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

More Pictures from Franklin Park Conservatory

Yes, this is actually in Columbus! =)


 

Butterfly at Franklin Park Conservatory

I wrote an earlier post about going to the Franklin Park Conservatory and seeing the butterflies. Well, here's a photo from that visit...

Internship

In my last post, I wrote something about playing practical jokes on the president of Trinity. Well, he’s more than capable of playing (or at least trying to play) them on me too. So today, it started.

I’ve been expecting this for a while now, and so now it has started. Our beloved president has started to try and play the internship card. Last year, he tried this with my friend Kim and succeeded a bit. He kept walking around and telling her that he knew where she was going. It drove her nuts as she tried to figure out where she was going all the while he was rubbing it in that he knew. So I knew he’d start with me this year... and today was the day. He asked me if I was going to Portland. I shrugged my shoulders and said that I didn’t know. I then asked him if he knew... his response was, “I will never tell.” I said I didn’t want him to tell me, but I was just curious if he knew. “I can keep a secret” was his next response. My next response was, “Me too.”

I left his office and two minutes later he popped into the office I was in and asked me if I was going to Portland. I think the next time he does it, I’m going to say something like, “I was thinking that I might like to go to Chagrin Falls.” Or, “How about Jamestown?” I could just keep mixing it up. Because honestly... I trust the process and the decision has already been made. I will find out on April 12 where I’m going and I’m ok with that. Plus, Wally, my advisor, is on the contextual ed committee and he said that the committee was pleased with the placements. I trust him and I trust the rest of the committee. He knows me pretty well and I’m sure that if there were a problem with my placement, he would have said something. So, I’m confident it will be fine, regardless if I wind up in Portland or not.

So that’s the story. April 12 - then I’ll let you know where I will be next year.

Kate

Christian Life

There are times here at Trinity I see an image that strikes me as descriptive of what it means to be a community in Christ. I had such an experience today, an experience that made me pause a bit but also allowed me to remember just how counter-cultural Christianity actually is.

We have chapel at Trinity every weekday. Today, we had a healing service and three people prayed over and anointed those who wanted prayers of healing. During chapel today, our president, Mark Ramseth, got up and kneeled in front of one my fellow students. As I watched Patrick place his hands on Mark’s head, I realized, this is the picture of community in Christ. The president (a title that typically holds a lot of importance for people in the real world) is kneeling in front of a student (who most people would place in a lower place) asking for prayers of healing. But here’s the thing, at that moment, Mark wasn’t President Ramseth kneeling in front of first year student Patrick. Instead, he was Mark, another person, asking another person for prayers of healing. That, my friends, is counter-cultural and a perfect example of what it means to be a Christian, a Christ follower, and in community.

In some respects, it is interesting that I even notice this because our president is incredibly accessible. He’s ok with us calling him Mark and I tend to play practical jokes on him... granted, I also respect him and the office he holds, but I like the fact that he understands he is another person. We can have fun together and play jokes on each other, but when it comes time for business, we can do that too.

Anyway, that’s my reflection for the day. More later I’m sure.

Kate

New Term

And so I think it is going to be a very good quarter. I have had three of my four classes (the fourth is once a week on Thursday afternoons) and so far I love all three. Two are exegetical classes, one on Romans and the other on Revelation. I love having both of these classes, partially because I’m a big Bible geek. But additionally because Revelation is a huge topic right now and Romans is like the core Lutheran text. Both classes are taught by my advisor, Wally Taylor. He is going to be sick of me by the end of the term... I see him every morning for class in addition to I-group and he’s now technically my boss too. Good thing we get along pretty well.

My third class is Lutheran Identity (Lutheran ID) which I think will be an excellent class. We are diving into the confessions of the Lutheran church and much of that becomes great theological ponderings which I love. So that class should be good. The only class that is still a mystery is Pastoral Care and Counseling. It meets once a week on Thursday afternoons (at least my section) for three and a half hours. As much as I love pastoral care, I think it should be a good class. Plus, I’ve heard good things about the professor (one I have amazingly not had yet). But it remains to be seen.

