When Shall We Three Meet Again?

Time slips through the slender creases cradled in our hands and yet is an ever present companion

When shall we three meet again?

In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

When the hurlyburly's done, 

When the battle's lost and won.

That will be ere the set of sun.

Where the place?

Upon the heath....

Where shall we meet?

The semester is now racing through the closeness of the trees as the 

sun softly crawls and spills onto the horizon; as I fill my calendar with

deadlines for my own sanity offinishing strong and satisfied my world has

begun its transformation.

Our community here is a transformative and transitionary one; we spend 

two or three years soaking up the warmth of knowledge and stand in pools of

questions that trickle off o four feet, leaving an outline of dwelling among our

footsteps as we walk away,presumably to dry off. We attend Chapel and

gallantly observe as the names are breathed forth of those leaving our 
community; we hug one another and remark-"Next year, in front of the font." 
Now, that next year has arrived, and the realization that there are people I 
will never see again.

My biological class, as I am fond of saying, the class of 2014 will be returning

this summer as we, my adoptive Class of 2015 will be embarking towards the 

islands of Internship..and our paths may not cross. I won't have time to chat,

catch up, reconnect with them. And  yet, there is a difference. Our energized

class of 2016 will take their bow onto the stage and leap into the audience 
as the path to internship widens and beckons them forth-and I may miss their 

performance. And yet there will be a difference.

There is something that shifts in the atmosphere as one shifts away from the 

harmonious LSTC community: the realization that this, our vocation and what 

Our Creator has called us towards is concrete. Our souls sync up with others 

whose experiences reflect with our own; our bond reaches out and is as tangled

as stout ivy that covers and blankets statues and figures that belong to time

memorial.

There will be Synod Assemblies, First Call Pastor Conferences and Clusters, 

Churchwide Assembly gatherings and the magic of  Skype. We shall meet once

more but this time our feathers and our costumes will be slightly brighter. 

We shall recognize each otherbut the transformative blessings of the Triune 

God will encompass our very beings and we shall view one another in a
different light.

This shimmering pool of water speaks to me even now, as I have conversations

with dear friends of mine from the class of 2012, who joyfully come and visit 

these hallowed halls  which reflect back to them as an oasis. They now stand 

as my cloud of witnesses,to the indescribable joy and challenges of being among 

the ordained. 

This year was our turn among those gathered at Chapel; the Book of Life or 

rather our awesome Field Ed's binder was opened and we were called forth to 

boldly proclaim and to ask God to help and guide us. We traveled through the 

font as the waters of baptism were playfully splashed about; our conversations

as we passed  the peace turned to"So have you heard from your Intern
supervisor?"or"Where are you going to be staying?";"My intern congregation..." ,
"There are a couple of LSTC alum who are serving in the area and.."

Where shall we meet? Joyfully out in God's Creation where we serve, and 

continue to be nourished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks Be To God.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

6 weeks , 45 days, 1008 hours, 60480 minutes until…

March Madness? Spring?

Perhaps those things and much more but now we weary travelers gather in front of the hearth awaiting the passing of this storm within and throughout Creation; a tsunami of classes, papers, reading and sleepless nights. We are released from the endless pasted smiles on our faces flowing down neatly cobbled hallways exchanging stories and baring our souls for strangers.  We huddle in darkened corners at stout carved wooden tables, mumbling and rearranging our futures with “So what are my top three choices again?” and “Do I really want to spend a year here?”

Meanwhile, the waterfalls have begun to open and push life forth as the Seniors are finding out now what Synod will be welcoming them and where they will be calling home. It is a shift in the atmosphere for many of us-we as Middlers/Interriddlers struggling over endless bridges of classes, trying to keep focused all the while realizing that in six weeks those doors will burst forth, opening us a new journey-and the Holy Spirit leading the way with a smile, in Her pink sandals cheering us along, calling out "You are a child of God!"

