Event Full
Beginning with the seder on Friday, this weekend was busy and wonderful.On Saturday morning, Jordan and I headed to Pennsburg to spend some time with his family. Matt and Daniel joined us later in the day. It was a nice change of venue since we've both been spending an inordinate amount of time staring at books and computer screens. I don't think any of us got as much work done as we would have liked, but it was still well worth the trip. Sarah was amused by the sight of all four of us sitting in the living room staring at our laptops. She took a few pictures of us socializing around our computer screens.
I think I gain five pounds every time we go to Jordan's house and this weekend was no exception. The wonderful food began with our lunch of bacon and cheese quiche. Sarah always likes to make special meals when there are guests. After lunch, we headed to Secret Spot to get gelati. It was good timing because the rain began only a few hours later.
Later in the afternoon, Jesse (Jordan's brother) and Josh (his friend from Maine) arrived with their dogs. Echoes, Josh's dog, is a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. She looks a little scary, but she's very calm, especially compared to Sadie, and sweet. Her owner is an interesting guy. He built himself a house on some property he owns in Maine. His goal is to live an environmentally sustainable lifestyle and he's well on his way.
The weight gain continued with a dinner of falafel, which I made with a little help from Daniel, pita, made by Jordan, hummus, fresh greens from the garden and Jasmine rice, followed by a dessert of French apple pie, made by Sarah and indescribably good. By the end, everyone was shoving back from the table and unbuttoning his or her pants.
This morning, we went to breakfast at Powderbourne. Daniel was so excited to eat scrapple that he was literally giggling as we entered the restaurant. I can't imagine the attraction to something so vile, but he and Jordan each ate a healthy slice. Shortly after breakfast, Matt and Daniel returned to school. Jordan and I hung about Pennsburg until 4:30 or so when we took to the flooded roads to travel to his father's place in order to celebrate his twin stepbrothers' birthday with a dinner out at a Brazillian steakhouse. Nearly four hours later, I'm still full.
It was a great weekend...not a particularly productive one, but certainly a refreshing one.
Passover: Only One Week Late
Last night, we celebrated Passover. We read some prayers, retold the story of the Exodus from Egypt, sang some songs, drank lots of wine and ate a wonderful meal. (Click on the picture at the right to see a slideshow of our evening.)It all began around 2:30, when Jordan and I headed over to the CRW apartments to begin preparation for the meal. It took nearly four hours to grate the potatoes and onions and fry the latkes, grill the honey lime chicken, chop the apples and walnuts for the charoset, and steam the broccoli.
The seder began around 6:30. Including me and Jordan, there were nine people in attendance. Each person brought their own bottle of wine. I'm not a fan of most wine that I've had, but last night I discovered that I love Manischewitz wine. It is incredibly sweet and very grape-y. People who like wine would probably hate this stuff, but I drank almost an entire bottle of my alcoholic grape juice. Mmmmm...
Jordan modified the Haggadah so that it wouldn't take five hours. The whole event was very interactive, with each of us reading different parts at various times. He didn't modify it to make it Messianic, we simply celebrated the beauty of the Jewish traditions. He also didn't take out any of the glasses of wine, so several of our friends got a little tipsy.
When the celebration was over, Lydia had a craving for a ice cream cookie sandwich, so a bunch of us took a trip to Halo Pub, where we enjoyed some tasty ice cream. It was a wonderful evening, with some of the best fellowship I've had in a while. There's something beautiful about gathering around food in worship.
Ezekiel 16
My Women class is constantly feeding my thoughts these days, especially in the past week since I began doing some research for a group project focusing on Ezekiel 16. The research I've been doing has made me realize how often I have read the biblical text without actually reading it. This seems to be particularly true when it comes to the prophets because some of the stuff they say is simply grotesque and rather than struggling with the implications of the violence within the text, I have simply skimmed over them. Reading and re-reading the extended metaphor of God as Jerusalem's husband has been more than a little bit troublesome.
I will be posting some more about this in the next few days, but for now, why don't you read it for yourself. Slow down. Let it sink in. Check it out in several different versions. Try to look at it from the point of view of the woman, Jerusalem. Then tell me...how on earth does one teach this?
