The Seminarian's Sojourn

Reflections on a cell phone

2010-01-03T17:30:00.000-06:00

My cell phone is turned off. This is probably not the most normal introduction for a first ever blog post, so I will go ahead and tell you also that my name in Kjersten Priddy, I am an MDiv Middler, and I am currently in Iceland for J-Term. And my cell phone is turned off.Seriously turned off. Not like on vibrate or silent in my bag or off for a flight to be turned on as soon as the flight

God's Dirty Work. Our Dirty Hands.

2009-10-04T20:53:00.010-05:00

The clearing rests in song and shadeIt is a creature madeBy old light held in soil and leaf,By human joy and grief,By human work,Fidelity of sight and stroke,By rain, by water onThe parent stone.We join our work to Heaven's gift,Our hope to what is left,That field and woods at last agreeIn an economy of widest worth.High Heaven's Kingdom come on earth.Imagine Paradise.O dust, arise!-Wendell Berry

Everything I needed to know for Seminary…

2009-09-22T10:45:00.003-05:00

Kwame Pitts is one of our newest bloggers--look for her photo and introduction, coming soon! But for now...here is a first word from Kwame Pitts, Assistant to the Director of Advanced Studies & Registrar“The Beauty of LOMC” Picture by R. Pitts copyright 2009 @ all rights reservedSurrounded by darknessIlluminated by your LightMy soul touched by your VoiceAs the stars fallLoneliness I feltBut

Beginning a Year of Earth Bloggin'

2009-09-05T14:08:00.005-05:00

As Pastor Joy mentioned previously, “Earth Year” has begun here at LSTC. “Earth Year” is a year in which the LSTC community will focus on greater theological engagement with ecological concerns. Throughout the year there will be many opportunities in our communal life to consider how we are being called to care for God’s creation and how the life of the seminary can further that mission. On the

Earth Year at LSTC

2009-09-03T14:19:00.003-05:00

Students are back! We're almost through Orientation week and have welcomed many people back to campus. Yesterday, we heard an inspired Inaugural lecture from Dr. David Rhoads and celebrated Eucharist with thanksgiving for God present in Word and Sacrament and the whole web of creation.Thanks be to God!Pastor Joy

rainbow trail

2009-07-31T15:00:00.002-05:00

Rainbow TrailJuly 19th-25thBrahm Semmler-SmithThe final camp we visited this summer was Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp, situated on the side of a mountain in aptly named Hillside, Colorado. Sarah and I both worked at Rainbow Trail five years ago, and this was our first time back since we left that summer. We were excited to be back in the mountains at camp, visiting a place that had made such a

mountain ministry

2009-07-31T14:50:00.000-05:00

green lake bible camp

2009-07-24T07:58:00.001-05:00

July 1, 2009Green Lake Bible Camp, Spicer MNCamp, Day 4Sarah Semmler SmithWe’ve arrived at the ‘flow point’ of camp today. The kids know the songs, the Biblical theme verse, and are genuinely excited to be here. Friendships are forming. Flirtations and mini-dramas are unfolding between teenage campers. The counselors have hit their stride with each other and with the kids, having learned what

at the shores of st andrews

2009-07-24T07:52:00.005-05:00

Seminarians are again at Camp this summer!--here are words from Brahm Semmler Smith:I spent my week at Shores of St. Andrews, one of the sites of Green Lake Lutheran Ministries. Shores primarily hosts elementary aged kids, and this particular week there were 150 campers, although half were only at camp for a few days. We spent a lot of time playing, praying, worshiping, and eating; all the

camp ewalu

2009-07-17T15:00:00.003-05:00

This week Sarah and I spent our time at Camp Ewalu, in Northeast Iowa near the town of Strawberry Point. This was our first time at Ewalu, but we found ourselves able to plug into their program fairly easily. Ewalu is set up differently than any camp Sarah and I had worked at during our years on summer camp staffs. Firstly, Ewalu is situated on a 550 acre site, which means it spreads out – a

