Back

It's the end of the 3rd day of class, and already I'm feeling tired. But first, some thoughts from over the break:

Overall, the holidays were great--a good chance to sleep in, read for fun, watch movies, and see old friends.

Christmas Eve service at church: the significance of the Magi coming to worship Christ struck me once again. Without really understanding who he was, they came to worship him--and were themselves enriched in the experience.

Perhaps this is part of what accounts for "Christmas magic" for some unbelievers: that they give worship (or something that approximates worship) to God, even without realizing or understanding what they are doing. They sing carols celebrating Christ's coming, and have some feeling of wholeness. Worship is itself an enriching experience.

On the other hand, I suppose one might say that people feel good at Christmas because they're with family, and friends, and are celebrating, and giving. But this itself--the functioning of community and family--could be considered a form of worship, a testament to God's creativity, His good will made manifest. The functioning of the human body is another such testament to His skill and power.

A conversation I had with a friend regarding church. He observed that the people at his church didn't seem to have changed much, and there was a sense of deadness, of church being the same old thing, time and again. Where is the fire, where is the passion? And yet even the Church, if we stare at it too long, can be disheartening. Our gaze must be on God Himself. A certain amount of self reflection, of evaluation, of constructive self criticism is right and good. And we should look for His hand at work in the living community of faith, and rejoice when we do see it. But we can focus on the community too much and fail to see the One "in whom we live and move and have our being".

I think the connection between people who think the same way is not as strong, not as enjoyable as the connection between people who believe in the same things.

OK, anyway, my professors assigned us some reading to do over break, and since Monday, I've quickly moved back into "school mode". There were times when I was at home when my entire 1st semester felt like a dream, another life. Did it really happen? Was that real?

But now that I'm back, and taking classes, and reading, and trying to stay on top of things, my vacation seems like it was only a moment. And it's only the 3rd day of class!