We Do NYC Right

Once each semester NJ transit is free for students, which means an el cheapo day in the great Manhattan for those willing to brave the cold. It's amazing how much you can pack into one day in the city.
1. The Cloisters: Obviously I had to go to the Cloisters. Marcy and Rachel and I rode the train in to the City, then took the subway way way uptown to this great museum. The building itself is parts of cloisters brought over from Europe, and it is full of great religious art, mostly medieval. If you've seen Keeping the Faith, this is where the filmed the scene where Anna and the Rabbi and his mom are walking around in a garden.
2. The NYC Public Library: Another obvious stop for me. I hadn't made it there yet in all my trips to the City, so after Rachel left us for her field ed church Marcy and I took a tour of the library. I didn't realize that it's actually an amazing research library with some really significant holdings, such as the first Gutenberg Bible to cross the Atlantic.
3. TV Show tapings: Tickets to tv show filmings are free, so we got on the stand by list at Letterman then ran down to The Colbert Report and waited there to get on stand by until an intern from The Daily Show with John Stewart came over and said they had extra tickets, so we went there. If you happened to watch on Wednesday night I was in the audience.
4. Cheap Diner Dinner: We managed to find cheap and tasty burgers on Broadway :)
5. Train home: If ever we are travelling together and I want to drink 3 cups of coffee minutes before an hour long train ride, just say no. I won't elaborate on the consequences.

Other than the day of galavanting, I've been spending this break working at Bonner and earning my keep. Meanwhile, Dave is at the Sundance Film Festival chillaxing with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Ricci. At least that's who he was in the same room as yesterday. But I did see Cornel West on the street the other day (he's a very famous philosopher), so it's almost the same really.

See this!

Last night I went to see Blood Diamond. I can't adequately explain in a post how convicting and disturbing and important this movie is. You should all see it (except Bianca). It is very violent and hard to watch, but it is so well done.

Done!

I am officially half way through my seminary career. As of yesterday my finals were over. I make no claims or promises about how they went, but I'm done and that's enough for me. Spring classes start Jan. 29th, so I have a few days and next work to put in hours at work, vegetate, catch up with people, and frolic in NYC. Huzzah!

Sometimes PTS really burns my buttons!

Exhibit A: The Library
As of Friday at 9am it is officially finals week. We have papers and exams staggered throughout the week except for on Sunday and Monday (MLK Day), although I do actually have something due at 5 on Monday. Does the Library extend its hours during this stressful and work-heavy time? NO! They close at 5pm (really they start kicking people out at 4:45) on Friday and Saturday, don't open until 3pm on Sunday (come on, even the Pentecostals are out of church way before then), and are CLOSED on Monday for MLK Day. The best theological library in the Western world (literally!) and we can't access it during the most academically rigorous week of the term.

Exhibit B: Computer Services
Our network was down for scheduled maintenance for 5 hours today. Now granted it's Sunday, so 9-12 seems like a safe bet to shut down the Seminary network. But it is still finals week, and I was one of many who opted out of attending church this morning. To top it off, it is now 3:20 and the network just came back up, but I still can't access the PTS website, including the Library catalog, which I need now that the library is open. Come on people, we have inter-semester break in a week and noone will have any homework at all. You couldn't schedule your maintenance one week later?

Exhibit C: Dining Services
As of Friday after lunch the dining hall is closed until the first day of classes, January 29th. For this week we have to get our own food, which wouldn't be a huge deal except that eating out is really pricey in P-town, and the two little kitchens available for student use are hardly equipped for preparing a decent meal. Not to mention, the meal plan is a ridiculus rip-off anyway.

Exhibit D: The Systematic Theology Final
Suffice it to say that noone has any clue what is expected of us, and the stupid terms that we have to define and turn in can't be completed without referring to books from other classes because what the professors lectured on was not systematic theology. I've used my college textbook and notes for most of my preparation thus far. I've spent a lot of time whining with my classmates about this one, so I'll leave it at that.

