Check out AMBS on YouTube

I found two postings on YouTube created by an AMBS student last year. I invite you to check them out!

AMBS - Life as a Seminary Student
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeQ7FD5g2J0

AMBS Update 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXgs8Aw-o8Y&NR=1

A Funeral Home and IHOP...what I've been up to lately...

Yesterday my Principles of Pastoral Care class went on a field trip to a funeral home. It was very informative and I think a trip such as this is essential to ministry training. Many of the practices and regulations in terms of death, burial and cremation vary and are regulated by the state, so I learned what kinds of questions I need to ask someday when I'm establishing myself in an area and need to start networking with people such as funeral directors. The class had a complete tour of the funeral home and saw all the behind the scenes stuff. I feel as though I have a much better understanding, and slightly less fear as a result. One interesting tidbit of information: the Amish believe that one must be buried with all their body parts therefore if they're in a farming accident or have an amputation, they need to preserve that body part. This funeral home has received feet, hands, or legs which they then embalm and give back to the person for storage until they die. Apparently these detached appendages do not require any special care after they are embalmed - just put it on a shelf and forget about it!

Following this exciting field trip my roommate and I went to IHOP for supper. We'd seen the commercials on TV so often that we decided we had to check it out. It is very similar to the Pancake House in Winnipeg. They do live up to their motto, though: Come hungry, leave happy! The interesting twist was me telling my roommate, who wasn't on the field trip, all about embalming and cremation and the process of planning a funeral over our all-you-can-eat pancakes!

Next week we have reading days. I've noticed that many students are slacking a bit this week in anticipation of having tons of time and getting lots done over those two days (Maybe I should just speak for myself!). I have a feeling that I'm going to be very disappointed with the amount I'll actually get done but at least I'm getting some relaxation time in right now.

So other than my 15 hours of work, 10 hours of class, 36 hours of scheduled homework time, 2.5 hours of coffee break, 49 hours of sleep, 21 hours of meal preparation and consumption, 2 hours of shopping, 7 hours of exercise, and 7 hours of computer time per week, I have plenty of time to meet new people, hang out with friends, read all kinds of optional readings for class, scrapbook, watch movies, etc. Life is good!

The View From My Window

One of the first things I said when I walked into my apartment for the first time is "I love the view!" Right outside the living room window is a huge maple tree.

It's cloudy and raining today, and yet when I walk into the living room it's almost as if sunshine is streaming through the window. The yellow on the maple is so vibrant right now I just had to try to share it with you.

(Early September)

(Early October)

(Today)
( Today)

Inspiring (and challenging) words to live by...

When I heard who our Theological Centre guest would be this week I wondered what a primary care physician was going to teach us about theology - not that I doubted that he could do it but I was intrigued. He visited classes, spoke in chapel, gave an open lecture one evening, and spoke at forum today. He told us stories - about his dream, about the opening of a community clinic, about his frustrations with the medical "industry", about relationships and integration and empowerment, and about caring for people. I could have listened to him for hours. He's one of those people who's passion fills a room and it's a genuine passion, not an in your face exuberance.

One of the things that really caught my attention was one story he told of attending to a family in their time of loss - he simply stayed with them for as long as it took. Someone in my class asked where he found the time to sit with them since most doctors don't have more than a few minutes to interact with patients. What he said made complete sense in light of his philosophy of care - he had no other choice. He had built a relationship with them, he had been with them through the process leading up to that loss, and he was committed to seeing them through even if, medically, there was nothing more that he could do.

This story reminded me of the primary reason why I believe I was lead to AMBS. I want to become grounded in what I believe, my philosophy of care. I believe it is incredibly important to know what you believe at the very core because this is what you are going to act out of. Our guest this week has inspired me to reflect on that space out of which I operate. I aspire to create the type of foundation so that I will "have no other choice."

Watch your words: they become your thoughts.

Watch your thoughts: they become your actions.

Watch your actions: they become your habits.

Watch your habits: they become your destiny.

Today in forum our guest quoted these words and then said, this is only half of it. The other half is:

Be aware of your destiny, for it will form your habits.

Be aware of your habits, for they will form your actions.

Be aware of your actions, for they will form your thoughts.

And be aware of your thoughts, for they will be reflected in your words.

Words for me to reflect on and live by.

Autumn at AMBS

Thanksgiving...take one (ie Canadian)

My roommate and I drove up to Burlington, Ontario to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with her aunt and family. It's about a 7 hour drive from Elkhart, through Michigan. We left on Friday afternoon and arrived home late last night. We had a fantastic drive up, relaxing visit with Carrie's family, saw some friends from CMU, and aside from an 1 1/2 hour delay at the border (we were selected for a random check), the trip home was uneventful. The drive there was absolutely beautiful and I figured there's no better time to post pictures on here than Thanksgiving!

Fall colours flying past our car at 70mph.

Along the highway in Michigan.

The bridge to the US.

Beside the highway in Michigan.

Picture of the sunset in Michigan, taken from our car. The clouds were creating a texture that I've never seen before and if you look at this picture carefully, it almost looks like it's been painted on canvas.

One confused body...

It seems to me that the plight of a seminarian is to doubt, to ask questions, to wonder, to wrestle, to imagine, and in the end come to some kind of new reality. Actually, that seems to be the plight of everyone, but when you put enough theological graduate students together on one campus these questions seem to be magnified 100x. One of the most common questions is "What am I doing here?" As I talk with other students I hear this question coming up again and again but not usually explicitly. I'm going to generalize here but it feels as though that question seems to stem from some core issues. We don't feel smart enough. We have no idea what direction our lives will take after seminary. We don't know what questions to ask, or if we do have questions they either don't seem valid or the appropriate space or time to voice them doesn't seem to present itself. We tend to be feel completely alone, like the odd one out, and yet I think that we're all in the same boat--the thing that could bond us is keeping us apart.

These ponderings had been in the back of my mind since the beginning of September but really came to the fore this week as I was attempting to write a paper on the similarities and differences between Deuteronomistic History and Chronicles, and their implications. I have a background in psychology and here I am studying Bible/theology. The language is different, the way of thinking is different, and the research is different. I was told last week by another student that I have a huge advantage because I grew up in the church and I also minored in Biblical and Theological Studies in my undergrad, which is true, but I still feel out of the loop. When I listen to other students articulate their thoughts in class they seem to have it all together. When fellow classmates speak out of their pastoral experience I feel like I have a long way to go in understanding. And yet, when I commented to someone about how I didn't have a clue whether or not my contribution to a class discussion was relevant he said that he sat across the room and was feeling the same way in light of what I had contributed. Are we all just a group of people, attempting to speak the right language or articulate lofty ideas when really we just want to ask the questions that are on our minds? Maybe this is a Mennonite fault (some call it humility), but why is it that we don't feel smart enough to be here? And how can I contribute to the creation of a space here at seminary where we can all doubt and question and wonder together?