For now, we are hopeful for days that fill the skies with warmth and our afternoons playing volleyball, stretching out in the sun; in this Lenten season, we await that Sunday morning where the Sun will appear a bit different to our gaze but our souls will dances as fragile flames rejoicing at the coming of something phenomenal, something counter-cultural.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

Closing the Lid on Perfection

The Gypsy Seminarian at Worship; Awesome place to be. Photo by Jan Boden

What will you shutter away during these days of reflection, renewal and journeying?

How counter-cultural these past two days must appear: we gathered out of humbleness in darkened sanctuaries, our souls smudged with a foreboding sign; we tripped through multi-colored fields of poppies boldly declaring our love in the coming morning sunshine.

At the church I currently have the joy of working this year as Confirmation guru, one of my youth commented "Should I wipe this off after we are done?" The week prior my 11 year old son, as I was picking him up from school so that we could go to said church thoughtfully replied after I inquired why he was carrying his cross necklace in his pocket, "Well, some of my friends are not really religious and I didn't want to offend them so I just waited until you picked me up." A fellow brother in Christ from another denomination was thrust in the spotlight for joining in an ecumenical service that apparently he should not, according to his denomination-and had to apologize for joining prayers of healing for a horrific event in an otherwise normal, everyday quiet community.

When did it become pase to be Christ-like? Why do we shutter away the sign of whose we are and whom we belong to except only to proclaim it boldly one day out of a year and even then we are apologetic? 

And yet throughout the world of social media there was a revolution; messages of Love from the text that sometimes leaves us scratching our heads or silent with deep meditation, a word from The Word reminding us and comforting us that God's Love never fails spilled out in endless waves. Through ashes we came forth but while we are here, being a witness boldly through the simple act of passing the peace, of professing Love for all from where we are as Christians into the social media- cradling those who are in pain, who are forgotten, who have been discarded by this world sometimes is the simplest act of love we can do.

There is no perfect way we can be Christian people daily, and by our ability to laugh and learn; by our ability to be vulnerable and affirming in our faith the sign of the Cross will be then, a sign of change; change that is continuous within our very being and throughout our spirits that we too, are a work in progress.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

At the Feet of the Elders

What a way to celebrate a birthday.

As my pathways swerve deeper into the beauty of this ministry and of my call, I am privileged to be in the presence of theologians who shine as rare as luminous gems resting behind crystal glass.

It is apparent that this church of brothers and sisters perhaps does not always reflect who I am in the ethereal mirror which shimmers before me; the question is posed, for an ancient tribe of people so connected to the Creator why have we clung to Christianity throughout the ages?

When you are called, you are called.

Dr. James Cone, a premier African American theologian stated during the tumultuous and turbulent 60’s that “God is Black.” As we continue to explore voices that cry out for identification and liberation in the here and now, Dr. Cone reiterates, “I still believe that ‘God is Black ‘in the sense that God’s identity is found in the faces of those who are exploited and humiliated because of their color. But I also believe that God is mother, rice, red and a host of other things that give life to those whom society condemns to death.”

The Creator breathes justice within our spirits and it vibrates into how we can encourage and teach others.

So, Wednesday evening what could be more important than being in the midst of the Conference of International Black Lutherans as they celebrated their 25^th anniversary? Elders, some like Dr. Rudy Featherstone who was Dr. Perry’s pastor; Elders such as Bishop Holloway from the Southeastern Ohio Synod who brought his wit and humor as he reconnected with others; Elders such as Peter Nash who reminded us in worship that evening “the jar of meal will never be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail”. 

You can never have too much church...

Being among these elders of African descent awakened me to the fact that the next generation of CIBL  needed to arise from the dying waves that visit the shores in the deepness of the evening and as they listened to my voice I realized, proudly that I was one among them.

Lape Bondye, God’s Peace.

A Dip Worth Taking

For everything there is a season,
but every once and a while we can get away with things...  

Chicago's infamous windy chill has yet to snap me into the reality of the impending winter.  In fact, the temperature reached a high of 79 within the past few days.  Yeah, I know!  I couldn't believe it either!

During this brief jaunt back to summertime, I walked around campus clad in sandals and short-sleeves.  While I did tote around a light sweater*, I was eager to take advantage of this odd warm snap any way I could, and my friends pitched an idea worthy of some consideration:  an afternoon at Lake Michigan.

