The score this week is Sally=1, Hebrew=1. I don't think I did very well on my quiz yesterday, and apparently I wasn't the only one. We had a number of vocabulary words along with numerous affixes,suffixes, and prefixes. What I don't get is, how is it you're supposed to recognize the word once it has the affix, suffix or prefix on it (along with all these other vowel changes that occur)! My brain is going to blow!
I started the week thinking I was ahead of the game, and then before I knew it I was scrambling to stay on top of things. I hate how that can happen!!!
Early in the week Kim started talking about how maybe he'd like to drive to Colorado to see the kids. I'm thinkin' yea, whatever...DRIVE to Colorado..we've been here all of like five weeks??!! So then he brought it up again on Wed. so I asked him when, exactly, he was thinking about going? His answer, "Tomorrow!" Ha! OH!! His argument was that when he gets back he'll get a job, and who knows when he'll ever have "vacation" time again. Which, is a pretty good argument.
So Kim left at 5am on Thursday and stopped that evening in Topeka, KS. He made it to Denver around 2:30 on Friday! Impressive! He's going to spend the weekend with Sarah, Rob & Rilo (and go to Rilo's swimming lesson with him today!), and then he, Sarah, and Rilo will drive over to GJ on Monday and probably go back to Denver on Wed. evening. He's gonna have serious car butt.
I had friends over again last night. Eight of us with popcorn, wine, and a birthday cake for our friend Jon. It was really fun.
Didn't get a small group officially started yet, but I'm talking to folks and they're interested, so I'm sure it'll get started when it's supposed to.
I've been chatting with my friend Sarah Tunall in GJ (she's been an intern the last couple of years at FPC and put off seminary this year for another year). She's Methodist and I'm trying to talk her into becoming Presbyterian and coming to PTS. Ha! Not real seriously on the denomination thing (she'd get more financial aid tho as a Presby), but I do think she'd really love it here. So she may be coming out for a visit after Thanksgiving!
My devotional life stinks currently. It's like the last thing I want to do is read anymore if I don't HAVE to...so I don't. At least I have to read Genesis for school, but my prayer life is very sporadic.
I'm so thankful for my church history class where we start each class praying for concerns or praises that people have. It's very real and very good. We also get emails from the Dean of Students for prayers for students which I pray over right then at the computer, but I'm not being very good at just sitting and spending time with God. Definitely something I could use prayer on.
It's a rainy day today unfortunately. I only have my feet or my bike to get around, so I'm not sure I'll be going anywhere anytime soon unless it lets up (but then no guarantee it will stay stopped). Around here it doesn't just rain and then stop - it may rain ALL DAY! So those of you in Colorado, appreciate the awesome weather you have!
I was really hoping to go to an Italian festival nearby in Bloomfield (maybe a couple of miles on the bike), but I'm not sure I want to chance it with the on-again off-again rain. We'll see how adventurous I get later on!
Charlie and I went for a big walk yesterday up the street in Highland Park. It's a HUGE park, and just gorgeous. It made me excited for when the leaves really start changing (they're starting to change some already) - it's gonna be beautiful. Hopefully I can figure out how to load a couple of pictures from our walk (from my phone).
Well, that's about it. I'm holding down the fort! Pray for safe travels for Kim, and a continual prayer for Hebrew (of course). I'm thankful for the new friendships I have and just the atmosphere of this whole community (even outside the seminary). People are NICE. What a blessing. Looking forward to walking to church tomorrow morning!
Thanking God for my many friends praying us through this adventure. Your comments and occasional emails definitely lift me up!
~Sally
The Family - Summer, 2023
Love these people!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Into Week #3 of Seminary + More Adventures
Well I passed my first Hebrew test! I actually did really well, but that's over and we're into other weird stuff now that has me baffled. Apparently that's the norm for Hebrew.
Kim and I did go to the Open Door church just over a week ago. They meet in an old church building and the pews are all taken out. We happened to show up on the second Sunday of the month when they share a meal together and have a short worship service following. We felt a little awkward having not brought any kind of dish, but we were reassured that there is always plenty, so we went ahead and ate.
