2006 Miracle Yearbook

i T mew- larii& • P". e r07)3.- N, 44' Staley Lecture Series Whether it's the icy January winds or the lightness of our wallets after a busy holiday season, spring semester always seems to hail full force to senioritis. Yet, whether we were ready for it or not, intellectualism and practicality merged one afternoon in early February with the arrival of Dr. Darrell L. Bock and the 34th annual Staley Lectureship series. Despite the drag that seems to settle in during mid-February, the lectureship remained a much-anticipated event, greatly due to the popularity of Dr. Bock's 2004 bestseller, Breaking the DoVinci Code. Dr. Bock, Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, author of numerous books, and Professor of Spiritual Development and Culture at the Center for Christian Leadership, spoke to us concerning the historical Jesus and Jewish cultural scripts. According to Bock, understanding the cultural norms Jesus often broke can lead us to a greater understanding of Who He is. Jesus associated with sinners, healed on the Sabbath, forgave sins, exorcised demons, and performed miracles -- all to the dismay of those who opposed Him. According to senior Rachel Miller, "[Dr. Bock's] use of examples, illustrations, and humor made it easy to listen to his messages. Through his use of extra-biblical literature, he introduced not only new ideas regarding Jesus, but also new ideas regarding how to best understand and research the Bible in its context." Dr. Bock's useful messages provided the stimulation many of us needed to carry through a few more weeks. Senior pre-seminary student Stephanie Struebel spoke for many when she said, "I left impressed with the reminder of Jesus' ministry and that He is Who He claimed to be: God, with power over everything. The lectures challenged me to live in the reality that I have a relationship with the God of the universe, the One who has all power." 248 Spring 06, .4Y 141r ..ok 414 Dr. Bock teaches the student body about the cultural norms that were in place when Christ walked the earth and expands on how Christ's disregard of them help us understand his character and purpose. ...Junior Chris Guarnera said, "The passion he demonstrated in investigating and exploring the truth of the historical Jesus was both encouraging and challenging." ....A student meditates on the well-timed words of Dr. Bock. As Angel Voris said,"He provided just the lift I needed at this point in the year."