As much as this week is making the term look like a good one, this week is also busy. I managed to schedule myself to preach twice this week at my MIC site. Once tomorrow (Wednesday) night at our midweek Lenten service and then again on Sunday. I’ve got my sermon for tomorrow written, but now I need to get working on my Sunday sermon. Quick turn around, but I figure it will give me the experience of preaching twice in the same week which will happen when I am in the parish. So how do you handle writing two sermons in the midst of everything? That’s what I’m working on now. So far, it’s working out... but we’ll see how the Sunday sermon goes. =)

I’ll be posting more later, but for now, it’s bed time.

Kate

End of Break

And so break is pretty much over. I have a few hours left before my 8:30 class... but I’m going to be spending at least seven of them sleeping and the others will be spent getting ready to go to class. In some respects, I’m sad because I’ve enjoyed being on break, but really I’m still excited about this quarter and so in some ways it is good break is coming to a close.

I had the opportunity to do some neat things over break. After spending several days doing a lot of nothing, I went to Canton, OH to the National Football Hall of Fame with some friends. It was pretty cool, definitely worth at least one trip. Friday was of course St. Patricks Day, so some of us went out for some green beer - that was fun.

Saturday I went to the Franklin Park Conservatory. I went with two people from Montana, a mother and daughter, who are here because the daughter, Hillary, has been ill and one of two specialists she needs is at Children’s Hospital here in Columbus. Additionally, they are friends of Mark Ramseth, the president of Trinity. I also went with Linda Koch who is Mark’s secretary and a friend of mine. Anyway, Franklin Park Conservatory pretty much focuses on horticulture and has a bunch of different plants in different types of ecosystems inside the main building. They also, every year, release newly hatched butterflies in one of the parts of the building each day. We went for that and even got to hold some of the butterflies. It was awesome. I have pictures which I will put up eventually... just probably not tonight.

That’s probably it for now... look for more as the quarter gets into full swing.

Kate

Break

Breaks during this year have kind of made me wonder about myself a bit. What I mean is I don’t feel like I’m truly able to take a break from theology/ministry stuff. Even after I finished my exegetical for Luke on Monday night, I have found myself reading things (particularly the books I just bought for the upcoming quarter) and looking at all the recommendations Amazon has for me based on what I’ve bought and what I own (which is mostly theology/ministry related).

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve taken some time off and spent quite a bit of time this break watching 24 on DVD in addition to some NCAA basketball and other shows that I sometimes watch. I’ve also gone out with friends some evenings and tomorrow (really today I suppose) I’ll be going up to Canton, OH to go to the National Football Hall of Fame. Then, because tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, I believe some of us will be consuming green beer somewhere in the evening. Even with all of this, I can’t seem to get away from wanting to read, wanting to learn as much as possible.

I have mixed feelings about all of this. On one hand, I’m excited about this upcoming quarter and the classes I’m taking... so in some respects it is no wonder that I’m reading already for that stuff. On the other hand, however, I’m worried that I won’t be completely rested when I start classes again and that will lead to burn out somewhere down the line. I wonder a bit about my ability to get away from work and what that means for me taking care of myself so that I don’t burn out. Now, the more I think about this last possibility, the less I worry about it. I know that I am taking time away from academics (obviously, I’ve gone out and watched a bunch of TV this week). And, I’m excited about classes and what I’ll be learning... I’m not reading out of a sense of duty or because I have to get it done, I’m reading because I want to. That’s got to count for something I suppose. I admit that I’m a geek and I love to absorb and learn as much as possible - so I guess it is natural I would want to read as much as possible, even over break.

So that’s it for right now... I do need to get serious about working on a couple of sermons though. I’m preaching both Wednesday and the following Sunday in addition to starting classes next week. Assuming I figure out where I’m going with these two sermons now, it shouldn’t be too bad. But we’ll see what happens. =)

More later.

