Photograph by NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Although NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has taken many breathtaking images of the universe, one snapshot stands out from the rest: the iconic view of the so-called “Pillars of Creation.” The jaw-dropping photo, taken in 1995, revealed never-before-seen details of three giant columns of cold gas bathed in the scorching ultraviolet light from a cluster of young, massive stars in a small region of the Eagle Nebula, or M16.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has revisited the famous Pillars of Creation, revealing a sharper and wider view of the structures in this visible-light image.
Astronomers combined several Hubble exposures to assemble the wider view. The towering pillars are about 5 light-years tall. The dark, finger-like feature at bottom right may be a smaller version of the giant pillars. The new image was taken with Hubble’s versatile and sharp-eyed Wide Field Camera 3.
Nature as the First Bible
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The First Idea in the Mind of God
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Creation is the primary and most perfect revelation of the Divine.
-Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274)
The first Incarnation of God did not happen in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. That is just when it became human and personal for us, and many people started taking divine embodiment seriously. The initial Incarnation actually happened around 14 billion years ago with “The Big Bang.” That is what we call the moment when God decided to materialize and self-expose, at least in this universe. The first “idea” in the mind of God was to make Divine Formlessness into physical form, so that everything visible is a further revelation of what has been going on secretly inside of God from all eternity. Love always outpours! God spoke the Eternal Word/Idea called Christ, “and so it was!” (Genesis 1:9).
Two thousand years ago was the human incarnation of God in Jesus, but before that there was the incarnation through light, water, land, sun, moon, stars, plants, trees, fruit, birds, serpents, cattle, fish, and “every kind of wild beast” according to the Genesis creation story (1:3-25). This is the “Cosmic Christ” through which God has “let us know the mystery of his [sic] purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made from the beginning in Christ” (Ephesians 1:9). Christ is not Jesus’ last name, but the title for his life’s purpose. Christ is our word for what Jesus came to personally reveal and validate–which is true all the time and everywhere.
Most of Christian history has heard little or nothing about this timeless mystery, and we settled for a small tribal God instead. We put Jesus in competition with other religions instead of allowing him to ground the universal search for God in the material world itself, in nature, cosmos, and history–from the very beginnings of time. In other words, all creatures were capable of knowing and loving God long before the world religions formalized their doctrines and rituals (Romans 1:20). Were the first centuries of human beings just trial runs and throwaways for a very inefficient God? That cannot be! Infinite Love would never operate that way. “The Christ Mystery” proclaims that there is universal and equal access to God for all who have ever wanted love and union since the primal birth of humanity.
As Colossians puts it: “[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation” (1:15); he is the one glorious icon that names and reveals the entire glorious meaning of history. “The fullness is founded in him … everything in heaven and everything on earth” (Colossians 1:19-20). It gets better: God has never stopped thinking, dreaming, and creating the Christ, as this one mystery continues to unfold and evolve in time (Romans 8:19-25).
Adapted from “Creation as the Body of God,”
Radical Grace, Vol.23, No. 2, April-June 2010, pp. 3, 22
Looking for 4-6 good candidates – please let me or Geraldine know and we will give them an application form – thanks
Paul
St. Anthony This Week
Right after I put this out to all of you I will be putting out the community blog. Several of you continue to give me something about what your plans are for the week. I would really like to see more submissions for staff – everyone can contribute! The more we tell our parent community the greater chance that they will red the community blog as a way to get a better idea of what is going on at our school.
We have to make learning as visible as possible, especially in a community that is hesitant to get more involved in the life of the school. We need to do more to get our message out, you all can help a great deal in the work we are trying to do.
Thanks
Paul
Monday, January 19
Kindergarten Registration all week
Free Throw Forms due Gr 5 & 6
Milk: New Session to Apr. 10
Young Rembrandts Forms Due
Royal Winnipeg Ballet (Little Horn Theatre) with Jamie Vargas Juniors starting at 8:45 am – please bring your permission forms
Workshop 1 : 8:45 a.m.-9:15 a.m.
