Category: Faith

The current balance date for my LTSP billing statement is 07/03/1900. I am much older than I thought.

Krauth Memorial Library

Yesterday morning, after waking up from a NiteQuil induced sleep, I woke up, found the fitness room, and slowly worked out to try and wake myself up. It tends to take me hours to recover from a nitequil dose but I do what I need to do to be able to breathe while I recover from a cold. Once I finally woke up, I realized I had a few hours to kill so I did what any good seminary student would do. I went to the library and photocopied some of the pre-reading I need to do for Old Testament I.

Before I left NYC, a friend of mine told me his experience of graduate school – “As an undergrad, I had all the time but none of the study skills. As a grad, I had all the skills but none of the time.” I really am finding this out to be true. I’m taking initiative, meeting professors, figuring things out, and trying to crank out papers and reading as soon as possible. My younger self would not recognize me today.

As an engineering student, I never spent time in the library. I never really wandered the stacks, look for research books, photocopy material, or anything of that sort. All I needed was one book, the professor, a TA, and my computer. But everything is brand new now. I wandered around the Krauth Library, a beautiful building built before electricity was wide spread. The floors are translucent to allow sunlight from above to filter through to the basement. The stain glass windows inside are amazing. But it is a maze in there. And their copy machine can be temperamental. But I did learn something while using it.

When I wanted to scan two pages, I used the ledger setting which costs 20 cents a page. But I didn’t need to do that. A legal sized piece of paper works for most two page spreads from books and those only cost 10 cents. To select the legal option, press the “manual feed location” on the screen and save yourself a few pennies. I spent four dollars on copies – more than my entire copy budget for the last decade. Nickels and dime man, nickels and dimes.

Whoopie Pie

Every Tuesday, from 3pm to 7pm, a small farmer’s market takes place in the plaza at LTSP. The plaza was built after a twelve foot retaining wall between the chapel and the community was torn down. The market consists of four tables with one being served by an Amish/mennoite family from Lancaster county. By 3:15pm, there was a long line at their table. I hovered around, looking at their food, until I spotted this. Amish whoopie pies and shoofly pies are one of my many, many, many, many weaknesses.

It was delicious.

A sacred space: Revolutionary War graveyard along Germantown Avenue

Last night, during the first official session of my intensive course, “Introduction to Public Theology”, we were given an in class writing assignment. The question involved the current debate whether the islamic center should be built near ground zero or not. Specifically, is ground zero a sacred space?

The professor walked out of the room and I began to organize my thoughts. I started writing, my first instinct to discuss the 17th century ship that was recently discovered at Ground Zero. My plan was to lead in to a discussion of how all of lower manhattan is a sacred space of some sort – a struggle to expand and develop more space, more living room, more places to do business and worship. The 17th century ship was an extension of that idea – used as landfill to extend the shoreline into the Hudson. The Islamic Center should be built because it is another type of sacred space that, above all, is not in competition with the surrounding areas. The Islamic Center is a sacred space with, and within, other sacred spaces. Lower Manhattan is a significant to a large number of religions – civil religion, the market, wealth, empire, history, American identity, and the story of christianity in America. Manhattan matters (and don’t hate me for saying that – us New Yorkers do tend to overvalue our place in the world quite often but, in this case, I think I’m not far off the mark).

That last paragraph did not take much time to write at the moment but I had a hard time cranking that out last night. Rather, I started in slowly and I was also writing by hand which I haven’t done regularly for years. After a few moments, the professor came back and told us to wrap it up. I was no where near answering the question nor finishing any of my thoughts. I hastily tried to throw a sentence or two together but I realized I couldn’t write what I needed to write so I just finished, mid sentence, with “…and I ran out of time.” Honesty is the best policy sometimes, no?

Day 1 of orientation is done! Over! Finito! It was pretty basic and now I find myself, in my dorm room, feeling kind of bored. I know that my grad student career has officially started and that I should ease into it but I feel like I’m a rocket, geared up and ready to go. I bet my enthusiasm will fade over the next few days.

Today started with an orientation on housing and security. The overall theme is that we’re all adults, we should act like it, and we should not leave wallets in our car. ¬†I think I’ll be okay one that one. ¬†Dinner was a small potluck lovingly thrown together by members of the two local Lutheran congregations. ¬†I met several students – a few from the north east, a few young married couples, a few folks I’ve met before in NYC, and a young man who was originally training to be a RCC priest in Liberia but is now exploring his options (and really likes Martin Luther). ¬†There’s a good mix of age groups here and about 50/50 male and female.

After dinner, we had our first worship service as a community. ¬†It contained the Rite of Welcome ¬†where we all responded, three times, “Teach me, O Lord, your ways.” ¬†After that, we jumped into the hymn Praise to the Lord, Almighty. During the second verse, it hit me that I really was here and that I’m really doing this. ¬†Even with the candidacy process, the acceptance letters, the scholarships – all of that was a prelude to this moment. ¬†Even though I was on this path, it was still not 100% tangible. ¬†But now it is. ¬†This really is happening.

After communion, I noticed that there were crumbs on the floor and for most of the sending song, I just stared at them. ¬†I’m still trying to get use to how I handle crumbs. ¬†Some folks care, some don’t. ¬†I remember visiting a class at another seminary where, when the professor mentioned crumbs being thrown willy nilly, everyone in the class groaned and had a heart attack. ¬†I know I’m not at that point but I do know that I’m very aware of what happens to the bits of the consecrated host after communion. ¬†I figure that this will be one of the many questions I might just spend too much thinking on while I’m here.

Worship ended and we were sent to another introduction class in a room with no AC.  From one sweltring chapel to a humid as all hell room was not really I had planned. The President of LTSP and the Dean both made a little speech. We met some faculty members and our Introduction to Public Theology: Prologue course gave a short introduction.   And, with that, day one was done.

