My Official Guess for the Draft Tomorrow: Region 3 (the midwest)
The Dark Horse: Region 7 (the upper east coast) (I'm this number out there for no apparent reason. I basically picked an arbitrary number since I didn't even put it on my paperwork but I did tell our rep that I'm open to go anywhere as long as there's a good church)
The Long Shot: Region 2 (the southwest)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Making Lemonade
This has been a bad couple of months for my car. To say that I've had car issues would be a major understatement. In the past two months my car has been broken into, towed, and has not started a record number 5 times! Ugh! Never has the MN cold gotten to me and my car like this before. So I finally broke down after non-car start #4 and brought it into the shop to get my 90,000 and 105,000 tune-up done. Kill multiple birds with one stone basically. So I started out today, the first really cold day after I got all the work done on my car, fairly confident that my car would start up. And of course, it didn't....
You've got to be kidding me! I didn't have any class today but I was supposed to be a part of a student panel for prospective students. So, I give a desperate call to a bunch of my friends from seminary and am blessed enough to have a couple offer to bail me out and drive me to campus and back.
Then, I make good use of my AAA membership and give a call for help starting up or a tow depending on how things go. My starter can tend to be tricky and thus, some people are often able to get it started after some tricks that I'm still trying to master. It turns out that the person who comes to help bail me out had done so about two weeks ago right before I brought my car into the shop. We both remember each other and in the midst of trying to get my car started, we strike up a conversation about life. All of a sudden I find myself being treated as a friend and confidant as I get a serious prayer request. I of course oblige and say that I will definitely keep her in my prayers and find myself exchanging numbers and email addresses. By this time my car has started and is running.
Part of me really hates cliches such as "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." But in this case, life handed me lemons and somehow, God was able to turn it into a situation where I got a chance to really connect with someone and support someone who has bailed me out twice now. Now, do I attribute my car not starting to God? No, that's simply the nasty, cold MN weather. However, I think God was able to use me and this crappy situation in a completely unexpected way.
And I can't help but take this to heart at times such as these. The fate of my next three years in ministry will be decided as the bishops et al. get together to assign all the outgoing MDiv seniors tomorrow. I honestly have no idea where I'm going to get placed and that scares me. I hope and pray that I get placed somewhere that makes sense for my abilities, talents, passions, and gifts and that also happens to be a place where I want to live. However, I know that this might not all come together. It might seem like I'm ending up out in the cold with a car that doesn't start. But, at the same time, I've been reminded today that God can take bad situations and use it for good. I've been reminded that the kindness and generosity of friends can go a long way. I've been reminded that ministry can happen in even the oddest and most frustrating of situations.
So, my solution for my car. I've got a garage leased for the time being which will keep my car warmer and thus make it more likely that it will start. We'll see if this actually works tomorrow morning. If not, well, I guess I'll just have to make the best of the situation because that's all we can do sometimes.
You've got to be kidding me! I didn't have any class today but I was supposed to be a part of a student panel for prospective students. So, I give a desperate call to a bunch of my friends from seminary and am blessed enough to have a couple offer to bail me out and drive me to campus and back.
Then, I make good use of my AAA membership and give a call for help starting up or a tow depending on how things go. My starter can tend to be tricky and thus, some people are often able to get it started after some tricks that I'm still trying to master. It turns out that the person who comes to help bail me out had done so about two weeks ago right before I brought my car into the shop. We both remember each other and in the midst of trying to get my car started, we strike up a conversation about life. All of a sudden I find myself being treated as a friend and confidant as I get a serious prayer request. I of course oblige and say that I will definitely keep her in my prayers and find myself exchanging numbers and email addresses. By this time my car has started and is running.
Part of me really hates cliches such as "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." But in this case, life handed me lemons and somehow, God was able to turn it into a situation where I got a chance to really connect with someone and support someone who has bailed me out twice now. Now, do I attribute my car not starting to God? No, that's simply the nasty, cold MN weather. However, I think God was able to use me and this crappy situation in a completely unexpected way.
