Sheesh! I read a LOT today because I had to do pretty much all of my reading for this week's class & write a small response for tonight. Everything has been fascinating, though.
The class I'm working on right now is cross-cultural ethics and it is just mind-blowing. Most of the case studies and examples have to do with being in a foreign culture, but we can run into those here, too. And it's good to have a broader focus and be aware of issues that could arise.
One of the main things the books were talking about was being aware of the entire context of any proposal or anything. For example, a people group who believes that spirits are responsible for good or bad crops won't buy into your agricultural technology just because you say it will give them a higher yield. You have to understand their values and the narrative they have written for themselves in order to create change.
Another example: we had to write about whether or not we would donate money to prostitutes at a hotel who weren't making any money that week because a Christian organization had bought all the rooms in the hotel (in the context of a country with a lot of sex trafficking). Our professor challenged us to think of the corrupt structures and sins, not just focus on these women. They are likely trapped. He also referred us to Luke 20, when the Pharisees tried to get Jesus to say that they shouldn't pay taxes, thereby, in the case of Israel's Roman occupation, amounting to supporting a corrupt, oppressive regime.
It's all very interesting to think about. No actions are performed or rise out of a vacuum and none are value-free. There isn't really such a thing as complete neutrality. Lots to chew on, and this is just week 1.
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Friday, October 01, 2010
Friday, September 03, 2010
I know, I missed 2 days.
I know. Friends, you have no idea...well, some of you have some idea. Anyway, big stuff is going on in my family and I just have been too stressed, distracted, and nervous that I haven't been able to concentrate.
I have my sexuality project due tomorrow and I've barely been able to work on it with much thought. Thankfully, I have most of it done, with a few spaces where it says things like, "And then I'll be talking about THIS REALLY GREAT THING FROM THAT AUTHOR" or "And then I'll go through THE BIBLE VERSES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THIS POINT." So, you know, I just have to flesh it out a bit. And I only checked out, oh, 10 books or so from the library. I will be skimming, I say. But I really do plan on teaching this series, so I need to actually do the work.
On top of the family stuff, I've been really flustered by the college students this week, so, on Tuesday, I freaked out & ordered 4 books on college ministry from Amazon. They came today, and I went up to church to show them to one of my co-leaders & we're splitting them up to read, for now. One of them, Ask Me Anything, I started reading for my project, and I'm really loving it. It's one of those ones that I want to either be able to download right into my brain or hand out to every student and sit them down & make them read it immediately, quizzing them for comprehension. So, um, it's useful.
I hope to get my project done & turned in on time, though I've let my professors know that I may be a couple days late. Pray for me, Seth, & my family, will you? Thanks.
I have my sexuality project due tomorrow and I've barely been able to work on it with much thought. Thankfully, I have most of it done, with a few spaces where it says things like, "And then I'll be talking about THIS REALLY GREAT THING FROM THAT AUTHOR" or "And then I'll go through THE BIBLE VERSES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THIS POINT." So, you know, I just have to flesh it out a bit. And I only checked out, oh, 10 books or so from the library. I will be skimming, I say. But I really do plan on teaching this series, so I need to actually do the work.
On top of the family stuff, I've been really flustered by the college students this week, so, on Tuesday, I freaked out & ordered 4 books on college ministry from Amazon. They came today, and I went up to church to show them to one of my co-leaders & we're splitting them up to read, for now. One of them, Ask Me Anything, I started reading for my project, and I'm really loving it. It's one of those ones that I want to either be able to download right into my brain or hand out to every student and sit them down & make them read it immediately, quizzing them for comprehension. So, um, it's useful.
I hope to get my project done & turned in on time, though I've let my professors know that I may be a couple days late. Pray for me, Seth, & my family, will you? Thanks.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
My own words- they both delight and annoy me
Clearly, I'm fond of my own voice, be it verbal or written, being that I blog, post a lot online, talk a lot, and speak in public. But I tell you, I was so sick of reading my paper. I always do this: I work and work and cram and stay up, and the day the paper is due, I am so disgusted by the whole thing and tired that I don't want to read it one more time, even though I know that I should. In a better-ordered world, I would get done ahead of time and give myself a few days of distance before going back to read.
Today was okay, though. I stayed up all night, which went surprisingly smoothly, though the big dog was confused and annoyed. Every time I got up to go to the bathroom or anything, he stood, walked towards the bedroom, and looked at me. When I returned to the living room, he'd just give me the stink eye & plop back down on the floor with a sigh. (Yes, my dog sighs. He's like his mother. Actually, both of my dogs sigh. I wonder if I influence them too much. Or maybe we need some more oxygen in this joint.)
Anywhoodle, I finished finished with my paper around 11am, but I was still up until noon:thirty. I was only able to doze for a couple hours, but I eventually read the paper out loud, which was new, and it helped. I changed a few things here and there and, overall, I think it's a good paper. My introductory paragraph blows, but I wasn't in the mood to work on it anymore. See? My process isn't that great.
What is good about my process is that it integrates a high-pressure situation and laziness in one (or two) caffeine-fueled all-nighters. The reason it takes me so long is partially because I torture myself and it takes me too long to just freaking start typing the actual document. Once I get going, though, it isn't a difficult process, it's just like pulling teeth to get me to focus & do it. Especially as I get closer to the end and feel like I've accomplished something, I start going online to check FB or twitter after half a page- after a paragraph- after a good sentence- Oh! I wrote "In the words of!" time for a break! I annoy myself sometimes.
