GCF Newsflash! Crucifixion Iconography: From the 4th to the 21st Centuries

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

The crucifixion of Christ is the most represented subject in the history of art.  And yet its paradoxical nature poses a challenge to the artist: What should an image of simultaneous suffering and hope, ugliness and beauty, shame and glory, look like?  Fellow GCF-er Victoria Jones, who blogs regularly on religious art and culture, will teach us how to identify the visual symbols and motifs as they have evolved over time, influenced by the Gospels, politics, and legend.

Come join us as we journey from the Roman catacombs to medieval monasteries to contemporary art galleries.  Discover how different cultures and subcultures have made the Crucifixion their own.  Don't miss this unique large group!

 

What:            Crucifixion Iconography: From the 4th to the 21st Centuries
Where:          W20 Student Center, Room 407 **must take the elevator**
When:           Friday, January 31st | 7:30 p.m.
Contact:       Eric Jones

A teaser of what's to come :

Announcements

• Save the date: GCF Winter Retreat will be Fri. 2/14 to Sun. 2/16.  Come reflect on the love of God, learn how to be His ambassadors on campus, and get refreshed!  We need lots of help to plan, so contact Peng to lend a hand (areas such as ride arrangements, activities, publicity, leading discussions, etc.).
  
• This Thursday @ 2pm is the last session for the IAP class "Questions for Christians" (room 1-273).  The class addresses difficult faith related questions. It is co-sponsored by the Ravi Zacharias New England Fellows.
• Mark Manuscript studies will be starting with a preview this Wednesday at 6pm in W11.  If you are interested in the Mark I or Mark II streams, contact Kevin for more info.
• We're looking for one or two people to help out with writing the weekly GCF Newsflash!  Email Emily if you can lend a hand.

Prayer Square

• Did you know that the Super Bowl may be the single largest human trafficking incident in the US?  One way to address this from afar is to pray for protection for potential victims and for God's truth to shine out in the darkness.  (Or take this person's approach.)
  
• Pray for favor and divine strategies for reaching out to our classmates, roommates, labmates, and neighbors.
  
• Pray for endurance for those with pressing deadlines and work to wrap up this IAP.
  
• Pray for safe travels to campus for those who were away over IAP.
• Praise for the weddings, engagements, and baby announcements that have graced our community this past winter!
  

Community Corner

We've been active during this IAP!  Two weeks ago we sat riveted by Francis Su as he reflected on grace in teaching (based on a recent speech he gave; text found here). 

And last week, our small groups battled to gain culinary mastery over their brethren -- all in good fun, of course.  40 people ate their way through the 3-course meals, and the SP1 group was declared the overall champion.  The winners per dish: Tang for appetizer (guacamole chips with cranberries), SP1 for entree (spicy Thai chicken), and a tie between Tang's fried fritters and SP1's bread pudding for dessert.  Delicious!

Verse of the Week
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
_ Proverbs 3:5-6

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

Newsflash: Small Group Cook-off; Winter Retreat; Mark Manuscript

Our fellowship is blessed with a plethora culinary talents. This week, we will celebrate winter and each other with a small group cooking competition! :) It will be a great time to invite other friends and introduce them to our community. Please come even if you are not part of a small group: we will need people to eat the food and vote for the winner. The more the merrier!

What: GCF Small Group Cook-off

Where: Sidney Pacific 1st Floor Owu Room

When: Friday, January 24| 6pm **note the earlier start time***

Contact: Peng Shi

Announcements

• Save the date: GCF Winter Retreat will be Feb 14-16 (Fri. evening to Sunday morning). Its purpose is to help us reflect on the love of God, be refreshed, and know how to better love God and be His ambassadors on campus. We will have a guest speaker from Ravi Zacharias Ministries on the love of God and outreach, a talk by Kevin on busyness, and potentially some student led sessions. Peng is leading the planning, but he needs your help! Areas of need include ride planning, activities brain storming, publicity, designing/leading discussions, and being a retreat small group leader. If you are interested please contact Peng.
• The IAP class "Questions for Christians" is still going on Thursdays @ 2pm, room 1-273.  The class will address difficult faith related questions. It is co-sponsored by the Ravi Zacharias New England Fellows.
• Mark Manuscript studies will be starting the last week of IAP.  If you are interested in the Mark I or Mark II streams, contact Kevin for more info.