The congregation was mostly young, white grad students and professionals - probably the oldest being in their mid-thirties. The pastor (co-pastor) was really nice and so were the folks we sat with at the meal. Lots of kids! It was very unique and I went away feeling like I'd like to go back again. Apparently each week is different. I think the next week was going to be prayer stations. They are very committed to building authentic relationships, prayer, discipleship, and mission. I felt like with the meal and prayer time after it (w/ just the 4-6 folks you were sitting with) made NOT connecting virtually impossible. You couldn't have attended and walked away not having met anyone.
Last Friday we had some more students over to hang out. We had munchies and some beer and some of our Colorado wine (which was a big hit) and just hung out and chatted. We put the Pirates game on the tv and it was a really nice time.
I was invited to join the seminary's praise band that plays at the Monday chapel. (We knew that was inevitable, right?) So I'm on the schedule to sing & play every other week which works out nicely...not too much. I fear one of these days I'm going to have to break down and learn how to play bar chords...ugh. I've put it off for thirty years..
Kim and I had a really nice weekend. It wasn't totally filled with studying so we actually spent some time together. Ahhhhh... We may actually get this balance thing down a bit!
Sunday we were going to go to East Liberty Presbyterian Church as they had invited the seminary students to their 11 o'clock service to be recognized and then eat at a potluck lunch served by the church. Saturday night I told Kim the only reason I wanted to go was for the free food, so let's go somewhere else. We decided to go to Eastminster Presbyterian.
Eastminster and East Liberty are about two blocks away from each other (and the seminary) and HUGE, old churches. Apparently the Carnegie family built East Liberty and then at some point there was a split, and Eastminster was started.
Our church history class was invited to Eastminster by our prof, Scott Sunquist, who attends there. This church tries to be intentionally diverse and just two weeks ago switched from having two services (early-contemporary and late-traditional) to one. They felt that their two services were dividing the congregation more than bringing them together - and they didn't need to be having two for space reasons.
So we went to the 10:30 service. It started out with a prelude played by 3-4 violins, a flute and the piano. I couldn't tell you if it was a traditional or contemporary song, just that it was beautiful. Then the praise band let the worship. This African-American woman with one beautiful voice led from the front on an electric piano with two other white singers and a full band. (Really reflected the make-up of the congregation!) They were awesome! By the fourth song we were rockin' and people were swaying and clapping, and folks in the congregation had percussion instruments. It was great.
There was a children's sermon (10 or so kids - but lots of babies in the crowd) followed by the kids singing.
The pastor was this great mix of black and white. (He's a white guy) but in his sermon he'd get worked up a bit and some of the black folks would call out "amen" and "yes, Jesus" and we'd occasionally clap at a really good point. He's the perfect pastor for that church - he could speak to everyone there...just enough energy for the black folks, but not too overboard for the white folks! Ha!
About five minutes into the service I leaned over to Kim and said, "I think we've found our church!" He agreed.
There was still liturgy and the choir sang during the offering, and then we ended with a very energetic rendition of Just a Closer Walk With Thee.
Afterwards we went into the fellowship hall and weren't greeted with handshakes, but with hugs. Ahhhhh.....we're home..! (And it was mostly the black folks who greeted us!)
I really did like the Open Door, but one of the reasons we moved to PA was to experience diversity. We'd much rather be a part of a church that really reflects the neighborhood we live in.
Well, I got ahead enough in my reading that I was able to watch the two-hour season premier of Heroes tonight! Woohoo!! Tomorrow is church history til 10:15, then workstudy from 1-3. We're hoping this week to try and start some sort of small group. A friend of mine from Minneapolis really wants one too. I originally suggested a Bible study group, but she said we do enough studying and maybe a "cell" group that does more "prayer/care/share" would be best. So I'm kind of excited about that. I'm hoping we can put out an invitation to all the new students and then we'll see how many groups we end up creating - as long as there's at least one I'll be happy.
So pray for that, and also continue praying for Hebrew. I have another quiz on Friday and currently I don't feel too confident...but it's only Monday!!! There's still hope!!
Thanks for your prayers and comments of encouragement, I love getting them!
Blessings to you, my friends.
~Sally
Kim and I did go to the Open Door church just over a week ago. They meet in an old church building and the pews are all taken out. We happened to show up on the second Sunday of the month when they share a meal together and have a short worship service following. We felt a little awkward having not brought any kind of dish, but we were reassured that there is always plenty, so we went ahead and ate.