Exhibit E: The Registrar's Final Paper system
We have been told to turn in final papers to the registrar's office at certain times. For some people this time is during another exam. For most people, we don't trust the registrar to get our papers to the professor, and the professors don't trust them either, so we are mostly circumventing that system and turning things in via e-mail or campus mail or sliding papers under doors to avoid the disaster that we all fear could come of the registrar being responsible for anything involving our academic success.

But they're Princeton and they've been here for 200 years and they pay for us to go here, so they can do whatever they want (insert sarcasm here).

Where has the time gone?

It's mostly gone into spending time in the Springs with Claire and Dave :) I love those crazy kids. We didn't do anything extraordinary, just lived like normal as a little family of three for the week, drinking tea and watching movies and running errands. We searched for dancing shoes for Dave, did six large loads of laundry, cooked a lot, took advantage of Dave being at work to eat foods he can't have, and had an altogether pleasant time together. One thing will never be the same though . . .

that's right, I got a tattoo! It's the Hebrew root pronounced arash and it means "betroth." It's the word used in Hosea 2:19 ("I will betroth you to me forever, says the Lord.") I chose it because it represents God's covenant with me in Christ, and it's on my ring finger because whether I marry or not Christ is my first love and my primary commitment, and is more committed to me than a husband can be. (Don't worry, I didn't do this on a whim. I've wanted a tattoo for about 5 years and this particular design for quite a while. The tattoist, Doc, is a pretty rad guy, and it was much less painful than I thought it would be.)

I got back to P-town yesterday afternoon, quickly read and planned for the class I teach at church, taught the class, then worked into the week hour of the morning on my Job paper that was due this morning at 10am. That paper is out of the way now and it is officially finals week. That hasn't really hit me yet. I'm sure I have a ton to do, but for now I need to clean my wretched mess of a room.

And not that he ever reads this, what with the lack to internet at home and all, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!

"Break"

I made it home finally on Tuesday night. I need to have been working on papers, but I haven't done much of that yet. Tomorrow morning I preach both services at my home church, then go down to the Springs with Claire and Dave for the week. And now you know :)

The Blizzard

I wish I could give you a first hand account of the huge blizzard that has hit Colorado. Unfortunately I can't because I'm in New Jersey where it hasn't snowed a bit this season. After 2 flight cancellation and 5 hours on hold with United airlines I finally got an agent at 2 this morning and am on a flight out of Newark on Tuesday. The dorms are open so I'm not homeless, and I know some people in town so I should be able to find a home to be in for Christmas dinner. I guess I'll be writing my papers and maybe crochet a scarf for when I do get to see the snow. I'll try to make the best of it - maybe go to the City for a day or something. Merry Christmas everyone.

So close!

Tomorrow afternoon I hop a plane to Denver, where I will arrive approximatey 2 hours after Claire and Dave leave, find Dave's car in the DIA parking lot and drive the little jaunt to my parents' place. Today has been a rollercoaster of finishing stuff up, but I'm almost there.

• Poetry and the Care of Souls final paper? Check. Weighing in at 5 pages and less than 2 hours (so maybe that shouldn't really count as part of the victorious end of the day.)
• German Church Struggle presentation? Check. That was actually on Friday. I covered all 45 years of the Church history of East Germany in about 45 minutes. Whew!
• German Church Struggle final paper? Check. 18 beautiful pages on the causes for disaffiliation from the Church in East Germany. It pulled information from the presentation, but was really a separate deal.
• Job photocopying? Check. One of the great injustices of this particular seminary is that finals are in January, which means I'll be writing papers and studying during the "break." So I spent a lot of today photocopying articles on the status of women, inheritance rights, and the various interpretations of Job 42:14-15 (which, incidentally, was probably the first scripture passage I ever had memorized).
• Return library books? Double check. I hauled 22 book to Firestone library (about the distance from Whitworth to Safeway) in my big backpack, then returned about 15 more to the seminary library.