And I can't help but take this to heart at times such as these. The fate of my next three years in ministry will be decided as the bishops et al. get together to assign all the outgoing MDiv seniors tomorrow. I honestly have no idea where I'm going to get placed and that scares me. I hope and pray that I get placed somewhere that makes sense for my abilities, talents, passions, and gifts and that also happens to be a place where I want to live. However, I know that this might not all come together. It might seem like I'm ending up out in the cold with a car that doesn't start. But, at the same time, I've been reminded today that God can take bad situations and use it for good. I've been reminded that the kindness and generosity of friends can go a long way. I've been reminded that ministry can happen in even the oddest and most frustrating of situations.
So, my solution for my car. I've got a garage leased for the time being which will keep my car warmer and thus make it more likely that it will start. We'll see if this actually works tomorrow morning. If not, well, I guess I'll just have to make the best of the situation because that's all we can do sometimes.
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Great Draft
Draft season is upon us. And no, I'm not talking about the NFL or NBA draft. I'm talking about the Great Draft of all the graduating MDiv seminarians in the ELCA. It's the time that we're all assigned to go to different parts of the country for at least the first three years of our ministry. This year the draft takes place on February 19-20 and my friends and I at Luther will find out at approximately 5:20 on Wednesday, February 20 what our future holds. It's a crazy time and there's a mix of excitement and worry in the air.
The craziest part about this whole deal is how the whole draft system works. It seriously resembles a regular sports draft. First, let's get your updated on some of the ELCA terminology. I'll be talking about Regions and Synods a lot. A Region is the bigger piece of the pie. There are nine Regions in the ELCA. For instance, Region 2 is the Northwest which includes Washington, Oregon, Alaska, etc. A Synod is smaller piece of the pie and covers a particular area. For instance, in Region 2 there is the Oregon Synod, Alaska Synod, Northwest Washington Synod, etc. These synods all have multiple churches within their area that they "oversee" and coordinate with. All the graduating students will be looking to fill vacant positions at various churches around the country. There are also Bishops. The Bishops are like the CEO of the synods but they're also the "pastor of the pastors" in their synod working to move people, keep order, and resolve conflict.
All the graduating 200 some candidates have profiles already filled out. These profiles tell bishops their basic info and includes where we are interested in going in the country, and what type of ministry we're interested in doing (solo call, working with a large staff, specialized ministry like youth ministry). The bishops have access to these forms and read over them to get an idea if the candidate would be a good fit and whether or not their needs would be met in the synod and region. Most of us put down preferences about where we would like to go and those are generally respected. People are also allowed to restrict which means they are guaranteed a placement in a certain region due to children, spouse with job, house, medical condition, etc. However, the restrictions must be approved. That's a whole other story though.
The said profiles are laid out and it essentially goes down just like any other draft. Nine Bishops are there representing their nine regions and drafting for their particular region. Each seminary also has a representative who speaks for the students (in our case, our Dean of Students). The Bishops have already established an order and the first Bishop to go takes five candidates his region is interested in (five is just an arbitrary number, we're not sure how many but it seems close enough). However, each candidate doesn't just automatically get assigned to that region. Each candidate is held up before the entire crowd and are asked whether they are contested or not. In other words, if more than one region is interested in a candidate, that candidate's profile is marked and the bishops will address this later.
So, this basically happens until all the candidates are assigned to a Region in the country. And now the fun part. They wheel and deal for the contested candidates. They trade other candidates and shuffle people around until everyone is satisfied.