The congregation was mostly young, white grad students and professionals - probably the oldest being in their mid-thirties. The pastor (co-pastor) was really nice and so were the folks we sat with at the meal. Lots of kids! It was very unique and I went away feeling like I'd like to go back again. Apparently each week is different. I think the next week was going to be prayer stations. They are very committed to building authentic relationships, prayer, discipleship, and mission. I felt like with the meal and prayer time after it (w/ just the 4-6 folks you were sitting with) made NOT connecting virtually impossible. You couldn't have attended and walked away not having met anyone.
Last Friday we had some more students over to hang out. We had munchies and some beer and some of our Colorado wine (which was a big hit) and just hung out and chatted. We put the Pirates game on the tv and it was a really nice time.
I was invited to join the seminary's praise band that plays at the Monday chapel. (We knew that was inevitable, right?) So I'm on the schedule to sing & play every other week which works out nicely...not too much. I fear one of these days I'm going to have to break down and learn how to play bar chords...ugh. I've put it off for thirty years..
Kim and I had a really nice weekend. It wasn't totally filled with studying so we actually spent some time together. Ahhhhh... We may actually get this balance thing down a bit!
Sunday we were going to go to East Liberty Presbyterian Church as they had invited the seminary students to their 11 o'clock service to be recognized and then eat at a potluck lunch served by the church. Saturday night I told Kim the only reason I wanted to go was for the free food, so let's go somewhere else. We decided to go to Eastminster Presbyterian.
Eastminster and East Liberty are about two blocks away from each other (and the seminary) and HUGE, old churches. Apparently the Carnegie family built East Liberty and then at some point there was a split, and Eastminster was started.
Our church history class was invited to Eastminster by our prof, Scott Sunquist, who attends there. This church tries to be intentionally diverse and just two weeks ago switched from having two services (early-contemporary and late-traditional) to one. They felt that their two services were dividing the congregation more than bringing them together - and they didn't need to be having two for space reasons.
So we went to the 10:30 service. It started out with a prelude played by 3-4 violins, a flute and the piano. I couldn't tell you if it was a traditional or contemporary song, just that it was beautiful. Then the praise band let the worship. This African-American woman with one beautiful voice led from the front on an electric piano with two other white singers and a full band. (Really reflected the make-up of the congregation!) They were awesome! By the fourth song we were rockin' and people were swaying and clapping, and folks in the congregation had percussion instruments. It was great.
There was a children's sermon (10 or so kids - but lots of babies in the crowd) followed by the kids singing.
The pastor was this great mix of black and white. (He's a white guy) but in his sermon he'd get worked up a bit and some of the black folks would call out "amen" and "yes, Jesus" and we'd occasionally clap at a really good point. He's the perfect pastor for that church - he could speak to everyone there...just enough energy for the black folks, but not too overboard for the white folks! Ha!
About five minutes into the service I leaned over to Kim and said, "I think we've found our church!" He agreed.
There was still liturgy and the choir sang during the offering, and then we ended with a very energetic rendition of Just a Closer Walk With Thee.
Afterwards we went into the fellowship hall and weren't greeted with handshakes, but with hugs. Ahhhhh.....we're home..! (And it was mostly the black folks who greeted us!)
I really did like the Open Door, but one of the reasons we moved to PA was to experience diversity. We'd much rather be a part of a church that really reflects the neighborhood we live in.
Well, I got ahead enough in my reading that I was able to watch the two-hour season premier of Heroes tonight! Woohoo!! Tomorrow is church history til 10:15, then workstudy from 1-3. We're hoping this week to try and start some sort of small group. A friend of mine from Minneapolis really wants one too. I originally suggested a Bible study group, but she said we do enough studying and maybe a "cell" group that does more "prayer/care/share" would be best. So I'm kind of excited about that. I'm hoping we can put out an invitation to all the new students and then we'll see how many groups we end up creating - as long as there's at least one I'll be happy.
So pray for that, and also continue praying for Hebrew. I have another quiz on Friday and currently I don't feel too confident...but it's only Monday!!! There's still hope!!
Thanks for your prayers and comments of encouragement, I love getting them!
Blessings to you, my friends.
~Sally
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Survived Week #1 of Seminary!