Thinking about vocation through history

2009-07-06T17:23:00.004-05:00

Walter Brueggemann once wrote that "we are heirs to revolutionary imaginations and songs." But sometimes we are heirs to actual revolutionaries, too, faith forebears whose contexts forced them to give their lives for their faith.Last week, taking advantage of some summertime free time, I had the opportunity to visit two historical sites, one the home of a priest in the nineteenth century and the

A Visit with Christ the King

2009-06-15T13:53:00.002-05:00

Writer's note: In the fall I was part of the first-ever Mexico Semester, a study abroad program that any LSTC student is invited to take part in. While I've completed that program, during the spring my wife and I have continued exploring Mexico while she researches for her dissertation on religious devotion and I prepare for internship. The following is one of our many adventures.On Sunday we

The Omnivore's Reading Choices

2009-06-12T12:54:00.002-05:00

“…and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself…” Mark 4:27I finally finished Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, after about a month of listening to it on audiotape. Chris and I are both reading (listening to) it, as we’d heard so much about its contents from various sources, but this surely marks the first time that I have finished a book

Progressive Pentecost

2009-05-29T15:18:00.001-05:00

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Acts 2:4A rush of wind and suddenly you’re fluent? If only learning a new language were always this easy.I’ve spent the last three years trying to learn Spanish. Back in 2006, when I first realized we would spend a year in Latin America, I started listening to audiotapes like a

Cielos Nublados

2009-05-20T15:02:00.002-05:00

When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1:9Clouds. There are more of them here in north-central Mexico now, more of them then there were before. Vienen las lluvias – the rains are coming, announce the hardware stores. Showers of actual rain are still rare, but the cielos nublados, cloudy skies, with their nubes gordos, fat

Internship is Walking Through a Large Colon

2009-03-31T09:53:00.005-05:00

As internship assignment time approaches for Middlers, I thought a brief reflection on internship might be appropriate. And based on my experience, internship is like walking through a large, inflatable colon.And I don't mean that metaphorically. On internship, I walked through a large, inflatable colon. When I arrived at church this morning, a large, pink, inflatable, walk through colon greeted

Lenten Meditation: 3rd Sunday in Lent

2009-03-18T16:22:00.002-05:00

John 2:13-2213 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16He told those who were

Senior Class Gift

2009-03-18T16:16:00.001-05:00

For All the Saints: Fair Trade Paraments Celebrate InternationalCommunityKirsten Fryer, MDiv Senior When you walk into LSTC’s Augustana Chapel, you may notice that the window above the entrance is etched with a map of the world. At the bottom of the window, you see the words “For All the Saints.” This is a reminder that LSTC is indeed an international community. Our graduates serve as

International Students' Cultural Night

2009-03-04T23:41:00.005-06:00

Last Friday international students at LSTC had a night of celebrating cultures, arts, dances and poetry from around the world. The night consisted of African-American Singing, a Turkish Movie, Hungarian Music, an Indian Song, Japanese Kabuki, a Chinese Poem, an Indian Dance, a Burmese Cultural Dance, various dress styles from Jerusalem, Ramallah and a display of various internatioanl greetings.

Open Mic Night

2009-03-04T00:34:00.003-06:00

Last Thursday we had an Open Mic Night where members of the seminary community showcased their talent (or lack there of). We had songs, dance, poetry, etc (see pictures). Each performer had a coin jar with their name on it, and we gave prizes to the top three performers with the most money in their jars.We are raising money for our Senior Class Gift. Every year the senior class at LSTC leaves the

Lenten Meditations

2009-03-02T23:00:00.003-06:00

During the season of Lent, LSTC students, faculty and staff will be writing Lenten Meditations on the weekly lectionary texts. You can read these meditations here: http://www.lstc.edu/chapel/lent/

'The Transfiguration of Our Lord' or' Casimir Pulaski Day'

2009-03-02T12:15:00.006-06:00

So, about a week ago I preached on the Transfiguration at my internship sites in Knoxville, Tennessee. I ended up preaching on the Elisha/Elijah text. This text describes the journey of Elisha alongside of Elijah, during Elijah's last days on earth, before he is swept up into the heavens by a whirlwind.As I prepared to preach, I was drawn to Sufjan Steven's song, 'Casimir Pulaski Day.' The songs