Earlier in the school year, a few of us enjoyed walks down to the lake** where we would throw a frisbee around and jump into the water for a swim.  Late August through early September this was not only a reasonable activity, but actually a quite popular pastime for a number of Hyde Park residents.  Whether or not those other swimmers were caught in traffic yesterday as the President's motorcade made its way around the neighborhood, one thing was certain: they sure weren't in the lake when four of my LSTC friends and I ran screaming into what we would later refer to as an ice-bath.  That's right, my friends--the five of us conquered a late-October Lake Michigan, and it felt great.  

Chaaaaaarge!

As we walked back to LSTC renewed, refreshed, and wiiiiide-awake, a light rain kicked up and so began Chicago's return to a weather pattern indicative of autumn: within a few hours the temperature had dropped 30 degrees and it was pouring.  Still, for everything there is a season, and in this season we got away with a short swim celebrating new friendships, warm-weather, and living within a mile of a vast, beautiful, and bone-chilling Great Lake.  

"And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Genesis 1:2b

*Felt too strange not to at least have the option of layering, it being the end of October and all!

**I'm still not convinced that the title "lake" does this enormous body of water justice.   

Ahhhhh The Memories!

One year ago I attended LSTC's seminary sampler, and today starts this year's fall session of the sampler. For me, it was two days well spent, and I hope this year's attendees find their time well spent also. My journey included visiting three seminaries that are fairly close to home in Madison, WI. While I had my mind made up as to which seminary I was going to attend, life happened; and our family was given dad's diagnosis of Alzheimer's. My sisters and I could finally name all the odd things dad was doing since mom's death 18 months earlier, but we knew we needed to work with dad to keep him safe and independent as long as possible. Seminary was put aside as my sisters and I worked with various agencies, learned how complex the paperwork and waiting periods are and also learned that people of meager financial means have so few options to truly keep their loved one safe.

Working with these organizations, we did find a fantastic place for dad to live, and he is still there. We know that he is cared for, far better than any one of us girls could, so I went ahead and re-visited seminary. By this time I changed how I would 'do school' and pretty much had my mind made up to attend LSTC full time, and go home on the weekends. But I never lived on campus because I got my undergrad while working full time, so I wanted to experience seminary life. So I attended the seminary sampler last fall. From the initial emails from staff, I pretty much had confirmation that attending seminary here was the correct decision. And with every encounter, my “yes” was simply reaffirmed. Whether it was meeting professors, current students, and even potential students, some who are now my classmates, LSTC was the place I was called to be for my seminary studies, and this fantastic journey to become an ordained pastor.

This morning's sermon title was “Learning Obedience”, and I was happy to hear the pastor say that he too has a hard time with the word. Something about the word simply rubs me the wrong way, but this morning I thought of it differently, and realized that last year's seminary sampler was one of the first steps I took in obeying my call from God and saying YES to seminary. Then again, LSTC makes it hard to NOT obey my call from God!

Fall Foliage by Gina Kresic

If anyone is on the fence regarding seminary, if you are thinking ordination, Phd studies, or other Master's level coursework- I cannot recommend highly enough the seminary sampler. Don't worry if you didn't make it to this one, there is another one in March 2013!

Shalom!

Ministry as Breaking Bubbles

Post-Reading-Week time is an interesting point in the semester.  Theoretically, everyone should be all caught up with reading, assignments, and life in general.  We have had a full week of no additional assignments or class time.  We had a break.  Unfortunately, the hard truth is that this is a world which rarely exists in seminary.  Here’s why: life happens.

It’s always a strange experience breaking out of my school life for an extended period of time.  Even in college I can remember my first time back home.  I went to Southpark Mall where I was amazed at all of the people’s clothing styles, language, and general interests.  I remember thinking, “Are people really like this?”  Readjusting to life outside of school for a week is a bit more challenging for me, as I am suddenly thrust into a world of reality which usually does not cater to the world of theory in which many institutions live.

In light of this reflection, I am really grateful that LSTC gets us, the students, out there from time to time.  I do not stay in Hyde Park every Sunday or Wednesday.  I remember going on several field trips as a part of my ethics curriculum.  I remember going to an immersion experience during orientation week to really make the statement, “This is where we are.  This is real.”

