More New Beginnings

So far, so good. Actually, so far, great!

This year I will be doing what's called field education -- essentially, an internship. I'm doing it in a church in my home city rather than in my seminary city a couple of hours away, which makes great good sense in terms of participating in worship on Sunday. (For at least the first quarter, all of my seminary classes are on Mondays and Tuesdays. My two-city life will become more complicated after Thanksgiving, but we will persevere.)

It makes great good sense in other ways as well, as I will continue learning about ministry in a theologically progressive, community-minded, social justice-oriented church. The building is a magnificent historical structure in a university setting, which is also home to several of our city's finest cultural institutions. Great preaching, great music. A vibrant regional congregation. And all of it a mile's walk from my own front porch!

This morning I stopped in for a meeting of the interreligious task force of an interfaith organization, and returned after lunch for the weekly staff meeting. So I've had a chance to meet some people and introduce myself, and I feel warmly welcomed indeed. I've got work to do and plans to make -- and, I think, a terrific year ahead.