Best thing I've hear in this Class..

Two posts in one day what?!?!? what?!?!?!?

You need to go into church every Sunday expecting a Miracle not only in your building but out on the street everyday!- My Prof

Summer Class

So I have realized summer class is not for me! I love summer to much and even though it only meets twice a week and the reading isn't that bad it just isn't the same. Plus it's took me a good three weeks to understand how this calls was going to help me in ministry. I'm taking pastoral care and counseling, and I obviously know i need that, but this one has been very much a clinical psychology/psychiatry class. But the second half has been really good.

In other news, my new bf and I are taking a long weekend to the beach! :-)

Weekend

So I had an absolutely glorious weekend. It was Jazzfest weekend in my hometown. My parents a few of my aunts and one of my longtime friends and her parents have gone every year for the last few years and my boyfriend joined us this year.It is a wonderful weekend of eating drinking and enjoying Jazz.

I also worshiped with the congregation that I become a pastor of officially on Sunday. I met lots of wonderful people and I am I truly looking forward to becoming their pastor. Their current pastor had a wonderful liturgy all about change. He has been extremely helpful in this transition.


This is the last week of my summer class. YAY!!!

Worship

So this isn't going to be a long post it's more of a question and I know there aren't a lot of solutions but I'm asking it anyway.... What do all of you who are in ministry do about your own worship needs. My transition from simply being in worship and leading it is quickly approaching. And I know that I am really going to miss the experience of worship.. what do you all do to fill that need. when school is in session I will have chapel so that will help any other suggestions????

Friday Five!

Friday 5, books, books, books....

I've just returned from a meeting in Cambridge so I'm posting this late here in the UK (it is 3:45pm).. because I took the opportunity of a free afternoon in Cambridge's wonderful book shops... I only bought a few- and they were on sale- very restrained for me!!!

So with my head full of books I've seen and a long wish list in my mind, I bring you a Friday Five on books!!!

1. Fiction what kind, detective novels, historical stuff, thrillers, romance???? Hmm it really depends on my mood.. I like historical stuff and romance

2. When you get a really good book do you read it all in one chunk or savour it slowly? I read all in one chunk especially in the summer

3. Is there a book you keep returning to and why? I normally don't reread books but i keep returning to Gifts from the Sea. I'm not really sure what my draw is to it, but it is amazing, a great book about life.

4. Apart from the Bible which non-fiction book has influenced you the most? Nelson Mandela's autobiography it was the first autobiography that I read

5. Describe a perfect place to read. ( could be anywhere!!!) In the summer in a Park... my favorite is congresspark

Since when do we get to decide who God's people are

This is the e-mail that I got from one of my profs today if you are interested in writing a letter let me know in the comments section and I will get you the addresses. For those of you who have never heard Mark Miller he makes amazing Music that in doubt is insipred by God and made for the Golory of God

Dear class,Forgive me for interrupting your summer interlude, but I wanted to let you know of one more relevant issue to our course. My wonderful colleague and our music director, Mark Miller, is being attacked with a full press by UMAction and Institute for Religion and Democracy. According to them he is unacceptable to lead music at General Conference next year because he is a self proclaimed gay man. YOu may remember the stories he told us about General conference in the past where he has been a powerful prophetic voice. They are well funded and have mailed all the churches in the country to get a letter writing campaign going to protest the selection of Mark and his co director Marcia McFee (who will be teaching for us this summer. This makes me so sad and angry, to see someone with such a generous and loving spirit and dedication to God attacked this way. I have felt the presence of God so often in the midst of music lead by Mark. He is an incredible person and musician, and we have had to work hard at Drew to keep him from being lured away. This is what our class was about--the power of religion to destroy and do harm.IF you want to write letters of support to counteract this campaign, let me know and I'll provide the addresses. I just thought that since so many of you had been moved by Mark's presence in class that I needed to let you know.

Wow

SO this is such a new place for me to be in and it has lasted for about a month now so I'm quite pumped. I am feeling really good. My life just seems really well rounded and settled out. Maybe it has something to do with the new guy in my life, but I really think a lot of it has to do with me finally realizing that my path to the ordained ministry is well on it's way. Although having this great guy in my life doesn't hurt either. It was interesting in Bible Study on Sunday we had really great discussions and we really go into understanding the history of different texts and the different interpretations. It was awesome. People actually asked for more study. Let's hope that the church I will be serving starting this summer will want some of those same things. The discussions really affirmed how hard it is to really get clear understanding of scripture, how much unpacking there is to do. It's exacting and daunting to me. Especially because being in seminary right now it means that I do that all the time and I almost don't know how to read the text with trying to unpack it with out adding in all the context and history. Daunting because I know that in 20 minutes you just can't get it done. I am really afraid that I am bringing in all of this energy and won't have the time to use it all. Bigger fear is that it will be lost on the congregation. Right now I am going to go on living in the goodness and I'm thanking God for it the whole time.

editor's note: while writing this post the current pastor of the congregation I am serving called and I will be meeting and worshiping with the congregation this Sunday