Amazing but true! I've survived the first week of classes! Hebrew is definitely going to be tough. But I've made good progress just in the last two days (after three days of freaking out), and we're going to organize a study group tomorrow after class. Whew! It's just SO different, so foreign. There's nothing about it that's similar to anything in my world. Our first quiz is this Wednesday on the alphabet (aleph bet!), and I still have the vowels to get down as well as the various sounds for each of the characters...just when I was feeling on top of things...
My other classes I have no worries about, thank God! Church history (from Jesus to the Reformation) will be awesome. Lots of reading, but a great teacher. Historical books of the O.T. is also a lot of reading but very interesting. And Spiritual Formation has five different books, journaling, and a ten-page paper at the end - but lecture and small group time!
Each class is unique, and Hebrew, OT books, and church history all definitely have some overlap. Yeah! I love that!
Friday evening the Presbyterian Student Assn. went to the President's house for dinner. It was a really nice time with 25-30 of us there with Dr. Carl and his wife Jane. They are SO hospitable and made everyone so welcome. After dinner he had each of us stand and tell our story as to "why PTS?" (and not some other seminary). About halfway thru stories started getting more personal and a little lengthier. It was a great time hearing how God brought all these different people together from all over the world.
Wednesday we go over again, this time it's the married student group (w/ spouses). I'm sure that'll be great fun as well.
Saturday morning we had the last section of our orientation - talking about sexual and racial discrimination, harassment, etc.. It actually turned out to be a really great time with lots of good discussion and role-playing. John Welch, the Dean of Students, said at the end of the time that there has been talk amongst the faculty and staff at the seminary that this particular class is different, unique. That there is something about this class in particular that is setting us apart. Community has come quickly, and people are hungry to have real, authentic relationships. He said he's planning on having more get-togethers throughout the year with us - and including staff and older students - because he feels we have as much to teach them as they do us. Interesting. We'll see what God has planned!
Well, Kim and I are getting ready to go to church. We're going to the 6pm service at the Open Door, a new church development started about five years ago here in the East Liberty area. I hear it's pretty contemporary, very missional and active in the community, and has more young than older folks...so we'll probably bring the average age down tonight! Ha! Will report back later!
Blessings to all, and please pray for Hebrew and this brain of mine!
~Sally
My other classes I have no worries about, thank God! Church history (from Jesus to the Reformation) will be awesome. Lots of reading, but a great teacher. Historical books of the O.T. is also a lot of reading but very interesting. And Spiritual Formation has five different books, journaling, and a ten-page paper at the end - but lecture and small group time!
Each class is unique, and Hebrew, OT books, and church history all definitely have some overlap. Yeah! I love that!
Friday evening the Presbyterian Student Assn. went to the President's house for dinner. It was a really nice time with 25-30 of us there with Dr. Carl and his wife Jane. They are SO hospitable and made everyone so welcome. After dinner he had each of us stand and tell our story as to "why PTS?" (and not some other seminary). About halfway thru stories started getting more personal and a little lengthier. It was a great time hearing how God brought all these different people together from all over the world.
Wednesday we go over again, this time it's the married student group (w/ spouses). I'm sure that'll be great fun as well.
Saturday morning we had the last section of our orientation - talking about sexual and racial discrimination, harassment, etc.. It actually turned out to be a really great time with lots of good discussion and role-playing. John Welch, the Dean of Students, said at the end of the time that there has been talk amongst the faculty and staff at the seminary that this particular class is different, unique. That there is something about this class in particular that is setting us apart. Community has come quickly, and people are hungry to have real, authentic relationships. He said he's planning on having more get-togethers throughout the year with us - and including staff and older students - because he feels we have as much to teach them as they do us. Interesting. We'll see what God has planned!
Well, Kim and I are getting ready to go to church. We're going to the 6pm service at the Open Door, a new church development started about five years ago here in the East Liberty area. I hear it's pretty contemporary, very missional and active in the community, and has more young than older folks...so we'll probably bring the average age down tonight! Ha! Will report back later!
Blessings to all, and please pray for Hebrew and this brain of mine!
~Sally
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Labor Day Weekend & First Day of Class
We've been overwhelmed with all the socializing in the last few days! We went to a Pirates game Friday night w/ about twenty-five other students and had a great time visiting and watching them lose! Saturday evening we had dinner w/ a couple other students and their families at Doug & Tanya Marshall's house. The other two students are interning at Doug's church, Beulah Presbyterian.