I have seen some improvement in my school habits over the past year, and I hope to do a better job in the fall. Part of the problem was the quickness with which my professor wanted these papers, not giving us the expected month & a half after the end of class.
So I am freeeeeee!!! Kind of. For a while. I have my sexuality project due on Friday, but I'm excited about that & like it. I don't think it will be very difficult. (Famous last words? I hope not.)
Today was okay, though. I stayed up all night, which went surprisingly smoothly, though the big dog was confused and annoyed. Every time I got up to go to the bathroom or anything, he stood, walked towards the bedroom, and looked at me. When I returned to the living room, he'd just give me the stink eye & plop back down on the floor with a sigh. (Yes, my dog sighs. He's like his mother. Actually, both of my dogs sigh. I wonder if I influence them too much. Or maybe we need some more oxygen in this joint.)
Anywhoodle, I finished finished with my paper around 11am, but I was still up until noon:thirty. I was only able to doze for a couple hours, but I eventually read the paper out loud, which was new, and it helped. I changed a few things here and there and, overall, I think it's a good paper. My introductory paragraph blows, but I wasn't in the mood to work on it anymore. See? My process isn't that great.
What is good about my process is that it integrates a high-pressure situation and laziness in one (or two) caffeine-fueled all-nighters. The reason it takes me so long is partially because I torture myself and it takes me too long to just freaking start typing the actual document. Once I get going, though, it isn't a difficult process, it's just like pulling teeth to get me to focus & do it. Especially as I get closer to the end and feel like I've accomplished something, I start going online to check FB or twitter after half a page- after a paragraph- after a good sentence- Oh! I wrote "In the words of!" time for a break! I annoy myself sometimes.
I have seen some improvement in my school habits over the past year, and I hope to do a better job in the fall. Part of the problem was the quickness with which my professor wanted these papers, not giving us the expected month & a half after the end of class.
So I am freeeeeee!!! Kind of. For a while. I have my sexuality project due on Friday, but I'm excited about that & like it. I don't think it will be very difficult. (Famous last words? I hope not.)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Song lyrics!
I'm really tired, so this shall be a bullet-pointed post to sum up today.
- Training for youth group volunteers this morning, which was at the home of a family from church which was LOVELY. They have a great yard, vines of their own & their yard backs up to a bigger vineyard, with a mountain behind. Awesome.
- I'm going to have two other adult leaders for my small group this year, and our two student leaders are going to be a lot of fun. All of the student leaders are really excited about leading and I think they're going to be really strong this year.
- My ears are really, really itchy.
- We had tacos for lunch at the training, and they were fabulous, I tell you.
- I've started writing my final C.S. Lewis paper, and I'm going to finish it tomorrow, I say! I'm going to go to bed early tonight, skip church tomorrow, and work on it all day.
- Our college event was really good. We had 7 college students show up for dinner, which was good, so about 14 of us total had pizza and talked, then we went to the church to play Rock Band. Some more people joined us there, and it was lots of fun, of course. The beauty was that it was an early night-- we started with dinner at 4 and the last of us taking down the xbox & putting the church back in order left church around 10pm. We're all feeling old & tired tonight.
- I love playing Rock Band with the church friends, because everyone gets into it, especially a lot of the guys. They're jumping up and down, screaming and singing, and acting like lunatics. It makes me smile a lot.
- I have the paper due Monday and my sexuality project due Friday. Then I am freeeeeeeeeee! Until the 30th of September, at least, I'm going to see some family, read a ton, and clean a ton. I'll have to restrain myself from blatantly throwing away half of our possessions, since I'm so sick of the mess. I do hope to at least put a good amount of stuff in storage. It will be grand.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Deep breathing, venting, talking to friends. Oh, and alcoholic beverages and loud music.
I was angry today. Nutshell: I got one of my papers back and, though I didn't get a bad grade, my professor's comments and demeanor (is there such thing as a written demeanor? I say yes.) just pissed me off. I almost threw a tantrum, I tell you. I yelled "I hate you!" and I do believe that a plastic cup was thrown into the sink with much force. Gah. I just had to get out of the house. So I went up to church where I knew I'd be able to vent at some people who have been in similar situations. I listened the Deftones quite loudly on the way there, which was quite calming, and the venting helped. I talked to my friends for about an hour, then got some alcohol & potato chips on the way home. Yes, I felt like a lush stopping at the corner store to buy 2 cans of hard lemonade & a small bag of chips (a last-minute addition) at 2pm. But it was lovely.
The paper that is due on Monday should be more pleasing to him, and I will be glad to be done with it. I release all expectations. I have always been fine with not getting As in seminary. All will be well. I should not have been surprised, yet I am flabbergasted. That is all.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
How many times does "moon" appear?
Today has been a busy day, but it's lovely. After staying up most of the night and working a little today, I can be done with my first paper if I want to be. I'll go over it a bit over the next few days, tweaking & maybe adding enough to make it a solid 10 pages.