To be sure, I still put myself in a familiar scholastic bubble which gets jostled at every break.  Life is a bit different, but I will get better at breaking my bubbles as I learn more, and do more, ministry. 

Making a Joyful Noise!

Your friendly neighborhood Gypsy Seminarian and company..Thanks to Jan Boden for this picture!

Once upon a time there was mass chaos in a community. Everyone raised their voices in a cacophony of mixed rhythm of noise and cymbals trying to gather together and breathe in one beautiful note but they all had their own method; no one would open their hearts to be communal with the other. Then a little light voice piped up over the sea of notes and chimed "HEY".....

Okay, so perhaps that's not how it happened mind you but I have to confess that before Seminary I was quite introverted. And now? I still am.

Last year, our Seminary was reaching out for prayers and for the Holy Spirit as they continued to strive to a holistic balance for our entire community. This meant that many of our independent Centers had to ponder new ways of doing ministry and for our newest named Pete Pero Multicultural Center that meant perhaps it would be left on the shores, lost among the shadows of the evening. 

On a Thursday evening late last Fall Semester the Students of Color met to brainstorm the how and why about the Center. In the midst of this kicking the soccer ball session I saw an opening and offered "Hey, why not a benefit concert? Works for everyone else." Great! the group approved and I was pleased knowing someone who would slam the idea into the goal except..

"Hey Kwame, would you mind heading this up since this is your idea?"

"Uhhhh...sure."

Seminary has unfurled before me as a place to explore my ministry, vocation and my call. Seminary has been a safe haven for introverts as I for the opportunity to actually get involved and feel a sense of accomplishment. Even with the struggles and frustrations as with any ministry, the church is not dead. As the realization dawned over me this week that taking a fundraising idea from start to finish is just as doing a Stewardship drive at a church. That seeing a project through is just as if one was starting a new ministry or revitalizing one long ago forgotten. Being immersed in projects and activities is the practical side which gives us a smooth balance to the academic. Learning also how to delegate, promote and organizing is also too, tools that we need as aspiring pastors and leaders of the church. Learning how to kick the doors open and allow the Holy Spirit to rush in, to flood in, to take a seat and challenge those safe places in our box is an awesome rush.

Musicians collaborating as the Spirit moves them. Picture by R.Pitts

Haunting songs of praise and of direction by our Gospel Choir. Picture by R. Pitts

The Creator hears us in many different forms; we are all His children. Picture by R.Pitts

I would be lying if I didn't say I am thankful that this Concert for the Center has drawn to a close. But I am more thankful because of the impact and the visibility the Center now has and how much people were touched by the music, multicultural. I am thankful for my fellow students who marched in those worn, kicked open doors and made a joyful noise about how important this place was to us. 

Now, for a well deserved nap.

Or perhaps plotting and planning for something new.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

EISNTFPJ

Our latest topic in MIC class is the Myers-Briggs personality types and how they affect our pastoral ministry.  After an hour, I felt like we had a pretty good grip on which individual personality traits might affect which behaviors.  In one sense, humanity and all of its intricacies in relationships seemed predictable.  That notion, however, was shattered before the end of class.  My class had done a particularly good job of falling into a major pitfall when it comes to these sorts of tests: labeling each other and pigeonholing each other into roles we were not comfortable in or had never experienced before. 

Looks like we weren’t as predictable as we thought.

It can be kind of nice and disconcerting for someone to tell you who you are.  I always find personality tests interesting because they can help me put my finger on some parts of my personality that I had a hard time understanding.  This past summer at CPE, however, my supervisor’s supervisor was sitting with the five of us and proceeded to go around the room pointing at each of us and saying, “You’re an extrovert” or “You’re an introvert.”   I wasn’t expecting his label to bother me, but when he said I was an introvert, I had a pushback.  How do you think I am an introvert? Do you not know me?

I find comfort in the fact that, no matter whether someone points at you or whatever totals you might score on a test might say, we are more.  It’s not necessarily that we are totally different (I do have an introverted side, after all, not too distant from my extroverted side) but that we are more.  We are more than a piece of paper.  We are more than a pointed finger.  How cool is that?