Regional assignments

2009-02-22T21:30:00.002-06:00

This is my senior year at LSTC. I was positively "Approved" for ordained ministry in December. Approval is the last step in the candidacy process. Now our senior class is going through the ELCA Assignment process to receive a first call in a congregation. Last week (Wednesday) we received our Regional Assignments. Our senior class gathered together in a worship service as we received the

Review of "Working on a Dream"

2009-02-07T11:30:00.003-06:00

Just for fun, I wrote up a sort of "theological review" of Working on a Dream, the 2009 album by one of my favorite musicians, Bruce Springsteen. Having good conversation about rock music, spirituality, and, well, Bruce Springsteen (thanks Rick!) is one of the things I've appreciated so much at LSTC.Bruce Springsteen’s new album, Working on a Dream, begins in a nightmare.It hits the ground

My Brush With History

2009-01-19T18:57:00.002-06:00

Above: One of the many independently-created t-shirts being sold in the parks and on the street corners of Chicago last summer.Some kind of disclaimer is in order, I suppose, for any post that begins with a big ol' photo of Obama at the top. While social change and the political machinery that effects it are critically important to my life as a Christian and as a future pastor, I usually I try

A Herald of Good Tidings

2008-12-14T22:52:00.003-06:00

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” -Isaiah 40:9My friend and seminary colleague Zach recently wrote a reflection on Advent as a time of entering into the dark of nighttime and discovering God’s presence there just as much as

Prayers of Intercession

2008-11-24T18:43:00.002-06:00

The following are prayers by LSTC student Birgitte Jeppesen from LSTC's chapel service last Thursday... God your kingdom is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, come to us now and open in

Give Thanks

2008-11-21T10:36:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! I enjoy it because there are no presents to buy, no lights or decorations to put up or parties to attend. Don’t get me wrong…I enjoy all those things but sometimes they get in the way of celebrating the real reason for the holiday. Thanksgiving in its basic form is just that…”thanks giving.” At this time of year the students, faculty and staff of LSTC get a

Global perspectives on the U.S. Election

2008-11-16T16:42:00.002-06:00

Transitions. Life has been full of transitions. My mind is still full of images from internship. As I was standing in the bus terminal in Resistencia, Argentina, I remember saying goodbye to my pastor-supervisor and several members of the congregation. All of a sudden the deafening sound of

Ministry in Context: Learning to Lead by Learning to Follow

2008-10-16T23:06:00.004-05:00

What is seminary really like?? Well, I can’t speak for everyone but if I had one word to describe how my second year of seminary is going, the word is CRAZY!! Life right now is crazy-awesome and crazy-busy. My feeling of awesomeness and busyness often stems from my experience of Ministry in Context (MIC) this year. What is Ministry in context, well I am glad you asked. Ministry in Context is

Come visit during the Seminary Sampler! 10/26-10/28

2008-10-13T12:20:00.003-05:00

How did I get to where I am today? Specifically, how did I end up at LSTC?Obviously there are many things in my life that have led me on this particular path. One of those things was attending a Seminary Sampler as I was starting to think about attending seminary.The LSTC Seminary Sampler is a 3-day event held at LSTC for prospective students to come and get a "taste" of LSTC life. Prospective

Reading Week?!?!

2008-10-10T17:17:00.008-05:00

That’s what it says on the LSTC calendar and the question from the first year students is always “Do we really read all week or what?” The answer is yes…and no. The life of a seminarian is not easy. There are mountains of books, handouts, papers, reports and notes to be covered in a short amount of time. We deny ourselves sleep and even food in order to check off each item of each class syllabus.

To go or not to go...that is the question

2008-09-23T14:55:00.004-05:00

About a month ago I was asked if I would travel with other women in the ELCA to South Africa for a 2 week global seminar called "Women Building Global Community." My immediate response was YES! SEND ME! ...And then I found out the dates - 2 weeks in the middle of November (ie. right in the heart of the semester/quarter). While I didn't want to pass up this great opportunity, I also knew it

There's No Place Like Home!