Three hours of sleep is all I got, and I drowsily donated blood and read some C.S. Lewis essays on fiction (now unnecessary) before heading down to SFO to get one of my goddaughters. My head about exploded due to only one security line being open, but I finally obtained the girl and made it out of the city.
In an effort to get my page length, I flipped through the Chronicles looking for another example of the things I already pointed out, but eventually realized I had a shiny, new point to make! That was fun. So I pulled up the trusty Amazon search and looked for "moon" in all of the books (well, the one, big copy of them all). No, I haven't resorted to listing objects and the frequency of their appearance, but I had an idea that the Moon was sometimes more than just a moon, so I wanted to see all the uses. Turns out I'm kind of right. That's always nice.
Three hours of sleep is all I got, and I drowsily donated blood and read some C.S. Lewis essays on fiction (now unnecessary) before heading down to SFO to get one of my goddaughters. My head about exploded due to only one security line being open, but I finally obtained the girl and made it out of the city.
In an effort to get my page length, I flipped through the Chronicles looking for another example of the things I already pointed out, but eventually realized I had a shiny, new point to make! That was fun. So I pulled up the trusty Amazon search and looked for "moon" in all of the books (well, the one, big copy of them all). No, I haven't resorted to listing objects and the frequency of their appearance, but I had an idea that the Moon was sometimes more than just a moon, so I wanted to see all the uses. Turns out I'm kind of right. That's always nice.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
I'm not a theologian
I mean, sure, I'll have a master's degree in Theology in about a year and a half, but that doesn't make me a theologian, and I'm fine with that.
I really appreciate all that I'm learning, and the opportunity to read great thinkers and write about the stuff of God that people have pondered and prayed on for thousands of years, but over and over again I just keep thinking that it's all just trying to nail jello to the wall.
The Bible isn't clear on many, many things. If God wanted to spell some things out, he would have done so. Am I saying that it is of no use at all to wrestle with questions and concepts? Not at all. But when complex, multi-layered arguments are constructed with very little biblical basis or evidence, it may be a waste of time. At least, I feel like it's a waste of time for me to have to read them. There are few things I hate more than wading through a confusing section of a book, hurting my brain trying to figure out what the author is proposing, finally coming to see their point a little bit, only to get to the end and realize that they were actually illustrating a view with which they disagree or that there is little to no biblical support for the muck and mire I just went through.
Believe me, I get it. With the Bible's annoying lack of clarity on so many things, we have to thoughtfully discuss and extrapolate and expand our beliefs into fully-fledged organisms. The problem is that we then try to hold on to them so tightly and will fight people on them, and we construct miles of scaffolding to support them, when all we're really holding up is our own opinions, or those we've adopted from those who came before us.
Stop trying to nail jello to the wall. Eat it. Get it in you. Digest it and let the sweetness become a part of you. Put it in your mouth & swish it around and make kool aid out of it. Just stop holding it and showing it off and getting everyone's hands all sticky.
I really appreciate all that I'm learning, and the opportunity to read great thinkers and write about the stuff of God that people have pondered and prayed on for thousands of years, but over and over again I just keep thinking that it's all just trying to nail jello to the wall.
The Bible isn't clear on many, many things. If God wanted to spell some things out, he would have done so. Am I saying that it is of no use at all to wrestle with questions and concepts? Not at all. But when complex, multi-layered arguments are constructed with very little biblical basis or evidence, it may be a waste of time. At least, I feel like it's a waste of time for me to have to read them. There are few things I hate more than wading through a confusing section of a book, hurting my brain trying to figure out what the author is proposing, finally coming to see their point a little bit, only to get to the end and realize that they were actually illustrating a view with which they disagree or that there is little to no biblical support for the muck and mire I just went through.
Believe me, I get it. With the Bible's annoying lack of clarity on so many things, we have to thoughtfully discuss and extrapolate and expand our beliefs into fully-fledged organisms. The problem is that we then try to hold on to them so tightly and will fight people on them, and we construct miles of scaffolding to support them, when all we're really holding up is our own opinions, or those we've adopted from those who came before us.
Stop trying to nail jello to the wall. Eat it. Get it in you. Digest it and let the sweetness become a part of you. Put it in your mouth & swish it around and make kool aid out of it. Just stop holding it and showing it off and getting everyone's hands all sticky.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Chronic(what?)cles of Narnia
As you may have seen coming from my previous posts, today was a breakdown day. Not long after I woke up, I started thinking of all the things I needed to do today, and I was only able to talk myself out of crying for so long. Thankfully, my dear husband was home, so he was able to hug me and knew I was going to cry before it started.
After a run and getting most of the errands done, I was able to lighten up a bit and get a little homework done. I finished The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and skimmed through The Horse and His Boy. It makes me happy when the story obviously mirrors biblical actions and themes. I love it when people are anointed with the Holy Spirit, and I really liked Narnia's Pentecost in The Magician's Nephew.
I also love Lewis's writing style, especially when he talks to the readers. You see a side of him that I would call silly, even though you don't often read about that aspect of his personality in biographies or letters. The only glimpses of that you get are in a few letters or remembrances by students of his who write of him good-naturedly making fun of other professors and acting more like the students than an authority figure. If you only ever read his theological writings and most biographies, you would have to read between the lines to figure out that he had quite the sense of humor.