The Power to Say No: A Journey

I'm surprised I haven't found this plasted across my Treehouse Door..

A number of weeks ago, the middlers, super middlers and the interiddlers gathered in the spacious, sprawling Common Room on the third floor during our free time (which is commonly known as lunch time) for the wonderful presentation by our Field Ed folks on "Brace Yourself (blank) is getting Real" or what is more known as Internship Orientation. They attempt to make this as cheerful as possible, with colorful paper smiling up at us loaded with tons of information.

Dr. Baeder was in the midst of answering question when the subject of what a typical (insert laughter here) week within the parish/congregation might look like. This translated into a 55 hour work week of fun. I swiveled around in my chair to high five my other awesome interiddler gal and we silently nodded "We got this." However the tension in the room increased almost in waves upon hearing these words and from the back of the room, someone pipped up "55 hours? The students need to organize and unionize! That's ridiculous."

Before the snarky (term of endearment)  part of me (sung to the tune of Katy Perry's 'Best Part of Me') surfaced thanks to a year in my fabulous MIC congregation(no worries, I love them all to pieces), I had to pause for a moment: although longer days and prayerful nights were going to be the norm in all of our vocational lives, we still needed to practice self-care which does not come easy. As pastors and depending on the situation, we literally could be doing many things for the betterment of our parishes and our congregational members. We may end up taking care of things that perhaps we had not thought of; we may be snatching the reins of life because we are perfectionists and if its going to get accomplished, we want it done correctly.

And that brings me to the present, because recently a number of my friends have pulled a "NO" intervention on me. I am seriously guilty of getting involved in any and everything because, well I blame it on my genes (and my mother would agree wholeheartedly). Projects, benefit concerts, problems, organizing people, running meetings, high liturgical circus fun...yes every time these are presented my mind begins reeling about how we can get these things perfectly finished and polished. I can not say no. Is it the fact that I am so enthused about being in Seminary and involved in ministry that I do flying leaps over this journey, racing towards a horizon that is beautifully blinded by the fragility of sunrise?

Then again, the Creator raised His hands to the darkness of the beginning of time and with a deliberate and slow tempo created a thing of wonder and a joy to behold and praise forever and ever. There are moments when He tugs at my hand and sits me down to show me corners of this, Mother Earth and whispers for me to stand still and behold. 

So I am practicing this, saying no and speaking life into what I can do with joy and a resounding "Yes". I am practicing surfing on waves that can carrying me safely onto shores filled with seashells, curled and hidden in the waters of Baptism. 

It is going to be very hard, however to let go of control and just breathe.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

The Dark Side of LSTC

This past week I decided to add something to my LSTC experience that I had not tried before: night cleaning crew.   I basically get to take out LSTC’s trash, clean chalkboards and whiteboards, vacuum, mop, sweep, wipe down tables, and keep an eye out for supplies that need to be replaced.  I get to do all of this stuff from 9pm-12am every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  It’s not too much outside of the scope of the maintenance skills I developed at camp but it is an unexpected opportunity for me.  I originally scheduled to work night crew for two reasons: income and intentional time when I couldn’t stress myself out with homework.  I’ve received both benefits that I was hoping for, but I am getting something that I wasn’t expecting from the experience.

It’s one thing for me to go to class and worship at the sacred spaces at LSTC.  It’s another sort of spiritual experience for me to clean them.  I wipe tables where I and other colleagues have spent our day learning, praying, and pouring ourselves into our work and workspaces.  I wipe boards where teachers have imparted ideas and where theologies can continually be manifest in the following class day.  I mop and sweep the worship spaces at LSTC where tears are shed, praise is given, and where God is continually present in our gathering.  Yeah, my job is pretty cool.  J

In this job, so far, I have found that the dark side of LSTC holds many sacred opportunities as the lights which I am so accustomed to dim and a new way of understanding the world of LSTC is experienced.  Perhaps it’s in the darker places of our experience where we learn a new way of understanding our world and our theological perspectives.  It’s probably in the darker places where it’s not necessarily scary, but extremely formative and sacred.  It’s in the dark side of LSTC where I get to experience a totally different way of theological formation.  And where I get to see how much Starbucks our student population consumes on an average class day.

