Wednesday Wonderings

I'm finally getting back into the swing of things - classes, homework, work, responsibilities, homework and of course, homework. I started the quarter off with a cold (as seems to be tradition) and the fog is finally lifting so I can think somewhat clearly.

My classes this quarter are all very intriguing and so far I'm enamoured with the subject-matter. In only a week and a half, each class has challenged me and filled my brain with wonderings so I thought I'd share.

Women in Christianity: my lack of knowledge in this area is embarrassing and this class already has given me a wider perspective to worldviews then and now of women in ministry. Today the conversation led to Tertullian and his rather stark view that women brought sin into the world (i.e. Eve...and of course, we seduced Adam and shoved an apple down his throat thus alleviating any responsibility from the male gender) and how in early Christianity (and Judaism) women were associated with the physical/bodily realm which was something to hide and 'overcome.' This tension that because sin and the fallenness of man is all women's fault, we should hide ourselves so as not to seduce men and cause any more harm. In a sense, stay out of the way and shut up. So, I'm learning about women who chose to stand up and let the Holy Spirit speak through them. I could go on about this until the apocalypse...but for now I'll pause and move on.

Christian Doctrine: the third required Christian formation class which started out with us reading The Princess and the Goblin by, George MacDonald. I instantly knew I'd love this course and adored the book. This course is interesting and I love the professor. Something I'm thinking about at the moment is pondering this quote from The Orthodox Way by, Bishop Kallistos Ware:
"'I believe in you' means: I turn to you, I rely upon you, I put my full trust in you and I hope in you. And that is what we are saying to God in the Creed" (16).

Theology and Practice in Youth Ministry: This class is one of the last requirements for my Youth Ministry minor and I'm excited for it. Between practical youth pastor preparation to theories and program planning I'm hoping to grasp better what could potentially turn into a job.

Adult Development: Dr. Drovdahl is one of my favorites and the class is proving to be another one I'm going to enjoy. We are currently reading Four Loves by, C.S. Lewis which is rocking my feeble boat on what love is and challenging my values. Along with that we have an assignment for a "Learning Project" and I chose to learn more about spirituals and the Gospel tradition throughout church history to today.

The sun still refuses to come out around here and the gray clouds linger so much that I'm beginning to convince myself that the sky is actually gray and was never actually blue. Blue sky is a myth, along with the sun. I was listening to Good Morning America as they talked about how to try and combat S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and I laughed at their suggestions: "1). Open your blinds in the morning so that the sunlight comes in. 2). Get outside - go for walks so you can be in the sun and retain vitamin D. etc etc" One minor problem... we don't have this thing called the sun around here so opening the blinds simply reminds me how dismal the gray sky looks and walking outside just gives me goosebumps. Besides, if the sun shown all the time S.A.D. might not be a problem in the first place...