We seem to have celebrated Labor Day around here by laboring. I spent much of the week-end writing a sermon and a paper. The sermon is for a preaching opportunity in a couple of weeks: two tiny yoked churches some distance south of here, some of those churches without a pastor which contact seminaries to supply them with Sunday preaching. I had started it several days ago and it wasn't going well and then, suddenly: there it was. I thought I'd better write it down quick.
The paper is the first one for my program in spiritual direction. Let's just say that trying to combine Aquinas, Ignatius, Teilhard, Rahner, Mary Oliver, and my own experiences all into five succinct pages was something of a challenge. I suppose I've left out some critical insight. But I have loved thinking about what I've been thinking about: Creator and creatures, science and theology, God's invitation to us to labor with God in redemptive creation.
My husband's been pulling down hallway wallpaper. He took the pictures off the walls in January, so I'd say we're moving right along. We are down to the studs where water damaged the plaster oh, maybe ten years ago. I hope he is feeling ambitious when he gazes at that corner.
I've been backing up photo files and filling bags with water-damaged papers from the basement flood, the one that happened when I was in Ontario. I can't say that I've accomplished a lot, but I've accomplished a little.
Back to seminary in the morning. Now if I can just straighten out my schedule and thereby cease obsessing over the irritation of not having accomplished the only thing I actually cared about accomplishing during orientation last week . . . .
8 comments:
I always find writing papers in seminary are such a struggle, but a joy, too. Bet yours is good.
When I went to seminary it had been 20 years since I was in college. And, my undergrad was in dance...so, well, I was completely inexperienced in academic writing of any kind...it was a real shock! Thankfully I had great professors and wonderful classmates who helped me ramp up and learn the technique of academic writing... You, on the other hand...I'm sure your paper is fabulous! (ok, it is all relative, you will only continue to learn and grow and become a more wonderful writer from this point forward!).
I'm completely jealous that you are writing papers and are in that clean slate, start of the year stage. I am very glad that you are blogging about this adventure.
Hope improvement projects happen at the same glacial pace at our house.
yes, brings back memories. I went back to sem after 11 years, and had a similar fear as mompriest, that I wouldn't be able to do it. It did come back to me.
Sounds like an interesting topic.
It was a lot more than 11 years for me ... started seminary when I was 51! And, if I could do it ... and love it ... I know you will too! (Best years of my life ...those seminary years!) Thanks for sharing the journey with us.
Aquinas, Ignatius, Teilhard, Rahner, Mary Oliver, and your own experiences all into five succinct pages.....my goodness, you do aim right up there don't you! Actually it sounds fabulous and interesting. I'm sure you did it justice. I'm so glad you are sharing this journey with us.
I don't know that I could write a five page paper anymore.
Actually, I probably could, but it would not be pretty...
I meant to ask...do you stay in the dorms during the week and then go home every weekend? THAT must be fun...
Blessings to you on the journey and the process. The idea of it wasn't going well and then suddenly.. seems to be a repeating theme for me so far. I suspect that it goes well when we stop trying to make it all happen and start listening. Or at least I think that is so for me. Takes me back to a Walter Wangerin course on prayer: we talk; God listens; God talks; we listen. Hard to remember that it takes all four. Thinking of you as I head to DC for a consortium event tomorrow. I think I am ending up with at a monastery. I am hopeful and excited for both of us.
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