• Archive of "decisions" Category

    For the New Year

    January 4, 2008 // 4 Comments »


    (more here)
    This year I had the good fortune to be able to host an annual New Year’s Eve Party for a bunch of my Malone friends and plenty of others.  The party was doubly significant in that it also marked the completion of a bunch of restoration that I’ve been doing on my home.  For the last four months I have been trying to put the pieces of my house back together due to some unfortunate tenants. 

    Between the beginning of September and the end of December, and with the help of plenty of family and friends, we filled 2 dumpsters full of trash and broken items, patched 3 huge holes in my walls, ripped up and replaced 3 rooms of carpet with new carpet and a hard wood floor, replaced 2 screen doors, fixed the dishwasher, stove, and garbage disposal, replaced a broken window, fixed the garage door, cleaned the carpets (twice!), patched a hole in the dining room floor, stopped leaks, hung drywall, slapped on 6 gallons of paint, moved in a bunch of new furniture, and scrubbed and cleaned till our fingers were numb.  It wasn’t easy or cheap, but it’s done and it feels good!

    As 2008 jumps to a start, unlike the last 3 Januaries, I really have no idea what this year holds.  In 2005 and 2006 I was in school full-time at Fuller, in 2007 I was working for Fuller full-time.  Plenty of surprises in those years to be sure, but at least I knew where I was.  2008, not so much. 

    As near as I can tell, the beginning of 2008 is marked by beseeching God for 3 major things – a church community who shares a common Kingdom/Missional vision, a challenging and life-giving career in which I have the opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of others, and a lady who’d be excited to share in those sorts of things.  I suppose any one of those three things could be the catalyst for change and direction, but at this point I really have no clue which one.  So, here’s to 2008 and God continuing to do God’s thing!!

    Posted in church, community, decisions, family, friends, Fuller Seminary, God, kingdom, love, malone, missional

    Does God Love Child Molestors?

    April 13, 2007 // 1 Comment »

    For the Christian, the obvious answer is yes (if you are scandalized by that answer welcome to the gospel!), but I wonder how ready we are to deal with the immediate implication this has for those who honor Jesus as Lord of their lives – that we are to love them as well.

    I just ran across an article this morning about a church near San Diego where a convicted child molestor, with complete transparence and willingness to follow a few guidelines, is seeking to be welcomed. It’s sad to me that there is even a stir over this. Welcoming people like Mark Pliska, the man in question, ought to be the very sort of thing that defines followers of Christ. I don’t mean to belittle the rightful hesitancy parents might have who care for the children, but the fact of the matter is, if we can’t find ways to embrace and include those that the rest of the world would just assume shun, we have lost part of what it means to be God’s people.

    Out of Ur ran an article here.
    The original article cam from the New York Times.

    Posted in church, decisions, Jesus, questions

    A Graduate

    March 14, 2007 // 1 Comment »

    fuller diploma

    In December I graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Theology and I am left wondering what to make of that.

    I wonder what significance it has that Uncle Sam, and not the Church, financed my education.  What does that say about who believes in my potential?  What might that say about my allegiance as I am now quite in the debt of my government and not my family, the Church.

    No doubt I have been challenged, sharpened, and changed by my time in Pasadena and at Fuller, but what about the fact that I had to leave my home, my friends, and my ministry context in order to pursue the degree?

    I have made many friends and been involved in all sorts of events and activities, but what about the relationships I have missed out on and the meaningful dimensions of life I had to leave behind?

    I feel as though I have a better, broader, more robust theology, but I wonder what significance it has that this development came about largely apart from practical (I don’t mean church) ministry experience?

    After finishing, I have questions and I have doubts, but I also have faith.  As I toiled over the decision to come out here I prayed, sought council, asked advice, fasted, and waited.  I won’t say that I felt God telling me to make this decision, but I certainly felt freedom to pursue it.  God has been with me and thus I have no regrets.  God is with me still, and thus I have hope for the future.

    My dad tells me that this makes me the most formally educated Rozko ever.  My family and friends are proud of me.  Personally, I feel better for having made the decision to achieve this degree.  But what matters most, what reassures me more than anything else, is knowing that whether it was right or wrong and despite my fears and doubts, God, either in his providence or mercy (do we ever really know which?), and provided I yield to his will, will use this diploma and all that it represents “to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Phil. 2:13)

    Posted in decisions, Fuller Seminary

    My New Job

    February 2, 2007 // No Comments »

    Well, it’s official, I have begun a totally new season of life here is Pasadena. I came out to go to school, I have decided to stay to work.

