My week off... so far

How hot it is it?

So hot that soda cans explode while sitting on the counter.

This must be why I got a mop for cleaning … it got its second work out tonight.

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So I just finished working the Allelon conference put on by the Depree center. What that basically means is that I go to go to a nifty pastor’s conference for free. It was rather interesting listening to the chaos that was going on in the background. Each person who was at the conference had brought his or her own case study about a frustrating ministry experience. Then in groups they discussed them looking at options and then how to proceed. Now I came in during the middle of the conference so the basic teaching had already been done, but I was able to keep up enough to pull out some very interesting things.

The theme of the second day seemed to be frustration. I think what most of the pastors wanted was answers to how to now proceed, the problem came about when the panel of speakers basically said ‘there are no answers.’ It was interesting watching a series of questions centered around wanting an answer that will fix the problem when the speakers were only giving a method of moving the church from internal to mission/community minded.

By the end of the third/last day many of the people were comfortable dwelling in the tension of not having the answers to the question, but rather a mindset that there is a need to listen to the church congregation, not only by the pastors but by other members of the church leadership.

As I was sitting down with one of the pastors during dinner on the final day we had a discussion on the differences between generations and dealing with listening to every person. The whole conference has been building on a feeling that the church is about to make a change; how, what, and when it will happen is still an interesting question.

Summer ... at last!

There is a week of bliss, known as the week between quarters. During this time there is no class work, no papers, no tests, only moments to enjoy life and catch up on all the junk that has piled up over the last three weeks. It is now Friday and while I will be spending the later portion of the evening among friends, I am currently enjoying the blissful ability to do on of my favorite pastimes: as little as possible.

Tomorrow I will probably clean my apartment and make some minor revisions in the morning that need to be done, followed by a joyous party of chaos at the graduation party of two dear friends. But more importantly I should be getting to do some free time reading, which will be … odd. I’m not sure if I want to read some more theology as I have about 5 books that I have been wanting to read, or allow myself to have some fun (which is probably what will happen).

Normally around this time I begin to reflect on seminary, and seeing as I am officially at the mid-point of my seminary experience I’m sure some of that will come this week, but there are many other things that need to take place to allow for ‘clear’ thinking. But for my posterity and preview of things to come here is a short rundown

Finished Greek, and all my history classes; then took Pentateuch, Youth and Evangelism, and Grief, Loss, Death, and Dying as my side classes. Somewhere in there is the forgettable Foundations for Ministry class.

More to come as life carries on…