Prayer Square

• Prayers for strength for those burdened with work, or stressed with deadlines, quals, or adviser expectations. 
• Safe travels back for those travelling during IAP.
• Discernment for those planning life's next steps.
  
• Opportunities to give a defence to people who ask us for a reason for the hope that is in us, and to do it with gentleness and respect.
• Thanksgiving for many generous alums and supporters who have helped us with retreat scholarships and other funding.

Verse of the Week
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him or knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, it it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." -- John 14:15-21

GCF Newsflash! Annual Christmas Party and Caroling | Friday 12/13 @7pm | Mezz. Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

Christmas songs are playing on the airwaves and in the malls. The temps have dropped and the snow has started to fall. Christmas is almost here which means GCF has our annual "White Elephant" gift exchange and caroling large group. If you want to participate in the gift exchange, please wrap a gift under $10! A light dinner with be served at 7pm.

What:            GCF Christmas Party and Caroling
Where:          Mezzanine Lounge (3rd Fl. Student Center, W20-307)
When:           Friday, December 13th | Light Dinner at 7:00pm, Caroling at 7:30pm
Contact:        Joe Moore (josephlmoore@gmail.com)

Announcements

• This Friday will be the last official large group meeting of the year! Stay tuned for more large group fun during IAP!
• Have input about this past semester's large group series?  Submit your feedback to help the Large Group team plan for next semester.

Prayer Square

• Pray for perseverance for everyone with finals, projects, and studio reviews coming up in this last stretch of the semester.
• Pray for those graduating this semester as they tackle new challenges and juggle new responsibilities.
• Pray for the less fortunate to be able to get out of the cold and see their families; and for us to be generous with our time and resources in others' time of need.

Community Corner

Oh,the joy of opening up presents! - 2012 GCF Christmas gift exchange.

Verse of the Week

""Come now, let us settle the matter,"

    says the Lord.

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

    they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

    they shall be like wool."
_ Isaiah 1:18

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

GCF Newsflash! Christianity: Inclusive or Exclusive? | Friday 12/6 @ 7:30pm | Mezz. Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

In our pluralistic society, how to do we defend the exclusivity of the Christian faith?  What does that exclusivity even entail?  As part of our series series on burning questions, Pastor Dan Szatkowski of Cambridgeport Baptist Church will be speaking with us on the topic of other religions.  Join us as we explore these questions, and come ready with your own!

Pastor Dan will also be joining us for dinner at Mexicali before large group.  We will be meeting in Lobby 7 at 6pm.  RSVP to Eric if you will be coming to dinner (email below).

What:            "Christianity: Inclusive or exclusive?" w/ Pastor Dan Szatkowski
Where:          Mezzanine Lounge (3rd Fl. Student Center, W20-307)
When:           Friday, December 6th @ 7:30pm
Contact:        Eric Jones (ejjones@mit.edu)

Announcements

• NEXT WEEK: Next Friday the 13th is our annual Christmas Party + Caroling Service!  It will also be our last large group of the semester.  Do invite your friends to the festivities!  More info soon.
  
• Have input about this past semester's large group series?  Submit your feedback to help the Large Group team plan for next semester.
• This past Sunday marked the first day of the Advent season, a time when we can prepare to remember Jesus' birth and the source of our hope.
  

Recap Lane

Last Thursday was certainly a day to give thanks!  There were two epic Thanksgiving feasts - one in Tang and the other in Sidney-Pacific - that drew more than 70 GCFers and friends over fellowship and food.  Our chaplain Kevin gave an overview of Thanksgiving's origins, and we all had the chance to share what we were thankful for.  The meals wore on with more eating, games, and even movie watching.  All in all, it was a testimony to God's abundant blessings.

Thanks to Peng S. and Adam H. for coordinating these Thanksgiving feasts!

Prayer Square

• Praise for a great Thanksgiving spent with friends old and new.
  
• Pray for perseverance for everyone with finals, projects, and studio reviews coming up in this last stretch of the semester.
  
• Praise that believers in Myanmar are celebrating 200 years of Christianity!  Pray that the celebrations will go safely and that many will hear God's word and be blessed.
  

Community Corner

One of five massive tables of smiling friends at the SP Thanksgiving feast. (Credit: Alice K.)