Sunday afternoon we were invited to our next-door neighbor's house where they had a wonderful spread of food, a great mix of friends and relatives, old and young. We were there well into the evening and had such a great time getting to know them better and probably drinking more wine than we should! We did introduce them to Colorado wine, though, and they were duly impressed.
Monday we were the hosts and had about eight students from the seminary over for BBQ brats and chicken (Jan & Steve's recipe!) along with potato salad, fruit, chips, and of course dilly beans! It was really fun and Kim gave everyone an open invite to stop by whenever they felt the need to get off campus or just come socialize. (Ha! Today a guy at school came up to me and said, "I heard you had a ragin' party yesterday! Sorry I couldn't make it!" I had to laugh. Apparently word spreads quickly about get-togethers! Didn't know it was "ragin'!" Ha!)
Today was my first class, Historical Studies (Church history) with Dr. Scott Sunquist. It was awesome to be in a learning institution where we spent the first five minutes praying together. He shared with us that we will always begin class that way, and that IT is probably more important than anything he may ever teach us. Ahhhhhh.....
The more I learn about this school's culture and how they do things, the more I feel affirmed that I am at the right place - which feels wonderful. To hear, as I did at my workplace before I left, that relationships are where it's all at - and loving others, it just feels like God is continuing the class (same subject, different classroom). Love it.
At 11:30 we had chapel with a convocation. The faculty all came in with their fancy robes on and Dr. Carl (the president of the seminary) spoke. His sermon was entitled "I'm Happy to be Alive!" and talked about how we all have those times in our lives when we get run-over by a truck...the trainwrecks that come into our lives and wreak havoc. Dr. Carl reminded us how God is still there during those times, that difficult times will always come, but that God uses them in so many ways - to remind us of His love, to remind us of His presence, to draw us to Him...and sometimes even to lead us down a certain path.
Kim and I sat there, without communicating, thinking about his heart attack just over a year ago that ultimately changed our direction and brought us to this place at this time. Whoduh thunk?
We were once again treated to a great lunch by the seminary and we ran home for a quick break before I had to go back to my first staff meeting with the staff of the WMI, World Mission Institute, where I'll be doing my work study for probably the next three years.
WMI's work at the seminary includes sending seminary students on mission trips across the globe, encourages students to consider a call to missions, encourages and enlightens students about the need for on-going missions and how to incorporate that into their churches and their call as a pastor, and partnering to help establish an indigenous church among an unreached people group in Viet Nam. They hold conferences and lecture series, have a website www.worldmissioninitiative.org/, consult with pastors & missions committees, educate the church about what God is doing in the world, network to help churches reach out to the world, and direct congregations toward greater personalized involvement and support. So it's much more than just sending seminarians on mission trips!
I am considering a trip over spring break to Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Sunquist will be teaching a class at the seminary there and we would go and attend classes, build relationships with seminary students there, learn about ministry in Egypt visiting church leaders, as well as see some of the many sights to be seen there. I would get class credit for it as well. So keep that in your prayers that God might direct my decision-making on that.
I'm finding more and more that Pittsburgh Seminary is one of the few American seminaries very focused on mission - and its importance as a part of a healthy church - and so they make sure their future pastors learn that. After having gone through that transformation and processing at First Pres. GJ it's wonderful to come here and, once again, hear the same message! We must get outside of ourselves continually (since we always default to self-serving), and "GO" as Jesus commands us to do. Where that "GO" takes you will be different for everyone, but sitting comfortably in our pews and couches doesn't cut it...
Ok, enough sermonizing!
I have four chapters to read for Thursday's class (as well as portions from another book that the bookstore is currently out of! Argh!) and then tomorrow holds 9am-Hebrew, 10am-Historical Books of the O.T., and 1:30-4-Spiritual Formation. Woohoo! Full day!
In the meantime I need to give my husband some quality time, so I will go now. Please pray that I can keep a healthy balance with school, spending time with Kim, and spending time in God's word. I know I have slacked on the latter, and I need to dive in - both for my devotional/spiritual health and in preparation for my Bible Content Exam which I will need to take in the next 6-9 months. I feel totally inadequate in that area...a real slacker. So pray God directs me there.