2008-09-20T09:15:00.007-05:00

The famous story of the Wizard of Oz finds our heroine Dorothy carried away from her home in Kansas by a twister and dropped into the Land of Oz. There she meets all kinds of new people, sees some pretty amazing things and yet all she wants to do is go home. She doesn’t consider staying in this incredible place or check out all the new things she's experiencing but instead is determined to find

answering God's call

2008-08-19T11:11:00.003-05:00

The summer after my first year of college I drove with my parents out to Lutheran Camp Chrysalis to pick my sister up from the first week of camp. The camp director and I chatted as my parents loaded up her stuff, as he was a counselor when I was a camper, and he mentioned that they were looking for another lifeguard." What are you doing this summer?" he asked on Friday, I faxed in my application

Lutherdale Reflections

2008-08-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Lutherdale Reflections, Amanda Kimmet The first week of August I had the pleasure of being the Outdoor Ministry Ambassador from LSTC to Lutherdale Bible Camp near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. I had visited Lutherdale previously when I led a youth group retreat and was very impressed with the facilities, the environment and the staff. With such a positive first experience at Lutherdale I was eagerly

Forging Ahead

2008-07-14T14:10:00.001-05:00

Reflections on my time at camp I realized many things about call and vocation this summer as I spent time at two of our Lutheran camps. My first week was at LOMC here in Illinois. I spent much of the week getting to know the confirmation campers. I had the opportunity to talk to them about what it meant to be called to ministry. In this time I realized that in our seminary circle we use a

let justice roll down

2008-07-10T09:44:00.003-05:00

Well, I just got back into Chicago from an amazing week at Pine Lake Camp (part of the Crossways Camps in Wisconsin), and am already missing the stars, songs, and sanctified community of camp life! I feel so honored to have been able to jump into a week as a support person for the staff, each of whom brought boundless energy each day and truly embodied Christ for the confirmation campers

Serving Christ in the World

2008-07-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

Are you on Facebook?If so, join our group-- see the photos, read our memories from a life-changing journey...Serving Christ in the World 2008

risk, fail, fall...you are still loved

2008-06-11T13:08:00.001-05:00

June 1-6 Michi-Lu-Ca Stories are important! We are all built on stories and we come with stories and we make stories. We share our stories with others along the way. At Camp Michi-Lu-Ca in Northern eastern Michigan, the staff shares their stories as well. A common theme in each story is the sense of God’s call in their being at camp for the summer. A call from God is sometimes hard to describe.

God's love changes people

2008-06-10T13:05:00.002-05:00

June 1-6 Michi-Lu-Ca Staff training was always my favorite. Camp for the counselors was a description I would often associate with those two weeks spent preparing for the summer, building a healthy community with the staff, and caring for God’s creation in anticipation of a full summer. My time at Michi-Lu-Ca and Stony Lake, two beautiful camps of Living Waters Ministry in northern and western

"do not worry"

2008-06-09T23:45:00.001-05:00

These are worrisome times. People have been feeling the crunch of food and gas prices all over the world. The UN recently reported that the world needs to double food production by 2030. As I talk to people here in Argentina, they talk about food items that have doubled in price over the last couple years, as well as costs such as bus fare. On top of rising food prices, the last 3 months in

youth in mission

2008-06-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

another summer of Youth in Mission programs at and out from LSTC has begun!stay tuned for reports from our "Serving Christ in the World" immersion program, Beyond Belief testimonies and words from our Outdoor Ministry Ambassadors

Seminary: A Life of Transition

2008-04-14T18:23:00.001-05:00

As my first year in seminary is nearing an end I would describe seminary life with one word, TRANSITION. In the past few months I have experienced and observed life in transition. The seniors excitedly and nervously awaited first call assignments. First their region and then a few weeks later their synod assignment. This was an exciting time for the seminary community. We celebrated together God’

Jesus Songs

2008-03-01T16:28:00.003-06:00

So today I was looking for a Bruce Springsteen song called “Jesus Was an Only Son.” I had forgotten the words, and wondered if Bruce's acoustic musings would be helpful as I look for ways to reflect on the season of Lent. To speed things up, I typed “Jesus” in the iTunes search box.To my utter shock, 15 songs filled up the screen in front of me, from a musically and culturally diverse group of

"Will they make you shave your beard?"

