Monday, October 18, 2010

Nearly 1/2 way through...

Hello beautiful children of God!

I am sitting here in my Institute for Youth Ministry office, munching on my lunch- and I decided it was high time I record my thoughts from the previous few weeks. Today begins our 5th week of classes already...and I really sense time slipping away from me. Hmmm, I am almost 1/2 done with my first long-term semester (fall semester extends three weeks into January yet)...and I have 5 or 6 major (10+ page) papers to write. I am somehow in denial of this reality and find it more pleasing to simply celebrate the quick arrival of festive holiday months! But still, even Ms. Peppy Emily cannot ignore the daunting task of writing those somewhat exciting yet terribly long papers. I am pretty sure this is my most intensive writing load yet, but I have to remark that I will have ZERO objective tests. Thank the good Lord.

So, my classes have been going strong- and remain interesting, which is key to survival! My medical ethics class surprised me a bit last week. We had a former surgeon for the Princeton Hospital present on conjugal twins and the ethical decisions which arise from that 1 in 10,000 biological rarity. Today we are learning about intercessory prayer and the role it plays in patient recovery- and a moral ethic of "should you/should you not" pray. (I have yet to do the reading)

My feminist and womanist class has been great as usual. We read The Handmaid's Tale for last week and this week. It is a novel depicting an eery world in which all the racial and gender advances of the late twentieth century America were reversed by a "republic of gideon," which used a few literally interpreted biblical passages to support its male-dominated society...it's complicated, but a really interesting read!

So, that leaves Paul and Karl. I am occasionally interested in the theological arguments outlined in the readings and lectures, but it has yet to capture my full attention (sorry, Sas). I'm sure it's a wonderful class, but lately I have been much more engaged in practical ministry concerns, especially with the hospital. Paul and Karl obviously have something to contribute to that area of thought, but it can be difficult to connect the dots at times. I lead precept this week- and our articles are on the ontology of God in Paul's writing and how to speak of God. I actually enjoy this topic.

Okay- the hospital has been wonderful the past few weeks. I have felt more connected with my ministry- and more assured of my ability to make a difference. Also I was given the opportunity to sit in on a training for vigil volunteers. Basically the presenters (one of whom was my supervisor) reviewed helpful ways to "sit in vigil" with a person who is dying. The previous week was definitely my most intense encounter with the moment of death. I experienced it (to a degree) at the hospital, I wrote my own funeral, we discussed end-of-life issues in medical ethics, and I attended this vigil training. Whew! I never knew how helpful all that could be. I really appreciate it, even if it is extremely difficult.

So those are my encounters with God through school- and I must say, God is active in all areas of my life! AJ and I have been really learning from one another lately- both in wonderful and trying ways. I guess the first year of marriage is full of that sort of thing. :) This weekend was great, because we were able to serve at several church functions. On Saturday we helped cook and serve an Italian night dinner fundraiser- and were exhausted at the end! Sunday we hosted the coffee hour (which is quite an event at our church) -I ended up making a lot of cookies on Friday for the coffee hour, and we had left-over food from the fundraiser as well. On top of all the kitchen work, AJ and I led Children's Worship yesterday. Overall, I felt the past three weeks (two previous weeks we were invited my church members to attend special lunches) have provided ample opportunity to connect within our worshipping community, and I only become more and more excited about my summer field education at RCHP!

So that is most likely more than enough to read for now. I continue to love my friends here at PTS and RCHP...it is such a blessing to have a whole community of faith-filled, eager, fun, and intelligent people! And to know that my community of friends only adds to the wonderful people already formative in my life- I am one happy woman!

I pray that God's light of power and wonder fill your minds and bodies as you go about the regularities of your extraordinary lives.

Em

PS- sorry no photos today.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

2 weeks in and happy.

Hello my wonderful friends and family...

I have begun this post with a few pictures- mostly random and in no chronological order.


AJ & I at his brother's wedding. Looking pretty spiffy, I must say.

AJ & I in front of the Target Stadium on our honeymoon. I realized I never showed any pictures from this quick yet fabulous trip.