Thank you always for your prayers. I do feel them, and feel so encouraged from my family and so many friends who I know pray for me/us regularly. Thank you.
Blessings to you!
~Sally
Sunday afternoon we were invited to our next-door neighbor's house where they had a wonderful spread of food, a great mix of friends and relatives, old and young. We were there well into the evening and had such a great time getting to know them better and probably drinking more wine than we should! We did introduce them to Colorado wine, though, and they were duly impressed.
Monday we were the hosts and had about eight students from the seminary over for BBQ brats and chicken (Jan & Steve's recipe!) along with potato salad, fruit, chips, and of course dilly beans! It was really fun and Kim gave everyone an open invite to stop by whenever they felt the need to get off campus or just come socialize. (Ha! Today a guy at school came up to me and said, "I heard you had a ragin' party yesterday! Sorry I couldn't make it!" I had to laugh. Apparently word spreads quickly about get-togethers! Didn't know it was "ragin'!" Ha!)
Today was my first class, Historical Studies (Church history) with Dr. Scott Sunquist. It was awesome to be in a learning institution where we spent the first five minutes praying together. He shared with us that we will always begin class that way, and that IT is probably more important than anything he may ever teach us. Ahhhhhh.....
The more I learn about this school's culture and how they do things, the more I feel affirmed that I am at the right place - which feels wonderful. To hear, as I did at my workplace before I left, that relationships are where it's all at - and loving others, it just feels like God is continuing the class (same subject, different classroom). Love it.
At 11:30 we had chapel with a convocation. The faculty all came in with their fancy robes on and Dr. Carl (the president of the seminary) spoke. His sermon was entitled "I'm Happy to be Alive!" and talked about how we all have those times in our lives when we get run-over by a truck...the trainwrecks that come into our lives and wreak havoc. Dr. Carl reminded us how God is still there during those times, that difficult times will always come, but that God uses them in so many ways - to remind us of His love, to remind us of His presence, to draw us to Him...and sometimes even to lead us down a certain path.
Kim and I sat there, without communicating, thinking about his heart attack just over a year ago that ultimately changed our direction and brought us to this place at this time. Whoduh thunk?
We were once again treated to a great lunch by the seminary and we ran home for a quick break before I had to go back to my first staff meeting with the staff of the WMI, World Mission Institute, where I'll be doing my work study for probably the next three years.
WMI's work at the seminary includes sending seminary students on mission trips across the globe, encourages students to consider a call to missions, encourages and enlightens students about the need for on-going missions and how to incorporate that into their churches and their call as a pastor, and partnering to help establish an indigenous church among an unreached people group in Viet Nam. They hold conferences and lecture series, have a website www.worldmissioninitiative.org/, consult with pastors & missions committees, educate the church about what God is doing in the world, network to help churches reach out to the world, and direct congregations toward greater personalized involvement and support. So it's much more than just sending seminarians on mission trips!
I am considering a trip over spring break to Cairo, Egypt. Dr. Sunquist will be teaching a class at the seminary there and we would go and attend classes, build relationships with seminary students there, learn about ministry in Egypt visiting church leaders, as well as see some of the many sights to be seen there. I would get class credit for it as well. So keep that in your prayers that God might direct my decision-making on that.
I'm finding more and more that Pittsburgh Seminary is one of the few American seminaries very focused on mission - and its importance as a part of a healthy church - and so they make sure their future pastors learn that. After having gone through that transformation and processing at First Pres. GJ it's wonderful to come here and, once again, hear the same message! We must get outside of ourselves continually (since we always default to self-serving), and "GO" as Jesus commands us to do. Where that "GO" takes you will be different for everyone, but sitting comfortably in our pews and couches doesn't cut it...
Ok, enough sermonizing!
I have four chapters to read for Thursday's class (as well as portions from another book that the bookstore is currently out of! Argh!) and then tomorrow holds 9am-Hebrew, 10am-Historical Books of the O.T., and 1:30-4-Spiritual Formation. Woohoo! Full day!
In the meantime I need to give my husband some quality time, so I will go now. Please pray that I can keep a healthy balance with school, spending time with Kim, and spending time in God's word. I know I have slacked on the latter, and I need to dive in - both for my devotional/spiritual health and in preparation for my Bible Content Exam which I will need to take in the next 6-9 months. I feel totally inadequate in that area...a real slacker. So pray God directs me there.