2008-02-25T09:45:00.002-06:00

(This entry is from the article I wrote for today's issue of "The Door," LSTC's weekly student newspaper)“So, when you are a pastor, will they make you shave your beard?” the ten year old Jose asked me during a youth camp last month. “No,” I replied smiling. “Good,” Jose replied, “it looks good on you.” This year I’m doing my internship in Argentina. Every day I learn something new, and I’m

A Threefold Rhythm

2008-02-05T09:06:00.000-06:00

For my J-term class this year, I chose to take Christian Daily Prayer, which is a class offered through McCormick Theological Seminary, the neighboring Presbyterian school with which LSTC shares classroom space and some community events. The first week of the class was spent on campus in Chicago, learning about Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim daily prayer, and praying in community with our

Urban Ministry: Prophetic Voice for Change

2008-02-01T20:09:00.000-06:00

“Speak Truth to the powers and principalities!” Name, unmask and engage God’s people to be a prophetic witness of Christ’s love in the City. J-Term SCUPE (Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education) course, Dimensions and Dynamics of Urban Ministry challenged me to think about the difference between a charity model vs. justice model of action if we are to address issues of injustice.

A Week Off

2008-02-01T13:39:00.000-06:00

We had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16These times between semesters can be a double-edged sword. Certainly it is wonderful to have a week free of any scheduled events save a few hours of working with second-graders on Tuesday and a few hours of guitar lessons on Wednesday. In my free time this week I finished a novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, and cleaned the apartment

January courses

2008-01-22T17:45:00.000-06:00

In January, seminarians are doing all kinds of things... journeying from Geneva to Cairo, from Nebraska into the heart of the scriptures, here are some of their writings on their work this January:http://www.lstc.edu/current_stud/features/j_term2008.html

La Noche de los Pobres

2007-12-23T19:48:00.000-06:00

Last night we had the children’s Christmas pageant (see picture). Joseph was missing in action, luckily we found a replacement. If you look closely you can see the shepherds sweating in their costumes, since it was in the 80’s here. The kids put a lot of work into it, and it went very well.I’d like to share the chorus of one of the songs we sang, called “The Night of the Poor,” as a reflection

Vida y Misión

2007-11-22T12:21:00.000-06:00

About a week ago (the weekend of November 10 and 11), we had the Asemblea de Vida y Mision (Life and Mission Assembly) of the IELU (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Unida – Unted Evangelical Lutheran Church) of Argentina and Uruguay, with guests from the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Peru and Chile. It was great to meet people from all over these countries and to learn about their churches and

Changes

2007-11-18T10:49:00.000-06:00

Leaves change and so do I, I guess. These last few months and weeks I have been thinking more and more about changing to become an MDiv student instead of an M.A. student. Contemplating that change requires many different layers of thought. Is God really calling me to do this? Am I practically able to respond to that call financially, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually? Is my faith a

Words

2007-10-26T12:54:00.000-05:00

One of the things that has really changed inside of me in Seminary is my feeling about words. When I came to seminary, I was a somewhat reluctant convert to gender inclusive language about just general things like "firefighters" "mailperson" etc. I always argued that these words IMPLIED inclusion, by usage, and therefore, why did we need to change the way things always were. I most emphatically

Pictures and paperwork

2007-10-25T08:23:00.000-05:00

Here in Chicago, the weather changed this week, so that the air is crisp and the wind causes the branches of the trees to sway. It feels like the senior class, too, subtly changed from focusing on the joy of being back together at LSTC to looking towards what the next step in our journeys will be. On Monday, we had our senior pictures taken for our composite class photo, which will hang in the

October Obligatories

2007-10-22T15:53:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the apple orchards of Michigan are only about an hour from LSTC? It’s true. I have the pictures to prove it. Last weekend my wife and I drove over to Three Oaks, MI, which, according to their welcome sign, is the Home of Prancer the Movie. We didn’t see any reindeer, but we did find a little apple orchard just outside of town where we plucked apples off branches until we had

Jesus heals the Impenetrable

2007-10-19T21:03:00.000-05:00

Luke 17:11-19 (NRSV) 11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers1 approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when

