SMALL GROUPS HAVE STARTED!

COMING SOON: Small Groups

Starting by next week, there will be small discussion groups in Ross (2 groups!), Allen, Battell, and Stewart. Topics will vary by group, but will include Power and Powerlessness and Service. These groups are designed to be accessible and engaging no matter what your spiritual background. Look for more info to come!

Wednesday 6pm Dinner

Ross Fireplace Lounge - Everyone loves food…and we love you. So come enjoy both!

Thursday 8pm Source (Large Group)

Forest East Lounge - A time to gather, share, pray, and worship as a community in order to know more about who Jesus is.

Friday 10am Prayer Walk

We will meet at Carr Hall and walk through campus, asking God’s blessing and grace on Middlebury College

Friday 7:30pm Course on Apologetics

BiHall 641 – Professor Dickerson will be leading a course on apologetics (defense of the faith). All are welcome!

THURSDAY – THE SOURCE, 8PM Forest West Lounge – WELCOME (BACK)!!! Febs, Freshmen, and Friends (ie. everyone!) are welcome for snacks, games, and chatting as we kickstart another semester. CHALLENGE: Bring 2 people with you (1 of which should either be Feb or Freshman). Go, go, go!

FRIDAY – KRUP INFO MEETING, 3PM – Coltrane Lounge – Gather as a group to prepare for the Spring Break ahead of us. We will go over fundraising and other details for the trip. KEEP ENCOURAGING YOUR FRIENDS TO SIGN UP!!!

FRIDAY – SATURDAY – SPRING PLANNING RETREAT, 5PM Friday Departure and Return by 5PM Saturday: At our only and final Source of J-term we asked to pray for God’s vision for this campus. We will be VISIONING, PLANNING, and TRAINING to fulfill HIS plan for this spring at the home of our faculty advisor (5-7min. from campus). Please contact kpett@middlebury.edu if you plan to come. We also need drivers.

• Tuesday  5:30pm Bread For The Journey : Freeman International Center (FIC) Annex with College Chaplain Laurie Jordan (a time for prayer, song, and a simple meal in the Christian tradition).
• Thursday 6pm : Dinner Together @ Ross Fireplace Lounge
• Thursday 8pm : Source @ Forest East Lounge : Celebrating God’s Work – A time to share about our experiences from the Community Justice Groups, look ahead for Spring Term and sing songs of worship !!!!!
• And there is still room for KRUP (Katrina Relief Urban Plunge) and the new deadline is February 17. Join a growing movement of 30+ Middlebury students who will spend their spring break in New Orleans, serving low-income neighborhoods that were exploited and ignored in the recovery effort from Hurricane Katrina. E-mail asawamura@middlebury.edu to register before he leaves for Italy.

Theme: Where does injustice come from? Post your thoughts!

Summary: During week 2, community groups discussed the “sickness of the heart” that the Bible talks about. Groups discussed how people can be changed for the better, and we read a passage from the book of Matthew, chapter 7, in which Jesus exposes the religious leaders of his day who tried to make themselves good through following all the rules, yet all their rule-following could not heal the sickness of their hearts. Jesus’ message is unique in that he identifies injustice in society as something that stems from something broken within humans. Groups also discussed a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in which Dr. King discussed another of Jesus’ stories. This time, Jesus tells a religious leader that he must be born again, that is, his whole structure must be changed. He can’t make himself good by following rules, but there must be a radical inner transformation that occurs to heal the sickness of the heart. In Jesus’ view, there is a connection between injustice in society and the condition of the human heart.

Summary of Week 1:

“We might think that the images and language we use to frame those who live encumbered by injustice are more or less benign… What I am arguing, however, is that evil arises from the seedbed of our heart and goes on to misname the world, letting injustice exist “out there” while we go on seeing and naming the world in ways that serve our interests…

Prof. Mark Labberton, Fuller Theological Seminary, From The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor

Examine this biblical text using Labberton’s quote as a framework:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A25-37&version=NIV

Questions to ponder: To whom do we give the name “neighbor”? How does justice +/or injustice stem from the way we use language? In the story, naming justly led to restored life for the dying man; how might this practice bring life to our world? Who is in our “circle of ‘we’” and who do we label “them”? How are we experiencing Jesus’ challenge to name justly in life this week?

How is the project going? Share you thoughts, stories, and experiences! 

***Now through this Sunday (1/15): Register for Spring Break service trip in New Orleans with Intervarsity! E-mail asawamura@middlebury.edu if interested or with questions, info attached. Registration closes 1/15.***

This J-term: Community Justice Project

Engage your dorm & Commons community in what Jesus says about justice and our hearts. (In place of “The Source” for this month only). Join a community group at one of the following times/locations: 

 [*Unlike other dorms, Battell has no existing critical mass of participants, so consider joining this group if you are not already in one!]

WED: 5:55 – 6:10pm McCullough Crest Room: Come show support for KRUP New Orleans at the SGA Finance Committee Meeting. Your presence will help give strength to our funding request!

WED: 7PM Axinn 232: Religious Life Council Film Series: The Dhamma Brothers

WED: 8:30 PM “T^3″(Tea & Treats with Thomas) for the guys, Laforce Suite H, 3rd Floor

FRIDAY: Help serve the hungry at community supper @ Midd Congregational Church (walking distance, in center of town). Last year, we served nearly 200 hungry people from our community! A great chance to practice justice, begin to understand the reality of local poverty, and engage with our neighbors from Addison County.

Please RSVP to cf@middlebury.edu by Wednesday (or ASAP) for a time slot (or multiple slots). And invite any interested friends! 

Cooking:                            2:00-4:30 p.m.
Set-up and serving:         4:00-6:00 p.m.
Clean-up:                           5:30-7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY: 6PM Dinner! @ Ross Dining, with MCF, Friends, & Community Groups

SUNDAY: Deadline for New Orleans Spring Break Registration (KRUP: Katrina Relief Urban Plunge). E-mail back if interested or with questions. Detailed information and registration information attached.

Next Friday (1/20): Bridport Community Supper: Anyone interested in cooking chili, salad, rolls and pudding? RSVP.

A now for few choice options for procrastination:
http://www.sporcle.com/games/LTH/last_christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L28TM48bF0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K545bA6Dr3A&feature=related