So tomorrow I shall press on with Prince Caspian get through the rest of the books. Once I have all my data, it shouldn't be a difficult paper to write.
After a run and getting most of the errands done, I was able to lighten up a bit and get a little homework done. I finished The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and skimmed through The Horse and His Boy. It makes me happy when the story obviously mirrors biblical actions and themes. I love it when people are anointed with the Holy Spirit, and I really liked Narnia's Pentecost in The Magician's Nephew.
I also love Lewis's writing style, especially when he talks to the readers. You see a side of him that I would call silly, even though you don't often read about that aspect of his personality in biographies or letters. The only glimpses of that you get are in a few letters or remembrances by students of his who write of him good-naturedly making fun of other professors and acting more like the students than an authority figure. If you only ever read his theological writings and most biographies, you would have to read between the lines to figure out that he had quite the sense of humor.
So tomorrow I shall press on with Prince Caspian get through the rest of the books. Once I have all my data, it shouldn't be a difficult paper to write.
Sunday, August 01, 2010
I've been lax in my writing exercises
But not in my physical exercises, I can assure you.
Nor in my homework duties.
You see, I've just been burnt out these past 2 weeks from class. 30 hours of class in two weeks + 1200 pages of reading + my other class reading & homework + figuring out paper topics + searching/buying/checking out books for said papers.
Thus? My brain is mush when I get home and I haven't felt like turning the computer on and blogging at night. I'm sorry. I don't apologize to you, because I know you're cool with it, but I apologize to my future self and its writing abilities.
To celebrate diminished brain powers and lack of writing finesse, I shall pretend that this blog is my twitter feed and just blurt out some of my thoughts. Enjoy!
Nor in my homework duties.
You see, I've just been burnt out these past 2 weeks from class. 30 hours of class in two weeks + 1200 pages of reading + my other class reading & homework + figuring out paper topics + searching/buying/checking out books for said papers.
Thus? My brain is mush when I get home and I haven't felt like turning the computer on and blogging at night. I'm sorry. I don't apologize to you, because I know you're cool with it, but I apologize to my future self and its writing abilities.
To celebrate diminished brain powers and lack of writing finesse, I shall pretend that this blog is my twitter feed and just blurt out some of my thoughts. Enjoy!
- I'm reading Chi Running and worked on my form a little bit yesterday. Well, a lot. A planned 30 minute, light run to work on form turned into an hour and a half or so of being lost, being hot, having to poop, worrying about the dog, backtracking, resting in a park, and finally asking for directions. My time was still pretty good, though, and I'm not very sore today, so I think the form worked.
- I think I'm going to do my first paper on Manifestations/Representation/? of the Trinity in The Chronicles of Narnia. So, I'm kind of skimming my way through them right now.
- My right butt cheek hurts.
- I'm glad to be back in Sonoma County after being away for all of this week and most of last week.
- We didn't have the DVR set to keep more than one episode of So You Think You Can Dance, so we have to watch Wednesday's ep online, but I already know who went home on Thursday.
- You know what my 4 bookcases look like, yes? Well, I currently also have 7 books on the back of the couch, one on the end table behind me, one pile of 13 on the kitchen table, another pile of 5 on the table, 6 on top of the bookcase in the kitchen, and I returned 8 to the library earlier. Almost all of the books mentioned were/are for school.
- I'm really really in the mood to go to Southern California. Hmmm...one more...
- I love my life: being in school, being in ministry, being in California, being in love, being in shape. It's all good.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
I make lists & check them many times
Today I continued my quest for books for school. Trusty list in hand, I headed north on El Camino Real, certain that I had seen a Borders somewhere. After a fair amount of traffic and much self-doubt, I found it. Now, I could have looked online to see if they had the books I wanted, and there I also would have seen the price. But I didn't do that. I just wanted to go. Therefore, I found books that I wanted at much higher prices than I wanted to pay. I mean, I'm not going to pay $13 or so for a 50 year old book that I should be able to find in a used bookstore, if I just had the desire to go from used bookstore to used bookstore looking.
In the end, I used my trusty coupon and bought A Severe Mercy, which I told Sandra I would never read. Oh, well. I'm writing a paper on C.S. Lewis's views on theodicy (pain & suffering, why bad things happen to good people) and this book deals with that.
I also stopped in at Barnes & Noble to see if they had any of the harder to find books, but they did not. It was really difficult being in those stores without a) feeling like I could really relax and browse, b) buying a coffee, and c) having money to spend however I wanted. Oh, bookstores. How you torture me.
So, after yesterday's & today's quests, I have 2 books I want/need for papers, I've ordered 2 more online, I'll go to the library at school tomorrow to get a few more (even though I prefer having my own so I can write in them), and I may order one more if the library doesn't have it.
And let's not even talk about my final project for sexuality, okay? I'm pretending that's going to be easy.
In the end, I used my trusty coupon and bought A Severe Mercy, which I told Sandra I would never read. Oh, well. I'm writing a paper on C.S. Lewis's views on theodicy (pain & suffering, why bad things happen to good people) and this book deals with that.
