started school, read a new book, have a new office quote

So yesterday I started school, and found out that in my 6:30 pm "Letter to the Romans" class, that we will be learning biblical Greek in order to understand the contextual and cultural references from which Paul is writing. It is fascinating. Here is one small example: Rom. 1:1 "Paul, a slave of Christ...called to be and apostle". This can read to us like a standard greeting. But two significant things are contained in this seemingly simple greeting. The first is this: by calling himself a slave he is claiming both the authority and the protection of his master. Something highly noticable and important to the Romans in the way it is put forth. The second is the use of 'called', in our modern translations we add the words 'to be' so that it is grammatically correct and understandable to us. But, directly translated it is simply 'called apostle' which holds much more significance to Paul. To be 'called' something holds a much more absoluteness than our understanding of this reference today. The Greek- Kaleo- to call- denotes a 100% absoluteness of apostleship. His apostleship is called into being by God like the light from the darkness, in Greek this is known as the 'divine passive' use of the term. In light of this a better translation between the words 'called apostle' would be "by God and am" rather than "to be". It seems a small thing, but it changes the intention, perceptions and significance of the letter, right from the first sentence from mere greeting to something holding great cultural depth.

I'm enjoying learning the Greek alphabet and roots, but its going to be difficult. My professor for this class is a genius, Fr. John Boettcher, a Physicist with a doctorate from the Vatican in Scripture. He will expect greatness of mind at 9pm-mid work week...ugghhhh. But I am excited. I have wanted to take a biblical Greek class for some time. I feel like I missed out somehow by never taking Latin. I know little bits and pieces just from prayers, and songs at church, but the roots of the ancient romance languages have always fascinated me. So, anyway I got my Greek workbook yesterday and have set myself to the talk. Dovle- I am a slave to it!

My first professor, Msgr Turro, is very popular and there are nearly 70 of us in that class. he gave great Intro the New Testament Letters by giving us a characterization and history of St. Paul. I won't get into it, but he had us mesmerized for an hour, and then let us go for the day...so instead of a three hour break, i had a six hour break. Being the first day of classes there was not much to do...so I read in the library.

"The Hunger Games"

My Assistant Susan gave me a book called "The Hunger Games" by Suzzane Collins for Christmas. It was great. An easy read, I finished it in one day, but it was a fun read. Basically it is set in the (how far?) future North America in hat was once the United States. The evil Capital divides the country into 12 districts (they destroyed district 13 completely after a revolt) and force each district to send one male and female 'tribute' to the capital each year to compete in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death. Its by no means a new concept, but its done well and the characters come alive and you love the main character and want her to survive and hate the capital as you are meant to. There is some 'big brother' some 'survivor' some 'Island of Dr. Moreau' and some 'The Lottery'. so yeah, if you have an afternoon, read it up :)


Office quote of the day:

"As a farmer, I know that when an animal is sick, sometimes the right thing to do is put it out of its misery. With the electricity we're using to keep Meredith alive, we could power a small fan for two days. You tell me what's unethical."

- Dwight Schrute


And now back to work :) man it is snowing something fierce outdoors today. Its New Egland winter wonderland out there folks!