Another good week of classes in! One good thing about being in Minnesota this week was that I didn't have to hear a lot about the Packers horrible loss! Monday night I visited my cousin Carrie and her family to watch the game. Other than the loss, we had a great time. My goddaughter Audrey is just starting kindergarten, so we were able to compare our stacks of homework. In the process Carrie reminded her that those were actually just workbooks bought at Target. Still, its good to see that she takes her education seriously! :)
Today in discipleship group one of our members gave a short presentation to learn about Islam. I found it very helpful. From her research, she believed one of the key points to growth in Christian-Muslim relations is mutual respect, especially Christians being more respectful of the religion of Islam. (Esposito, Who Speaks for Muslims?) Overall, the conversation was very fruitful and I was thankful for that time to learn from her.
I also listened to a lecture today by Elizabeth Marquardt on children and divorce. The most interesting aspect of the lecture was about a study done with people recounting the biblical story of the prodigal son. Children who came from married homes heard the story in the traditional sense emphasizing the parent-like love of God who welcomes us back. Children from divorced homes often saw the story in terms of the prodigal parent who left home, only they never returned. The point was made that the Church needs to be cognizant of these experiences, and include them into the life of the Church so these children can feel welcome.
Just a few tidbits from the week! Now I am hoping to get caught up on some homework as well as sleep! God bless.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Christian response
All around our country, including on the campus of Luther Seminary, people are abuzz with the talk of the current hot topic of Islam in America. On Good Morning America yesterday, they hosted a panel of teens to discuss this very issue. Topics addressed included: Muslim and Christian relations in a post 9/11 era, the building of the Mosque near ground zero, and the attempted burning of the Quran in Florida. It's fascinating to see these issues through the lens of America's youth. (Check it out on the ABC website) My discipleship group is also preparing to talk about this issue, so it has been on my mind. Consider these only a few thoughts on the matter and not in anyway a comprehensive effort. (Also a shout out to the MHS journalism class who is tackling some of these tough issues in their student newspaper with amazing insight. Great work!)
There is a statistic floating around that 80% of New Yorkers oppose the building of the Mosque near ground zero. However, this small sampling of teens did not follow this trend. Most of the non-Muslim participants seem to think it was well within the rights of this particular Muslim community to build this Mosque and community center. The sole voice opposed brings perhaps the most interesting dynamic to the conversation. This voice is the 14 year old son of the pastor from Florida whose Church planned the Quran burning. There was at least one other Christian in the group, a Catholic teen girl. She believed the attempted Quran burning and prejudice against Muslims was morally wrong. And yet, the voice most featured was the one of the pastor's son, who used a single and obscure Bible verse to justify his opinion on the matter.
This moment in the history of our country is one of great significance. We have the opportunity to build a bridge between the Muslim and non-Muslim Americans, or we have the opportunity to further the schisms that already exist. As a Christian, I believe it's the Christian community's responsibility to extend the grace and love of Jesus rather than choose hatred. Jesus spoke prophetic words of loving one's neighbor, loving one's enemy, and calling peacemakers blessed. This humble service and love for others is not an easy path. But it's the path we are called to follow if we truly seek to be disciples of Christ. All too often the media only vocalizes the voices of hate, so hopefully people can begin speaking messages of love to counter that. Just a few musings to ponder as you see all of these stories out there in the media!
There is a statistic floating around that 80% of New Yorkers oppose the building of the Mosque near ground zero. However, this small sampling of teens did not follow this trend. Most of the non-Muslim participants seem to think it was well within the rights of this particular Muslim community to build this Mosque and community center. The sole voice opposed brings perhaps the most interesting dynamic to the conversation. This voice is the 14 year old son of the pastor from Florida whose Church planned the Quran burning. There was at least one other Christian in the group, a Catholic teen girl. She believed the attempted Quran burning and prejudice against Muslims was morally wrong. And yet, the voice most featured was the one of the pastor's son, who used a single and obscure Bible verse to justify his opinion on the matter.
This moment in the history of our country is one of great significance. We have the opportunity to build a bridge between the Muslim and non-Muslim Americans, or we have the opportunity to further the schisms that already exist. As a Christian, I believe it's the Christian community's responsibility to extend the grace and love of Jesus rather than choose hatred. Jesus spoke prophetic words of loving one's neighbor, loving one's enemy, and calling peacemakers blessed. This humble service and love for others is not an easy path. But it's the path we are called to follow if we truly seek to be disciples of Christ. All too often the media only vocalizes the voices of hate, so hopefully people can begin speaking messages of love to counter that. Just a few musings to ponder as you see all of these stories out there in the media!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Trinity Rocks!
Hello All,
Another week in St. Paul down. I am writing this from Trinity Lutheran Church in Eau Claire. I just met with pastors Heather and Jim. Trinity has graciously agreed to be my teaching community for the fall! This is another requirement for the Mdiv (Masters of Divinity) program. I have to be in a congregation for 4 semesters as an introduction to practical ministry before an internship. This works out well considering I am already involved with ministry at Trinity. I am really excited to be working with Jim, Heather, and Kurt for this process.