And that's how it is decided where I will spend the next three years of my life! Whew! It sounds scary, especially since unlike the pro-athletes I'm not signing up for a six figure contract. But, I have to trust that God is able to work through this messy paperwork and this crazy process. Somehow, just somehow, the Holy Spirit shows up there and works through all of the paper, the needs, the wants, and the hopes of everyone involved. And you know, it might be foolish for me to put my hope and trust in the system and frankly, I've never really had a choice in this matter either. But, this process gets me one step closer to being in a church and being ordained. And I do trust that God is working for the good in my life right now, even though it may seem scary and not quite right at the time. So, next week, you'll probably get a very freaked out blog entry stressing out about this whole process because I'm placed in Western North Dakota or something. But, at least I'll know someplace in the country thought I'd make a good minister there and hey, I'll take that. ;)
The craziest part about this whole deal is how the whole draft system works. It seriously resembles a regular sports draft. First, let's get your updated on some of the ELCA terminology. I'll be talking about Regions and Synods a lot. A Region is the bigger piece of the pie. There are nine Regions in the ELCA. For instance, Region 2 is the Northwest which includes Washington, Oregon, Alaska, etc. A Synod is smaller piece of the pie and covers a particular area. For instance, in Region 2 there is the Oregon Synod, Alaska Synod, Northwest Washington Synod, etc. These synods all have multiple churches within their area that they "oversee" and coordinate with. All the graduating students will be looking to fill vacant positions at various churches around the country. There are also Bishops. The Bishops are like the CEO of the synods but they're also the "pastor of the pastors" in their synod working to move people, keep order, and resolve conflict.
All the graduating 200 some candidates have profiles already filled out. These profiles tell bishops their basic info and includes where we are interested in going in the country, and what type of ministry we're interested in doing (solo call, working with a large staff, specialized ministry like youth ministry). The bishops have access to these forms and read over them to get an idea if the candidate would be a good fit and whether or not their needs would be met in the synod and region. Most of us put down preferences about where we would like to go and those are generally respected. People are also allowed to restrict which means they are guaranteed a placement in a certain region due to children, spouse with job, house, medical condition, etc. However, the restrictions must be approved. That's a whole other story though.
The said profiles are laid out and it essentially goes down just like any other draft. Nine Bishops are there representing their nine regions and drafting for their particular region. Each seminary also has a representative who speaks for the students (in our case, our Dean of Students). The Bishops have already established an order and the first Bishop to go takes five candidates his region is interested in (five is just an arbitrary number, we're not sure how many but it seems close enough). However, each candidate doesn't just automatically get assigned to that region. Each candidate is held up before the entire crowd and are asked whether they are contested or not. In other words, if more than one region is interested in a candidate, that candidate's profile is marked and the bishops will address this later.
So, this basically happens until all the candidates are assigned to a Region in the country. And now the fun part. They wheel and deal for the contested candidates. They trade other candidates and shuffle people around until everyone is satisfied.
And that's how it is decided where I will spend the next three years of my life! Whew! It sounds scary, especially since unlike the pro-athletes I'm not signing up for a six figure contract. But, I have to trust that God is able to work through this messy paperwork and this crazy process. Somehow, just somehow, the Holy Spirit shows up there and works through all of the paper, the needs, the wants, and the hopes of everyone involved. And you know, it might be foolish for me to put my hope and trust in the system and frankly, I've never really had a choice in this matter either. But, this process gets me one step closer to being in a church and being ordained. And I do trust that God is working for the good in my life right now, even though it may seem scary and not quite right at the time. So, next week, you'll probably get a very freaked out blog entry stressing out about this whole process because I'm placed in Western North Dakota or something. But, at least I'll know someplace in the country thought I'd make a good minister there and hey, I'll take that. ;)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Checked Out
It's only the third day of classes and already I feel like I'm behind. And I'm only taking three classes right now as opposed to the usual five. Weird. I think I'm going to attribute this phenomenon to the fact that these are a big couple of weeks in the life of an M. Div. senior at Luther Seminary. We've started our final semester of seminary (Woo-Hoo!) and the Great Draft is in a measly nine days. Whew! I'm tired already. Add to that a lot of heady subject material covered in my classes, especially my final theology course on the Holy Spirit and the Trinity (it seriously takes me a good hour to read 15 pages of one of our books, that's right on par with how long it would take me to read 15 pages in my plant physiology textbooks). The finish line is in sight and I think many of us seniors are finding it hard to concentrate on the here and now when the end is in sight. And it doesn't just seem like it's the end of school, it's the beginning of the rest of our lives as pastors, God-willing we don't suffer burnout.