Thank you always for your prayers. I do feel them, and feel so encouraged from my family and so many friends who I know pray for me/us regularly. Thank you.
Blessings to you!
~Sally
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Orientation!!
I've just finished Day two of Orientation. I think my brain is going to explode! Way too many names to try to remember, but some of them are starting to stick.
Yesterday was a student serving day and God has such a great sense of humor... I was with a group that went to the Pittsburgh Project. This ministry reaches out to the most vulnerable of the community - the old and the young. Their mission statement comes from a scripture in Zechariah I think that talks about the old sitting on their porches with canes and the young playing in the streets, and just the idea that if the very vulnerable - the old and the young - are good, then the whole community is good. We worked in their community garden and I was hoeing the rows between the crops getting rid of the weeds! Ha! Thought I was done with that dang hoe!!
We then had a financial aide presentation, and a community cookout for all new students, faculty, and families along with an activities fair to learn about all the student groups. That was followed by a dessert gathering for married couples. Phew! End of Day one!
Day two was full of meetings. Much talk about community. Regular communion with God (self-care), community with other seminarians/faculty, and community with the Pittsburgh community (Metro Urban Institute) and world community (World Mission Initiative).
But the two things that made the biggest impression on me were the Welcome Worship service and the talk from the President of the seminary, Dr. Bill Carl.
The worship service was very traditional, but we sang a song that we've sung before in church, "Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore." The chorus says, "O Lord, with Your eyes You have searched me, And, while smiling, have called out my name. Now my boat's left on the shoreline behind me, Now with You I will seek other seas." That line "Now my boat's left on the shoreline behind me" stuck out to me and what I pictured was leaving behind all that GJ is to me and moving forward seeking "new seas." It moved me deeply. I kept thinking of how ten years ago I was just starting back at Mesa State full-time to finish my bachelors degree because I strongly felt God's call to seminary and that's where I needed to start. Since that time the seminary idea has been a part of my reality, for the most part. There were times where I was so happy in my job that I thought - if I never go, I'll still be totally happy with this! But now here I am, and all that thinking and dreaming and talk has become reality. It was surreal, and as I talked with the woman next to me she was in the same place...teary-eyed not believing that she was where she was.
The other thing was the talk that the President gave on community. He talked about the "Four S's" 1) No secrets 2)No surprises 3) No subversion 4) Lots of support.
He talked about no secrets - the need to be transparent and authentic, that a healthy community cannot have gossip and rumors, that conflicts need to be resolved in healthy ways. With no surprises - that people need a "head's up". It's not healthy to blindside people with accusations, demands, or comments in a group without talking with them first. With subversion - don't poison the decision after the vote.. He talked about in a church where decisions are made in a group and then the griping goes on in the parking lot after the meeting - and nothing was brought up in the meeting. When a decision is made, even if you don't agree, once it's made you need to support it. And with support - we all need to be cheerleaders!
It just affirmed for me that I'm at the right place. Dr. Carl just described the community that I came from - that had been transformed from being an unhealthy community into a very healthy one, and I was so excited to hear that that was the kind of community he set out to create when he came to Pittsburgh four years ago. Praise God!!! He also talked about how as future pastors we all need to learn how to live these "Four S's" so that we can live them out for our congregations and model it. I love this place..
Finally, the director of the Metro Urban Institute talked about how the majority of people barely learn about Jesus and many, many learn in very crude and destitute situations. He said, "We need to be asking God, 'Why has God brought us to this privileged place to learn about Him?'" To those who have been given much, much is required... Quite the question..
Tomorrow includes faculty introductions, time with our faculty advisors, registration & ID photos, chapel service led by the contemporary worship team, lunch w/ faculty, and then in the evening we had a choice of going to the Incline, pizza & a movie at the seminary, or a Pirates game. (We chose the Pirates game!) Ten dollar tickets and it's dollar dog night! Woohoo!
We're having dinner with our friends (and former assoc. pastor from 1st Pres. GJ years ago, Doug Marshall) along with two interns/families who are also seminary students at PTS Sat. night. We hope to invite our neighbors who live in the apts in front of us over for a BBQ on Monday.