A Week in the Life

2007-10-17T00:26:00.000-05:00

Hello there, web wayfarer. I’m Matt Keadle, and I’ll be blogging here this year…and maybe attending some classes and other stuff, too. You can see my picture there on the right hand side of the page…that’s pretty cool. Anyway, I thought for my first posting I’d just offer up my schedule for the last week because it was a little crazy. I’ll leave a theological framework out of it – use your

Fall

2007-10-11T01:39:00.000-05:00

Well, I am a little late to get back to blogging after summer break, but better late than never, I guess.I spent half the summer in Germany visiting a German friend who had been here at LSTC in an exchange program for a year. I still can't quite digest the experience. It was my first time in Europe, my first really extended trip outside of the United States and certainly the first time I had

Walking Feet

2007-10-06T10:36:00.000-05:00

This past week in Constructive Theology, we discussed Frederick Buechner's Alphanbet of Grace. The quote that I will remember most from the book is his discourse on vocation: “Thus, when you wake up in the morning, called by God to be a self again, if you want to know who you are, watch your feet. Because where your feet take you, that is who you are.”I look forward to being back at LSTC for my

An Introduction

2007-10-04T11:56:00.000-05:00

I'm Jordan Miller, an M.Div senior at LSTC who will be joining "The Seminarian's Sojourn" blog this year. I'm originally from Buffalo, NY, and came to LSTC right after I graduated from college. I spent this past year on internship in Austin, TX, at a congregation where I was their 41st intern! I loved being able to learn from and with such a unique group of people, who give me great hope in

New writers coming soon!

2007-09-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

I'm grateful to Josh who is writing from his Internship in Argentina (as you can see!) and to Becky (second year Dual Degree student) and Wendy (third year MA student) who plan to continue writing. YAY! Since Lisa and Ben are 1) a graduate and 2) on-the-brink-of-graduation, respectively... we are now seeking LSTC seminarians to join in the blog for the 2007-2008 academic year. Look for a senior

Pictures of Plaza 25 de Mayo

2007-08-29T16:43:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of the Plaza 25 de Mayo, the main plaza in the center of the city, which happens to be one of the larger central plazas. To see more pictures, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/JoshEbener/Argentina

My Internship in Argentina

2007-08-29T15:31:00.000-05:00

I have just started my internship year at LSTC, which is the third of the four year Master of Divinity program. The internship year where we are sent all over the country and world for full time ministry under the supervision of a pastor/supervisor: http://www.elca.org/candidacy/pdf/internship.pdfI’ll be doing my internship in Resistencia, Argentina, with the ELCA Global Mission Horizon

Outdoor Ministry Ambassadors

2007-08-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

It was an incredible summer for those who paved the way in our pilot program of connecting seminarians with outdoor ministry settings. Here are some of their words and photos:Tom with campers at LutherdaleElkhorn, WisconsinTom with campers at Camp Carol Joy Holling We also had OMAs travel to Sky Ranch, Ewalu, Camp Kirchenwald, Pine Lake, Camp Shalom, Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries--it was a

Internship Sending

2007-05-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday our class, many of us in the "Middler (second year)" class were formally sent to internship. The past two years in seminary has flown by, it is hard to believe that we'll be all sent to different parts of the country and world next year. In fact, out of 51 of us, we're being sent to 17 different states and 4 different countries (U.S., Argentina, Tanzania and Norway). Our class

"COO!"

2007-04-27T18:32:00.000-05:00

It’s getting pretty busy around here at LSTC, as we only have two weeks left, and many final papers are already due next week. At this time students’ identity changes from “Tina” to “I am 25 more pages.” No longer do we say “Hello,” but we manage to utter, “two more exegesis papers.” Honestly, I don’t know why I’m typing in my Blog right now, when this could be counting as “one less page” if it

Casting Out Fear

2007-04-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

As I went for my morning run by the shore of Lake Michigan this morning (I wish I could show you the view of the city as the sun rose) I realized something about myself this year. There has been a common theme throughout my classes that has been fairly constant since the fall semester. It has had to do with fear and its manifestation in our lives. We fear the “other,” we fear God (not in the