Therefore, I'm finding it a little bit harder than usual concentrating in class. I'm finding it a bit harder to buckle down and read my textbooks. I'm finding it more frustrating when an assignment isn't as practical or applicable to ministry as I'd like it be.
But at the same time I'm finding things to look forward to in my final semester. The seniors are finally preaching in Chapel which has proved to be a breath of fresh air. I'm so proud of my friends and know that one after another will bring it in the pulpit. Many of us are realizing that this is indeed our final semester in this sometimes equally amazing and frustrating community that has given us so many chances to grow and learn and doing all we can to take advantage of this gift. And of course, there is the promise of the life after seminary, when we finally get to truly walk the walk and be in congregations all over the country and all over the world. Even as a face my apathy toward my coursework I can't help but get excited about all the possibilities. It's always a delicate balance. I'm not quite ready to be completely checked out of this community and this learning process. There is too much at stake to not keep learning and discerning, to take this community for granted, and to not work to strengthen these friendships and ties that have meant the world to me and carried me through so much already.
So here's to what I hope, pray, and know will be an memorable and amazing final semester!
Therefore, I'm finding it a little bit harder than usual concentrating in class. I'm finding it a bit harder to buckle down and read my textbooks. I'm finding it more frustrating when an assignment isn't as practical or applicable to ministry as I'd like it be.
But at the same time I'm finding things to look forward to in my final semester. The seniors are finally preaching in Chapel which has proved to be a breath of fresh air. I'm so proud of my friends and know that one after another will bring it in the pulpit. Many of us are realizing that this is indeed our final semester in this sometimes equally amazing and frustrating community that has given us so many chances to grow and learn and doing all we can to take advantage of this gift. And of course, there is the promise of the life after seminary, when we finally get to truly walk the walk and be in congregations all over the country and all over the world. Even as a face my apathy toward my coursework I can't help but get excited about all the possibilities. It's always a delicate balance. I'm not quite ready to be completely checked out of this community and this learning process. There is too much at stake to not keep learning and discerning, to take this community for granted, and to not work to strengthen these friendships and ties that have meant the world to me and carried me through so much already.
So here's to what I hope, pray, and know will be an memorable and amazing final semester!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Yay Giants!!!
It's only fair that I post a blog entry in honor of the Giants Super Bowl win since I posted about the Colts last year and wrote about this game in a previous entry! What a great game! The Pats have now officially been shut up. Eli has shown that he is a quarterback for the ages and has MVP to add to his resume. They were the underdogs. They took down the "giants" by playing their hearts out. How do you not love that as a sports fan??? At the end of the game as the seconds ticked down, I felt like yelling "do you believe in miracles" 1980 USA Olympic hockey team style. I'm kind of a dork and I know that nothing will quite beat that upset but this is pretty close. So, like I said before in my earlier blog post, GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Spirit and Call
I've had this thing about having emotional vacations lately. I'm not quite sure what that's all about but anyway, I digress.
I'm in Charlotte right now, taking vacation from school and work and am loving it! I've been here for a few days and fly home tomorrow. I worked it so I'd be here both Wednesday and Sunday nights so I could see the youth and have a weekend to catch all my friends. Also, there was the serendipitous timing that this also happened to be the last Sunday for one of the associate pastors at the church. Pastor Jon had been my "supervisor" for part of my internship because he was pastor of family and youth ministry which meant, as the interim high school youth director/intern pastor I also reported to him. It was a great experience. He was caring, laid back, extremely personable, had great advice, and I was able to learn about from him. He had been at the congregation for over five years now and is moving on to a senior pastor call for a church in Dallas. I have no doubt that he will make an amazing senior pastor. So, I got to be present for his last day and his last sermon. And it was fantastic and feel so honored by the fact that I did get to work with him and it's sad to see him go. At the same time, I'm also excited for him to go on to shape the mission and vision for this new church.