Another exciting thing that happened this past week was that I recieved two more scholarships! One is a Siebert Foundation Scholarship which is given to ELCA ministry candidates in Wisconsin. The other is called the Olson Scholarship. I am looking into finding out more about the namesake for this scholarship. God is good! This is just another example of the ways that God's grace can surprise us and lift us up just when we need it. :)
Classes went well this week. Chad and I are getting into the routine of our school schedules. We have been skying a lot, which is great. Chad, being the great teacher that he is, has helped me out with my English grammar when needed. Learning Greek requires you to understand grammar and syntax on a much deeper level than we as English speakers usually learn. In English we rely heavily on word order to show function of words. In Greek, every word is inflected to show the tense, person, and function. For instance we understand that a noun is a direct object because it comes after the verb and by using context clues. In Greek, the noun is inflected in the accusative form to show that its being used as a direct object. So point being.... it helps to be married to an English teacher.
Well I am off to Wednesday evening worship where I get to reconnect with my Crossword (youth praise team) peeps!
Peace.
Another week in St. Paul down. I am writing this from Trinity Lutheran Church in Eau Claire. I just met with pastors Heather and Jim. Trinity has graciously agreed to be my teaching community for the fall! This is another requirement for the Mdiv (Masters of Divinity) program. I have to be in a congregation for 4 semesters as an introduction to practical ministry before an internship. This works out well considering I am already involved with ministry at Trinity. I am really excited to be working with Jim, Heather, and Kurt for this process.
Another exciting thing that happened this past week was that I recieved two more scholarships! One is a Siebert Foundation Scholarship which is given to ELCA ministry candidates in Wisconsin. The other is called the Olson Scholarship. I am looking into finding out more about the namesake for this scholarship. God is good! This is just another example of the ways that God's grace can surprise us and lift us up just when we need it. :)
Classes went well this week. Chad and I are getting into the routine of our school schedules. We have been skying a lot, which is great. Chad, being the great teacher that he is, has helped me out with my English grammar when needed. Learning Greek requires you to understand grammar and syntax on a much deeper level than we as English speakers usually learn. In English we rely heavily on word order to show function of words. In Greek, every word is inflected to show the tense, person, and function. For instance we understand that a noun is a direct object because it comes after the verb and by using context clues. In Greek, the noun is inflected in the accusative form to show that its being used as a direct object. So point being.... it helps to be married to an English teacher.
Well I am off to Wednesday evening worship where I get to reconnect with my Crossword (youth praise team) peeps!
Peace.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Agape
As many of you know Agape is a Greek word for love. As you may not know, it is also the name of Christian rap/hip hop group from the twin cities. This week in my early Church history class I learned about the early Christians tradition of the agape feast. Today in chapel I joined in singing the chorus of the song "All are Welcome" by Agape as Dave rapped about everyone having a space in the Church, even those outcast by disease, lifestyles, and sin. Needless to say its been an interesting week, full of God's surprising grace and agape love.
Studying the worship tradition of the early Church was the most interesting aspect of all my learning this week. I find it fascinating to see some of the traditions that have lasted for thousands of years. The first Christians, meaning those who lived within the first couple hundred years after Jesus, had their major worship service on the first day of the week, Sunday. This was to celebrate the day of the resurrection of Jesus. The Eucharist (which means give thanks), was the most important element of the service. First there was a time of teaching, reading Scripture, prayers, and singing. This was open to all. Then the baptized believers shared in the communion, which was a very joyous celebration.
I felt that joy today as we worshiped together and shared in communion in chapel. Having the hip hop music made it feel like a true celebration! Its interesting to note that the emphasis on Christ's suffering and passion during communion did not come about until the medieval times. The early Christians held Wednesdays and Fridays for days of fasting and meditating on the more somber themes of suffering and confession. It was fun to find that tidbit about the joy of the eucharist amdist much of the suffering that the early Church endured due to persecution by the Roman government. Hopefully you found it of some interest as well!
Thanks again for all of the prayers and best wishes! Keep them coming, and have a good rest of the week.
Jami
Studying the worship tradition of the early Church was the most interesting aspect of all my learning this week. I find it fascinating to see some of the traditions that have lasted for thousands of years. The first Christians, meaning those who lived within the first couple hundred years after Jesus, had their major worship service on the first day of the week, Sunday. This was to celebrate the day of the resurrection of Jesus. The Eucharist (which means give thanks), was the most important element of the service. First there was a time of teaching, reading Scripture, prayers, and singing. This was open to all. Then the baptized believers shared in the communion, which was a very joyous celebration.