Workshop 2 : 9:20 a.m. – 9:50 a.m
workshop 1: 4/5 (24)
workshop 2: 5/6 (26)
EQAO planning – 8:00 am – Geraldine, Paul and Sabina
waste walkabout
Tuesday, January 20
Cathlee O’Connell to read with Mrs.Rupnik’s class (AM)
Pizza Orders Due – including staff
School-wide audit Day – In order to assess our waste, we need to gather garbage, recycling, and compost materials for a 24 period. We then weigh the clear plastic garbage bags. Fill in the worksheet and assess the data (all done visually). Finally we communicate our results and reduction strategies with the whole school community (ie bulletin board etc.)
Chess today at lunch
Dorothy reading with Mrs. Rupnik’s class (PM)
Wednesday, January 21
Little Horn Theatre * MUSIC WITH AUDREY LEMIEUX – this program will take place in the library
MUSIC WITH AUDREY
LEMIEUX
St. Anthony’s
JK/SK 8:30-9:00 (20)
JK/SK 9:00-9:30 (20)
9:45-10:00 recess
10:00-10:40 Grade 1 ( 12) +
Grade 1/2 (20)
10:40-11:15 Grade 2/3 (16)
*get ready for lunch upon
dismissal
11:15-12:15 LUNCH
12:30-1:10 Grade 4/5 (24)
1:30-1:45 LAST RECESS
2:00-2:40 Grade 5/6 (24)
Table Tennis Forms Due – 15 participants maximum – this is an after-school program
Paul away AM until 11:30 am
hip hop demonstration – 10:30 in the gym – Katie Gauthier – sign up sheets will be handed out at the session – juniors only
Y Kids Academy – grade 5-6 – leaving for the Y at 11:30
waste walkabout
Maria and Teresa at OECTA meeting – 4:00 PM
Thursday, January 22
Boys Badminton – all day at St. George – Nora coaching
Kathi, SLP, in Mrs.Rupnik’s Class
Local Collaborative Team Meeting – 7:45
Young Rembrandts After School
Friday, January 23
Memorial mass 7:30 St. Anthony Church for John Colin Jeffrey Kelly and Johanna KORVEMAKER – coffee and snacks back at school after mass – we need some bakers – I will pick up the coffee.
Little Horn Theatre * MUSIC WITH AUDREY LEMIEUX – same location and schedule as Wednesday
Guest Reader Session in Mrs. Rupnik’s class (AM)
Guest Reader Session in Mrs. Rupnik’s class (PM)
Finish the week with out new song ‘Happy’ starting not before 3:00PM
this is from a good blog by a teacher in the States Teach Children Well – Maureen Devlin @lookforsun
This is a very good message – lets work on consolidating what we have learned, lets try not to be tempted to jump on to every educational bandwagon that comes along. Maureen write about this very effectively. Lets consolidate what we are learning and look for more partners that we can share our learning with. Maybe the word ‘consolidation’ needs to be added everywhere in our SIP? Hope this resonates with you – Paul
In some ways it feels like I’m at the end of a multi-year journey. Many new efforts put into place over the past ten years are gaining ground and becoming familiar parts of the teaching/learning landscape. Have we reached a plateau of better service to children–a place to stay and nurture for a while before the next, big turn in the road? I hope so.What does this plateau call forth with regard to mindset and action?
First, as always, service to students is the primary call. How can I continue to serve students well? There is always room for growth with regard to feedback, student recognition, time to talk, listening to children’s stories, noticing their strengths, and responding to their challenges in positive and productive ways.
The next priority is worthy learning design, design that embeds essential skills and standards into enriching, engaging, and empowering learning experiences.
After that comes team. Looking for ways to contribute to and work with the educational team at grade level, school, system, and the broader professional learning network (PLN).
All of this work will be supported by steady, weekly professional learning including independent study, interacting with my PLN, attendance at workshops and conferences, application, reflection, assessment, and revision.
Increased communication, organization, and goal setting support this more peaceful, steady pace in the educational landscape, a place that continues to call forth the best of what educators can do with a sense of camaraderie and care.