As I begin to settle into the semester, I have sufficiently worked to a point where I feel comfortable in most of my classes. I have readings, occasional reflections, a long term project to complete in Church History 2 and Lutheran Confessional Heritage, I have a field visit to prepare to lead for Church and Society, and I have a pastoral conversation and purpose assignment on the docket for Intro to Pastoral Care. All in all, I’m feeling pretty comfortable in my classes. My most challenging activity this semester, but the most helpful, is the Endorsement Essay Growth in Faith activity.
In preparation for next year’s step in the candidacy process, I thought it would be a good idea to work in a small group of people who would be focused on peer editing our papers as we worked through this semester. So far I have taken away a lot from it. I think it’s definitely one of the best small group opportunities for first year students at LSTC who are working through the candidacy process. It has, however, not been easy for me at all. As someone who has usually written more formally throughout my education, I am finding that writing essays about myself and my call to ordained ministry is a struggle. When my peer group began to edit my paper, I heard all of them compliment the writing on its structure and (most of) the way theological concepts were explained. Then they quickly pointed out that I had hardly any narrative and really needed to place more narrative in place of some of the “theological textbook” as I called it.
I am finding that I need to re-form my writing style for this process and that’s kind of hard for me. Writing this Endorsement Essay is challenging me to explore a different part of me that I often do not explore. Then again, I guess that is the point of a Growth in Faith credit, right?
Until Next Friday!
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