Conflict

2007-04-22T18:51:00.001-05:00

I don't really like conflict, but sometimes, it just comes up. Tonight I was playing a game with some seminarian friends of mine and I started to take some things personally that were happening and I felt attacked and was being competitive. When one of my friends started to take things personally as well, she snapped at me and I snapped at her. I am not sure what will happen because she stormed

Mourning with Virginia Tech

2007-04-20T11:10:00.000-05:00

As the nation mourns with Virginia Tech after the mass killings there last Monday, our inability to understand such a tragedy burns inside of us.In the Virginia Tech memorial convocation Tuesday evening, professor and poet Nikki Giovanni said:"We are Virginia Tech.We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.We are Virginia Tech.We

After the Easter Lillies Wilt

2007-04-13T02:11:00.000-05:00

I'm in Omaha tonight. It's my mother's 60th birthday. She's just a little upset about turning 60. I can understand it. I didn't particularly relish 30. We're giving Mom a party. So I've been digging through old pictures and memorabilia in their basement. I found a picture of Mom being surprised at a birthday party for her when she was 34. I remember this party. And now, next month, I will

I am Peter

2007-04-08T21:48:00.000-05:00

To complete the Lenten series of monologues I was doing at St. Andrew, I performed one today (Easter Sunday) from the perspective of Peter, according to Luke 24:1-12. I did this for our three services, two in English and one in Spanish. It went like this: "I remember the day, the other ten disciples and I were gathered together, grieving the death of our teacher and Lord, Jesus Christ.. He was

Christian Peace Witness in DC

2007-04-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

On Friday, March 16 I traveled with over 20 seminarians, mostly from McCormick Theological Seminary to the Christian Peace Witness (CPW) for Iraq gathering in Washington DC. We were a part of over 3,000 Christians uniting in response to our faith, to call for an end to the War in Iraq. This was the first of a weekend of protests around the country to mark the fourth anniversary of the war. The

Baby's First Oppression

2007-03-27T22:57:00.000-05:00

I have something new for my baby book today. My mother has my book in Omaha somewhere with a lock of my hair from my first haircut and the birth announcements and information about my first steps and first words.First you need to know that I have always been at best a reluctant feminist, that I was one of the last people around here to change to gender-inclusive language when talking about God.

I am Barabbas

2007-03-23T16:41:00.000-05:00

"I was sitting in chains, both hands and feet, in a dirty, cold and damp prison. I had robbed. I had murdered. I knew someday I would be caught, but until then I had always been able to slip through their fingers..." This is a part of a monologue from the perspective of Barabbas. What happened in Barabbas' mind once he heard the news that he would be set free after all the terrible things he

Day Trip

2007-03-22T23:10:00.000-05:00

Despite all the homework and grading I REALLY ought to be doing, one of my seminary friends and his wife and I all went on a day trip today. We travelled up the west coast of Lake Michigan since it was raining on the east side. We took a tour of the Jelly Belly factory and then went to a state park somewhere north of Milwaukee. It was really nice to get out of the city and see the lake shore

Middle Times

2007-03-21T11:13:00.000-05:00

Right now we are in the middle of the Semester-- a busy time in some ways with papers due just around the corner. For me it's my middler year in Seminary in a way that is even more true than for other middlers. I am taking three years to do an M.A. and so this really is the middle year. It's sort of a moment of peace and familiarity. I know the schedule; I know what's expected of me. Life is a

how I long to smell the shoe

2007-03-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I enjoy playing basketball with a group of LSTC students every Thursday. Last Thursday we had the traditional bi-anual Student vs. Staff/Faculty Basketball Game. This semester's game we pumped the court with the Rocky theme song, and had team shirts that said: "HERE I SLAM, I CAN DO NO OTHER."Unfortunately, we lost again (which is usually the case). They won the much coveted trophy, the

A prayer for Lent

2007-02-22T18:04:00.000-06:00

God of love and understanding, as Jesus forgave the woman caught in her sin and the thief hanging to pay for his, forgive me those things of which I am sorry or ashamed.Forgive me so that I might be a person redeemed and full of hope.May some part of your dominion come through me and may I be one who offers forgiveness to others.For your grace is without limit, your call to follow you is wondrous

I'm going to Argentina for Internship!