I can't help but think about the story of Elisha and Elijah, two prophets in the OT. Elijah was one of the most famous prophets and his successor was Elisha. And Elijah was a big deal! He stood up to a very evil and corrupt king and queen and even to most of Israel who had given up their faith in God/YAHWEH for that of idols and other lower-case "g" gods. Elijah calls Elisha to ministry to be his successor and Elisha is no fool, he knows he has big shoes to fill. When Elijah prepares to go to heaven and Elisha is aware of this, he asks Elijah for twice the share of Elijah's spirit because he knows that he's going to have a tough job ahead of him.
I couldn't help thinking about this story when I thought of Jon. Whoever fills this role as a pastor at this church is going to have some big shoes to fill. And not only that, those of us who are preparing to go into the church, we're following the footsteps of some pretty amazing people who have great spirit, passion, enthusiasm, vision, compassion, faith, courage, and love. I can't help feeling a little bit intimidated as I think about my first call and following all the pastors that have come before me, who have acted as my mentors, who have influenced and encouraged me in my call. And I find myself praying for even half of Jon's spirit as I look to tackle a new call as well.
In the case of Elijah and Elisha, God does answer Elisha's prayer and he goes on to be another powerful and influential prophet. I hope and pray that God answers my prayers and the prayers of my friends as we look to our first calls and as we look to add to the road that has been placed before us by those who have come before us. And I also go forth encouraged because I know that there are other incredible, dedicated, and faithful people out there like Jon doing the work God has called them to do.
I'm in Charlotte right now, taking vacation from school and work and am loving it! I've been here for a few days and fly home tomorrow. I worked it so I'd be here both Wednesday and Sunday nights so I could see the youth and have a weekend to catch all my friends. Also, there was the serendipitous timing that this also happened to be the last Sunday for one of the associate pastors at the church. Pastor Jon had been my "supervisor" for part of my internship because he was pastor of family and youth ministry which meant, as the interim high school youth director/intern pastor I also reported to him. It was a great experience. He was caring, laid back, extremely personable, had great advice, and I was able to learn about from him. He had been at the congregation for over five years now and is moving on to a senior pastor call for a church in Dallas. I have no doubt that he will make an amazing senior pastor. So, I got to be present for his last day and his last sermon. And it was fantastic and feel so honored by the fact that I did get to work with him and it's sad to see him go. At the same time, I'm also excited for him to go on to shape the mission and vision for this new church.
I can't help but think about the story of Elisha and Elijah, two prophets in the OT. Elijah was one of the most famous prophets and his successor was Elisha. And Elijah was a big deal! He stood up to a very evil and corrupt king and queen and even to most of Israel who had given up their faith in God/YAHWEH for that of idols and other lower-case "g" gods. Elijah calls Elisha to ministry to be his successor and Elisha is no fool, he knows he has big shoes to fill. When Elijah prepares to go to heaven and Elisha is aware of this, he asks Elijah for twice the share of Elijah's spirit because he knows that he's going to have a tough job ahead of him.
I couldn't help thinking about this story when I thought of Jon. Whoever fills this role as a pastor at this church is going to have some big shoes to fill. And not only that, those of us who are preparing to go into the church, we're following the footsteps of some pretty amazing people who have great spirit, passion, enthusiasm, vision, compassion, faith, courage, and love. I can't help feeling a little bit intimidated as I think about my first call and following all the pastors that have come before me, who have acted as my mentors, who have influenced and encouraged me in my call. And I find myself praying for even half of Jon's spirit as I look to tackle a new call as well.
In the case of Elijah and Elisha, God does answer Elisha's prayer and he goes on to be another powerful and influential prophet. I hope and pray that God answers my prayers and the prayers of my friends as we look to our first calls and as we look to add to the road that has been placed before us by those who have come before us. And I also go forth encouraged because I know that there are other incredible, dedicated, and faithful people out there like Jon doing the work God has called them to do.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Here I was, expecting to have to write a long blog entry justifying my reasons for cheering for the Packers for the first time in my life and instead find myself pleasantly surprised to be able to cheer for a team that I actually like. Whew!
