3/6/18 Meeting Notes
7:30-7:35 — Pray + Check Up7:35-7:40 — Logistics Pt. 1
Blog Announcement
Looking for people who are interested in helping Jamie Har with the blog!
To do: Updating the staff and bios, and organizing the articles already posted
Deadline/Timeline
Checking in on editing progress
New timeline - sent out by email. General timeline below:
Second Drafts: due 3/9 @11:59 PM
Editors will edit by 3/12
Bonus: Claritas meeting 3/13 will be a work day! You're welcome :)
Third Drafts: due 3/16 @11:59 PM
Final Drafts: due 3/19 @11:59 PM
Photos: assigning various photos to each piece
Photographer ideas?
Book-themed pictures
Cover ideas? (i.e. painting)
7:40-8:10 — Read and discuss Esther Jiang’s "What Killed Robert Peace?"
Initial thoughts / Impressions of the piece / Point out what worked
Approaching sin from the “back door." She introduces sin as something naturally relatable and understandable, without feeling the need to defend the entirety of Christianity/every permutation of sin
“Telling it slant”
Voice is present, argument develops naturally
Very focused; doesn’t feel the need to be superfluous; feel author’s voice
Thesis: last sentence of third paragraph: good place to put it!
Get to your point efficiently, introductions are important!
It can be controversial, but that’s ok! Not everyone has to agree with your writing. Sparking conversation is good!
Her inspirations
Started as a book she just really wanted to read; found the story fascinating (people should pick books that they’re interested in)
Ask, “Why is this issue important to me?”
She was thinking about how you can help marginalized communities, and how to get them out of poverty.
Robert Peace had the abilities to leave and escape from these conditions;
Reading through the book; people think of poverty either as an individual problem or a structural issue; also the way people view public policy...yet this is not the complete picture
Third aspect of spiritual poverty; we talk about how relationship with God was broken through sin; have that unique perspective to see a third type of poverty; noticed instances where Robert was trying to experience and keep in touch with his roots; keeping in touch with this drove him back
Her takeaways/advice and process when writing
Starts with a question of “Why is this issue important for you?”
For Esther she really wants to help marginalized communities out of poverty; is education the answer?
Think about the answers that have been given. Do those things actually fit the story that the book that you’re reading; does it give you satisfying answers; what is missing?
Two solutions provided in her piece
Are we leaving God out of the picture? What about God is it that you’re leaving out of the picture?
Final two paragraphs of her piece; that aspect of spiritual poverty
Things to improve
Expand on sin a little more a little more information about the origin of sin
She could have improved on mechanics
Explored more of the tension between the two answers that the world offered
Could have done better with transition between relational poverty and then talking about the Gospel
8:10-8:25 — Additional discussion including a "relevant" article titled, "What the world needs most is not our relevance"
Questions + Reactions
Calling out the idea of relevance; we shouldn’t pine after it
Being prophetic, speaking to what will last
Being relevant as being relevant to everyone, shying away from the truth
But, being relevant can also be positive
Frustration in how Christians are living now. What is their role in society, how do we contribute to it? Relevancy is one specific aspect to it.
Role of money in our lives, the american dream and Christianity. Love of money
A criticism: not distinguishing between gifts and idols
8:25-8:30 — Pray + Closing Remarks
Reminder about due dates
Last pitch for helping with blogs
Sign up on the excel sheet
Send out email at the end of the meeting with a new timeline and the excel sheet for article sign-up