2007-02-18T22:58:00.000-06:00

I am excited to announce that through the I will be doing my internship in Argentina. My internship is the third year (out of four) of seminary, which is a field education requirement where I will be ministering in a church full time under the supervision of a pastor. This opportunity is through the ELCA Horizon International Internship program. It will be in the cities of Resistencia and

Does Fair Trade Work?

2007-02-18T22:34:00.000-06:00

Does Fair Trade work? This is the frequent question I asked myself while I was in Nicaragua, and I’ve been asked by others since I’ve been back. My answer is: Yes.Reason #1- Perhaps most importantly, given low market prices, Fair Trade ensures farmers a fair price, Equal Exchange ensures a minimum of $1.41 per pound of organic coffee. For the high quality coffee which comes from their cooperative

Summary of my J-Term trip to Nicaragua

2007-02-18T22:24:00.000-06:00

For my January term course this year I made a week-long visit to Nicaragua with the to learn more about Fair Trade and the lives of small-scale coffee farmers. My trip was made possible by a scholarship for seminarians to go on Lutheran World Relief study visits. I traveled with a delegation of 20 people sponsored by Lutheran World Relief and the Center for Global Education of Augsburg College.

Shades of Gray

2007-02-14T09:57:00.000-06:00

Human eye can distinguish 250 pure colors, 17000 mixed colors, and 300 shades of gray. - Brain Food PodcastYeah, my eyes can deal with shades of gray, but my mind has some trouble wrapping around all that uncertainty. In less than a week, many of my senior classmates will be receiving their regional assignments. This is one of the steps in the first call process for anyone looking to be in

Superbowl

2007-02-05T00:23:00.000-06:00

Several things struck me on this "Superbowl Sunday." When I first woke up this morning, the television news anchors were talking about the potential problems to the waste water management systems in America because, just as half-time started, such a large portion of Americal would flush at the same time. When I think about this, I wonder at the power of something which can cause such a huge

Retreat

2007-02-01T09:11:00.000-06:00

For the past two weeks I have been on retreats. Last weeks retreat was actually a class with the Alban Institute. It was designed to increase our "Emotional Intelligence." It was a great class, but very intense as we were in small groups for 5-7 hours a day. Those groups helped us become more self-aware and perceptive as we relate to others.The second retreat was at the Cenacle in Warrenville, IL

Saludos de Nicaragua

2007-01-12T22:54:00.000-06:00

Right now I am in Nicaragua for a January Term travel seminar on Fair Trade coffee, thanks to a scholarship from Lutheran World Relief. This has been an amazing trip full of transformation and insight. Yesterday was a huge day in the history of Nicaragua, as Daniel Ortega was inaugurated president. We watched the ceremony and speech on TV, since it was in Managua and we´re in Matagalpa, but

Approval

2007-01-12T09:49:00.000-06:00

Sunday night I traveled 2.5 hours down to Columbus, OH for my Approval. Approval is the 3rd of 3 interviews that I must go through in order to be ordained as a pastor in the ELCA. I wasn’t too nervous heading down for the interview with the Candidacy Committee, but I was unsure of what to expect. I really didn’t know the people on the committee-would they be tough on me, challenge me, be

2007-01-12T09:44:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 65:13-16This was one of the readings in my devotion book this morning. I struggle with passages like this from scripture-where God’s chosen are blessed and their enemies are cursed. Usually, I try to gloss over these sections and make the enemies refer to something sprititual in my life or to see myself as the enemy of God. Yet, originally, that is not how this text was intended. It

2007-01-08T00:05:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!Christmas and New Years were great for me. I spent time with my family, went to my home church and had a nice break from papers and grading and homework. I am just teaching during J-term, not jetting off to anywhere exciting or even taking a class. So I have a little downtime now as well. But even now I realize that with re-organizing my apartment after one of my roommates moved

Another 2 days in Geneva

2007-01-07T12:30:00.000-06:00

The jet lag has apparently hit me. After sleeping for 14 hours the first night here (maybe NOT such a great idea?!), I've been hardly able to sleep at all the past two nights...I'm hoping tonight is the night I'm going to get back on track.Yesterday Krista, my roommate, and I did some more walking around the area we are staying and actually found what we were looking for the day before. There's