Off to Western Massachusetts

Early tomorrow morning at 0-Dark-Thirty (as my friend Pat Kirkland says), I leave from O'Hare airport with classmates Davies and Barb for our Plunge! site at Good Shepherd Church.

E-mail contact and blogging will be spotty or may not happen at all. May everyone be safe, and return with Spirit-filled stories and great memories. My group returns to Evanston on Monday, November 7.

White Sox!

They won the World Series! Yay!!
And yes, watching baseball now is officially part of my seminary formation.

I will be wearing white socks tomorrow.

How to Tell When Someone Has a Passion for Conducting

I was so blessed to spend the whole weekend with my family. John arrived, totally unsuspecting that Noah would show up from northern Ohio one minute before we needed to leave for John's birthday dinner at Koi. Noah and I pulled off the surprise of his being here on Saturday, too, to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday.

Aside from those delightful minutes of surprise, my favorite moment was at Koi, realizing the strength of Noah's passion for conducting. He picked up a chopstick and turned it into a baton, gracefully conducting some phantom musicians at our table.

Apparently, some conducting students at Oberlin walk the conservatory halls with their batons, finding that other students take their downbeats seriously...singing gustily right in the middle of a random corridor!

Emotionally,it was tough when Noah left on Saturday, then John and Maggie on Sunday. We'll be together next on Thanksgiving weekend. In the meantime, I welcome prayer support for our upcoming plunge experience in western Massachusetts. I'm feeling surprisingly anxious about the unknowns of this trip. Maybe I'll take a pair of chopsticks along to remind me of Noah.

Warming Up

It's a very good thing that Wolf turned on the heat at the seminary tonight! I hope I haven't been nasty to anyone this week (see below).

You Are Apple Cider

Smooth and comforting. But downright nasty when cold.

What Part of Fall Are You?

Happy Birthday, Plantman!

October 18 is a red letter day in our household for a couple of reasons. We observe the feast day of St. Luke. I've always been drawn to Luke's gospel because of its use of rich language and poetic quality. Luke makes me want to sing!

Today also is Plantman's birthday. I thank God for every day with him. Happiness, grace and joy to you today, Plantman!

Yep.

I do eat with chopsticks a lot.

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary. People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Quirks

Preaching class today was more fun than I had expected, even if I also was moved to tears more than once by my classmates during our 2-minute "something I care about" speeches.

To any of you who said that you missed my "quirks" while I spoke this morning, I need your help identifying just what those quirks are. Since I can't watch myself, I really don't know!

Formation Queries

How are we made into better servants by living and praying in spaces that are much too cold, too hot, or too smoky? Did the heat get cut out of this year's budget? Is falling ceiling plaster meant to enhance our dreams at night? (Didn't work for me - I was too startled by the "splat" sound to go back to sleep.)

I know that I should be grateful to have a roof over my head, but...I wonder, those of you who lived in seminary housing and then moved on, are these things funny later? Can someone help adjust my attitude?

No Big Surprise

(Thanks to the recent Birthday Girl for this moment of entertainment.)



You are Schroeder!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
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Going Home

I'm headed to Iowa right after Preaching class this morning. I haven't been back since leaving there on September 13th. For any of you hunting for me on the block, I'll return on Monday afternoon, hopefully in a lighter frame of mind.

Our Bishop is Still Here

I never expected Bishop Alan to spend much of the past two days with us, and then call to say that he'd be free again after 9 p.m. tonight (after 2 days of Episcopal-Methodist "dialogue") if we all wanted to get together. So it is that Beth P and I have been participating in an ordination, hosting and visiting and introducing our bishop, and otherwise completely being taken away from our academic assignments. It's now nearly midnight, and the reality of an ethics paper will be upon us in the morning -- plus the reading assignments for two other classes that will happen.....how?

Even so, it's gratifying that Alan still is talking about my having taken him yesterday to the Shakespeare garden so that we could talk about formation and ordination and pray for each other in a quiet space away from the seminary. He all but accused me of being a Methodist. I objected: "A Methodist?!" "It's your poetic soul," he explained. "Don't ever lose your poetic soul."

On that note, I suppose I should go to bed. Meanwhile, if someone could enlighten me as to how on earth I can produce a ethics paper by tomorrow night, read two books, send out the student government minutes, plan Convocation, and finish the Ordo for next week before I go back to Iowa at noon on Friday, I'd be most grateful.

Our bishop is here

With only fifteen minutes to spare, Alan, bishop of Iowa, arrived last night to ordain Tim to the priesthood. Within minutes, he was in the processional line, as good-humored, humble and present as always.

Alan has just returned from the House of Bishops meeting in Puerto Rico, made several congregational visits, and is here with his three seminarians till Wednesday, when he flies to Brechin. When I expressed gratitude that he carved out these days for us, Alan said, "It's important to me to spend time with you." Today, he's taking Mitch, Beth and me to lunch at The Celtic Knot, and then meeting with us individually for as long as we need.

I do know that we are blessed. I knew this keenly when my bishop placed communion bread into my palm, squeezing my hand as his eyes welled up with emotion. It's a treat to accompany him today as we worship in the chapel.