Other interesting tidbits:

• I was busy enough the past few days that I had to schedule my shower this morning.
• I am going to go blind because I'm cheap. In an effort to save money on photo copies, since I have so darn many, I regularly set the machine to quadruple duplex, which means it shrinks the pages to fit 4 on each side. The font size that leaves me with is, well, tine. Think Gideon Bible.
• TGI Friday's Potato Skins (the kind you buy in a bag at the store, not the fresh restaurant ones) are amazing, and they have less fat that a bag of smart pop white cheddar popcorn.
• Chocolate milk, also amazing.

And now I am going to pack the clothes that I washed between classes today, that it took two full cycles (aka $1.50) to get dry.

Now that I have your attention

Remember that clapping thing teachers do to get kids' attention? Clap, clap, clapclapclap. Then the kids are all immediately silent and respond, as if by instinct, clap, clap, clap. Well in Seminary we have a grown up and theologized version of the the same thing.
This morning in chapel the "quiet please" sign was in the entry way. I think technically we are supposed to be quiet in the chapel before the service starts everyday, but most people ignore that and chat with the person next to them and greet friends. Apparently today the powers that be really wanted us to be quiet. But we are in church and you can't just yell at everyone to be quiet. So you get people to shush in a no less direct but very churchy way.
"The Lord be with you" says the liturgist (or in this case the chapel worker).
"and also with you" the congregation (Seminarians) reply, as if by instinct. It's like our ears are specially trained to hear this phrase and respond in turn. Even if the person who says it isn't speaking much louder than the din in the room, we all snap to attention (well, turn to face the front anyway) and reply in perfect unison without missing a beat. Everyone is quiet and attentive.
Normally this phrase is followed by "Let us pray." Today the chapel worker said "Let us prepare for worship in silence." What a very tactful and church-appropriate way to tell us to shush. Give it a try next time you need to pray in a large group in which people are still talking. It's a lot less awkward than being that person who is having a loud conversation then suddenly realizes they are the only one in room who's talking and everyone else has their heads bowed.

Us PTS folk are like well-oiled liturgy machines :) Some people don't like the roteness of that high liturgical tradition where everyone knows what to say and when, but I like it. It becomes part of your spirituality and the way you think when it's that deeply engrained. For example, the congregational responsed of the traditional Eucharist liturgy
L: . . . as we proclaim the mystery of the faith:
P: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
and
L: . . . as we join the heavenly chorus:
P: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
What can I say, I'm a closet Catholic ;)

Over the Rhine

This evening I'm going to see one of my favorite bands perform in Philadelphia. Over the Rhine are an amazing husband and wife group that Shelly introduced the cloister to during senior year. They are from Ohio, and since PTS holds a wealth of midwesterners I've found many Over the Rhine loving compatriots. Here are some favorite lyrics to whet your appetite.

Drunkard's Prayer
You're my water
You're my wine
You're my whiskey
From time to time

You're the hunger
On my bones
All the nights
I sleep alone

Sweet intoxication
When your words
Wash over me
Whether or not
Your lips move
You speak to me

Like an ocean
Without waves
You're the movement
That I crave
And in that motion
I long to drown
And be lost
not to be found

You're my water
You're my wine
You're my whiskey
From time to time

Latter Days
What a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be.
Lord knows we've learned the hard way all about healthy apathy.
And I use these words pretty loosely.There's so much more to life than words.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

Nothin' like sleepin' on a bed of nails. Nothin' much here but our broken dreams.
Ah, but baby if all else fails, nothin' is ever quite what it seems.
And I'm dyin' inside to leave you with more than just cliches.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

But tell them it's real. Tell them it's really real.I just don't have much left to say.
They've taken their toll these latter days.They've taken their toll these latter days.