I also stopped in at Barnes & Noble to see if they had any of the harder to find books, but they did not. It was really difficult being in those stores without a) feeling like I could really relax and browse, b) buying a coffee, and c) having money to spend however I wanted. Oh, bookstores. How you torture me.
So, after yesterday's & today's quests, I have 2 books I want/need for papers, I've ordered 2 more online, I'll go to the library at school tomorrow to get a few more (even though I prefer having my own so I can write in them), and I may order one more if the library doesn't have it.
And let's not even talk about my final project for sexuality, okay? I'm pretending that's going to be easy.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Fallen
The topic for my sexuality class this week is sexual abuse, and if that's not a pick me up, I don't know what is. (Please, oh please, get the sarcasm there.)
I only had to read one chapter today, and it mostly talked about the effects of abuse and the characteristics of the perpetrators.
We're going to have to watch a video about abusers, and I saw that one of our essays this week needs to be talking about our response when we hear about abuse.
I usually immediately pray and say to God, "Forgive us." It's a prayer I use from time to time when I'm struck by our corruption and what we will stoop to do to one another and/or all that God has given us. It's my response to the oil spill. Forgive us. When people are cruel and unthinking and rash. Forgive us.
In those moments, I don't know if I want Jesus to come back soon or not yet. Sure, it would be a relief to be done with all this mess, but there are too many people who aren't ready. I want everyone to have a chance to know him. So many people have been shown a really crappy image of Christianity and have never actually been shown or told Good News. Forgive us.
I only had to read one chapter today, and it mostly talked about the effects of abuse and the characteristics of the perpetrators.
We're going to have to watch a video about abusers, and I saw that one of our essays this week needs to be talking about our response when we hear about abuse.
I usually immediately pray and say to God, "Forgive us." It's a prayer I use from time to time when I'm struck by our corruption and what we will stoop to do to one another and/or all that God has given us. It's my response to the oil spill. Forgive us. When people are cruel and unthinking and rash. Forgive us.
In those moments, I don't know if I want Jesus to come back soon or not yet. Sure, it would be a relief to be done with all this mess, but there are too many people who aren't ready. I want everyone to have a chance to know him. So many people have been shown a really crappy image of Christianity and have never actually been shown or told Good News. Forgive us.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Blerg
It's entirely likely that I've used the title "Blerg" before, but it's how my brain is feeling today.
As my sister says, today was entirely too Saturday for class, yet there I was from 8am-3pm. Ugh. Rather than bore you with details about class, I'll let you know that it was long, though it did not drag too much, a smidge tedious at times, and now I'm home.
I read a bit for fun, I quickly looked over the notes for tomorrow morning's h.s. study, and now I'm off to bed after catching up on TV shows. That is all.
As my sister says, today was entirely too Saturday for class, yet there I was from 8am-3pm. Ugh. Rather than bore you with details about class, I'll let you know that it was long, though it did not drag too much, a smidge tedious at times, and now I'm home.
I read a bit for fun, I quickly looked over the notes for tomorrow morning's h.s. study, and now I'm off to bed after catching up on TV shows. That is all.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Midterm
I did my midterm today, and I was pleased by the questions I got. We were given three cases and were supposed to tell how we would react or counsel the people involved. Here were mine:
#1 was about a woman who recently read books about egalitarianism and accuses her husband of male oppression while he tells her she should be cooking and taking care of the kids like the Bible says.
In a nutshell, I said I'd get them to both calm down and explain their positions rationally, and what they thought the other person was saying. Without ever making it seem like the husband is being corrected, talked down to, or chided, I would guide them through the Bible to see what it has to say on their issue. I think I'd start with Proverbs 31 and the picture of domestic life drawn there: woman works, makes her own money, has her own reputation and freedom, and her reputation and happiness bless her husband and his reputation.
Then I'd look at the creation account and make sure they see that there is no hierarchy involved other than God over Adam and Eve and their dominion over creation. From there, household codes in Colossians and Ephesians, if necessary, and a talk on mutual submission. Get them on the same team. I wrote for about 20 minutes on it, so I'm just recapping here.
#2 was perfect for me, because I was supposed to be talking with a young couple who live together and want to become members of the church. They claim that they're already married in God's eyes. It's perfect because this was me & Seth, but we were planning on getting married all along and never would have expected a church to let us become members.
In this case, I was both good cop and bad cop, in that I identify with their situation and I understand where they're coming from, but they also can't pretend to not expect that what they're doing is frowned upon. I'm sure that my professors expected me to use all the doom and gloom statistics about cohabitation that we learned, but being that they weren't/aren't true for me and Seth, they don't hold a lot of sway in my mind. But I did say that I'd bring them up and point out that not everyone can be "the lucky ones."
#3 was also good because it dealt with pastoral sexual harassment. The situation was that I had been in an internship for 10 months with a pastor bugging me, and what would I do now that I'm almost done? The first thing I said was that I'm surprised that I put up with it for 10 months! I basically said I would tell him to knock that s@*% out, and I'd go to the elder board and then the denomination, if I had to. I expressed the importance of protecting people, their souls, the church, etc etc.
Hopefully, they'll like my answers and I'll get good feedback on my decisions. As the time when I will actually be having more of these conversations draws nearer, I crave guidance.
#1 was about a woman who recently read books about egalitarianism and accuses her husband of male oppression while he tells her she should be cooking and taking care of the kids like the Bible says.