The crowd at Tang made the 10B apartment cozy.  (Credit: Kevin F.)

All Things Considered

This past Tuesday was the 2nd annual #GivingTuesday, a day to be communally generous after the consumer "holidays" of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  But as Christians, we're also called to be givers at all times.  So what does a lifestyle of generosity look like?  (And if you want more analysis, see this study on Christian generosity trends.)

Verse of the Week

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
_ Isaiah 7:14

If you have any highlights, prayer requests, announcements, interesting articles, or other submissions/ideas for next week's newsflash, let us know!  Send them to leungk@mit.edu.

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

GCF Newsflash! Homosexuality, Truth, and Love | Fri 11/22 @ 7:30pm | Mezz. Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

This week, we continue our series on burning questions with what the Bible says about the very controversial issue of homosexuality.  Joining us this Friday is Pastor Bland Mason of City on a Hill Church. We hope that his talk will stimulate a thoughtful, loving, and Biblically-driven discussion about our attitude and approach to homosexuality on a personal level as well as in the public sphere.

There will be dinner before large group, with details TBA later this week.

What:           Homosexuality: Balancing Truth and Love (like Jesus)
Where:         Mezzanine Lounge (3rd Fl. Student Center, W20-307)
When:          Friday November 22 @ 7:30pm
Contact:       Large Group Team (mit-gcf-lg@mit.edu)

Announcements

• NEXT WEEK: Happy Thanksgiving!  No regular large group next Friday
• NEXT WEEK: Join us on Thursday the 28th for a delicious Thanksgiving feast and fellowship.  There will be 2 locations (Tang in early PM, Sidney Pacific at 3pm).  This is a great opportunity to invite your friends, so sign up on this Google Doc!  See Peng's email for more details.
• The MIT Veritas Forum is in the midst of choosing this Spring's speakers, and you can have a say!  Email Sam E. for details about the next meeting and how to get involved.

Recap Lane

To mix it up a bit, last week we tied on our bowling shoes and headed to Sacco's for candlepin bowling and flatbread pizza.  All four lanes were full of enthusiastic players.  Although the competition was fierce, there were two notable bowlers: Alli H. earned the highest score of 92 in a single game, while George K. had the highest combined score over all games (plus the only strike of the night).  Congrats guys!

Thanks to Joe M. for coordinating this awesome event!  (Plus, he had the savvy to get a Square for his smartphone, making it incredibly easy for everyone to pay him back.)

Prayer Square

• Praise for beautiful weather!
• Pray for those living in the Midwest in the wake of Sunday's heavy storms and tornadoes, that they would be safe and be able to find shelter and relief.
• Continue to pray for those in the Philippines recovering from Typhoon Haiyan, and for a wise and efficient distribution of relief funds.
• Pray that we would all have a posture of gratitude and thanksgiving in these upcoming weeks.

Community Corner

Sam P. shows off his mad skills and good form in the lanes (photo courtesy of Lydia N.)

All Things Considered

Something to think about when donating to disaster relief  ||  Another film of Biblical proportions heads our way with Noah in Spring 2014, but is it the Noah we know from Genesis?  ||  Star Trek meets the classroom with a new approach to education 

Verse of the Week

"The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing."
_ Isaiah 51:3

If you have any highlights, kudos, prayer requests, announcements, interesting blog articles, or other submissions/ideas for next week's newsflash, don't be shy!  Send them to leungk@mit.edu.

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

GCF Newsflash! Candlepin Bowling + Flatbread Pizza Friday Nov 15 @ 6:30pm Kendall T Stop

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

Eat, dance, and bowl with your favorite group of Christian grad students this Friday at Sacco's! Meeting at 6:30pm at the Kendall T-Stop, we will head over to Sacco's in Somerville for delicious flatbread pizza. At 8pm, we'll hit the lanes for a few games of Candlepin bowling! For those who can't make dinner, you can meet up with Marcus at 7:30pm at the Kendall T-Stop.

What:            Candlepin Bowling and Flatbread Pizza!