Someday
and if you call my name
make it clear
and if you call my namemake it plain
and if you call my name
make it evident
i wouldn't miss it for the world
and if you need my attention
be bizarre
feel free to ignore convention(it's alright)
and if it's a matter of permission
you can do me harm
i wouldn't miss it for the
world
someday
i'll pray
don't leave me alone
and if you call my name
call it again
my mind's been known to wonder
call it again
you know i've been waiting
for this since God knows when
i wouldn't miss it for the
world

Ba!

In case you couldn't tell, that title was a spirant resebling Charlie Brown's argh. I'm issuing it retroactively, 3 of the causes for my overwhelmedness having been resolved by now.
First, the sermon. I preach in church on the 10th, but was supposed to turn in a manuscript to the pastor on Tuesday. Last night (Wednesday) at 10pm I chucked what I had written and started over. Today at noon I sent in what I had. I'm not happy with it yet, but I'm too close to it and need to take a few days off to let the text steep. In the mean time, I have to write another sermon to preach in class on Monday, but in an effort to remain unexasperated I've determined not to think about that yet.
Second, the class. I teach adult ed every Thursday evening. It's a curriculum for which there are daily theology and Bible readings. As of 3:30 this afternoon I had done no reading and no preparation. By 6:15 I had gathered literary sources on Grace (a sermon by John Wesley, a hymn by Charles Wesley, and the resurrection of Aslan from LWW), a playlist of songs about grace, a slideshow of works of art depicting grace, a movie clip about grace from "Luther," and three Bible passages about grace. I still hadn't done the readings, but class went pretty well.
Third, the application. I'm applying to do international field ed next summer and the rather extensive application is due tomorrow. I need to run to the drug store in the morning to print out a picture of myself to go with it, but other than that it's done. So if all goes well I will be in South Africa (that's my first choice) or Ghana or the Dominican Republic or Brazil or somewhere else entirely in 7 months from now.
I'm not out of the woods yet. I am in charge of an all-day retreat this Saturday (not teaching it, just running it), preach Monday, and have big papers and presentations coming up very quickly. But for now I can enjoy a moment to breathe. Ah.

Long Lost Motivation

I've entered this brief holiday break with a spring break mindset. Which is to say, homework schmomework. I need to write one sermon (Malachi 3:1-4) and do the exegetical work for another (an OT narrative to be chosen), start and finish my international field ed application, outline a final paper, and do all my normal weekly reading. So far I have finished reading "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, hung out with Rachel and watched The Nun's Story, watched 2 Harry Potter movies, had 2 Thanksgiving dinners, watched another movie, and slept plenty. This evening I'm having dinner with Kevin and Alisa and playing with the baby, then maybe going to see Babel. Maybe tomorrow I'll switch into 'work like crazy trying to get even a fraction of my assignments done' mode. We'll see. This is where my history of procrastination working out fine in the end starts to work against me. I know all those papers will get written. I think I've deluded myself into believing that I have magical paper-producing abilities.

Ah, the Giving of the Thanks

It's almost the big day. The day of eating and rest and not doing homework and being with great people. Over the last 5 years since I've been away for Thanksgiving I've enjoyed getting to join other families and friends. This year I'll join 2! At 2pm I'll go to Corrie and Shane's place for round one, the highlight of which will be seeing Jim and Janie (that right, Edwards! Eat your heart out Whitworthians) and playing with small children. Then at 5pm I'll go to my field ed supervisor's home to join her family and some others from the church for round two. I also get to housesit and borrow a car this week, which affords me a rare level of freedom and independence. I plan to make the most of it.
This afternoon I preached for my preaching class. It went well, especially considering I haven't delivered a sermon in about 4 years, and am not used to speaking from a manuscript. I enjoyed the process of exegesis and writing, and I'm glad to have the first one done so I can prepare for the next three.
On Wednesday Sarah and I are taking the o'dark am train to the City to hear Rachel preach at the 7:30am chapel service of Brick Presbyterian Church, then we may putz around the city for a bit. I love Manhattan, so I might as well stay a few hours once I'm up there.
This week's joy has been discovering that I can watch Brian Regan on YouTube. No I'm not a creepy stalker. He's my favorite comedian, and you should all check him out.

how 'bout that global warming, eh?

