First Test

Tomorrow is our first test in summer Biblical Greek. Everyone is handling this task differently. Some people are freaking out and cramming as hard as they can. Some people are really confident in their skills. I'm somewhere in between. I'm feeling pretty confident, but I'm also nervous.

The good[?] news is this is only the first of many tests, so once we get the format down it's just a matter of using the information we've been given.

We are One in the Spirit

Today two very awesome things happened during group prayer.

#1
In our weekly chapel we say the Lord's prayer together at the end of the pastoral prayer. Normal stuff, right? Today I noticed that during the Lord's prayer "debts", "sins", and "trespasses" were all used. Instead of conforming to the way a church body normally prays like most people do when they visit a church, the chapel group paused and waited for the longer version to finish before picking up the ending together then paused again to allow some people to say "forever and ever" before saying "amen". This may sound like a little thing that doesn't matter, but to me, this matters. To me this small act of pausing tells me how open to different traditions and beliefs Princeton Seminary is. When I have visited churches that don't use "sins/those who sin against us" I have felt like my prayer was interrupted by the sudden cut off my of sentence. Now, congregations don't mean to cut people off. Most of the time congregations pray the way they've prayed. There's nothing wrong with that. To me, this was a very special, loving, embracing thing.

#2
During a small group prayer in my dorm, every person prayed out loud individually for general or specific things. I think we all prayed for rest and stress relief. When a gal named Sarang began to pray, she prayed in Korean. It took me a second to realize someone was praying in a foreign language, but it was wonderful. Instead of listening to the specific words someone was using, I heard the spirit of the prayer. I was able to keep my mind silent and listen for the Holy Spirit.

"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord; and we pray that all unity will someday be restored. And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love."

Advice

You know how you're always warned to take other people's advice with a grain of salt?

Today I learned that lesson all over again.

My professor and preceptor were giving us some ideas for the intensive studying we're doing every day. Someone said that getting off campus was a good idea, and I asked if there were any good coffee places nearby that weren't so small you felt bad about sitting at a table for a could of hours. I was given a sound piece of advice to go to "the Panera by the Target".

It took me over half an hour to find this Panera that is less than ten minutes away from Princeton Seminary. So here's the lesson: take advice but get real directions.

Faith's Mission Statement

My home church, Faith Presbyterian, has been actively seeking new ways to share God with others. One part of this quest is developing a new mission statement. Since I am not at home I sometimes am not as connected as I would like to be to my home church, and I was pleased to read on Dr. Tom's website that Faith has a new mission statement. Here it is:

“We follow Christ as Lord, relying on the Spirit’s guidance and worshiping God with our lives by serving our neighbors, cultivating community, and inviting others to join the exploration of faith.”

I have so much trouble saying things with few words, and this mission statement has done what I have so much trouble doing. In one sentence Faith has a mission statement, a goal, a philosophy of life, a strong theology, and several ways to focus all our gifts into the same vision.
Alleluia! Amen!

For more information:
http://tomtrinidad.wordpress.com/
http://www.faithprescs.org/

Class time

Now that I've been in class for a week I have adapted to the schedule.

Breakfast
8:45-10:00am Precept--Quiz and homework review
10:00-10:45am Break/Chapel on Wednesdays
10:45-11:30am Plenary--New material
11:30-12:15pm Precept--Questions, drills, and sight reading
Lunch
Studying/Homework
3:00-4:00pm Tutoring

During the evening I've been hanging out with other students and going on long walks. Trying to find a balance from the high academic load. Every day we have a quiz over the previous day's material. I really like my precept. There are ten of us in the group, and our teacher is a PhD student named Amy who is doing her dissertation on Hebrews. We're in Stuart with small tables and large windows. My table partner is a guy named Noah who used to work in the business world [specifically bulk coffee]. He took a year and worked as a church intern before coming to Princeton.
The food is pretty good here which is good news because I'll be eating there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three years. There's a good variety every day. I've been picking up anything in a tortilla or otherwise covered without asking what's in it. It's been a fun journey. Also fresh fruit and fresh salad stuff.

Sisters

I have recently become aware of how many of my fellow female seminarians have come from traditions that do not ordain women and had to convert in order to follow their Call. I am constantly amazed at the strength of these women in difficult times, and I just wanted to give a quick word of encouragement to all my sisters in the faith.

Remember to act like a church bell. No matter how hard something hits you, make a beautiful sound.


[This is paraphrased from a nun I heard on NPR. I apologize but I can't remember her name or her order. If someone recognizes the sentiment and the original speaker, please let me know.]

Princeton!!!

I have officially begun my seminary experience. On Sunday I moved into Brown Hall on the Princeton Seminary campus [with the help of my wonderful father and a couple of returning students]. Since then I have met too many people to count, and everyone has been warm and welcoming. I think it was a good idea to come in the summer because that meant fewer people were moving in at once. With a loaned hand cart and the elevator moving was pretty easy. My room is bigger than I thought it would be. Plus I don't have a room mate! I appreciate that everyone had their own space here. On Sunday my new friend Sara and I went to Hoagie Haven for dinner. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
Then on Monday we had a light orientation with things like a library tour, an opening worship service, etc. We had an abbreviated first day of class. Today was our first real day of class. We meet in small groups first to take a quiz and go over homework, then have a break, then go into a lecture to introduce new material, then go back into small groups to clear up any questions. This class lasts all morning, and there are review sessions in the afternoon. There's a lot of work, but we don't have anything else to focus on other than the community and language.
I'm taking Biblical Greek with about twenty other people from all over the country and one gal from Korea. There are many incredible people in my class including a couple who just got back from teaching English in Hong Kong. We're using Learn to Read New Testament Greek by David Black. About everyday we learn one chapter, more or less. It's a year of Greek in two months. I'll keep you updated on how it's going.

The picture is of Stuart Hall where our classes are held.