Kate

It's been a very long time!!

I know it’s been a while since I last updated and this means it is probably due for a long update. We’ll see how long this one is, for a variety of reasons. But rest assured, even if this one isn’t all of what probably needs to be written, there will be more.

So when I last wrote we were heading into the end of the quarter. Now, we’re on spring break, the quarter is over and I made it through, but not without some trials along the way. Shortly after I last wrote, I got really sick... again. I had something that manifested itself much like what I had back in December. I woke up two weeks ago (today actually) with nasty chest congestion, extremely tired, and a slight fever. After convincing myself that I shouldn’t go to class (it’s hard to let myself miss class, but the fever convinced me), I went back to bed hoping to wake up and go to my second class. I woke up a couple hours later and took my temperature hoping it had gone down... no such luck. In fact, it had gone up a bit more. At that point I just gave up, e-mailed all my professors and went back to bed for the rest of the day.

Wednesday was a bit better, Thursday was worse because Wednesday night I didn’t get much sleep. All of this set me back in my workload (which was already astronomical) by several days. So, I asked for some help and got an extension on a paper I wound up writing and turning in a day late and then finally my Luke exegetical. I finished everything up over the weekend and early last week except the Luke exegetical which I finally finished last night. I still occasionally have a cough, but really I’m pretty much back to 100 percent now. It did take me about a week and a half to finally feel human again... the stupid illness moved back and forth between my head and my chest for a while. But now I’m better and everything is done, so that’s good.

Then, this past Thursday, I went out to Planks for some karoke with some friends. Around 11:30, in the middle of a song, all of a sudden the power went out. Turns out that a power pole went down. It seems to me that the transformer on the top of the pole shorted out some how and broke the pole right below the transformer which put stress on the bottom of the pole. Others have said that it was lightening, but we didn’t hear any thunder and trust me, we would have heard it if it was lightening. Anyway, we were there for an extra hour and a half because it was right out back where we had parked and they wouldn’t let us anywhere near the car until quite a bit later. I took a picture with my phone... I hope it uploads. If not, then I’ll put it up another way, probably tomorrow.

For now I’m spending break lounging around and working a bit. I’m on call at OSU tonight and I worked in the lab today and will work tomorrow. The cool thing is now that my exegetical is done, I took the second season of 24 to the lab with me and watched four episodes in the four hours I was there today. Easy job - I get paid to watch DVDs!

That’s probably enough for now... look for more later. I hope to get back in the swing of things, but the illness plus school work just wiped out my journaling.

Kate

Update

We are now heading into the last two weeks of the term which promises to be a crazy, crazy time. In the meantime, I’m getting sick again. I don’t know if I caught the cold that’s been going around or whatever, but it is reminiscent of what I had in December as it has already moved into my chest. I’m also starting to get very physically tired which is not good... I’ve been pretty good all day. I’ve had some coughing and some minor congestion, but for the most part my energy level has been pretty good. I’m taking Mucinex now in hopes that it works and I am able to get rid of this before it gets much worse. Anyway, we’ll see where this goes.

Otherwise, things are pretty good right now. I’ll let you know how the next two weeks turn out though.

Kate

Some thoughts...

Some thoughts now, probably more later.

We are at the end of the second day here in Ft. Worth. We have the evening off an totally on our own. I’m very tired and about to take a nap before my friends and I venture out for dinner. However, I thought I would write some quick reflections now with the intent of writing some more later.

At the end of today I’m still interested in community-based organizing and probably more so on one level due to some connections I’ve made, yet at the same time less excited about it on another level. I think it sounds like a very interesting way of doing leadership in the church and the more I learn about it, the more I think I would like to try it in a congregation setting to see what happens. However, I also realize that it is not the only way to do mission and therefore am becoming less excited about it simply based on the fact that I know it is only one way. Nevertheless, there were some connections I made today during a workshop that has interested me. It seems to me that community-based organizing and pastoral care share a lot of the same principles. I actually wonder if that’s why community-based organizing works in many cases because it shares these same principles and may be seen as pastoral care on a larger level. That gets me excited... partially because I love pastoral care and partially because a big component of pastoral care is relationships which I love. It is all about relationships. =)

On another note, it is also very cool being here because when we gather as a large group, we are probably one of the most ethnically diverse groups in the ELCA. It is awesome to see the range of people who are Lutheran and how we all live out our faith lives. The diversity is definitely something I’ve been missing lately.

