Sunday, August 30, 2009

the move

Today is Sunday. The day before the beginning of orientation. Two days after moving in. A week before classes. It has been an eventful couple of weeks since the last post. For those of you who know her, Pippi moved to her suburb and has successfully been organizing her Princess Parties business. She handed out hundreds of business cards, set up a website (http://sites.google.com/site/princesspippiparties/), and appeared at Woodbury Days in her full get up to play with kids and give away cd's she made. She has also secured a full time, 6 week substitute music position at Inver Grove Heights.

Last week was spent blindly preparing for seminary and I moved in on Friday. The whole process went smoothly. It has been odd with no roommate for the last couple of days. First year housing doesn't leave room for more than one person. Hopefully this will not impede community. For me, community is central and it is the only thing that I am nervous about here. Luther is the largest ELCA seminary and I know that it is easy to get lost in a crowd, especially with a fiancee that lives off campus. So, I resolve not to get lost in the crowd. I will find strong community here and make relationships. It is my primary goal. Education is enriched when it is communal and the Christian experience is not Christian without other members of the body. Finding a balance of solitude and community will be a welcome challenge.

This morning, I went to church at St. Anthony's right next door with my friends Peter and Steve. It was obvious that this was a faculty congregation as the service was tremendously "liturgical" (the quotations are because all churches are liturgical in the own way, but I cannot presently think of a better word). The sermon, based on the lectionary readings, concerned the recently passed sexuality statement. I bet this will be true for the next few months. I just hope that all discussion is based on mutual love and understanding and we don't sink into bible bombing as I know that this has certainly happened before. What a wonderful opportunity this business is to realize that our foundation is Christ and that we are bound by nothing else. What an opportunity to stand together as the diverse body of Christ in discussions based in mutuality and respect. Still, I fear that these opportunities will be ignored. I feel very blessed to be in the ELCA at this time and especially to be part of a seminary body which gets to immerse ourselvevs constantly in discussion. I can't wait to see what happens.

Well, orientation starts tomorrow. I will post more regularly now and will let you know how the week goes in a few days. Later.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

great preparations

I'm Tim. I'm 22, just graduated from Wartburg College in the Spring and at the end of this week I'll start the process of moving from Elburn, Ill to St. Paul, MN to begin seminary at Luther. The move in process will start Saturday when I help my fiancee, Pippi, move into her new place up North. All in all, the future looks pretty bright. Pippi will live close as she pursues her dreams of being Princess Pippi at birthday parties and libraries, and substitute teaches music classes.

I am outrageously excited to begin seminary and life in a new context.

This summer has been one of great preparations. Together, we have been preparing for our wedding and life together and she has been amazing in encouraging me to prepare for seminary and pastoral ministry. Alone, I have spent the summer working at a day camp in Naperville, IL and studying Greek. The camp gig came to an end a week and a half ago and I have since been focusing more on the Greek. Since I took two years in undergrad, I saw no need to do Summer Greek, but found my skills to be quite rusty. So, I have been rereading the good old text book. Getting Mounced as it is. Nothing like a chapter on Liquid Futures to really brighten up a morning on this little acreage in Illinois. Other than Greek, I spend a lot of time eating my future parents-in-law's food, watching Scrubs, gardening, and reading and meditating.

As may be obvious, I am waiting for a lot to happen right now. I am very much at an in-between stage in life. I am waiting for seminary to start, to get married, and to explore more specifically where God is calling Pippi and I to serve and be. That's not to say that I am discontented with where I am, itching to reach some end. Quite the contrary, I am loving this journey and being out here with people who are grounded deeply in love. It is good. But still, I am excited for the change to come.