In a nutshell, I said I'd get them to both calm down and explain their positions rationally, and what they thought the other person was saying. Without ever making it seem like the husband is being corrected, talked down to, or chided, I would guide them through the Bible to see what it has to say on their issue. I think I'd start with Proverbs 31 and the picture of domestic life drawn there: woman works, makes her own money, has her own reputation and freedom, and her reputation and happiness bless her husband and his reputation.
Then I'd look at the creation account and make sure they see that there is no hierarchy involved other than God over Adam and Eve and their dominion over creation. From there, household codes in Colossians and Ephesians, if necessary, and a talk on mutual submission. Get them on the same team. I wrote for about 20 minutes on it, so I'm just recapping here.
#2 was perfect for me, because I was supposed to be talking with a young couple who live together and want to become members of the church. They claim that they're already married in God's eyes. It's perfect because this was me & Seth, but we were planning on getting married all along and never would have expected a church to let us become members.
In this case, I was both good cop and bad cop, in that I identify with their situation and I understand where they're coming from, but they also can't pretend to not expect that what they're doing is frowned upon. I'm sure that my professors expected me to use all the doom and gloom statistics about cohabitation that we learned, but being that they weren't/aren't true for me and Seth, they don't hold a lot of sway in my mind. But I did say that I'd bring them up and point out that not everyone can be "the lucky ones."
#3 was also good because it dealt with pastoral sexual harassment. The situation was that I had been in an internship for 10 months with a pastor bugging me, and what would I do now that I'm almost done? The first thing I said was that I'm surprised that I put up with it for 10 months! I basically said I would tell him to knock that s@*% out, and I'd go to the elder board and then the denomination, if I had to. I expressed the importance of protecting people, their souls, the church, etc etc.
Hopefully, they'll like my answers and I'll get good feedback on my decisions. As the time when I will actually be having more of these conversations draws nearer, I crave guidance.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Yesterday blew by
First, a housekeeping bit: almost always, my posts say one day, but they really count for the day before. I just keep writing after midnight. So, the blog claims that I posted 2 posts yesterday, but those were really Monday's. Yesterday, I completely forgot and really didn't have time to write. I got home from class around 11:30 and didn't even look at my computer.
Of course, I didn't really need to catch up on much because I had been online all through class. Ah, the internet. Don't worry, I'm still paying attention in class, it's just nice to be able to let my mind wander for a minute. I mostly did stuff online when my professor was repeating himself or on a tangent.
Today I've been reading over my notes, handouts, and powerpoint presentations from human sexuality since I have to do my midterm this week. I'm thinking that I'll do it tomorrow. We have all the questions that will be on it, but I just don't have it in me to write out all the answers ahead of time and then simply regurgitate them onto the test. We have 8 case studies to respond to and the site will randomly give us 3 of those. I'm not completely slacking, because I have been thinking about the cases a lot, and they only serve to illustrate my frustration with this class so far. We have to say how we would react as a pastor to these certain situations, and I feel like I don't know much more about that than I did 5 weeks ago, and that was what I was hoping would happen in this class. Oh, well.
I'll let you know which questions I get and if I was able to come up with something intelligent and loving. That's what my default will be: reacting in love and mercy, without throwing out all biblical guidelines.
Of course, I didn't really need to catch up on much because I had been online all through class. Ah, the internet. Don't worry, I'm still paying attention in class, it's just nice to be able to let my mind wander for a minute. I mostly did stuff online when my professor was repeating himself or on a tangent.
Today I've been reading over my notes, handouts, and powerpoint presentations from human sexuality since I have to do my midterm this week. I'm thinking that I'll do it tomorrow. We have all the questions that will be on it, but I just don't have it in me to write out all the answers ahead of time and then simply regurgitate them onto the test. We have 8 case studies to respond to and the site will randomly give us 3 of those. I'm not completely slacking, because I have been thinking about the cases a lot, and they only serve to illustrate my frustration with this class so far. We have to say how we would react as a pastor to these certain situations, and I feel like I don't know much more about that than I did 5 weeks ago, and that was what I was hoping would happen in this class. Oh, well.
I'll let you know which questions I get and if I was able to come up with something intelligent and loving. That's what my default will be: reacting in love and mercy, without throwing out all biblical guidelines.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Oh, yay
Today I am tired, crampy, tired, kinda headachey, sad, and tired.
I had my first class tonight, and it was fair. The professor says that tonight and tomorrow will be a lot of loading on of information as background and context for C.S. Lewis' thought and writing, so Thursday on will be better.
The good news is that a) we only have to read 1200 pages of material, and once we hit that point, we can stop. b) The books don't necessarily have to be read in the order he has put on the syllabus, so I don't have to try to get through Mere Christianity before Thursday. I could read it later and just fly through a couple short things first, if I wanted to. c) All the reading doesn't have to be done within these two weeks.
In sum, that is fabulous. Now I just have to think of 2 different topics for research papers related to C.S. Lewis. I have a few vague ideas floating around in my head, and I hope that they'll solidify (or clarify) themselves within a few days, because the papers are due sooner than I thought. (Not by next week, but we don't have until the end of the semester, either.)
