Spring Semester

I realize I have lapsed a bit in my blog writing, and I apologize. The middler year has been very intense but awesome. Over the January term I took Presbyterian Worship where I learned to worship Presbyterian-ly and prepared for the Sacrament and Worship Ordination Exam.

Here are my classes for the spring semester:
Presbyterian History and Theology
Crossing the Deep River (exploring the Exodus event and the interpretation of the event particularly focusing on African-American experiences from the 19th Century to the modern day)
Jewish Biblical Interpretation (taught by a professor from Jewish Theological Seminary in NYC)

I am also trying out for the play, "The Merchant of Venice." It's a fascinating play with lots of interesting religious questions that arise from it.

I'm also still working at Rider University. This semester I will be leading a Lenten reflection group.

It's going to be a busy semester, but I'm very excited about it!

First Hymn

Ok, I realize it may have been confusing that my last post was labeled "Another Hymn." I apologize. I thought I uploaded my first hymn earlier. For my Congregational Music course I had to versify a Psalm to a well-known hymn tune as part of my final. Here it is. My rendition of Psalm 13 "God, I Cry Out to You in Woe" to the tune HAMBURG which is the tune of the hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."

Another hymn

As part of a theological reflection in my Feminist and Womanist Theologies class I decided to write a hymn. Well, actually, I didn't quite decide to; but inspiration struck, and now I have another hymn to share!

Tune: DIX (known most popularly in the Presbyterian Hymnal as "For the Beauty of the Earth")

Last Week of Classes

This week is the last week of classes at PTS. What a semester! I have so much work to do before going home. Today I had a rehearsal for a faux wedding for my Word and Act class, run around like a maniac making sure everything was in place for worship in the evening, worked at the Speech Department, attended a two hour lecture on arts and worship, led the service and preached at Rider, worked on my final for my Congregational Music class, began making flash cards for my worship class final, and talked to my parents. I told them I was going to bed an hour ago. I was just going to return a couple of e-mails! It took an hour!

All this is say, this is the season of Advent. This is a season where we can get caught up in the hustle and bustle. I encourage all of you to take some time to allow the Spirit to move. Don't get caught up like me! I promise I'll try to be better. Every day is a new day in God's creation and a new chance to work for peace in our lives and in our world.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9

Alternative Christmas

Hey, guys. I know it's mid-November, but it's a good time to start thinking about alternative Christmas gifts. Here's some ideas!

Child's Play
A charity dedicated to bringing toys, games, books, and movies to children's hospitals in the USA and worldwide. On their website you can click on a hospital local or far away, and you're taken to Amazon to view the hospital's wish list. Giving is as easy as purchasing something on Amazon!

Heifer International
Take a look at their catalog and select an animal or animals to send to needy families. They're not giving a hand out; they're giving a hand up. Animals supply these families with food and a livelihood. A flock of chicks or ducks cost only $20.

The Sharing Network
The Sharing Network of New Jersey supports patients, donors, and families during organ transplants. There are over 4500 people waiting for a lifesaving transplant in New Jersey. Please consider The Sharing Network and your local organ donation network.

Kiva
Micro-loans that help lift people in undeveloped countries out of poverty. It's the gift that keeps giving! Your money will come back to you so you can loan it again!

Teach for America
I have some friends doing Teach for America. It's hard work trying to eliminate educational inequality.

Mercer Street Friends Food Bank
A great local food bank that focuses on giving healthy food along with health services to the underprivileged in my local community. I've volunteered with them several times, and they have a large presence in some of our K-12 schools where they literally fill up children's backpacks with food.

Stand Up Against Bullying in Your Community

Anti-Bullying PSA From NOH8 Campaign @ Yahoo! Video

Diana Butler Bass

Yesterday and today I was the sexton for lectures by Diana Butler Bass. She was speaking on her latest book A People's History of Christianity as well as our Alumni Reunion Week theme "From Gutenberg to Google." The picture's not great, but it proves that it happened. She also signed my Practicing Congregation. Dr. Bass, or as she's known around campus "D.B.B.", has her PhD in church history from Duke and has done incredible work about the modern Mainline church. Her new book is the first history of the Christian church written for mass reading (not as a textbook) since 1965. She's an Episcopal layperson who is calling for the renewal of the Mainline denominations to ask good questions about how we live our Christian faith in this new digital age. She said that the reason the 95 Theses had such an impact was because Luther had the gall to ask the tough questions that were coming out of the culture that other church people weren't asking or thought weren't important. She lectured on how the digital age is changing how we think, and apparently I'm a "digital native." uch of computer, internet, etc. is "natural" to me while perhaps some of my readers might not know about the purpose of the hyperlinks on my blog or what they do.
I highly suggest reading her books and seeing her in person if you can. I'm currently reading A People's History, and I really like it. If this is what writing church history is, I may jump on that wagon.