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