Until Next Thursday! (If I can remember, we all kind of switched up the days.)

A Real Oasis in Texas

So this year coming into Texas for internship, my personal biggest fear was that I would never see a Packer game and worse, I would be surrounded by Dallas fans.  A common fear for most Wisconsin ex-Pats, but that is why the Packer bar was created.  A heavenly place where fans of the Packers can congregate and be united when so far from Wisconsin and our beloved Green Bay Packers.  You can look them up online or you can stumble upon them like lucky old me.

I was driving to a nursing home to help put on a afternoon church service, something I had done a lot a couple summers ago, so I was glad to help out.  I did realize that the Packers were playing their first game that Sunday, so I was hoping to catch the second half somewhere on the way home.  While I was driving I had decided I would return home and skip the first game, but on the way I looked to my left and saw green jerseys.  Some jerseys said Matthews, others Rogers, and one Favre (ended up being his first name was Favre, true fan!).   Did I just stumble upon a Packer's Bar?!  I did not have time to stop and went on my way with renewed excitement.  About 2 hours later, I started back the way I came with the new goal of finding that place, hoping it was not a mirage in the desert of Cowboys and Texans fans.  At every corner I searched for my green and gold brothers and sisters, until finally I spotted my soon to be Packer family.  Quickly parking I came in the door with none of my usual attire, no Packers jersey, no Packers overalls, not even my green and yellow shoes.  I arrived and was filled with awe at opening the door to a rowdy room full of TVs and screaming fans.  So much green, so much yellow, they were even selling bratwurst and cheese curds for that at home feel.  I quickly put in an order for some food and as I mingled I was quickly assimilated and became part of the group.  Cheering, high fiving, and booing in unison.  Conversations quickly turned to, "why did you leave WI" and, "how long have you been gone?"  Soon it turned to, "will we see you next week?"  In less than an hour I had become a part of Billy's on Burnett, my true oasis
This place matters so much to me not because I love the Packers so much, but they remind me of home and they accepted me before they met me.

The same is true for seminary.  As much as I love Austin, I find that I miss LSTC, my classmates, and all the familiarities that my last two years have been built upon.  I miss feeling like a part of the group.  That connection was so quick I felt it when I arrived at LSTC the first day.  I was reminded me of a different Lutheran/Christian home and they seemed to accept me before they met me.  That kind of bond is hard to find, and to make such a bond in less than two years, speaks to the community at LSTC and what I am excited to get back to.  I have a wonderful year until I do though, and I will focus on making the most out of Austin, Texas, but for the time being...I have my Packer Bar!

Start The Day Right

LSTC has chapel daily, for those who are new to what we do at the seminary.  My first year, I attended about 1/3 of the time, making up excuses for why I couldn't be there the other days.  Last year I went almost every time, because I realized what a gift it was to be able to gather together in community and sing praises to God, to ask God for wholeness, healing, and intercession, to share the peace with people, to pray for forgiveness for ourselves, as well as those people that sat next to me.

Easter Eucharist 2012 (copyright LSTC)

And here in Denver, I don't have that.  There is no daily sermon or meditation, Eucharist only happens on Sunday instead of Sunday and Wednesday, The font isn't gracefully trickling water into a big open pool, and I'm not singing hymns every day.  

In fact, I'm in the real world.  A world where it's pretty easy to get caught up in the daily tasks of life that happen.  A world where chapel isn't every day.  A world where it doesn't rain, but when it does, the reminder of baptism is crystal clear.  

And yet, there are ways for me to fill the void that not having chapel every day has left.  HFASS does Matins every Wednesday at a local church, which is balm to my mid-week soul.  I have been trying to begin the spiritual discipline of pondering the next week's text every morning and every evening (and times in between when I'm working on a sermon).  I'm still open to more ritual, more tradition, more incense....but I haven't yet figured out those parts of life yet...so I'm still seeking fulfillment at daybreak, and while I feel good about it so far, does anyone want to send me charcoal, some incense, and a thurible?

