Monday, September 28, 2009

consolation/desolation

Consolation and desolation are two terms used in the Ignatian practice: examen. As far as I understand it, consolation and desolation are the things that enrich our lives and the things that cause us sorrow or trouble. The examen is a practice of reflecting on these two parts of life. While I am not too clear on the practice, I would like to operate in this frame as I consider those things that have been consoling and those that have been desolating in my experience with transitioning to seminary thus far.

Consolation: Community is everywhere, if you look for it. Grad school is quite different than undergrad as they do not have very many synthetic community activities. Yet, one gets very close one's neighbors at an alarming rate when those people memorize the qal paradigm together in Hebrew. People seek each other out for help. We work together and not in competition. This was hard at first, but now I really appreciate it. In short, people study together, and that leads to praying together (at first desperately for help with the qal paradigm). Community is very close.

Desolation: The most difficult and hindering part of seminary thus far has been time. It is so important to be able to manage time here. I figured that it would be simple since I just came from undergrad. I could just operate on the same work schedule and all would be well in my little educational universe. Oh crap, was I ever wrong. Classes are set up in blocks. In other words, most classes meet once every week for 3 hours at a time. This gets real tricky when trying to figure out when to do what. Instead of nice little chunks of work and frequent evaluations (I feel like Lisa) we have rare papers and tests and large, undivided reading assignments. Be warned. Buy a big planner.

Desolation part two: We are forced to journal. I hate journaling. But I'm kind of a big baby.

These will do for now, but I am sure you will hear more. Maybe I'll do it weekly. Who knows. Let me know if you have any questions.
Tim

PS A decent book on EXAMEN is sleeping with bread by Three people named Linn. It is a picture book so not a big time commitment. God knows we don't have any time. Check it out.

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Monday, September 21, 2009

the business of the church

Let me begin by explaining that we M Div first years (juniors) have the "extra curricular" assignment for which we find a "teaching congregation" at which we work 10-12 hours every month. I am really quite excited for this project as it is a great way to understand better the life of the parish and a chance to directly move from the ideas discussed in the classroom into the practice of those ideas in the parish. Still, I am a little irked by the way in which the assignment is to be carried out. And my discomfort has to do with the wider practices of the faithful in our American context.

Here is a journal entry for my education course from earlier today:
This revamped form of the teaching parish is, for me, still in the "church shopping" phase. I visit new churches every week as a sojourner to find one that fits. I am torn over whether this is a good method. While we do need o be in congregations that fit and challenge us, a part of me is very uncomfortable with church shopping. It seems ideal to me to have a community parish where one's whole community meets to worship and live life together. But I understand (especially after reading God is Back) that this has never really been a part of our nation's ecclesial landscape. Voluntarism is a part of our faith. I am also made uncomfortable by the language that is directly taken from capitalism. This model is so marketing and business like. It smacks of competition. We must sell our message to the public and the group with the best sales pitch, and who presents the shiniest version of the product gets the customers. The reality of our context is that this tends to be true. Even the emerging church, which I tend to hold up, presents the gospel in a way that is designed to be attractive, ready to consume, and, dare I say, trendy. New monastics-those so ardently opposed to consumer culture-even market their message (see the sales numbers of Claiborne's books).

Now, I wonder, is this a part of the nature of religion, which needs people in order to survive? Or, as a people so shaped by the Wealth of Nations, is this an especially American or post/late-modern phenomenon? Can evangelism be done without the use of micro-economic language that makes the capitalist model its normative framework?

Thursday, September 17, 2009

a week

The second week is coming to a close and I certainly need the weekend. I probably won't write long today as I am frightfully tired.
A quick run down of the highlights: since last post I found a new pub to frequent (the dubliner)...you know it's funny, I sat here just now for about three minutes trying to think of other things to say but other than studying I can't think of anything. I basically study. All the time. I am beginning to realize I may have bitten off a rather large chunk this semester. But secretly (not so secretly) I am really enjoying it. I love spending most waking hours studying. And when I am not studying I am normally eating, talking with Pippi, or playing ultimate frisbee. It's a pretty great life. Oh yes, I guess I did get a job with the phonathon which will be great (grads expect a call from me), and I think I've decided upon an emphasis. I am really leaning toward New Testament. I have always pictured myself there, and even if I want to study missiology later on, a NT master's will serve me quite well. This decision is due mostly to the fact that my Luke class and History class are amazing.
For those of you who know her, Pippi is doing great. She is loving her school but is looking forward the end of these six weeks so she can focus on the princess gig. In other related news, we may start a group for spouses on campus just to get together. Many of my friends complain that theirs are depressed and lonely. It shouldn't be that way. Ok, if you can't tell from the poor writing, I am very very tired. So I will try to write more soon. G'night.
Tim

Thursday, September 10, 2009

oh yeah, the purpose of this blog

Ok, I wanted to do this in the beginning buy forgot. I just wanted to be clear that this blog is intended to keep me in touch with my various home and supporting congregations, to offer reflections, and to offer insights to those who are considering seminary. So, seriously, if you are considering and have questions that I don't address about anything in the process, from candidacy to admissions, to everyday life, let me know. Most of you have access to my email address. just let me know. ok. Sleepytime. I will write again in about a week.
Tim

well settled in but still getting used to it

As I come to the last day of the first week of classes, I have a lot on my mind. From technical and monetary issues, to juggling social, academic, and spiritual life (complicated by the fact that they are all intertwined), to reflections on the topic of today's chapel. I suppose I am doing what we all are doing: figuring life out while we go along, with an eye toward a hopeful future.
First week, our orientation week, was very helpful. A surprising amount of information was given to us (Luther has some great resources to help students in every aspect of life). I say surprising because most older students complained of first week being very superficial and pointless. Well, it certainly wasn't pointless as I actually know with whom I need to speak when a variety of questions arise, and it most definitely wasn't superficial as we spent the week delving into relevant topics with other students and faculty facilitators. I met a great group of students in my immigration study group who are now becoming my close friends. We also got to experience the cities in a unique way: we spent time at the WAM's Somali photography exhibit, with Lutheran social services, at local global vendors, and in conversation with immigrants and fellow students about God's call to care for the outsider. God really has been opening to me the centrality of community and how our truth and worldview is shaped by our contexts.
Pippi is doing well at her new school and I get to see her ever weekend and maybe one evening during the work week. This weekend we are probably taking our engagement pics with Steve. It will be wonderful when her 6 week gig is up and she can focus on the princess stuff. She is very excited about that.
Classes have been wonderful and disappointing. Some of the classes are challenging and have brought out great conversations about the shape of the Church in our world. (In fact, I think I am going to pick up an emphasis in Congregation and Missional leadership because of one of my classes). Others have been stagnant and frankly boring. There are a few unfortunate times when I feel that Wartburg was more challenging, but I am sure that things will change as the semester goes on. Hebrew takes up most of my time right now, which is great. I love language learning and have never gotten to study a language with such vastly different characters.

A quick reflection: Today's chapel speaker brought up a couple of questions that I think we would do well to ponder. The first was, "What makes us angry?" Reflection upon this can reveal our passions. The second was, "What is our withered hand?" What is that which we are embarrassed to stretch out before our neighbors? And the third was, "What is our nation's withered hand?" Is it putting economic bottom lines before the health of our neighbor? Racism? Jingoism? Xenophobia? Economic violence? Violence against women? Violence against the unborn? Or maybe against those who perform abortions? Greed? The need to always be progressing and growing? Intolerance? Hunger? Wars of terror?
To paraphrase Dr. Jones, let us howl against these things.
Tim