… but it’s free!
In the past three weeks there have been two free breakfasts with the president (of the seminary, not the U.S.), one free lunch for the monthly contextual education cluster, a free “hors-d’ oeuvre” dinner for the second annual silent auction and variety show, and free pizza at the library each Wednesday during the study help sessions. While I don’t partake of all the opportunities for free food, I do appreciate that the seminary helps offset the overall cost of school by lowering our grocery bill a few dollars. Also, the seminary is commited to exposing all of us midwestern Norwegians/Swedes to foods that are more “ethnic”. They believe this may add to the desire for us to be thinking globally and while some of the, uh, “concoctions” may be less than desirable to our American palates, it is still FREE!
I led my first worship service as presiding minister in my worship lab a couple of weeks ago. Just think, I get to experience 2 services back-to-back every week in lab, complete with sermons… They really are getting us ready for the real world here… The week before that I was cantoring for the liturgy and I learned the wrong Kyrie and 15 minutes before the service, I had to find someone who could play the piano and teach me the correct one. Phew! Thank goodness for the multiple Masters of Sacred Music students here (will I be that lucky in the real world?).
The semester is really flying by. I have mid-terms next week already and feel pretty prepared for them. I have a half-semester course that ends on Monday so I am also looking forward to having a little extra time in my schedule. The timing is perfect because my responsibilities with my contextual education site begins again in a couple of weeks. David and I will be helping with the Alpha program again. For those of you who don’t know, each Master of Divinity student at the seminary is assigned to a church for “contextual education” where we are given various ministry responsibilities. I work with Central Lutheran in Elk River, MN and have led a small group discussion group for Alpha, which is an adult basics of Christianity course. It is especially nice to have David be a part of that ministry with me.
Now that David and I have been married three years we decided it was time to add to the family. We got Maggie (bichon frise puppy) less than a week ago and she is now 9 weeks old. Apart from crying all night the first few nights, she is a doll and is already a hit in our small seminary apartment community. I have to provide something to be baptized in a couple weeks for our practice baptism in my Worship class. I’m thinking I might get Maggie baptized…
Peace to you!
Paula