Philippians 2:5-13 (NIV)

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Reflection:

In this passage, Paul encourages us to “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” In other words, we’re to think of ourselves in the way that Jesus thought of Himself – a humble servant following the will of God. We’re to have the same mindset as Christ and continue to keep on living in obedient response to Him. But, how is that possible when we feel like we lose more battles than we win? It’s possible because it is God Himself at work in us giving us the desire and power to do what pleases Him.

Response:

Let’s confess to the Lord our need of Him and as we do so, let’s invite the Lord’s Spirit to fill us again. As He fills us, let’s pray for our missional groups and campuses; that we would trust God’s work in us giving us the desire and power to do what pleases Him.

English lecturer Ryan Bloom was recently published on the New Yorker’s “Page-Turner” blog. His post, “Lost in Translation: What the First Line of ‘The Stranger’ Should Be” discusses the first sentence of Albert Camus’s book.

“Within the novel’s first sentence, two subtle and seemingly minor translation decisions have the power to change the way we read everything that follows. What makes these particular choices prickly is that they poke at a long-standing debate among the literary community: whether it is necessary for a translator to have some sort of special affinity with a work’s author in order to produce the best possible text,” he writes, ultimately concluding that he right choice is one that hasn’t been published in a translation yet.

The full post, including Bloom’s suggested translation, can be found here.

Your support helps amazing students succeed at UMBC. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of their stories with you. This week, meet Jeremy, a proud member of the Class of 2012.
Name: Jeremy Brickey
Major: English
Hometown: Lanham, Maryland
Plans: Marketing analyst for AKJ Books
Jeremy Brickey will be recognizable to this fall’s incoming freshmen: he was one of the faces of the “UMBC Superheroes” ad campaign. And Jeremy made his time at UMBC “super” by being involved in many facets of campus life. He is a member of the rugby team and on the rugby executive board; he was the president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and won the UMBC Greek Man of the Year award in 2010. A Linehan scholar, Jeremy was published in Bartleby, UMBC’s literary magazine. In addition to being a “superhero,” Jeremy reached out to prospective students as a student ambassador and worked as a Woolie to help incoming students. As the 2012 Student Alumni Association founder and president, Jeremy will continue to make his mark on UMBC long after he graduates.
In a letter he wrote in the fall, he describes the impact scholarships have had on his life as a student:

“I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am for what I have been given. Without my scholarships, I would not have fallen in love with the poetry of Marlowe or Donne, or taken acting classes, or had the chance to help launch a student alumni group at UMBC. Without the caring support of donors, I might have missed out on moments that truly shaped me as a thinker.
One of the most beautiful things about a place like UMBC is the way people help each other out, no matter what. You can’t always tell what a student is going through when you look at him or her, but I know many brilliant students who face struggles even greater than mine who are only able to study at UMBC because of the scholarships they receive. Sadly, not every student gets that chance.”

Brickey credits the people of UMBC with helping to open his eyes to many a new idea, and knows UMBC will remain a part of his life for years to come.

“I was a boy when I drove into campus in 2007. UMBC has been the most maturing experience of my life, both intellectually and socially. This campus has fostered a culture of “home” for me and for so many of the students walking the stage this May. There is a rich connection that Retrievers make with their unique campus, and that is something I will always cherish.”

Help support student scholarships and other great projects at UMBC.

Your support helps amazing students succeed at UMBC. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of their stories with you. This week, meet Jeremy, a proud member of the Class of 2012.

Name: Jeremy Brickey
Major: English
Hometown: Lanham, Maryland
Plans: Marketing analyst for AKJ Books

Jeremy Brickey will be recognizable to this fall’s incoming freshmen: he was one of the faces of the “UMBC Superheroes” ad campaign. And Jeremy made his time at UMBC “super” by being involved in many facets of campus life. He is a member of the rugby team and on the rugby executive board; he was the president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and won the UMBC Greek Man of the Year award in 2010. A Linehan scholar, Jeremy was published in Bartleby, UMBC’s literary magazine. In addition to being a “superhero,” Jeremy reached out to prospective students as a student ambassador and worked as a Woolie to help incoming students. As the 2012 Student Alumni Association founder and president, Jeremy will continue to make his mark on UMBC long after he graduates.

In a letter he wrote in the fall, he describes the impact scholarships have had on his life as a student:

“I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am for what I have been given. Without my scholarships, I would not have fallen in love with the poetry of Marlowe or Donne, or taken acting classes, or had the chance to help launch a student alumni group at UMBC. Without the caring support of donors, I might have missed out on moments that truly shaped me as a thinker.

One of the most beautiful things about a place like UMBC is the way people help each other out, no matter what. You can’t always tell what a student is going through when you look at him or her, but I know many brilliant students who face struggles even greater than mine who are only able to study at UMBC because of the scholarships they receive. Sadly, not every student gets that chance.”

Brickey credits the people of UMBC with helping to open his eyes to many a new idea, and knows UMBC will remain a part of his life for years to come.

“I was a boy when I drove into campus in 2007. UMBC has been the most maturing experience of my life, both intellectually and socially. This campus has fostered a culture of “home” for me and for so many of the students walking the stage this May. There is a rich connection that Retrievers make with their unique campus, and that is something I will always cherish.”

Help support student scholarships and other great projects at UMBC.

On Monday, May 21, Kimberly Moffitt, assistant professor of American Studies, was a guest on the Marc Steiner show to respond to comments by Maryland State Delegate Pat McDonough on “mobs of roving black youth” in downtown Baltimore.  McDonough was also a guest on the show.

“My attitude is that either Baltimore is going to overcome crime, or crime is going to overcome Baltimore,” said McDonough, arguing that his use of “black” in the context was referring to the specific individuals engaged in the crime and not Baltimore’s African American population as a whole.

“We could have easily said there’s concern about youth mobs, or concerns about young people in the Inner Harbor, but that’s not what we heard.  What we heard is a very specific group of people, and by doing that we target that group of people to suggest that they are the only problem,” Moffitt responded.

“When we characterize black youth mobs, the reality is that it ends up not indicting not particular individuals but indicting an entire race of people,” she said. “There’s a goal that we all have to want to reduce crime… but what I hear when I hear some of the solutions [suggested by McDonough] is more about surveillance of black bodies and controlling them and containing them because they are seen in our society as villains, as criminals… I don’t hear that these are young people who might be misguided and need some other outlets.”

The full segment can be heard here.