Moving Right Along

It is hard to believe another semester of study begins for me today at Columbia. I am moving right along. I had a condensed course on 'The Art and Practice of Theological Reflection' in the January term; it was an absolute joy. The class was offered by the Pastoral Care department and I really loved that the professor, also an Episcopal Priest and psychotherapist, was spiritually nourishing and focused on prayers for the class' well being. We met Monday through Friday for two and a half weeks.

Each day Professor Harkins set the mood for theological reflection with aromatic candles and about twenty minutes of scripture reading from the daily lectionary. Each day two students took a turn reading the Old Testament and Gospel lessons, while the rest of us listened for key words or phrases to speak to us through the reading. We then spent about fifteen minutes in silence meditating on those phrases or key words and listening for the still small voice of God. The professor then allowed us to spend about fifteen minutes sharing what our meditations revealed. It amazes me how Scripture speaks to each of us when we are open to it and have prepared our hearts and minds for the deep listening to God's Word. The name of this practice is termed Lectio Divina and is an ancient contemplative practice originally used by the monks of long ago. For more information on this form of meditative prayer go to http://www.valyermo.com/ld-art.html

My January term course also focused on writing short 1-2 page reflective papers daily. The goal was not only to have a blank canvas to write conversing with the assigned readings, but also to practice the art of narration in reflection. Our professor encouraged us to find comfort in the spaces of our life where there are no concrete answers; he called this being apophatic or being open to not knowing what God is saying. As you can imagine, there are many moments in life that we can not possibly be certain of a situation's meaning. And many of us, myself included, are quick to make a conclusion in lieu of taking the time to reflect and not feeling pressed to define one conclusion or assessment of a situation. A great example is that of the book, Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. I hope you will be intrigued enough to read it. It is a wonderful novel which I could not put down from the assigned reading.

I am most grateful that the January term class renewed my passion for meditating on Scripture. The fall semester had left my soul dry from the learning curve of juggling full time study, marriage, and family. It is a mystery to me how the meditation on Scripture often weaves words that correspond to what is happening to me in my every day life. Words jump off the page and proclaim my joys and my sorrows, comfort me, or help me to feel that I am not alone in the struggles I go through. It is my hope that you have similar experiences in your own daily quiet time.

I am very excited about my spring semester. First and foremost, I am taking Preaching and Worship. I can not tell you how thrilled I am to have the opportunity to learn the art of sermon crafting and the practice of delivering it effectively. I am also taking New Testament Survey, Reformed Theology, and a required course called Intersections. I believe Intersections will deal with the ways our faith intersects culture and the global church. I am also excited about taking Reformed Theology and learning more about the great reformers of the early church and 16th century, Saint Augustine, Martin Luther, and Calvin.

And lastly I am trying to get involved with some aspects of church leadership again. Doug and I attend Clairmont Presbyterian in Decatur and have loved their Sunday night service for young adults (20-30 somethings) called Last Call. It is a candle lit contemporary service that incorporates an intimate setting with a genuine format of worship. I am planning to help lead worship through Scripture Reading; I love the aspect of helping to bring the Biblical text to life.

I am also trying to get back into leading a small group, something my heart has been longing for the past 7 months. I will begin leading a Lenten Small Group for Clairmont Presbyterian's young adults soon. The pastors will be writing a lenten study on the Gospel of Mark. I am equally excited about leading this since my New Testament Greek Exegesis class was on Mark. Although I certainly am not a scholar on Mark's Gospel, I am excited to have the opportunity to share some things I have learned in the process of hearing others share their insights and questions about the study. It should be great!

As always, we appreciate your continued prayers and support of our seminary endeavors. We miss you dearly and hope that if you have the chance to travel to Atlanta that you will stop by for a visit!