Missing our baby Rilo boy... Thank God for cells phones with pix/video! (Missing Sean, Megs, Sar & Rob as well...omg and so many more - don't get me started!)
Thanks for your continued prayers, it has made our transition so rich and comforting.
~Sally
Yesterday was a student serving day and God has such a great sense of humor... I was with a group that went to the Pittsburgh Project. This ministry reaches out to the most vulnerable of the community - the old and the young. Their mission statement comes from a scripture in Zechariah I think that talks about the old sitting on their porches with canes and the young playing in the streets, and just the idea that if the very vulnerable - the old and the young - are good, then the whole community is good. We worked in their community garden and I was hoeing the rows between the crops getting rid of the weeds! Ha! Thought I was done with that dang hoe!!
We then had a financial aide presentation, and a community cookout for all new students, faculty, and families along with an activities fair to learn about all the student groups. That was followed by a dessert gathering for married couples. Phew! End of Day one!
Day two was full of meetings. Much talk about community. Regular communion with God (self-care), community with other seminarians/faculty, and community with the Pittsburgh community (Metro Urban Institute) and world community (World Mission Initiative).
But the two things that made the biggest impression on me were the Welcome Worship service and the talk from the President of the seminary, Dr. Bill Carl.
The worship service was very traditional, but we sang a song that we've sung before in church, "Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore." The chorus says, "O Lord, with Your eyes You have searched me, And, while smiling, have called out my name. Now my boat's left on the shoreline behind me, Now with You I will seek other seas." That line "Now my boat's left on the shoreline behind me" stuck out to me and what I pictured was leaving behind all that GJ is to me and moving forward seeking "new seas." It moved me deeply. I kept thinking of how ten years ago I was just starting back at Mesa State full-time to finish my bachelors degree because I strongly felt God's call to seminary and that's where I needed to start. Since that time the seminary idea has been a part of my reality, for the most part. There were times where I was so happy in my job that I thought - if I never go, I'll still be totally happy with this! But now here I am, and all that thinking and dreaming and talk has become reality. It was surreal, and as I talked with the woman next to me she was in the same place...teary-eyed not believing that she was where she was.
The other thing was the talk that the President gave on community. He talked about the "Four S's" 1) No secrets 2)No surprises 3) No subversion 4) Lots of support.
He talked about no secrets - the need to be transparent and authentic, that a healthy community cannot have gossip and rumors, that conflicts need to be resolved in healthy ways. With no surprises - that people need a "head's up". It's not healthy to blindside people with accusations, demands, or comments in a group without talking with them first. With subversion - don't poison the decision after the vote.. He talked about in a church where decisions are made in a group and then the griping goes on in the parking lot after the meeting - and nothing was brought up in the meeting. When a decision is made, even if you don't agree, once it's made you need to support it. And with support - we all need to be cheerleaders!
It just affirmed for me that I'm at the right place. Dr. Carl just described the community that I came from - that had been transformed from being an unhealthy community into a very healthy one, and I was so excited to hear that that was the kind of community he set out to create when he came to Pittsburgh four years ago. Praise God!!! He also talked about how as future pastors we all need to learn how to live these "Four S's" so that we can live them out for our congregations and model it. I love this place..
Finally, the director of the Metro Urban Institute talked about how the majority of people barely learn about Jesus and many, many learn in very crude and destitute situations. He said, "We need to be asking God, 'Why has God brought us to this privileged place to learn about Him?'" To those who have been given much, much is required... Quite the question..
Tomorrow includes faculty introductions, time with our faculty advisors, registration & ID photos, chapel service led by the contemporary worship team, lunch w/ faculty, and then in the evening we had a choice of going to the Incline, pizza & a movie at the seminary, or a Pirates game. (We chose the Pirates game!) Ten dollar tickets and it's dollar dog night! Woohoo!
We're having dinner with our friends (and former assoc. pastor from 1st Pres. GJ years ago, Doug Marshall) along with two interns/families who are also seminary students at PTS Sat. night. We hope to invite our neighbors who live in the apts in front of us over for a BBQ on Monday.
Missing our baby Rilo boy... Thank God for cells phones with pix/video! (Missing Sean, Megs, Sar & Rob as well...omg and so many more - don't get me started!)
Thanks for your continued prayers, it has made our transition so rich and comforting.
~Sally
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