can-do attitude previously encountered in Judah’s allotment story (15:13–19). But the claim here is more than troubling, it is downright revealing. It betrays a perspective that not only challenges the allotment system (and hence the power behind it), it communicates lost hope. Put more darkly, the Joseph tribes blame God for the current failure. The campaign has stalled because his blessing has expired. Joshua 17.12-18, 312

Chapter 19 concludes the allotment of the land to the tribes. Each tribe is given their land to subdue and settle into by God. What He has provided now they must work to maintain. The section ends ominously with the tribe of Dan unable to subdue their land and settling in a land of their own choosing.

The Danites abandon the land given to them by lot (and hence, by Yahweh, as presented) in order to seek an inheritance of their own choosing...The contrast between the vignette of Caleb and the men of Judah (14:6–15) as a lead-in to the first tribal allotment and this vignette of the men of Dan, offered at the conclusion of the final tribal allotment, cannot be more strategically placed or boldly drawn. Something is terribly wrong and the careful reader knows it. Joshua 19.40-48, 337

Chapters 20-21 describe the faithfulness of Joshua to provide cities in the land as a refuge for the fugitive to get a fair trial and for the settlement of the priests and Levites. The curse on the tribe of Levi in Genesis 49 is turned to blessing as the Levites are "scattered" through Israel, but now as priests and teachers to help keep the nation faithful to Torah. The passage emphasizes that God has fully kept his land promise to the nation. Now it is up to the tribes to trust God and settle in it.

All six settlements are open to those to come from within or without the ranks of Israel. This last point may be contemplated in light of ḥāram warfare previously described in chapters 1–12. The ethics in play for subduing the land and the ethics in play for managing it are not to be confused. Joshua 20.7-9, 342

Who can forget that the promise of land has been sworn by an oath in the dim past? Who can forget that land for the landless is a gift to be claimed by the obedient act of walking upon it? Who can forget that the byproduct of obedience is rest, a pure and exhilarating freedom? And finally, who can forget that all this has been the issue of a reliable source, the very mouth of God? Joshua 21.43-45, 350

Yahweh has been faithful in swearing, giving, offering rest, and speaking. Failure to follow this good lead is not necessarily the fault of the leader. It may be the choice of the follower. Joshua 21.43-45, 351

The book concludes as it began with speeches of Joshua. In 22, Joshua recognizes the faithfulness of the Eastern tribes, sends them home, and then must create a delegation to make peace between them and the tribes who settled in Canaan. A key point here is that faithfulness, not location, determines who is an Israelite. He then drives this point home to the leaders in chapter 23. God fought and won the previous battles for them. Therefore, the important thing for the nation is to stay in good relationship with God and be diligent to stay faithful to Torah. If they do not, they will become like the Canaanites and receive their fate. Finally Joshua calls the people to covenant commitment to stay faithful. He predicts that they will not be able to do it, even as he tells them to choose and sets up a memorial of their choice. Sadly he was right as the next book, Judges will show.

The narrator shrewdly points out that a true destruction of the land comes as a result of needless bickering, in this case, from the very center of Israel. Like Rahab and Caleb, the two-and-a-half tribes of Transjordan are of questionable status and limited power. Yet by their words and actions they demonstrate that true Israel cannot be defined by land-lines alone. “God’s country” cannot be plotted on a map, on this side or that side of the Jordan. Oddly, the Israel that the reader expects is not the Israel that the reader gets. Joshua 22, 369

Man-on-man contests of strength or wits are not the true measure of faithfulness. Rather, as outlined in the opening charge of the book (1:1–9), Joshua encourages God’s people to continue keeping and doing torah. It is to this end, that their strength and care must be used. Joshua 23.6-8, 374

Now, Joshua chooses it, leading with his familial clan: as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. Person by person, family by family, the decision must be made. This kind of growth happens from the roots up. Joshua’s challenge cements the case that those who become Israel are those who are chosen and rescued by Yahweh. Those who remain Israel are those who choose and serve Yahweh. Joshua 24.14-15, 383

PIU 40/25th Anniversary Celebration

Our Ruby/Silver PIU anniversary celebration begins this coming Monday. It will begin our year-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Micronesian Institute of Biblical Studies (which became PIBC and then PIU) in Chuuk in 1976, and the founding of PIBC on Guam in 1991. We will have all three presidents of PIBC/PIU here for the event and appearances from other key people in the development of the school. This week’s event will be tied in with our annual Board of Trustees Meeting and the traditional PIU Days celebration, organized by the PIU Student Council. It will kick off with our fund raising dinner at Two Lovers Point on Monday night at 6.00pm. If you would like to make a contribution to our fund raising event you can do that here or by calling the school at 734-1812. There are a few tickets still available for the dinner. The public is also invited to the evening events on campus for PIU Days. We hope you can join us this week on the campus.
Monday, March 7

Fundraising Dinner 6:00 PM Two Lovers Point

Tuesday, March 8

Board of Trustees Meetings 8.00-4.00 Campus Conference Room
Board of Trustees/Advisory Council Chapel/Luncheon 11.00AM
Alumni Reception with Board of Trustees, Room 1A, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, March 9

Board of Trustees Meetings 8.00-4.00 Campus Conference Room

Thursday, March 10

Board of Trustees Meetings, 8.00-4.00 Campus Conference Room
Seminary Counseling Program Discussion 7.00-8.00PM Room 1A
Campus Focus with Board Members, 8:00 PM, Room 1A

Friday, March 11 to Sunday, March 13 – PIU Days Events

9:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.  - Chapel
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Team Cheer Competition
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Lunch Break
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Volleyball and Basketball
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Break in between (Prep for Night Performance)
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 Team Neos Performance and Dinner, Speaker: Rev. Bill Schuit Director, Liebenzell Mission USA

Saturday

8:00 a.m. - 11:00 - Field Day at Father Duenas School
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 - Lunch Time
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Head back to campus
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Volleyball and Basketball (PIU vs. Alumni)
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Break in between (Prep for Night Performance)
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Team Epignosis Performance and dinner, Speaker: Drs. Bill and Christel Wood, 2nd President PIBC, Academic VP

Sunday

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Volleyball and Basketball
4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Break (Prep for Night Performance)
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m - Team Eikon Performance and Dinner, Speaker: Dr. Roland Rauchholz, 1st President PIBC

Last Weekend in February

As I write this, Joyce has left for her March vacation with her parents and will also go to visit our two mainland children and families. We did have a fun weekend before she left and we have a few pictures. Of course a big part of the weekend was spending time with the four Guam grandchildren.

We enjoyed watching another PIU volleyball game. Our team in now 1-1.

We went to our new KFC in Yigo. You can see me sitting under the Lenten menu advertisement at KFC. We also enjoyed staging some more cute grandkids pictures.