It was in the 70s today. I was walking through downtown Princeton in a t-shirt. In November. Although it was lovely to enjoy my hoagie outside on a bench with the leaves falling, and although it was splendid getting ice cream this evening and walking back to campus with a huge scoop of chocolate with cherries on a sugar cone, this can't be a good sign. I feel a little better about it because it's supposed to snow in Denver tomorrow.

the seatedness of your posture

A week with Shelly was just what I need to relax and refresh before being confronted head-on by the madness that will characterize the rest of the semester.
We went to see the band Velella Velella at a bar in St. Paul. The lead singer is a Whitworth guy. It was fun and loud and smoky and the band wore kids' Halloween costume.
We helped her new teammate, who coincidentally knows some seminary folk, move into his new apartment and watched her team leaders' kids for a few hours. They were having laugh attacks, and we ate pizza.
We went to the Minneapolis public library, which is huge and beautiful. It was a cold day for riding the light rail.

We ate Somali food for lunch (basmati rice and goat meat). I got my hair cut and we got manicures at the Aveda Institute. They have amazing tea there, and I like my hair cut (and so does Frankfurter Schwenkfeld). We had dinner with her roomie and another teammate (tomato basil soup from scratch) and watched Keeping the Faith, a movie I enjoy a whole lot.

We went to the global market and ate mexican sandwiches and pumpkin ice cream and enjoyed all the handicrafts made or imported by the international populations of the Cities
I got on a plane, got off a plane in Chicago, ate Chipotle with Fishy (took an awkward in the car at the passenger drop-off picture), then returned to here.

Apparently eating was a highlight. Of course I did some reading/writing while Shelly was at work, so Reading Week did live up to its name a little bit. I even translated some Greek, which I haven't done in ages. I love having friends to visit in cool places :) And I love Shelly and Fishy.

Feliz Compleanos!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIANCA!!!
Today is the day of the birth of the only Bianca I know.
Memories of Bianca:
laughing until I almost peed my pants during the first weeks of s-group telling life stories in her room, and the marathon s-group sessions that followed for the subsequent two years.
Biting and tackling in Didiers.
Nerts and the cup game in SAGA.
Being the "guest speaker" for her youth group retreat, including snow fights, singing, and much giggling.
Seeing many sea creatures for the first time (for me, not for her) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Apple-picking at Greenbluff.
Galavanting around the Twin Cities.
Cloister time. (See the Cloister below: me, Claire, Bianca, Shelly)
Many hours at Starbucks studying and smelling like coffee.
Galavanting around Seattle.
Squeeling over her and Andrew finally getting together.
Trying not to sing along during "Footloose" in Sacramento.







4 weddings, and counting. (See her and Fishy with Jeni's bouquet below)
Her falling asleep anywhere and everywhere.
The retreating cake knives from Jeni's locked house fiasco.
Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.
(note: Bianca has a knack for taking pictures, so she's not in them, and thus I only have a handful of digital pictures of her, although probably 1/2 of the pictures on my computer were taken by her.)

unprecedented domesticity

Yesterday morning Rachel, my co-deacom, and I took our girls apple picking at a local orchard then spent the entire afternoon making apple crisp. We gave one to the woman who cleans our building, Rosa, another to one of the administrative offices, and took three to dinner in the cafeteria to share with everyone. We still have 3 more to bake. Oh, and while we were baking we watched A Little Princess. :)

Now I'm heading to Minneapolis for the rest of reading week to visit Shelly!

Music Meme

As seen on I Love Jeni!

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD YOUR SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool..

Opening Credits: "If God Will Send His Angels" by U2

Waking Up: "Save Me, O God" by Enter the Worship Circle

First Day At School: "Texas" by Newcomer's Home (I love this song. It's what Claire and Dave listened to right after they got engaged.)