Oh. If anyone reading this knows where there is a dollar store in Mt Airy, I would appreciate if you could fill me in. ¬†And if it’s within walking distance from LTSP, that would be even better. ¬†Someone recommended me one that was 3 miles away. ¬†Even though I’m in the “city”, this is still car country it seems.

Very basic setup with no decorations…yet. And it is missing a desk. ¬†But I like it. ¬†There’s also a lingering smell of paint throughout the room as they just repainted it. ¬†I feel like they did that specifically for me.

I can hear my neighbors but I have yet to meet any. ¬†I don’t hear music, talking, or people walking through the halls. Rather, I can hear the indoor plumbing being used when they flush the toilets or turn on their showers. ¬†PEOPLE! I KNOW YOU ARE THERE! I wonder if they know I am here too.

The trip down yesterday was uneventful. My bus arrived at 30th St Station 30 minutes late (which is normal for megabus) and my uncle picked me up and drove me to the seminary.  We arrived to find the Director of Student Services and a member of admissions manning a table. I picked up my keys, found my room, threw my stuff down and then headed out to Costco and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  You cannot furnish an entire apartment with only one small suitcase and one athletic bag.

We had great fun going to the suburban box stores. ¬†Even though K and I love the city, we are suburbanites at heart and having the option to load up a car truck full of goods and services, is something that K and I really appreciate. ¬†I’m use to granny carting it to Costco. ¬†Cars are a luxury. ¬†We picked up sheets, towels, a set of pots, 1 bowl, 1 plate, 1 cup, 1 knife, 1 spoon, and 1 fork. ¬†Why only one of each? Because I’m living the bachelor life now. ¬†I will, most likely, just be eating out of the pans if I ever cook. ¬†I am a classy fellow.

After the trips to suburbia, K and I set up my room. ¬†I’ll post pictures later today. ¬†The place is rather spacious (though it is missing a desk). I actually have closet space which I don’t have in NYC. ¬†And I have more dressers than I really need. ¬†I’m pretty sure I’ll fill up this place with quite a bit of useless stuff over the next few weeks but it is nice to have room and knooks and crannies to place dust collectors. ¬†For a dorm room, this isn’t half bad.

I was able to show K the campus – the tour took a whopping five minutes. ¬†We did get to glance into the chapel which is always nice. ¬†When the campus has only five main buildings (or maybe six), there isn’t too much to see. The book store was closed which was a shame. ¬†I felt like buying college kitsch.

Through the day, I did see some of my future classmates. I saw many vans and SUVs in the parking lot with plates from Jersey, Iowa, Minnesota, and a few other parts of Luther Country. ¬†Admissions let in 62 folks this year which is a lot for a school of only 500 students across all degrees. ¬†We still need to wait to see if everyone shows up but it looks good. I don’t know how many are aiming for a Master of Divinity degree nor do I know which ones are in Candidacy or not. ¬†And I’m not sure if any others are coming from my home synod.

After the campus tour and setting up the dorm room, my uncle took me and K out to dinner with his family. It was nice talking to my cousins who are in high school (and who I originally saw when they were each 1 years old).  After dinner, K jumped on the bus back to NYC (which was 45 minutes late) and I took my first SEPTA ride!  If you ever head from 30th St station to LTSP, I recommend taking the Cherry Hill West line, jumping out at Allen Lane and then walking straight down Allen.  It runs right into the Seminary after about five minutes.

This morning, I’ll experience the big local lutheran church, St Michael’s, that serves the Seminary. ¬†And then I need to go out and buy all the remaining things I need. ¬†Showering without a shower curtain is a very wet affair. ¬†And not having an umbrella on the one day in the week where it is thunderstorming is very lame.

I’m on the bus. ¬†We just passed Newark and are heading down the Jersey turnpike. ¬†K is curled up next to me and is taking a nap. I’m enjoying the free wifi. ¬†I’m living the high life.

From my standpoint, on the top deck of a double decker bus, we’re making good time. The traffic is moving quickly and we might actually make it to Philadelphia on time. ¬†When I have taken this trip in the past, it has only been on time once so I’m not holding my breath.

I didn’t start packing for seminary until late yesterday afternoon and, while sitting here, I’m already remembering the things I forgot. ¬†I really do need a towel. ¬†I might need bed sheets. ¬†And I was only able to cram half a dozen books in my small suitcase. ¬†I’m going down there bare bones. Like I told my friend, I don’t view my dorm room at seminary to be my home away from home. ¬†I view it as an extended stay in a hotel room. ¬†I’m not sure the view will be as nice and there probably won’t be a mint left on my pillow when I check in but the room will do. ¬†It’ll suffice.

K is coming with me for the day but she’ll be heading back to NYC tonight. ¬†My Uncle Mike will be picking us up from the station and driving me to my new digs. ¬†The seminary has a two week long orientation that starts tomorrow night. ¬†In the orientation, along with details about financial aid, the student handbook, and how to use the library, is a course called “Introduction to Public Theology”. It’s a warmup course to get myself oriented to the rest of the semester. ¬†I’m curious how it will go. I’m curious to see who my fellow classmates will be. And I wonder how long it will take before I get use to reading constantly. ¬†It will be weird having semesters where I never have to turn in a problem set.

I’ll report later on a few of my recent back-to-school purchases, my adventures with Amazon, and some of the advice people gave me before I left. ¬†I won’t see NYC for two weeks. ¬†I won’t see K either. ¬†I know that, by day three, it will be weird that she isn’t around. ¬†But I’m off on a new adventure. ¬†I’m pretty sure this is going to be fun.