Ok, enough for now. Time for a nap.

Kate

Ft. Worth...

I’m in Ft. Worth... very tired and probably heading to bed. I will say that the stuff we’re engaged in is pretty cool so far. Tomorrow promises to be a very full and interesting day. I’ll be sure to reflect more tomorrow night or possibly even Sunday or Monday after I return. But for now it is time for bed!! It was a very, very early morning and now it is past my bed time.

Kate

New Job...

Yesterday, I was offered a new job for the spring term and today I accepted. I’m going to be the Bible Division’s research assistant starting at the beginning of the spring term. The person who was the research assistant has to relinquish the job, so they asked me. It came out of the blue, but I think it’s going to be a pretty cool job. Basically it includes checking references in manuscripts and some bibliographical work for the Bible Division professors. What’s pretty cool about it is that it can include what any of them are working on. So I’ll probably be seeing some of their manuscripts for future books and other writing projects which will be neat. So basically, I’ll be getting paid to do something I would probably do for free. =) I’m somewhat amazed they asked me because usually the division assistants are seniors. But on the other hand, I’m not terribly surprised because almost the entire Bible Division has cornered me at some point about going to grad school and getting a PhD which I am seriously considering. Actually, today when I accepted, Wally (who is the division chair) told me that one reason they asked me other than I’m a good student is because if I do decide to go to grad school, this can be something else to put on my resume. Sounds good to me.

Anyway, I should say that I will be adding another job... I’ll still be working in the computer lab too. The bonus about that job is it is almost guaranteed homework time and I get paid for that too. It’s got to be the sweetest job on campus. Plus, if it is ever slow for me for homework, I could technically work on the stuff for my new job while I’m in the lab... make double the money for the same number of hours - sweet!

The only other hot topic thing right now is Ft. Worth. I leave early Friday morning to head there for a conference. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m excited about the conference itself; plus, I’m excited to get out of here for the weekend. It does mean I’m losing a weekend... but I would probably lose this weekend anyway because it is also Visit Trinity (when prospective students come) and originally I was signed up to help with several of the events. Anyway, I’m looking forward to it and I think it will be awesome. Plus, the hotel we’re at for the conference is the hotel (apparently) that JFK stayed at the night before he was shot. Now it’s a Radisson, I don’t know what it was then, but I thought that was pretty cool.

I’ve probably written enough and it is definitely time to go to bed. I’m pretty wiped. The last several days have been extremely busy.

Kate

Wrap up

So I met with the last potential supervisor on Thursday - that would be the guy from Portland. I liked him and thought it would be a good site to be at. I think at this point I’d be really happy with Portland, Chagrin Falls, or even Jamestown... but we’ll see where I wind up. I have a couple more months now to wait... so it’s back to normal for now, back to academics, church, and the hospital. =)

As for the rest of the week, it went pretty well. I got some much needed rest on Friday with some work accomplished (although, not too much). I then worked my butt off yesterday preparing some stuff for confirmation today and worship this week. I spent today at church (of course) and then starting a sermon for Transfiguration (two weeks away). This week looks a little crazy (it’s my I-group’s worship week which means I’ve got stuff to get ready for Wednesday along with homework) and then I leave early Friday morning for Ft. Worth and the ELCA CBOSS event. So I basically lose my whole weekend (leave Friday, come back Sunday) and then move into a week when I’ll have to start writing papers in addition to the sermon. Needless to say, these next couple weeks could be interesting.

I’m going to make an effort to write during these upcoming weeks, but if you don’t hear from me in a while... that’s why.

Kate