Randomness

It’s been almost a week I believe... or maybe even over a week since I last updated. So, here are some random thoughts from the past week.

It appears that my yellow, New Mexico license plate has attracted more attention lately than I have been aware of before now. Last week, one of the people I ate Easter dinner with made a comment about it - it was a good thing though. He thought our license plates were nicer looking than the boring Ohio plates (even for a bright yellow plate). Then yesterday I was at Target and as I was walking out to my car, I saw a guy standing behind my car looking at my plate. He left and walked to his car, one car over, before I got to mine. Then after I got into mine, he stared at me from his car through the windows of the car that was between our cars. It was kind of weird. What, you’ve never seen anybody from New Mexico before? Think I’ll look different from anybody else? Or do you think that I’m not American or something... that I need a passport to be here? Whatever...

On another, completely unrelated, note, I preached again at Grace today. It went well. Late service was better than early... but I think that’s almost always true. Part of the reason is because I am more awake after early service. This morning I sat down after I was done preaching and thought to myself, what just happened? Even in Sunday School I was zoning out. I need to get more sleep.

I have not had a whole lot of sleep in the last two nights. Part of the problem has been that they have not turned the air conditioning on in the dorms and it has been really warm. So, last night, it started raining in my windows and I had to close them which made my room that much warmer. Thus, it took me at least an hour and a half to fall asleep. I think I’ve had only nine hours of sleep the past two nights with another two and a half in naps yesterday and today. Anyway, the basic issue is that I have had two very early mornings after two really late nights. I’m hoping that tonight will be full of sleep soon and last until at least 7:30 tomorrow morning. That would be very nice...

Ok, I’ll have to write more later... probably more about why I have had two early mornings. But I’m a little tired at the moment, so I’m going to say good night.

Kate (a.k.a. Kata)

Hot?

I have found a Mexican restaurant in Columbus worth my time and money. It’s amazing, I know. But the key perhaps is that this restaurant actually refers to itself as serving New Mexican cuisine. I received the recommendation from one of my professors and his wife. Apparently it is the best they’ve had in Columbus and now I that I’ve finally gotten around to trying it, I agree.

Although, while I was eating, I recalled the differences between Ohio and New Mexico. I ordered blue corn chicken enchiladas with their chile verde sauce. This was supposed to be their hot sauce... let me say that it might, I repeat might, cut it as a medium heat in New Mexico. While I thought the food was good, I wanted to tell them they needed to step up the heat until I remembered where I was. It was kind of deceiving because the interior of the restaurant makes me feel like I’m in New Mexico. They definitely got that part right.

Anyway... I thought I would share my find. But really, I guess I can’t share it over the internet. Maybe I’ll just share my bliss in finding such a restaurant here... something I’ve been craving and seem to only satisfy every time I head back west (which really isn’t all that often).

With all that said... I need to head to bed. It will be an early morning and a long day tomorrow. =)

Kate

I want somber

It's Good Friday... and I want somber.

Tonight I went out to Thornville for a joint service with many of the Christian churches in Thornville. The service was held at South Shores Ministry which is a non-denominational Christian church which meant that the service wasn't really liturgical. I also feel like it wasn't somber enough, nor was there enough focus on the cross. Really, I suppose that last statement is kind of an interesting one because the word cross was used I don't know how many times so one would think there was plenty of focus on the cross - but I guess there wasn't enough emphasis on the nature of the cross. I feel sort of like it was light hearted (sort of) and focused past the cross to the resurrection. There were several times during the service that I wanted to stand up and say, "We haven't gotten to Easter yet." It is weird becausee it wasn't overt. It wasn't like we said, "He is risen, he is risen indeed." That didn't happen. Yet, we didn't focus on the death and the decay of the cross.

I think this is a problem for me because the cross is central to understanding our flaws and emphasizing our need for God. Yet, we don't focus enough on it. It is the ugly part of our faith. Even the crosses we wear around our necks tend to be pretty. We need to focus on the nails, the pain, the suffering... without focusing on the resurrection. That will come two days from now. But for now, I think we need to have at least one day when we focus entirely on the cross. I want it to be somber. I want to feel the sting, the pain of death. I want to know what it is I am saved from and I don't think I got it tonight.

Maybe I am selfish, but I want others to feel this with me. I want others to know why God died on the cross. I want others to feel the same sting and then to feel the same relief on Easter. Maybe it isn't really selfish... maybe it is simply part of my calling to be a pastor.

Anyway, I want somber...

Kate

Can you tell them apart?

