Liturgy

I struggle with the liturgy that we have hear at Seabury. I'm not 100% sure that we, as a community or as an institution, are 100% sure what it is supposed to be about. Is it worship? Is it formation? Is it both? How much variety should we have? To what extent should we allow variety? Who do we celebrate and why or why not?
If our liturgy is just about learning, should it be highly varied so we are exposed to many different types of worship or should it be very similar to most Episcopal churches in the U.S. so that we learn and grow into the habits of worship that we will be in charge of soon?
If our liturgy is mainly about worship, should it be varied to reach out to a wide range of students? Should it be focused on students at all? Should it be for faculty and staff (who are more permanent) or on students (who are inherently transitory)? Should the variety reflect our in-house diversity reality or our in-house diversity goal?
I'm not sure that whatever is decide really matters all that much, but I do believe that we need to decide. If feels very unstable, unsure. Communications between students and faculty (especially with respect to worship and worship planning) seems tentative and unsure. Let's decide and move forward. A wrong direction is a possible outcome, but we can always make a course correction if we need to. We can't do anything if we are just sitting still.

Stress

It's very odd to see the reaction to stress in myself and those around me. People's reactions to stress seem either to bring out their personality traits to exaggerated levels, or completely change their personality altogether. I haven't decided which category I fall into, but I believe that it is probably the former as opposed to the latter. I get sillier, more outrageous, and procrastinate even more when I am under stress, especially stress of a deadline. This, of course, exacerbates the reason for the stress in the first place and the vicious cycle then continues until I manage to stay up all night and finish whatever project / paper is due and causing all this frustration in the first place. That means that, as the quarter comes to a close over the next three weeks, I will become completely unbearable until the day after the quarter ends. At which point my personality will revert back to it's normal state, I will become more calm and normal, and all my friends (who care deeply about me) will ask me, "what's wrong? You are so quiet." I should tell them, "Don't worry, the cycle will start over again shortly and I'll start acting like an over-caffienated squirrel soon!"
Ah well, life is short, life is fun! Let's enjoy all our foibles. They make us unique. Of course, there is the fact that if I were any more unique they might want to send me someplace with nice, soft walls!

Snow Sucks!

I just spent three hours getting to school this morning (normally an hour) and almost four getting home. That is an extra five hours that I could have been studying, talking with my wife, or playing with my children. Never mind that fact that my poor wife and kids have had to shovel our driveway and walks for the past two days. I love the change of seasons here in Illinois, but I am so ready for spring. "Where have all the flowers gone? Long time waiting....."

Ethics Continued

I just read that the state of Illinois is debating changing the requirements for organ donation to preference younger age of reciepient. That would mean that if I were 50 years old and on the waiting list for 5 years, but a 10 year old just came on the list, they would get the kidney/lungs/ heart/whatever before I would.
While I understand the reasoning behind this proposed change it brings up some ethical dilemmas for me. How do we value one life over another. It might seem more clear cut if you are talking an 85 year old versus a 5 year old, but what if you are talking a 45 year old versus a 35 year old? Do we add caveats for married or parent over single or no children? Who's life is worth saving more than someone elses and how do we make that decision? What are the criteria? Where does it stop?
From a Christian standpoint do we try to figure out who God prefers we keep alive? For that matter, is transplanting organs ethical from a Christian standpoint at all? Are we trying to play God, making decisions about when a person should die or when they shouldn't? Or do we assume that we have these capabilities because God ordains that we do?
I don't know what the answers are, but I am troubled with the thought of having to tell someone that even though they have been on the list the longest, they aren't going to get the organ because of some alternative criteria, beyond the fact that they are a human person in need.

To caff or not to caff, that is a question

I have a friend, who shall remain nameless to protect her identity so I shall just refer to her as "dried fruit," who gives me a hard time about my intake of coffee. Now, just to be clear, I do drink more coffee than most, but it is decaf. (or at least most of it is) Drinking decaf coffee (no sugar or cream) is basically drinking brown, coffee flavored water. The supposed "bad" part (and that is up for some debate as to whether the ill effects of a legal stimulant outweigh the benefits of staying awake in class) is not present in decaf coffee. All there is is flavor. I have also read recently that there is a study from a major teaching hospital that links increased coffee drinking with lower cholesterol levels. So basically, decaf coffee is health food! Party on!
Now, if I can just remember to modify my basic order at Starbucks, a grande soy three pump mocha with whip, to include "decaf." Oh, the trials of my life! :-)
Caff on!

Candidacy Interview

In the ongoing process of diserning a call to the priesthood, or more accurately, convincing the Diocese that I have a call to the priesthood, I have my interview for candidacy scheduled. On Tuesday March 6th at 1:30 p.m. I will be grilled, poked and prodded as to my fitness to be named a "Candidate for Holy Orders."
I have heard so much advice on how to handle this interview and have become so overwhelmed that I am no longer capable of worrying about the event. Some say concentrate on having questions ready to ask them. Some say "be ready to cover all the theology you have learned in seminary." Others say to be prepared to talk about what personal growth you have done since being at seminary, while still others say, "don't worry about it, you'll be fine."
I guess I'll just pray a lot and trust the Holy Spirit to guide me. Please all pray for me that day.
Peace to all.

First Try

Well, after two years of reading other's blogs I thought it was time to jump in and try it on my own. I'll have to keep working on the format. I'm not sure that I like it yet. Oh well, first try.