You've Got to be Kidding!

Yes, that's right, the nut in the sunglasses with his mouth wide open, they let that nut graduate yesterday with a Masters of Divinity Degree. What is Princeton Theological Seminary coming to?

It's been an exciting 3 years here in Princeton, filled with a lot more than what ended up on this blog. And most of the best parts of it will still remain. Friday Night, after our Baccalaureate service, a group of us got together with our families to celebrate together not just our accomplishment of graduating, that was special yes, but our friendships that we developed over these three years.

I knew I'd get a good education at Princeton. In fact, depending on who you talk to, you might be lead to believe that you'd get the best education (Presbyterian education) at Princeton Theological Seminary. But I didn't come to Princeton just for that, and it wasn't their financial assistance although that was significant as well. One of the main reasons I chose Princeton and one of the main reasons I've stayed at Princeton is the people, the friendships I've developed through these years. These are the kind of friendships that don't try to make you into something you're not, don't try to make you fit into some preconceived mold of what a "minister" or a "Christian" is supposed to be. I mean, there are some agreed upon things there - but these friendships accept the quirks, the oddities - simply put, they accept a guy who wheres sunglasses to Baccalaureate...

I've been so blessed over these years and I know these friendships will continue when we leave here. I can only hope that where we go next we will develop those same kind of relationships. But after all, isn't that what being part of the Christian COMMUNITY is all about? I think so, and I'm looking forward to continuing that...

Eerie...

I just hit "print" on my last piece of writing for my Masters of Divinity degree. It wasn't even a paper, but a 1 page Feedback on a course. I punched out the final part of my Independent Study on Karl Barth tonight, edited & printed my marriage and family paper and wrote that feedback. I still have to submit them tomorrow, but I'm essentially done. This is a weird feeling. Maybe it has something to do with knowing that I still have a TON of things to do before we move out, go where we're going and I get ordained & all. Maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that something I've been working towards for 3 years and a VERY significant chapter in my life, filled with VERY significant people is very quickly coming to an end. Maybe that has something to do with it. And maybe, just maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm REALLY tired right now, after going to bed at 4am Friday morning and having friends in town all weekend. Yeah, probably some of all of that...

Marriage...

"Mawwiage is what bwings us twogetha twoday..."

I'm sitting here in the CN Center. It's 2:24 AM. I'm just over halfway through my paper on Marriage for my class on Marriage, Family & the Christian community. I got through the Dark Night and now I just need to write this paper, and finish up my Independent Study on Karl Barth's Doctrine of Vocation, and I'll be home free. I'm a little tired, but I think I'm going to persevere and punch this one out before I go home and sleep. We're having college friends down/up for the weekend and I'll only have Sunday night to work after they leave, which I'd reserved for finishing Barth, which would make for a horrific night and very stressful. Better to stay up late/early tonight and create a little wiggle room than leave it to the TOTAL last minute, am I right?

I've got to say, writing about marriage has always been a particular joy of mine. I actually wrote a paper for my Barth class last semester on his understanding of marriage. I'm using the notes for that to help me with this paper which is a nice bonus. I also wrote on Paul's view of women, particularly looking at the marriage texts, back in College. Maybe someday I'll do a hack job of a book on the subject, not that anyone would really want to read much of what I'd have to say on marriage - mine is ok, but most of the time I'm a real A$$ to Bridgette. Somehow she loves me anyway. If I could just get to that point of practicing everything I believe about marriage, maybe I'd be able to write something, 'course that didn't keep Barth from writing.

By the way, this week there was the annual Princeton Youth Forum held here at PTS. I attended it as a requirement for one of my classes. It was really interesting, being back in that environment, thinking & talking about youth, while I was still a student and finishing up my degree and yet knowing I won't be doing youth, not specifically, when I graduate...

Dark Night of Finishing Seminary

The first photo on the left is the picture I took Thursday, April 26 - my last official day of classes at Princeton Theological Seminary. I ended my seminary experience in a rather interesting way. Instead of attending my final class, I ditched it to go to the final meeting of a class by both my favourite professor at PTS and a class that had a number of my friends in it. I decided simply that if I'm going out, I'm going out on top. I can safely say that everyone who goes to PTS should take a class from Dr. Darrell Guder. The stuff he's talking about, missional theology, Lesslie Newbigin, Karl Barth, are the things we need to be talking about plain and simple. And that is the first photo on the left.

The second photo on the left is a photo I just took now. Now I am writing a paper on St. John of the Cross Dark Night of the Soul in which I am experiencing my own little Dark Night. Simply put, I have 5 days left before all my work is due. This paper was supposed to be done (for me) a couple days ago so that I could spend this week focusing on another paper which is due May 7, our due date for final work as graduating seniors - don't get me started on that whole thing. But of course there have been a ton of important things, and some distractions, which have arisen and I have not gotten what I wanted completed completed when I wanted it to be. This weekend too, we're hosting two couples and their baby/toddler sons, friends from college. I promised Bridgette I'd be fully present with them during the weekend, which means I may need to pull an all-nighter in here somewhere - not my favourite things to do. But I just HATE reading & writing about this. I wish I'd chosen something else, but it's too late now. I'm stuck with it. I'd much rather finish up my Missional Karl Barth Independant Study or write my Marriage & Family Paper. However, I'm stuck writing this - arrgghhh.

As for you who are wondering about what's going on next year with me, you'll have to stay tuned. I'll feel better about announcing stuff to the world in a few weeks, once we have something officially to announce. I'll probably post something around May 14 or so and further details again a couple weeks later, the week after graduation. Sorry to be cryptic, but if you're that interested, call or e-mail me. But I probably won't pick up tonight...