Can you tell me which one is Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and which one is Trinity Lutheran Seminary faculty member Jim Childs?

They look an awful lot alike...

The Next Year of My Life...

Today was the day... I found out where I will be spending the next year of my life. And the verdict is.... Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

I have to admit that I’m excited about this place. I really liked the supervisor when he and I talked back in Februrary (when many of the other supervisors were here at Trinity) and the congregation sounds good too. Plus, I get to live in a four bedroom, yes, I said four bedroom, house next year. I have no idea what I am going to do with all that space!

Regardless, I look forward to next year and I’m sure I will keep you all updated as I find out more about where I am going.

Other than that, things are well. Classes are moving along... it is Holy Week... things are busy. Yup, busy. But pretty normal I think. With that, I think I’m done for the evening.

More later.

Kate

Meds and Glory

Ok, so maybe that title is an interesting combination of words... but it is what I intend to write about tonight.

The story from the health center today is exactly what I thought might be the issue. They believe that I had a bacterial infection and just never quite got rid of it. Thus, I am not on amoxicillin for the next ten days. I will let you know after ten days if the meds have done their job.

Now for some theology. One of my classes this term is Lutheran Identity. The class focuses on the Lutheran confessions which means we learn a lot about Lutheran theology. A lot of it isn’t exactly new to me, at least in concept. But some of the details are new and very interesting.

Tonight, I was doing some reading for the class. Right now we’re reading a book about being a theologian of the cross which is what every Christian is to be according to Luther (and I agree with him). It is a somewhat difficult concept to explain and perhaps I will attempt to write an entry about it at some point, but now is not the time. One idea from the reading did strike me and I think I can address that here without having to fully explain what it means to be a theologian of the cross.

The basic idea this all stems from is that we need to realize we cannot possibly do it ourselves. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, we can do to get salvation for ourselves. We also have no “active capacity to humble [ourselves] but only a passive capacity” (On Being a Theologian of the Cross, p. 62). We cannot even humble ourselves, we must be humbled. When I read this, I thought first about the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes... “Blessed are the meek.” It isn’t that the meek are just meek, it is also that they have been made meek. They understand that they cannot possibly do it themselves. They have no pretentions that they are able to “work” their way into heaven. My second thought is that this is the major problem facing most people in our congregations. Our churches are made up of people who are predominantly middle to upper middle class. These are people who have worked hard to get what they have. These are people (myself included) that think they can fix things... we must be made humble.

I then think back to the sermon I preached at my home congregation back in December. I preached about lowliness and Mary’s lowliness. I also preached about my experiences with being made humble. I am constantly humbled in hospital rooms... but it takes that for me to realize often times how much I need God. I easily fall into the notion that I can do it on my own. I think I can claim something for myself, I think I can claim some of my successes. But I realize in those hospital rooms that I can claim nothing. I am nothing and it is only by the grace of God that I am saved... it is only by the grace of God that any of us are saved. Now, if only we can we realize/remember this!

That’s it for tonight I believe.

Kate

Work, Work, Work

And so... it is beginning to seem like all I do is work, meet with people, or do church related activities. It isn’t really a bad thing. In fact, I really like what I do. But it just seems like time is going way too quickly and before I know it, it will be the end of the term and I will be busting my butt to get everything done and turned in - yet again. I can’t believe we are already in the third week of the term. I cannot believe that Holy Week is next week. I can’t believe that next week is when I find out where I will be spending the next year of my life. I really can’t believe that is next week. It seems like two days ago when it was three and a half weeks away... now it’s a week away. I don’t know, things are crazy. Crazy busy, but not in a bad way I think.

In other news I have either developed allergies (finally) or am sick again. I actually think I never really shook what I had in December which is why I got sick four weeks ago. Since then, I’ve still been coughing and occasionally blowing my nose even though I feel great. Well, I developed a sore throat on Saturday and Sunday and now it’s moved into sneezing and a pseudo-runny nose. So I finally buckled down and made an appointment at the health center over at Capital. I’m hoping if this is really a reoccurring thing, I’ll get some nice drugs to help knock it out of my system. I still feel pretty good (a little tired, but that’s normal), but this whole coughing thing is just confusing. And I think what is most confusing is that I’m taking care of myself and I’m actually getting enough (or almost enough) sleep. Either my immune system is going down the tubes or something is up (like maybe allergies... but do they come with a sore throat?). I actually think this is the sickest (December and March) I have been in years. Probably since my freshman year of high school. I don’t know. Anyway, I’ll let you know what the (hopefully) helpful people at the health center say tomorrow.

Kate