Weekly post

Dear friends,
What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had! On Thursday, we enjoyed a quiet dinner at home. On Friday, all 14 family members on my side were together for the first time in a long, long time (possibly first time ever!) at my parents' house, and it was such a joy. Friday afternoon, we enjoyed a visit with Mark's side of the family.
On Saturday, I finished a term paper, ran a couple of errands, wrapped gifts and addressed some Christmas cards. I was horribly ill for all of last December, and it's finally occurred to me that I can wrap SOME gifts and address SOME Christmas cards, and then do some more later. I'm allowing myself a reflective pace, and it's lovely.
Picture this: A Saturday evening, with the whole family gathered in the bedroom watching the Patrick Stewart version of "A Christmas Carol." Me in my jammies, sipping a glass of Riesling (a gift from Mark's brother and sister-in-law), with Christmas candles lit nearby, leisurely addressing some Christmas cards. So nice!
On Sunday after church, I prepared some notes for a final-exam study session, made my fanulous turkey soup and helped Fiona with the first window on the Advent calendar.
The end is near ... hooray ... all that's left are two final exams and one more term paper. Can you believe, only two weeks left in my first semester? Wow.
Grace and peace,
Beth

Weekly post, sort of

Dear friends,
Last week I promised more this week. Didn't promise how much more, but here I am, if a day late.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted, "1 down and 4 to go"... it's now 3 down and 2 to go. Finished my New Testament paper & turned it in; finished my 20-page church history term paper & turned it in; finished my Art of Ministry presentation & presented it this morning. Now I have an Art of Ministry integrative essay (unrelated to the presentation) and a Church, Law, & Ethics term paper. Week after next, I will have two final exams, and unfortunately this school, unlike many others, does not have a reading week. We will have classes and papers right up until the exams, so we must construct our study groups and fit in our study times in all our free time. We all depend on the kindness of classmates.
We'll be ready for a break when it finally comes.
Grace and peace,
Beth

Three-year plan

Dear friends,

Following is a roughly penciled-out three-year plan to ensure that I meet all the requirements. I may not have to have any additional study after this degree, because the divinity school encourages students to fulfill their denominational requirements by using some of the 20 hours of electives, and many of the Lutheran requirements can be taken online. Of course, this all depends on what courses are offered when. But it's a general idea.

FALL 2005

New Testament I

Church History I

Church, Law, and Ethics

Art of Ministry I

Congregational Health: Conflict Negotiation and Resolution

SPRING 2006

New Testament II

Church History II

Foundations of Ethics

Multicultural Context for Ministry: New York
God and the New York Times

FALL 2006

Introduction to New Testament Greek I

Old Testament Interpretation I

Art of Ministry IIA

Introduction to the Spiritual Life

The Ministry of Pastoral Care

SPRING 2007

Introduction to New Testament Greek II

Old Testament Interpretation II

Old or New Testament elective

Unspecified elective

Art of Ministry IIB

FALL 2007

Islam

Homiletics and Worship

Art of Ministry IIIA

Independent Study: Senior Project

Unspecified elective

SPRING 2008

Art of Ministry IIIB

Independent Study: Senior Project

Unspecified elective

Unspecified elective

Weekly post

Dear friends,
Very busy today and will have more next week, I hope.
Grace and peace,
Beth

Weekly post

Dear friends,
Having completed my New Testament term paper, that's 1 down and 4 to go. I next turn my attention to my Church History term paper, a history of indulgences focused on the early 16th century. If I can get a good couple of blocks of time for library research, and I think I can, it should be all right. The main concern is giving enough attention to each project. I've been told by third-year students that it's virtually unheard-of to have four term papers and a final project to do, that in most semesters it's far more usual to have two or three term papers. That's reassuring -- I guess. I still have to make it through this semester.
Good news may be on the horizon in a different area. At the coming seminarians' retreat the weekend of Nov. 18, I plan to ask the synod folks if they require actual time on a Lutheran campus. If not, then, I may not have to take any more than the usual three years, because apparently non-Baptist students who have denominational requirements to fulfill can use some of their required 20 elective hours to meet their denominational requirements. And several Lutheran-specific courses are routinely offered online. This sounds like a confused explanation, but trust me, it's a good thing.
Grace and peace,
Beth