With my first semester at Princeton Theological Seminary under my belt and Spring Term beginning tomorrow, I thought it a good time to pause and reflect on my experiences so far on this path to ordained ministry.
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From the earliest days of the Church, Christians have made daily prayer a cornerstone of faithful living. In the middle ages, monastic communities like the Benedictines practiced the office of daily prayer, coming together every three hours to pray, recite the psalms, and hear the word proclaimed. In today's world it can be challenging to find time to pray, and even then it can be hard to know what to pray.
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This past Sunday I had the joy of spending the day in New York City. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon; clear sky, slight breeze, and the perfect temperature for walking around the city. Having only visited NYC once before (and then only for a short trip to see a film and maybe two blocks around the subway station), this was my first real experience of the city.
Read MoreFor the first time in many years I walked into a debate not as a coach, judge, or spectator, but as a debater. The debate, sponsored by the Oratorical Society of Princeton Theological Seminary, focused on the question of if the position of military chaplain was compromised to the point of ineffectiveness. My friend Nick Ison took the proposition (claiming the position is compromised) and I was the opposition.
Read MoreFor the first time in over half a decade, today was different. Of course, lots of things have been different over the last seven years, but today was special. Today marks the start of the second weekend in October, which in Missouri means the start of the high school speech & debate season. So, for the first time since 2005, today didn't bring a trip in a school bus with a bunch of high school debaters.
Read MoreToday the PTS Touring Choir took to the road on our first performance of the year by celebrating World Communion Sunday at Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church. About 35 minutes from Princeton, Mt. Airy is located in the rolling farmland of western New Jersey. I was simply amazed at the beauty of the drive, where each curve and hill crested brought new views of the amazing color that is fall near Princeton. To be honest, I was not expecting to worship at a church with cattle grazing across the street, but when we pulled into the small parking lot (which was mainly grass) we were greeted by a chorus of cows coming in for breakfast.
Read MoreYesterday was the second open mic night of the year at PTS. Evidently, this is a fairly new thing, but you wouldn't know it by the turnout. Maybe it was the free food, but I would like to think that the amazing performances had something to do with it. A hundred or so seminarians gathered to listen to music, poetry, and stories at the end of a long week.
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