    2 weeks ago was my first day as an academic advisor for Fuller’s Master of Arts in Global Leadership program. I really like this program as it is based on the idea that people ought to engage in rigorous theological reflection from within the culture and context that they serve in. Students from around the world apply to the program and join a cohort. Some of their classes are online and they exchange papers, thoughts and comments with each other, all the while thinking critically and practically about how the education they are receiving addresses the situation they find themselves in. Twice in the first year these same students come to campus to participate in 2 1-week intensives with each other. Tomorow will be the end of the second week of one of these intensives. Here’s some pictures from around the office and a field trip we did the other day to downtown LA in order to help students learn how to exegete a city.

    DSC00309.JPGDSC00315.JPGDSC00325.JPGDSC00346.JPGDSC00342.JPGDSC00338.JPGDSC00335.JPGDSC00322.JPGDSC00333.JPG

    The people I work with are terrific and I love being part of a degree which emphasizes the sorts of things that the MAGL does. It’s not that evident quite yet, but this is one of the few graduate degrees that I think truly prepares people to think, act, and lead missionally. If you’re thinking about doing a masters degree, want to stay connected where you are, you really should check into the MAGL program – consider yourself advised!

    Posted in culture, decisions, Fuller Seminary, missional

    Getting Settled

    January 9, 2007 // 2 Comments »

    I have so much I could be writing right now, but I will try to keep this short.

    I am finally beginning to feel settled back here in Pasadena. I have a new roommate named Sam that I love talking to, Maria and I have begin reconnecting with friends that we have missed the past five months, I am looking for a job, and Maria is gonna be up to her eyeballs in school work for the next 9 months as she tries as hard as she can to put in the time she needs to in order to graduate in the summer.

    The car situation has been tricky, but my family out here has been a big help in getting through that ordeal. Within a few days Maria and I should have permanent transportation that we can share, though, I have to say, after living in Oslo, Norway for 3 months, I am looking forward to walking more in order to get where I need to go.

    Here’s few pictures of my new bedroom in my new apartment (furnishings courtesy of IKEA!) and please check the visuals page for some pictures from the Rose Bowl Parade featuring George Lucas as the Grand Marshall and full platoons of Storm Troopers as an added bonus.

    Posted in decisions, friends, Fuller Seminary, maria

    Very Big Day!

    December 9, 2006 // 6 Comments »

    Ok, I know I promised an apology and explanation. Believe me, it’s coming. In fact, it’s half written – I just had to get this on there first.

     
    Today was a monumental day in the life of JR Rozko. With the push of a (send) button, a project, quarter, school year, degree, and season of life was brought to a close. Told you it was big!

    I finished my masters thesis this morning and sent it off to the professor who mentored me through the process, Dr. Ryan Bolger. The writing process was a good one for me. As I read and researched, my topic seemed to get bigger and bigger – making it harder and harder to narrow it down, but also more and more interesting.

    It was only today that I finally decided on a title, “Restoring Hope to the Church in Western Culture: Exploring the Relationship Between Culture, Theology, and the Church.” The paper ended up being divided into three main sections – one on the Church and culture, one on narrative theology, and one on missional ecclesiology. The main authors I interacted with in the thesis were Nancey Murphy, Lesslie Newbigin, James McClendon, and Darrell Guder as the editor of Missional Church. As I was writing I realized that the direction I had decided to go intersected at many major points with the rest of the work I have done throughout seminary. So, I decided to choreograph the thesis in such a way that I could reference all my other major writings as appendices.

    All said and done I have a 374 page project (including 17 appendices) which represents a compendium of my integrated thought on a missiology of Western culture. I’ll try to get it uploaded soon and provide links for anyone who wants to give it a glance. The actual thesis (minus appendices) is only 70 double-spaced pages.

    What now? I get to relax and enjoy the next 10 days with family and friends while I am in Ohio. On Dec. 18th I’ll be heading back to California to celebrate Christmas with family out there. Maria returns from Norway just before New Year’s and we’re excited to be reunited and celebrate the new year together (guess this paid off!).  In January she will be continuing her MDiv program at Fuller and I will have the opportunity to partner with my good buddy Wess as TA’s for Ryan’s class, Church in Mission.
    I’ll be looking for work on top of that, so if anybody who reads this knows of anything interesting in the Pasadena, please let me know.

    Posted in church, culture, decisions, family, friends, Fuller Seminary, love, maria, missional, modernity, narrative theology, school, theology, western culture

    « Previous Entries
    Next Entries »