So, for those of you who aren't football fans or sports fans in general, I apologize in advance for this blog post.
The big game was yesterday in sub-zero temperatures. The team that I really wanted to see win, the Colts, were already out of the playoff scenario and ever since the season has picked up, all I've really wanted to see was the Pats lose. Yes, you heard me right, I was willing to cheer for any team just to see the Pats lose, even the Green Bay Packers. Now, this is a huge deal for me because being from MN, I'm a Vikings fan (unfortunately) which means by default, I hate the Packers. It's always been a huge rivalry, especially since the MN and WI are next to each other and you can always find MN fans in WI and WI fans in MN. So, as the shirts say, my favorite teams are the Vikings and whoever is playing against the Packers.
However, the potential Super Bowl between the Pats and the Packers present a conundrum for me. You see, I hate dynasties. It's just not my thing. That's probably why I couldn't get behind either Duke or UNC mens' basketball while I was in NC (also, because I didn't really feel like pissing everyone off by choosing sides but then again, I did cheer for NC State for fun to antagonize my friends). That's why I hate the NY Yankees. That's why I hated the LA Lakers. And that's why I'm not for the Pats. It's always more fun to see the upset, to be be surprised, to cheer for the underdog. And also, I just don't respect the Pats after that whole cheating scandal at the beginning of the season. I'm ready for something new. I'm ready to stop hearing about Tom Brady and start hearing about this younger Manning who has turned into a clutch player or see Favre go out on top because as much as I hate the Packers, I've gotten give respect to the man for playing one heckuva season.
So, last night I cheered for the Giants, not really knowing what to expect, half thinking that I was still going to end up cheering for the Pack for the first time in my life in two weeks. And then came the 47 yard field goal to win the game. It was nuts! And I can't help but get behind the Giants and Eli. I like his brother so why shouldn't I like Eli. And he's played like a real pro the past couple of games and showed that he can indeed be clutch. And wouldn't it be great to shut up all those Patriots fans who are already gloating about their perfect season? You better believe I will be in my red, white, and blue in two weeks cheering all out for the long shot, the underdog, the unexpected contenders with all I've got because well, I've got nothing to lose. Go Giants!
So, for those of you who aren't football fans or sports fans in general, I apologize in advance for this blog post.
The big game was yesterday in sub-zero temperatures. The team that I really wanted to see win, the Colts, were already out of the playoff scenario and ever since the season has picked up, all I've really wanted to see was the Pats lose. Yes, you heard me right, I was willing to cheer for any team just to see the Pats lose, even the Green Bay Packers. Now, this is a huge deal for me because being from MN, I'm a Vikings fan (unfortunately) which means by default, I hate the Packers. It's always been a huge rivalry, especially since the MN and WI are next to each other and you can always find MN fans in WI and WI fans in MN. So, as the shirts say, my favorite teams are the Vikings and whoever is playing against the Packers.
However, the potential Super Bowl between the Pats and the Packers present a conundrum for me. You see, I hate dynasties. It's just not my thing. That's probably why I couldn't get behind either Duke or UNC mens' basketball while I was in NC (also, because I didn't really feel like pissing everyone off by choosing sides but then again, I did cheer for NC State for fun to antagonize my friends). That's why I hate the NY Yankees. That's why I hated the LA Lakers. And that's why I'm not for the Pats. It's always more fun to see the upset, to be be surprised, to cheer for the underdog. And also, I just don't respect the Pats after that whole cheating scandal at the beginning of the season. I'm ready for something new. I'm ready to stop hearing about Tom Brady and start hearing about this younger Manning who has turned into a clutch player or see Favre go out on top because as much as I hate the Packers, I've gotten give respect to the man for playing one heckuva season.