What Kind of Theologian Are You?

"..every theologian is committed and alienated; he is always in faith and doubt; he is inside and outside the theological circle" Paul Tillich

Over the summer months while I was immersed in the throes of Youth and Outdoor Ministry, my former Ministry in Context pastor suggested some light theological reading before diving into the churning, dark and foreboding waters of Systematic Theology. Apparently Systematics becomes the turning point of our academic lives where the practical we have studied, learned pulls our thoughts and spirits deeper into the journey. In other words, we run screaming at the mere mention of Paul Tillich.

As the Semester triumphantly began and my first class was S.T. I cringed slightly. The beauty of the summer had come, and gone; I'd barely had time to sink and submerge myself into the joys of relaxation and respite; primarily because I was running around 640 acres of insanity. I may have mentioned this before. I digress.

Bringing this back to the forefront, although I had initially ordered and carried with me this wonderful read called "Faith Seeking Understanding" by Migliore, I never got a chance to crack it open and run rampant through its pages. This semester, I mused sadly, was going to be rocky.

Dr. Lea opened up class with an amusing question "What kind of theologian do you see yourself?" My wonderful friend and neighbor next to me stated "How can I? I really have never thought of myself as one." My other fellow classmate (the fellow blogger insanely taking a class on 1 Corinthians) quipped "Uh, okay?" There was laughter and collaboration as we all attempted to figure this out for ourselves. 

For this Gypsy Seminarian, the lingo of who I am as a theologian has been trapped in the English language. Who I am as a child of the Creator and what knowledge and wisdom has been passed down through the drums of the ages; of how my ancestors embraced Creation and allowed themselves to be vulnerable to the message of God; what truly being Christ-like means for my vocation and the message of the Scriptures, especially the Psalms means to my ministry and my mission in this life. 

"Can a system of life which has been practiced for centuries be entirely worthless? Or does it contain elements of divine knowledge that might shed a new understand of the Christian faith? Theology of the ancestors is about an interpretation of the past in a way that shows the present experience and knowledge of God in Jesus Christ as reflected in the lives of the African people."

Ancestral Theology. Hmm.

Stay Tuned.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.

All in Good Kairos

During the course of this immersion week into our new classes, I found myself telling a classmate that the classroom may end up being where I get my social time this semester.   Now, at the end of the first week of classes, I’m not so sure if that is the case entirely but it has been a bit of an overwhelming week.  Aside from the Ministry in Context program I will be taking Hebrew, Systematic Theology 1, Preaching, and a doctoral seminar on 1 Corinthians.  Yikes.  I know that my class situation is not as busy as it could be.  I have a colleague who is taking 6 classes this semester (crazy!!!).  I also know that I am not alone in my feeling of overwhelmed as a junior MDiv student told me earlier today that his week has been like “taking a drink out of a fire hose.”  

I’m starting to remember, however, that on Thursday most of us take one big collective sigh of relief and somehow can discover enough time to live the lives we have outside of class. Today after school, I saw a large group go over to Jimmy’s for a celebratory drink.  I am currently doing laundry and getting myself ready to jam with a good friend of mine later this evening.  Looks like the classroom won’t be my only source of social interaction after all.  Still, though, it is somewhat difficult to imagine having a life while classes are beginning. 

Ultimately, for me, it will come down to making time for myself.  I want to jam, talk with people, play the occasional videogame, exercise, grab some sushi, and take a little time to go visit family in other parts of the country.  It will be important for me to remember that this all doesn’t have to happen at once, but that it will happen all in good kairos.

Until Next Thursday! 

Some Thoughts Before Class Begins...

Life at LSTC has significantly changed for me in the past two weeks.  CPE has ended, my roommates have made it back to the apartment, I have visited my family, the juniors have arrived and move in, I’ve begun translating all of 1 Corinthians in preparation for class and my amazon account has been used more this week than in the past 6 months as I have been on the hunt for books.  Still, I find it somewhat strange to consider myself a middler in the M. Div program.  I have actually made the mistake multiple times of calling myself and my classmates juniors.  Have we really grown up that fast?  I suppose some of the shock is a little leftover from processing some of the self-discovery I have begun doing through CPE.   A part of it is also because I haven’t gone through endorsement yet (but I did turn in that wonderful essay!!!).  Another part is probably because classes haven’t started.  Who knows? 