I felt that joy today as we worshiped together and shared in communion in chapel. Having the hip hop music made it feel like a true celebration! Its interesting to note that the emphasis on Christ's suffering and passion during communion did not come about until the medieval times. The early Christians held Wednesdays and Fridays for days of fasting and meditating on the more somber themes of suffering and confession. It was fun to find that tidbit about the joy of the eucharist amdist much of the suffering that the early Church endured due to persecution by the Roman government. Hopefully you found it of some interest as well!
Thanks again for all of the prayers and best wishes! Keep them coming, and have a good rest of the week.
Jami
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Classes Begin
I just finished up with my first week of classes! I only am only living on campus Monday through Wednesday, so I have a short week in St. Paul. For my first semester I am taking 4 classes including Reading the Audiences, Telling the Story, History of the Early Church and online Greek. Today we also met with our discipleship groups. This is a group that we will stay with for the entire span of our programs, so its great to get to know these people. Most of these people are also juniors (first years) in the Masters of Divinity program like me.
Yesterday, I had Church History and Reading the Audiences. My Church History class is taught by Dr. Farog, who is a coptic nun. This brings an interesting perspective to the class considering that a lot of early Church history takes place in Northern Africa. Reading the audiences is a class that looks at demographics and statistics to gage what the makeup of a congregation consists of, as well as the city or town around the church. The idea is that if you know more about the people in your church and in your area, the better you can serve and reach out to them. This has proven to be the most interesting class to me so far. Its very hands on and discusses approaches to ministry that may work well in a given setting.
Overall, the first week of class was good! Its still very overwhelming in a sense due to all the new people, places, classes, and ideas. Being able to go to chapel and worship has kept me grounded amidst all of the transition. God is good, all the time, and in every new place!
Peace,
Jami
Yesterday, I had Church History and Reading the Audiences. My Church History class is taught by Dr. Farog, who is a coptic nun. This brings an interesting perspective to the class considering that a lot of early Church history takes place in Northern Africa. Reading the audiences is a class that looks at demographics and statistics to gage what the makeup of a congregation consists of, as well as the city or town around the church. The idea is that if you know more about the people in your church and in your area, the better you can serve and reach out to them. This has proven to be the most interesting class to me so far. Its very hands on and discusses approaches to ministry that may work well in a given setting.
Overall, the first week of class was good! Its still very overwhelming in a sense due to all the new people, places, classes, and ideas. Being able to go to chapel and worship has kept me grounded amidst all of the transition. God is good, all the time, and in every new place!
Peace,
Jami
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
First Week
Today I have just completed 3 out of 4 days of First Week, which is the official name for orientation at Luther Seminary. So far the week has been filled with an incredible amount of information, meeting new and engaging people, and having interesting experiences. My brain seems to be filled to the brim and I have not even begun classes yet! (I guess it didn't take much.) :)
The great thing about being a Seminarian is that no one expects you to have all of the answers. In fact, they assume that you will make plenty of mistakes. I learned that when in doubt of an answer to anyone's questions you can always use the phrase, "Right now, I am in the process of discerning..." This works for a multitude of questions including large ideas such as, "what you are going to do with your life?" as well as small matters including, "what are you going to eat for lunch?" I urge you to try it out sometime in your own life.
In all seriousness, its been a great week. Its been amazing to see all of the people that God has called here from so many different places and walks of life. Today my discussion group 'Neighbors in Faith' went to visit a variety of places of worship throughout the metro area. We visted a Buddhist Temple, a multi-cultural Christian Church, and a Hindu Temple. Imagine finding all of these places in Minnesota! Learning about Hinduism and Buddhism gave us some perspective on our own Christian faith, and seeing the way Christians from different countries and languages were able to worship together at Trinity Lutheran was inspiring.
I also joined the campus choir which has been a great experience. It feels so great to sing in a choir again! Yesterday in worship we sang the hymn, "When the Poor Ones" and it was beautiful. And now I'm off to do a little homework. Homework already, I know!
God's Peace
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:5
The great thing about being a Seminarian is that no one expects you to have all of the answers. In fact, they assume that you will make plenty of mistakes. I learned that when in doubt of an answer to anyone's questions you can always use the phrase, "Right now, I am in the process of discerning..." This works for a multitude of questions including large ideas such as, "what you are going to do with your life?" as well as small matters including, "what are you going to eat for lunch?" I urge you to try it out sometime in your own life.
In all seriousness, its been a great week. Its been amazing to see all of the people that God has called here from so many different places and walks of life. Today my discussion group 'Neighbors in Faith' went to visit a variety of places of worship throughout the metro area. We visted a Buddhist Temple, a multi-cultural Christian Church, and a Hindu Temple. Imagine finding all of these places in Minnesota! Learning about Hinduism and Buddhism gave us some perspective on our own Christian faith, and seeing the way Christians from different countries and languages were able to worship together at Trinity Lutheran was inspiring.
I also joined the campus choir which has been a great experience. It feels so great to sing in a choir again! Yesterday in worship we sang the hymn, "When the Poor Ones" and it was beautiful. And now I'm off to do a little homework. Homework already, I know!
God's Peace
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:5
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