So, last night I cheered for the Giants, not really knowing what to expect, half thinking that I was still going to end up cheering for the Pack for the first time in my life in two weeks. And then came the 47 yard field goal to win the game. It was nuts! And I can't help but get behind the Giants and Eli. I like his brother so why shouldn't I like Eli. And he's played like a real pro the past couple of games and showed that he can indeed be clutch. And wouldn't it be great to shut up all those Patriots fans who are already gloating about their perfect season? You better believe I will be in my red, white, and blue in two weeks cheering all out for the long shot, the underdog, the unexpected contenders with all I've got because well, I've got nothing to lose. Go Giants!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Things I'd Rather Be Doing...
...than writing this stupid ethics paper on advance directives:
-Reading all the crazy theories about the new season of LOST or better yet, re-watching season 3 of LOST on DVD.
-Blogging (wait a minute...)
-Reading my friends blogs
-Working on my Genesis to Revelation Bible Study
-Planning my trip to Orlando for a young adults conference in April which I found out that I will for sure be going to because my grant proposal passed today
-Planning my trip to Charlotte next week
-Obsessing over the upcoming Great Draft where are of us future pastors are assigned to an area of the county (What are the odds that I'm going to end up in Eastern North Dakota? 2-1?)
-Shopping at REI for a new winter hat because it's going to get effing cold this weekend
-Figure out what movies I want to watch this weekend when I'm hiding in my apartment from the cold
-Ironing my button down shirts so I can actually wear them in public while watching 3:10 to Yuma which I have bought but haven't had a chance to watch yet
-Crocheting a blanket with the beautiful new yarn I bought this past weekend
-Talking my friend into procrastinating with me so I can play Rock Band
-Catching up on the episodes of Project Runway I've missed
-Reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
-Playing my guitar so loud that I scare my roommate's cat
-Reading all the crazy theories about the new season of LOST or better yet, re-watching season 3 of LOST on DVD.
-Blogging (wait a minute...)
-Reading my friends blogs
-Working on my Genesis to Revelation Bible Study
-Planning my trip to Orlando for a young adults conference in April which I found out that I will for sure be going to because my grant proposal passed today
-Planning my trip to Charlotte next week
-Obsessing over the upcoming Great Draft where are of us future pastors are assigned to an area of the county (What are the odds that I'm going to end up in Eastern North Dakota? 2-1?)
-Shopping at REI for a new winter hat because it's going to get effing cold this weekend
-Figure out what movies I want to watch this weekend when I'm hiding in my apartment from the cold
-Ironing my button down shirts so I can actually wear them in public while watching 3:10 to Yuma which I have bought but haven't had a chance to watch yet
-Crocheting a blanket with the beautiful new yarn I bought this past weekend
-Talking my friend into procrastinating with me so I can play Rock Band
-Catching up on the episodes of Project Runway I've missed
-Reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
-Playing my guitar so loud that I scare my roommate's cat
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Writer's Block
Truth be told, it might not be writer's block, it may just be that I don't really have that much that could be interesting to report. Here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks and some things I'm looking forward to:
-Finished up my Ethics: Medicine and Health Care class minus the final paper. It was a good class other than I was scared to death to be called on half the time. It reminded me of my senior year honors physics class where we had the "popsicle sticks of death" where the teacher would ask a question and draw a popsicle stick with one of our names on it and we would have to figure out the problem on the spot. At least with that you knew either you were right or wrong. With ethics it's always a bit more difficult. I also happen to be a borderline T/F in the Myers Briggs personality test which means that I make decisions using a pretty even combination of my head and heart. In other words, I can compartmentalize stuff when it comes down to making ethical decisions but I usually use both equally and come to my conclusion that way. For our ethics class I didn't have that luxury. Everything had to be carefully plotted out and explainable using logic. So, training myself to think in a completely new way was all sorts of fun. We'll see how this final paper on advance directives goes...
-Depending on how the playoff games go this coming weekend, I might have a long blog on football forthcoming. In other words, I might have to explain why I might be cheering for the Green Bay Packers for the first time in my life... Ugh...
-New season of LOST!!! The theories are already out there and I cannot wait!