I'm also pleased because I finally finished the reading for this week's lesson in Human Sexuality. I'm not quite sure why it was taking me so long, but I'm done now, so I can watch the lectures tomorrow, write my essays for the week, and maybe do my midterm on Wednesday when I don't have class.
Now? I'm off to lie in bed & finish Conservatize Me guilt-free, since a lot of schoolwork was done today.
I had my first class tonight, and it was fair. The professor says that tonight and tomorrow will be a lot of loading on of information as background and context for C.S. Lewis' thought and writing, so Thursday on will be better.
The good news is that a) we only have to read 1200 pages of material, and once we hit that point, we can stop. b) The books don't necessarily have to be read in the order he has put on the syllabus, so I don't have to try to get through Mere Christianity before Thursday. I could read it later and just fly through a couple short things first, if I wanted to. c) All the reading doesn't have to be done within these two weeks.
In sum, that is fabulous. Now I just have to think of 2 different topics for research papers related to C.S. Lewis. I have a few vague ideas floating around in my head, and I hope that they'll solidify (or clarify) themselves within a few days, because the papers are due sooner than I thought. (Not by next week, but we don't have until the end of the semester, either.)
I'm also pleased because I finally finished the reading for this week's lesson in Human Sexuality. I'm not quite sure why it was taking me so long, but I'm done now, so I can watch the lectures tomorrow, write my essays for the week, and maybe do my midterm on Wednesday when I don't have class.
Now? I'm off to lie in bed & finish Conservatize Me guilt-free, since a lot of schoolwork was done today.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I have nothing more positive to add about reading
I really want to be done with C.S. Lewis Remembered so that I can move on. I have finally started skimming, and I am skimming with glee. What are my fabulous plans? Well, when I finish this, I think that I may have to split my time between Inside Out (Maria V. Snyder) and ChiRunning. Of course, that will only last for a while, as my eagerness to not have to cram next week will have me either starting Mere Christianity, doing next week's homework for human sexuality, or both. I do have to write my midterm for that class next week, so I'd like to get that done ASAP so that I can enjoy the C.S. Lewis class without stress.
What have I not been reading much of lately? Oh, postings from my classmates. It really grates on my nerves that this class is so fascinating and deals with truly practical, if thorny, issues, but barely any conversation is taking place. We have weekly postings and are required to respond with some substance to at least two, but that is all anyone is doing. They may ask a question or bring up something interesting in a comment, but no one seems to go back and read the 3rd level postings, so no real conversation is taking place. It's really frustrating to me because I don't feel like I'm learning much from anyone or making any traction on figuring things out anymore. I'm just getting a little bit of push on my boundaries by the readings & lectures (which aren't all that different). I'm kind of sad.
What have I not been reading much of lately? Oh, postings from my classmates. It really grates on my nerves that this class is so fascinating and deals with truly practical, if thorny, issues, but barely any conversation is taking place. We have weekly postings and are required to respond with some substance to at least two, but that is all anyone is doing. They may ask a question or bring up something interesting in a comment, but no one seems to go back and read the 3rd level postings, so no real conversation is taking place. It's really frustrating to me because I don't feel like I'm learning much from anyone or making any traction on figuring things out anymore. I'm just getting a little bit of push on my boundaries by the readings & lectures (which aren't all that different). I'm kind of sad.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Sunshine, hearts, flowers, teddy bears
I feel like my internet presence has been a bit negative today, so I figured I'd blog a happy blog. At least slightly happy. Not pissy.
This most likely is only functioning as yesterday's blog, and we'll talk more later tonight when I'm done with today's reading.
All I really read yesterday was the assigned chapters in Authentic Human Sexuality or whatever the name of it is. This week we're talking about singleness and sexuality, which is something near to my heart. I do believe I'll be doing my final project on this subject, so you can expect to hear more about it, and I hope that some good conversations will happen both from this week's class discussion and if I end up putting a survey I'm designing up here.
I did go to the library yesterday, which was delightful, if overly tempting. I got ChiRunning, which I'm pretty excited about in a "gee, I hope the first chapter is magical and fixes everything and I'm never in pain again and have a 9 minute mile" sort of way. You know, realistic expectations and all. I also got a Maria V. Snyder book, which I'm not certain I'll like, but I do like her; John Moe's Conservatize Me (I think he is freaking hilarious on twitter); and one of the C.S. Lewis books I need for class. Oh, The Great Divorce, which I'm surprised I don't own, being that I love it.
The problem with this lovely pile of books is that I want to read all of them. Today. And I shouldn't. I need to read the C.S. Lewis books for next week first, y'know. It makes sense.
So, I'm off to read more of C.S. Lewis Remembered, which isn't a bad read, at all. It's just going slowly because I actually want to read every word, which takes so much time. I'm trying to get myself to skim. C'mon, Robin. Do it. Skim the book and get it over with.
Go go go go go!
This most likely is only functioning as yesterday's blog, and we'll talk more later tonight when I'm done with today's reading.
All I really read yesterday was the assigned chapters in Authentic Human Sexuality or whatever the name of it is. This week we're talking about singleness and sexuality, which is something near to my heart. I do believe I'll be doing my final project on this subject, so you can expect to hear more about it, and I hope that some good conversations will happen both from this week's class discussion and if I end up putting a survey I'm designing up here.
