Drew's webstie

In case anyone has not heard my nephew Drew has recently been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers you can offer.

Here is a website with his updates:

caringbridge.org/visit/drewbrandt

Thanks!

CPE begins...

Well I have completed my first week of CPE. Overall, it went very well. I really like my group and supervisors. There are 5 other students for the summer program and we are all from a variety of backgrounds including Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian and others... We have really been thrown to the fire right away. I was shadowing on-call my first day on Tuesday and now tomorrow will be my first official on-call. We have a sleep room in the hospital to rest, so hopefully it will be pretty quiet. I will mainly be working on the following units: ortho/neuro, rehab, and emergency. As we go through the process we will also be doing a lot of group work as we explore our own psychological states and learn to counsel and provide pastoral care to others. Now, I am off to enjoy the beautiful summer weather, so I will update more later!

One Year Done!

Well I have officially completed my first year of Seminary! It was very exciting last Wednesday to finish my last test and know that I was done. That night Chad made dinner and surprised me with an ice cream cake from Coldstone. It was delicious. I even got to celebrate with my Brandt cousins over the weekend in Minneapolis. We decided to live it up given that it could have been Judgement Day, as some foretold. Well as you know the world did not end, and we had a great weekend!

I'd like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers this year. Your love and support has really helped me through the difficult times. I feel very blessed to have been able to share this journey with you.

Tuesday I will start another chapter of my Seminary journey. I will begin my CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) experience in La Crosse, WI. I will be doing an internship as a chaplain at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital. There are six summer interns in my program as well. Our days will consist of doing group work in the morning and being on the floors in the afternoons. I will be on call once per week as well. I anticipate that this experience will be extremely challenging, but rewarding as well. My aunt Patty is graciously hosting me for this part of the summer. So please continue to keep me in your prayers. Pray that God would help me to be a comforting presence in the lives of those who are hospitalized and their families. I will try to share a few of my experiences on the blog as I am able.

Have a great summer!

This Could Be Interesting...

I read a great blog about women in ministry entitled "This Could be Interesting." Check it out if you are looking for something to read.

http://dirtysexyministry.blogspot.com/

Finals Week!!

Well its here, my last week of class/finals! That means I have almost made it through my first year of Seminary. Woohoo! Please pray for me this week for productivity and peace. I have a lot to get done. This week I have two papers due and one test. Then next week I have one paper and two tests.

How many pairs of shoes do you have?

Today in my Pentateuch class, Prof. Fretheim gave a beautiful and impassioned lecture on God's preferential treatment of the poor and needy. He talked about how God sided with the Israelites over the Egyptians when they were enslaved in Egypt. There is so much in the Old Testament about God's command to take care of the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the alien. He wondered if we often overlook all of these commands because it makes us uncomfortable, because we might be surprised to find ourselves on the side of the oppressor rather than the oppressed. One question he asked to help us see this was the question, "How many shoes do you have?".

Well I don't know about you, but I have a LOT of shoes. As I discussed this question with some classmates over lunch I realized, that we all have a LOT of shoes. More shoes than we need. Yet some children walk around barefoot without any shoes, exposing themselves to injury and disease every day. Now I'm not saying it's bad to have shoes, but clearly I am not category of the oppressed in regards to material possessions. And let's be honest, I'm not exactly considered well-to-do by American standards, after all I am a poor Seminary student who is married to a teacher! (Yes I definitely just pulled out the married-to-a-teacher card, which gets major pity points in today's world. :)

If it wasn't enough that the Old Testament is full of God's concern for the poor in the narrative of the exodus people, the Torah and ten commandments, and the cry of the prophets, we also have Jesus to hear from on this issue. I think you know where this is going. It's not getting any better for me and all the people like me with our closets full of shoes and clothing. I've been pondering this a lot as our country is going through a time of economic hardship. It seems the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the students are going so far into debt there's little hope of ever breaking free of the oppressing bondage. And we live in a "Christian" nation? It doesn't seem so.

The message of Jesus is a message of humility and kenosis, (awesome Greek word that means emptying) of cross and resurrection. This kingdom message that Jesus proclaimed shouted the good news that the oppressed would be liberated and the captives set free! The gospel message is for the whole person and the whole of humanity. It has spiritual, material, and economic implications. God, our creator loves us and all of creation. Jesus' message is in line with the message we hear from the God of Israel in the Old Testament - love God and love your neighbor... oh yeah and also the widows, orphans, aliens, and outcasts......

"Through our nation's spent frustration, through the corridors of stress may there move a kindlier wisdom all may feel, and all may bless; tax and tithe are for a purpose shared to shield the poor and weak; past the symptoms of our sickness let the voice of justice speak."

- From the Methodist hymn "Wounded World that Cries for Healing"