Arrived Safely in South Africa

A quick post to say I arrived Saturday evening in South Africa after two flights totaling about 16 hours with 2 hours in Paris. The McBrides, my hosts, were there to greet me. They are a lovely couple with whom I've enjoyed some wonderful conversation. The Reverend Horace McBride is an Archdeacon in Christ the King Diocese. His wife and I went to the Sunday service in the chapel next door to the Rectory yesterday morning. I hope to post photos when I am able to use my laptop.

I will be spending the week traveling with Nandi, the Diocesan AIDS Coordinator and will be staying at the Diocesan Conference Center in Johannesburg. Then I will return to the McBrides next Sunday.

Preparing for "The Plunge"

In 10 days I will be flying to Johannesburg, South Africa for "The Plunge" - a ministry immersion in the Diocese of Christ the King which is just outside Joh'burg. I am looking forward to staying at the home of the Archbishop and his wife and experiencing ministry in a new part of the world. I hope to spend time with the diocese's AIDS ministry and Mother's Union. I'm sure that "The Plunge" will significantly impact my ministry in ways that I cannot even imagine! I expect to blog during my journey so stay tuned.

In preparation I've started the hepatitis A & B shot series. I'll start taking typhoid pills later this week. Can't wait for the flu-like side effects!!! I have malaria pills to take before, during and after my three-day visit to Kruger National Park which is scheduled to take place after "The Plunge." In fact, I'm spending two weeks after "The Plunge" traveling around South Africa, eventually visiting friends in Knysna and winding up in Cape Town.

Since it's winter there I will need to get sweaters and warm clothes out of the closet! Seems odd to pack fleece when it's 90 degrees at home! I'm making progress on the list of all the other details - paying bills, car, home and pet care, etc. There is a lot of preparation before leaving for a month!

Meeting Presiding Bishop Katharine

Tonight's Service for the Mission of the Church at Seminary was extra special because Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori was the preacher. As the lead sacristan for the service I introduced myself to +PB Katharine and offered assistance. I tripped over my words and said "lectern" and "podium" before arriving at "pulpit" explaining that is adjustable and she might want to check it before the service. Nerves are funny!

The service was great and her sermon was right on! I hope to link to the text in the coming days. I'm thrilled that she signed my copy of her book On a Wing and a Prayer. Tomorrow is commencement and she will receive an honorary degree, along with several other folks.

It is bittersweet to say goodbye to the graduating class - joy for their future endeavors and sadness that they are leaving. The reality that I will be a senior and graduating next year is sinking in too!!

One Down, One To Go!

One exam - Systematic Theology - is finished and tomorrow I have my final, comprehensive, entire semester worth of Ethics exam! Then preaching Sunday on the Trinity using a visual. Sermon discussion is after the service - a new experience for me! I still have to put final touches on a paper for ST before COB on Monday and then I'm truly a Senior! It's exciting and yet bittersweet. I will miss the Seniors who are graduating and moving onto new ministries. As a sacristan, I will be carrying the Processional Cross for graduation next Thursday (5/22). It's an honor.

Summer will involve working at the Seminary Library and other places before spending a week at 'preaching camp' at Villanova. A week's vacation in Miami at the end of June and then heading to South Africa for an immersion - cross cultural experience in mid-July. Fortunately I will have 2+ weeks to tour South Africa before returning home in time to study Greek!

But for now, I'm off to study for my Ethics exam!

3rd Quarter and Holy Week!

In an interesting convergence of circumstances the end of the 3rd quarter and exams, midterms & finals, happened this week which is also Holy Week! Granted we are to be walking in the Way of the Cross and experiencing the pain of suffering of Christ's passion and death, but having this suffering overlap with the suffering of exams is just too much! Then on top of it, someone(s) removed all of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer books from the Seminary Chapel so that the Chapel Team and I, as Sacristan, were scrambling Monday morning to locate enough prayer books so people could worship at our 8:10 Morning Prayer service. The would be jokester placed 1928 Prayer Books in the pews and put "1928" on the hymn boards. The prank, in my opinion, was poorly timed and inappropriate, and the lack of comment from the powers-that-be has been surprising. I've been wondering "what would Jesus do?" and I think Jesus would have a few choice words to say! But alas, the Prayer Books were found and returned to their places, my exams are finished and the focus is now on the Tritium. For a good article on what these next few days means to Christians go to http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-opkea5615834mar17,0,6496178.column

I will be serving at my Field Ed parish for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday night and two services on Easter Sunday. It will be good to join this faithful community as we worship and journey together through this most Holy Week.

On Month Later

I returned from Honduras and had a few days off before starting back at seminary. I am past the halfway point in my three-year seminary journey! I wonder how this is possible! My seminary operates on a semester and quarter system. Each semester has two quarters so this quarter I am finishing Church History - from 1600 to the present. My semester courses are Christian Ethics, Systematic Theology II and Colloquy which is a companion course to field education, or as I like to call it 'student priesting.' I spend every Sunday at my field ed parish where I serve at the altar, occasionally preach and proclaim the Gospel, and co-lead the Rite 13 group (teenagers). Co-leading Rite 13 is good and challenging for me because I haven't had much experience with teenagers! Also as part of field ed I meet monthly with a committee of lay people who provide me with feedback on my sermons and generally support me as I learn more about parish leadership and becoming a priest. It's a wonderful parish and I'm thankful to be there!

Speaking of parishes, my Bishop has transferred me to a new sponsoring parish. After 8 years I am moving from the parish that I joined when I moved here from Houston. This was the parish where I discerned my call for ordination and where the people joined me in that discernment, raised me up and supported me on this journey towards ordination. It's hard to leave these people and this place that has meant so much to me; however, it is my Bishop's decision to move me to a new sponsoring parish for my continuing formation. This is a time of sadness, grief and new beginnings. It seems appropriate and right that this transition coincides with the season of Lent.

Una Mas Clase!

Tomorrow is my last Spanish class here. It has been a wonderful experience to spend three weeks in Honduras at Our Little Roses and to learn Spanish. I have learned so much! I will return home able to understand a lot and able to speak a little more. I am far from fluent, but I have a better foundation on which to continue to build!

In celebration of one more class - una mas clase - and as a thank you to Belkis, we went to dinner and a movie tonight. On the way we stopped at Parque Central so I could take pictures of the statues (see Substitute Teacher). Sadly the fountains were not working, but I did get my pictures of the Honduran women. You can see they are very, very strong women! Our Little Roses is a place where strong and caring women are raised. It's been a privilege to live here among them. I have lollipops to give the girls at lunch tomorrow as a 'thank you' for their hospitality. I hope to say a few words of thanks, but I may only get to say "Muchas Gracias"!

I have done and seen things I never would have imagined before coming here. Our Little Roses is a wonderful ministry and I would definitely recommend their language school. The impact of this trip on my life and my ministry will be significant. I have not really had time to process all that I have done, seen and experienced.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey! It's been great to share this with you. Adios!