I did go to the library yesterday, which was delightful, if overly tempting. I got ChiRunning, which I'm pretty excited about in a "gee, I hope the first chapter is magical and fixes everything and I'm never in pain again and have a 9 minute mile" sort of way. You know, realistic expectations and all. I also got a Maria V. Snyder book, which I'm not certain I'll like, but I do like her; John Moe's Conservatize Me (I think he is freaking hilarious on twitter); and one of the C.S. Lewis books I need for class. Oh, The Great Divorce, which I'm surprised I don't own, being that I love it.
The problem with this lovely pile of books is that I want to read all of them. Today. And I shouldn't. I need to read the C.S. Lewis books for next week first, y'know. It makes sense.
So, I'm off to read more of C.S. Lewis Remembered, which isn't a bad read, at all. It's just going slowly because I actually want to read every word, which takes so much time. I'm trying to get myself to skim. C'mon, Robin. Do it. Skim the book and get it over with.
Go go go go go!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Skimming C.S. Lewis just feels wrong
But I'm doing it anyway. Today I have been flying through Surprised by Joy, and I had wanted to wait to blog until I was done, I'm getting tired & just wanted to write already.
I'm skimming it because it's the autobiography of his faith life, he's really big on description and things that, for the purposes of my class, don't matter all that much, and I want it done and some other books of his done before class starts next Monday.
As always, it's a pleasant read, with only a few references to classics and things about which I know little to nothing. He has spurred in me an interest in reading more classics, though. Maybe I'll give The Faerie Queen a try one of these days. I also like that he appreciates the Bröntes and Jane Austen; not segregating them into "feminine" literature as is done nowadays.
Though his lengthy descriptions can sometimes be a bit tedious if you just want to get on with the action, in one chapter he takes the time to describe in some detail the view from one of his favorite walks overlooking Belfast, and it is just beautiful. He purposely describes it for the benefit of those who have never seen it, in the context of his growing love of the beauty of nature. Perhaps, just as an exercise, I'll set about writing a detailed description of something, just to stretch that aspect of my writing. Don't worry, I won't post it here.
I'm skimming it because it's the autobiography of his faith life, he's really big on description and things that, for the purposes of my class, don't matter all that much, and I want it done and some other books of his done before class starts next Monday.
As always, it's a pleasant read, with only a few references to classics and things about which I know little to nothing. He has spurred in me an interest in reading more classics, though. Maybe I'll give The Faerie Queen a try one of these days. I also like that he appreciates the Bröntes and Jane Austen; not segregating them into "feminine" literature as is done nowadays.
Though his lengthy descriptions can sometimes be a bit tedious if you just want to get on with the action, in one chapter he takes the time to describe in some detail the view from one of his favorite walks overlooking Belfast, and it is just beautiful. He purposely describes it for the benefit of those who have never seen it, in the context of his growing love of the beauty of nature. Perhaps, just as an exercise, I'll set about writing a detailed description of something, just to stretch that aspect of my writing. Don't worry, I won't post it here.
Friday, July 09, 2010
A strange day
I really don't know why it has been a strange day, but it had been. I slept later than I wanted, and I went to the gym pretty early, but it was all a bit off. My plans for the gym were changed in the middle being that I wore the wrong shoes, and I just got in a semi-foul mood.
Reading: I read a bit of Remembering C.S. Lewis at the gym, but my frustrating day made me just want to escape into Harry Potter.
I also read a lot of food labels, as I went to Costco to stock up on more things we could eat. While they don't really have a lot of alternative foods for a gluten-free diet, I bought a metric ton of fruit, which is lovely.
Reading: I read a bit of Remembering C.S. Lewis at the gym, but my frustrating day made me just want to escape into Harry Potter.
I also read a lot of food labels, as I went to Costco to stock up on more things we could eat. While they don't really have a lot of alternative foods for a gluten-free diet, I bought a metric ton of fruit, which is lovely.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Busy Day
I slept in later than I wanted to, and I may have taken a nap on the sunny couch this afternoon.
Those factors, together with the 3 hours of homework I did today (go, me!) means that I'm just now about to get to work on some reading for today. Sure, I snatched a page here and there in Harry Potter, but I mostly was watching lectures, then I wrote my essays for the week and started on my next paper due next week. It was a productive afternoon. I also cleaned, made dinner, then Seth & I watched Remember Me.
So, it is 10:45, I'm a little bit tired, but Harry is tracking down Regulus' locket and the Death Eaters are amassing outside of No 12 Grimmauld Place. How about this: I solemnly swear I am up...no later than 1am. Deal? Okay. Deal.
Those factors, together with the 3 hours of homework I did today (go, me!) means that I'm just now about to get to work on some reading for today. Sure, I snatched a page here and there in Harry Potter, but I mostly was watching lectures, then I wrote my essays for the week and started on my next paper due next week. It was a productive afternoon. I also cleaned, made dinner, then Seth & I watched Remember Me.
So, it is 10:45, I'm a little bit tired, but Harry is tracking down Regulus' locket and the Death Eaters are amassing outside of No 12 Grimmauld Place. How about this: I solemnly swear I am up...no later than 1am. Deal? Okay. Deal.
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