Cost:             Please bring $10 for the lanes, $2 for the shoes, and food money
Where:          Meeting Spot: Kendall T | Pizza and Bowling: Sacco's Bowl Haven
When:           Friday Nov. 15th @ 6:30pm or 7:30pm

Contact:        Joe Moore (6:30pm departure), Marcus Gibson (7:30pm Departure)

Announcements

• NEXT WEEK: Speaker: Bland Mason from City on a Hill Church | Topic: Homosexuality
• Check out the GCF blog, which archives Newsflashes and is maintained by our great webmasters.  If you have other content suggestions, let us know!

Recap Lane

Last Friday we were treated to a great presentation by Victoria on Christian art! After reflecting on art for a bit, we heard from Dr. Garrett Smith on Christianity and Politics. Ideal system: Monarchy! Jesus as King =)

Prayer Square

• Pray for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, that they would receive aid quickly and that the country's leaders would have wisdom and strength for the relief effort.
• Pray for those graduating soon! Pray that they will be able to finish strong and get plenty of rest when not working on their dissertations!
• Pray for our seekers to continue inching towards Jesus! Pray for patience and persistence for those reaching out to their friends!

Community Corner

Happy Birthday to our friend and GCF large group coordinator, Sam Elder! (At large group last Friday)

Verse of the Week

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
_ Psalm 118:24

If you have any highlights, kudos, prayer requests, announcements, interesting blog articles, or other submissions/ideas for next week's newsflash, don't be shy!  Send them to leungk@mit.edu.

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/

GCF Newsflash! Mixing Faith and Politics | Fri. 11/8 @ 7:30pm | Mezz. Lounge

Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

What is biblical about politics?  How does our faith inform our political views?  Dr. Garrett Smith will be joining us this week for a lively discussion as we continue our series on burning questions.  He is the director of spiritual formation and outreach at Newton Presbyterian Church and won't be picking sides!

As a preview of the conversation about the Kingdom of God in the leadership of this world, there will be dinner with our speaker.  Details TBA this week.

What:            Politics and Christianity: How should they mix? w/ Dr. Garrett Smith
Where:          Mezzanine Lounge (3rd fl. Student Center, W20-307)
When:           Friday Nov. 8th @ 7:30pm (dinner beforehand)

Contact:        Sam Elder

Announcements

• THIS WEEK: The United Christian Organization (UCO), which GCF is part of, will be having its biannual Praise & Prayer Night this Saturday 11/9 from 5-6:30pm in the Student Center, room 491.  Contact Mark Ku(617-866-7949) for more info.
• Are you musical?  Do you play the bass, drums, or keyboard?  Use your talents for the UCO Praise Night!  Contact Mark ASAP (info above).
• NEXT WEEK: GCF is hitting the lanes for candlepin bowling and flatbread at Sacco's in Somerville, and Harvard is hosting its Veritas Forum.
• Check out the GCF blog, which archives Newsflashes and is maintained by our webmasters.  If you have other content suggestions, let us know!

Recap Lane

Last Friday we had our fall semester Faculty Dinner, which had a great turnout and great conversation.  Close to 60 people came to chat it up with six Christian professors across all disciplines (Ian Hutchinson, Anne McCants, Troy Van Voorhis, Anne Carpenter, Jing Kong, Jose Gomez-Marquez).  We valued their time spent with us!

KUDOS to Joe and Michelle for spearheading the planning and logistics for the dinner and doing such a great job.  Plus, thank you to Kevin for being the liaison with our faculty.

Prayer Square

• Praise and prayer for cultivating relationships with our Christian faculty.
  
• Pray for those who at the fringes of community (whichever ones you're part of).  Take a moment to reach out to someone you haven't seen for a while and make them feel loved.
• Pray for those who are grieving, disappointed, or discouraged - that the love of Jesus would be that much more tangible and profound in this time.
  

Community Corner

This past week we were treated to two kinds of "installations": the permitted architectural kind (L, plaster fabric project by Alice et. al in Building 7), and the sneak-attack kind (R, Ender's Game hack in Lobby 7) -- both really cool to see!

All Things Considered

On purpose: What is our vocation, really?

In the spirit of Sunday's Thrive, on relationships (but relevant in a broader context): Making too much of marriage

Verse of the Week

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing."
_ Zephaniah 3:17

If you have any highlights, kudos, prayer requests, announcements, interesting blog articles, or other submissions/ideas for next week's newsflash, don't be shy!  Send them to leungk@mit.edu.

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/