How could I walk by this extremely large glove and NOT take a picture? (even if it embarrassed my new husband)

And two apple pies I made with my mother's recipe. I have to say (as did AJ), they turned out pretty well (thanks mom)!

Okay, so in case you're wondering what I've been up to while shirking my blogging responsibilities...I have to say. Everything! :) (including making pies when I had entirely too much reading to do. Oops.)

Last week, which was the first week of classes- I can hardly account for how quickly the time went. All of the sudden it was Monday again and I hadn't done any homework. Literally, the whole week. I went to classes, to my internship at the hospital, to work at the Institute, to our apartment cookout, a farmers' market with AJ, a church softball game, and everything in between...but I did not do homework. Thus, I began pinching myself and inwardly reciting over and over again, "You are a student Emily. Students study."

So, this week I studied. And to my glorious surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed it! My medical ethics class is super interesting, and it all happens on Monday evening (which is a time I find myself extremely alert). We discuss issues such as patient rights/paternalism, moral reasoning, and other really exciting things in the coming weeks. It also pairs quite well with my internship at the hospital. Already a few of the vocab words are corresponding, which helps me in a setting I am otherwise entirely unfamiliar.

Speaking of the hospital, I will say that much of my learning from there I will most likely not share on this blog. For reasons you will understand, it is both deeply personal to the patients with whom I interact, and to myself. Death, illness, medical uncertainty and the like are extremely tough and sensitive issues that should be reserved for personal communication. I will say- the first week "on-site" was basically on my own, making "cold calls" to patients rooms, and although it was one of the most nerve-racking experiences of my recent life, I came away with a largely positive perspective. I will share learning such as "gosh I never realized how foreign of a language and culture a hospital can be" and "my supervisor is really great and I look forward to learning from him this year" Other more serious issues must be discussed separately.

So, for my other classes. I am taking feminist and womanist theology, and for those who might have a certain impression in mind of what "feminist" means (because let's face it, in many contexts it is still a dirty word, often misused)- I would invite you to a conversation about what I'm learning and what I've learned in the past. This is a class I am especially interested in, and I was thrilled that the first two weeks of the class we are reading/discussing the Native American experience. We will also discuss feminist theology from the white Euro-American perspective, the Latino perspective, the Asian and Asian American perspective, and the African perspective. I may have missed some, but basically the course pays attention to the various experiences around the world of Christian women who have been oppressed within their communities and we will follow the improvements or lack of improvements in a world where "gender inequality" should seem like a distant past but is certainly not.

And for my final course- Karl Barth and the Apostle Paul- interpreting the theology of Romans. As this course progresses, I am finding it more interesting, but at first I wasn't sure if I'd really invest my time in it. The theological language in an upper-level course is somewhat tolerable, but a little over my head. Also, I seem to enjoy more of the biblical discussion, and as this is a dual New Testament/Theology course, I can choose one perspective to focus my studies for the final paper- and I think it might just be NT. Which is actually new to me. I thought I would be more interested in the theological side. Maybe that will change. Who knows. If you're not following this conversation much, don't worry. Only seminaries and the like separate NT studies from theology (and the point of this course is actually to acknowledge that separating them is sometimes unhelpful).

Okay- so what else is going on you might ask? (because clearly everyone is still reading this, I'm sure). AJ left for three days to a friend's wedding, and I've had a good time catching up with things (such as bloggging and cleaning)...and last night I took a bubble bath. The first time in years. And it was wonderful, complete with music and candles. :)

I've also been keeping busy catching up with friends whom I have missed over the summer. My good friend from college actually came as a first year student to PTS (after visiting me last year) so that's been wonderful seeing her so often. Her name is Emily, not to be confusing.

Well, I hope that life is good to you all, and if you're reading this blog and have a blog- I likely know what you are doing as well. Funny world we live in, that we can stay caught up with everyone without so much as one conversation. :) I wouldn't have it any other way, given the circumstances.

Sending my love- and my advice to take a bubble bath every once in awhile. Especially you, Kevin Sas. :)

Emily