Falling In Love: "My Lady's House" by Iron and Wine

Breaking Up: "Ordinary" by Late Tuesday

Prom: "Heart and Bones" by Paul Simon

Life's OK: "Spit on a Stranger" by Nickel Creek

Mental Breakdown: "If I Have to Walk Alone" by Newcomer's Home

Driving: "Benediction" by Eastmountainsouth

Flashback: "Tomorrow is a Long Time" by Nickel Creek

Getting Back Together: "Dancing Cheek to Cheek" performed by Louis Armstrong

Wedding: "Volcanoland" by Caedmon's Call

Birth of Child: "That I Would be Good" by Alanis Morisette

Final Battle: "Beautiful Day" by U2

Death Scene: "On Revival Day" by LaVerne Baker (yes! My favorite swing song, to which I danced with my best friend's husband at their wedding.) - "have you ever seen a church begin to rock, heard a son down deep and preachin' to his flock . . ."

Funeral Song: "I Know What I Know" by Paul Simon

End Credits: "Sarala" by Caedmon's Call (rickshaw driver begs the question, are all these red lights just suggestions? Oh it's gonna be okay, they know a dead man can't pay, Sarala)

Yesterday

Likes:
Wearing my new green argyle cardigan.
My new galoshes that I ordered on e-bay arrived. They are black with big white flowers.
Skimming "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection" in preparation for leading my Theology precept. I am SO Methodist.
Singing "Pass it On" in the cafeteria at lunch (with friends quietly at our table, not in front of people).
Teaching all the Presbyterians in my Theology precept about Wesley's doctrine of sanctification. Again, SO Methodist.
Helping my girls hang spider web stuff in the hall. Jeana was on Laura's shoulders with Laura standing on a chair so they could attach it to the ceiling.
Treating myself to Panera for dinner.
Putting together bags of goodies and little notes with Rachel for the girls on our floor.
Watching "A Secret Garden" (the 1993 version).

Dislikes:
Starting the day by moderating a 7am Missions and Stewardship Committee meeting. That's right, 7AM.
Not enough honey for my biscuit at breakfast.
One of the Theology professors sitting in on the precept I was leading. It went fine, but it does add a certain degree of pressure, especially since I was throwing in all the Wesley stuff at this lovely Reformed institution in which Wesley barely gets a nod in anything, especially theology.
Not having done any of the reading for the class I teach at church.
Generally being in a hurry and behind on things.
My room, the den of filth.

Today is Friday, glorious Friday. I only have 2 classes, then it's officially Reading Week. I have lofty goals for getting things done, and I'll be spending Tuesday - Saturday with the fabulous Shelly in Minneapolis. We'll drink tea and galavant and such and it will be lovely.

Focus!

It used to be a little scary how focused I could be on studying. Senior year it was common for me to be at Encor by 8:30am and read until after 12, even 1 or 2. I'd see several baristas (Catherine, Anna, Tim, Sarah G) come and go, and get insane amounts of work done. This worked out nicely for the other religion majors too, since a lot of the work I did around midterms and finals was extnsive study guides which I freely shared with whomever might benefit (I think some of them are still being passed around). I could drill Hebrew vocab in the Cafe for 4 hours at a time, and I almost all of Peace Like a River in one sitting, more by necessity than by choice.
Now my limit is about 3 - 3 1/2 hours. Pathetic! I read a few chapters of Book of Lamentations by Rosario Castellanos and a section of Barth's dogmatics last night and I was spent. Granted, it'd been a very long week with too little sleep, but come on! So now it's 1:30pm on Sunday afternoon, and time to head to some local purveyor of my legal drug of choice, coffee, for the traditional seminarian Sunday afternoon. And the question is, will I be able to focus until dinner opens at 5:30? In an attempt to keep myself going I've packed a variety of course materials (Calvin, Shussler Fiorenza, Tillich, Bible, the primary source book for the church class I teach), and will probably end up at Panera where the refills are free.
Happy studying to all of you near and far who join me in the endeavor this afternoon.