While I am finding myself challenged to think of myself and my colleagues as middlers in some sense, I can say that there are joys which will be coming my way this year.  First of all, I get to do MIC.  MIC stands for Ministry in Context.  It’s a part of our field education which places us in semi-local Lutheran congregations for seven hours a week to begin learning what it’s like being a part of a congregation as a pastor.  It’s another one of those many opportunities to grow in pastoral identity.

Another joy that I am looking forward to is some more leadership opportunities.  I’ll be on the Master’s Students Association this year as a representative of the class.  That’s pretty sweet.  I’ve never been on student government or anything like that before, but I’m actually kind of pumped to experience something that could be so similar to church council someday.  I also will get to show some leadership in other activities including the Improv group, some music opportunities, and in chapel settings. 

And then there’s Lutherbowl, of course.

In the wake of CPE and reorientation, I can honestly say I am very excited for the year to start.

Until Next Friday! 

The Year of the Interiddler

Coming to you live and direct..the Gypsy Project

Okay so perhaps I do not have my own radio show....

I am thankful that the end of this week approaches, and I am able to celebrate as well as being immensely  exhausted and saturated with community. Thankful to once more be joining you throughout another year of Seminary; for me this is the beginning..or the end?

It's strange when your pathway veers slightly and you are the only one remaining at the crossroads, your traveling companions continue and you lose sight of them in the distance and over the horizon. Then again I am not alone. I've coined the phrase "Interiddler" that is technically and officially I am still a middler having not embarked on Internship but I will be in 2013. I believe I've mentioned that it's different as orientation looms over us not seeing many of my classmates.

This beginning of the Seminary academic year however has been painful.

Each morning that I have gathered in the Grand Hallway or the Common Room, and seeing familiar faces I thought I'd still be in pain as last week we gathered to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of one of our classmates who now rests with the Creator. It was also strange as those events unfolded that my spirit could not mourn.

As I requested prayers through Facebook and Twitter one comment that arose covered in thorns was "There is a lot of depression at...."

Teachers who have to deal with students who are either homeless, abandoned by their parents because of their own shortcomings or involved in violence..they are depressed. Police Officers, EMT's, medical personnel, chaplains whose duty and passion is to protect, heal, save or walk with people and see the absolutely ugly side of humanity...they can be down. Community organizers who want to uplift a neighborhood or community and have political as well as personal roadblocks placed in front of them...can be locked in despair. Because where and what God has called us to and blessed us with this call, because we are dedicated to being bonded to our brothers and sisters in Christ, our brothers and sisters through faith sometimes we get disappointed in what life does not or will not yield to our very being and we feel...well...drained.

What I saw last Friday as we gathered together as the wider community were people who came to share the peace as strangers, neighbors and friends. What I witnessed was one young man's life that had touched so many. What I knew was that our lives can not just remain rooted in the depths of mud and muck; that the showers that rush and playfully douse our physical presence remind us of who we are and whose we are. What I know is that this year, striving to be intentional, vulnerable and pastoral to one another only fuels the fire of what our risen Christ wants us to learn and wants us to live out.

So it is alright to laugh and connect and just be as if everything was the same this week. And yet, reaching out to one another we have a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be brothers and sisters in the risen Christ. For many it is the beginning of a journey of self discovery, for others it is the end of a cornucopia of craziness and delight as first call begins its rise upwards to reveal itself. 

For myself it is the beginning of a deeper understanding of what it means to be truly called and the end of being in familiarity and embarking into the unknown, knowing that through the power of the Holy Spirit, God, Our Creator cradles us and Christ travels with us.

Rest well Alpha. Hope you are eating all the Honey O's with tons o ice cream(?) and chocolate syrup(?) that you want. Even while you are not with us, you still make us laugh.

Lape Bondye, God's Peace.