-I'm taking an overview of the Bible class for fun (it is my senior year and I've already taken all my classes save one) and tomorrow I'm taking part in a drama on Esther. It's going to be an absolute riot. There's nothing like making a fool of yourself in front of your classmates.
-Finished up my Ethics: Medicine and Health Care class minus the final paper. It was a good class other than I was scared to death to be called on half the time. It reminded me of my senior year honors physics class where we had the "popsicle sticks of death" where the teacher would ask a question and draw a popsicle stick with one of our names on it and we would have to figure out the problem on the spot. At least with that you knew either you were right or wrong. With ethics it's always a bit more difficult. I also happen to be a borderline T/F in the Myers Briggs personality test which means that I make decisions using a pretty even combination of my head and heart. In other words, I can compartmentalize stuff when it comes down to making ethical decisions but I usually use both equally and come to my conclusion that way. For our ethics class I didn't have that luxury. Everything had to be carefully plotted out and explainable using logic. So, training myself to think in a completely new way was all sorts of fun. We'll see how this final paper on advance directives goes...
-Depending on how the playoff games go this coming weekend, I might have a long blog on football forthcoming. In other words, I might have to explain why I might be cheering for the Green Bay Packers for the first time in my life... Ugh...
-New season of LOST!!! The theories are already out there and I cannot wait!
-I'm taking an overview of the Bible class for fun (it is my senior year and I've already taken all my classes save one) and tomorrow I'm taking part in a drama on Esther. It's going to be an absolute riot. There's nothing like making a fool of yourself in front of your classmates.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Year in Review
What a year! I could pretty much leave it at that and it would seem right. This past year I have been in over 15 states (NC, MN, NY, NJ, PA, MD, SC, GA, FL, WI, IL, IN, VA, KY, WV, and some others than I know I'm forgetting). I spent the best eight months of my life as the interim youth director/intern pastor/young adults minister/jack of all trades at my internship congregation. I have gotten my butt kicked in a big way by seminary and CPE for the past four months during the semester from hell. I've learned what burnout feels like. I've written a 20 page approval essay, filled out over 12 pages of ordination and assignment forms, and officially been approved. I've toured NYC with a group of 70 high schoolers and then later by myself. I've been grilled on my views of homosexuality in the church by people who were in charge of deciding whether or not I was fit to be a pastor in the church. I've had my car broken into. I've redefined what home means in my life. I've put away my Midwest modesty and told a bishop face-to-face that I happen to be very good at ministry and essentially that he should be very interested in calling me to his synod. I've preached the best and worst sermons of my career as a "pastor." I've found myself surrounded by some of the best friends a person can ask for during this whole crazy period of my life. It's been one crazy year. And this coming year promises to be even crazier.
On the bill for 2008:
-An ethics class starting Thursday that's probably going to kick my butt.
-A trip to Charlotte to visit friends
-Floor tickets to the Foo Fighters in Feb.
-Helping a friend pilot a new worship service for his church
-A potential trip to Orlando with a good friend for a conference on working with young adults
-The "Great Draft" and Assignment where I find out where I will be doing ministry for the next 3 years of my life
-My final semester at seminary
-Preaching at the Chapel at Luther on March 7 (GULP!)
-My graduation
-My little sis' graduation
-Weddings in Fargo, Winona, and Miami
-A first call to who knows where?????
It's going to be a big and definitive year and I can't wait!
On the bill for 2008:
-An ethics class starting Thursday that's probably going to kick my butt.
-A trip to Charlotte to visit friends
-Floor tickets to the Foo Fighters in Feb.
-Helping a friend pilot a new worship service for his church
-A potential trip to Orlando with a good friend for a conference on working with young adults
-The "Great Draft" and Assignment where I find out where I will be doing ministry for the next 3 years of my life
-My final semester at seminary
-Preaching at the Chapel at Luther on March 7 (GULP!)
-My graduation
-My little sis' graduation
-Weddings in Fargo, Winona, and Miami
-A first call to who knows where?????
It's going to be a big and definitive year and I can't wait!
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