In these past months, the IBTS morning prayer services have welcomed a king, a dancing ballerina and various pieces of farm equipment and motor vehicles. These came on the backs of and in the hands of three children (under 5 yrs) who have become a valued part of the IBTS community. They bring their parents along to morning community coffee break and remind all of us that there are many adventures to be had all around the seminary campus, if we take time to enjoy them.
-
-
Reflections on sharing a washing machine
One washing machine looks much like any other, as far as I am concerned. That’s because I’m seldom close up to one. The problem here at IBTS is that when I need to use one I am engaging in a practice that is largely unfamiliar as far as I am concerned. To make matters worse I discover that the instructions on one machine are in a strange and foreign language and the other is delightfully illuminated with the universal symbols of garment washing – but there seems to be no obvious key to understanding the symbols if you’re not familiar with the symbolic language of laundry. To be fair, someone…
-
Moles and Research Students
It’s really busy here!! Research Colloquium is taking place, and the next week sees the beginning of our February Intensives for the masters level students. It may be a bit overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time and it takes you five minutes during our usual 10.30 Coffee time to swim through the Guest Lounge towards Yulia and Zhenya to get your drink. But it is wonderful to sense all these energies directed to various research fields, to see all the faces of the friends and to hear the updates of what is happening in various parts of the world from which our students and supervisors come. And just to enjoy the fun of…
-
Meditation from Spurgeon for a Eucharist at IBTS
Recently Keith Jones noted in this blog the suggestion that there might be a dialogue – campaign? – to change the attitudes of truly baptistic churches about the Eucharist and his own resolution for 2009 – to engage in that dialogue via the means of this blog and to make it a theme in the theological forum at Amsterdam 400. I have what might be a rather heavy contribution to this – but not too heavy for our discerning IBTS community bloggers, I’m sure. It is a meditation I gave some time ago at an IBTS Eucharist. In this celebration of the Eucharist [I said] I want to use, for…
-
The Czech Presidency of the European Union
As the clock struck midnight on 31 December the Presidency of the European Union rotated from the French Government to the Czech Government. Now, for six months, Prague holds the limelight in EU affairs. There could not be a bigger contrast in attitudes to Europe than between the head of State in France, Nicolas Sarkozy and the very Euro-sceptic Czech President, Vaclav Klaus. Klaus has already made clear the EU flag will not fly over Prague Hrad and the Czech Prime Minister and his colleagues will no doubt do all they can to keep President Klaus out of the European agenda and limelight in an effort not to be embarrassed.…
-
Christmas in Lithuania
Merry Christmas to all those readers who have already celebrated it according to the Gregorian calendar, and happy preparations to those who are going to do that on January 7th! It would be interesting to hear all the different stories of those of IBTS to learn how Christmas is or will be celebrated in their corner of the world this year. …Or not celebrated! – there are also those who try to avoid Christmas as much as they can (certainly understandable from the theological point of view)… Anyhow, this would be a very interesting collection, surely. I had one of the best Christmas this year. Back at my hometown, Klaipeda…
-
Developing baptistic Eucharistic communities
Thank you to those who responded to my comment on the very ‘Zwinglian’ Lord’s Supper I endured a couple of weeks ago in Washington DC. My friend, Curtis Freeman, and others, suggested a dialogue – campaign? – to change the attitudes of truly baptistic churches. So, here is my resolution for 2009 – to engage in that dialogue via means of this blog and to make it a theme in the theological forum at Amsterdam 400. For the benefit of new readers let me assure you we have a weekly celebration of the Eucharist at IBTS (was it not the great Jean Calvin, beloved of some, who said “infrequent celebration…
-
Being sentimental
I don’t really know about other people, but I always get very sentimental around this time of the year. Somehow everything gets bitter-sweet taste of sadness and nostalgia. And today’s gray ‘November weather’ outside does not really help the mood. Even a tiny bit of snow and sunshine would certainly be appreciated! Christmas is much connected to the past. Family, friends, some short meetings with different people – everything suddenly becomes alive. A few favourite songs on internet Christmas radio sinks you deeper into this sea of memories…