I will be posting some more about this in the next few days, but for now, why don't you read it for yourself. Slow down. Let it sink in. Check it out in several different versions. Try to look at it from the point of view of the woman, Jerusalem. Then tell me...how on earth does one teach this?
Struck
Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, sisters, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Read this verse out loud, as it's written. Does it shock you? What kind of images come to mind?
During a lecture in my Women class today, my professor, wonderful Dr. Sakenfeld, read this passage: "I beseech you therefore..." half of the people in class were mouthing the words as she read this familiar passage. As she paused, our lips silently filled in the word that we expected, "brethren." Then she continued, "...sisters..."
I was struck dumb. As she spoke the part about presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, my mind immediately leapt to sexual images. When I hear the text with the word "sister," my mind moves to images of women "giving themselves" to men for the sexual gratification of the man. Hearing the same text with the word "brethren," I think of a life of piety, lived for God, not for myself.
What does this say about me? What does this say about our culture? Why is it that I immediately associate sexuality and sacrifice in a female context? Did the resetting of this familiar text take anyone else by surprise?
After thinking about the way language affects our thoughts and actions for many years, the reality that just changing language is not enough was brought home to me more profoundly in the reading of that one text than in all the study I've done since college...
Read this verse out loud, as it's written. Does it shock you? What kind of images come to mind?
During a lecture in my Women class today, my professor, wonderful Dr. Sakenfeld, read this passage: "I beseech you therefore..." half of the people in class were mouthing the words as she read this familiar passage. As she paused, our lips silently filled in the word that we expected, "brethren." Then she continued, "...sisters..."
I was struck dumb. As she spoke the part about presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, my mind immediately leapt to sexual images. When I hear the text with the word "sister," my mind moves to images of women "giving themselves" to men for the sexual gratification of the man. Hearing the same text with the word "brethren," I think of a life of piety, lived for God, not for myself.
What does this say about me? What does this say about our culture? Why is it that I immediately associate sexuality and sacrifice in a female context? Did the resetting of this familiar text take anyone else by surprise?
After thinking about the way language affects our thoughts and actions for many years, the reality that just changing language is not enough was brought home to me more profoundly in the reading of that one text than in all the study I've done since college...
Always Interested...
in what people have to say about women and ordination. This blog post seems well worth the ten minutes or so it takes to read.
(Third blog post in one day and I've only been awake for six hours. What is happening to me, people?!!)
(Third blog post in one day and I've only been awake for six hours. What is happening to me, people?!!)
"Foot" Washing...
A snippet of conversation at my lunch table...
Me: In the Old Testament, "feet" sometimes refers to genitals.
Guy 1: Does that idea extend into the New Testament.
Guy 2: Dude, we went to a foot-washing service last night!
Only at seminary, folks...only at seminary.
Me: In the Old Testament, "feet" sometimes refers to genitals.
Guy 1: Does that idea extend into the New Testament.
Guy 2: Dude, we went to a foot-washing service last night!
Only at seminary, folks...only at seminary.
Sleeping
I don't have classes, I don't have any reason to wake up before noon, unless you count homework, and I still can't sleep in.
This morning, I woke up at 7:40 a.m., but for some reason I thought it was 8:40 and decided that it was silly to try to go back to sleep. It wasn't until almost 40 minutes later that I realized my mistake. By then, I was completely awake with no hope of returning to dreamland.
Perhaps this will all change when I no longer have projects to do and papers to write, but I live in fear that I'm turning into an old woman who wants to sleep more than four hours a night but can't.
This morning, I woke up at 7:40 a.m., but for some reason I thought it was 8:40 and decided that it was silly to try to go back to sleep. It wasn't until almost 40 minutes later that I realized my mistake. By then, I was completely awake with no hope of returning to dreamland.
Perhaps this will all change when I no longer have projects to do and papers to write, but I live in fear that I'm turning into an old woman who wants to sleep more than four hours a night but can't.
Would Screaming Help?
I love Princeton, really, I do. It's been a good place for me this past year and I am sure I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life...blah blah blah.
But, sometimes I wonder if the administrative bureaucracy here needs a little talking to. We have a lot of resources here at PTS. A (space) lot. So, you would think that they might use some of those resources to bring the school's technology up to snuff. Well, you would be wrong.
Money that could be spent on making access to online resources faster and easier, they buy another book about why Daniel was written in the second century instead of the first or another person's take on liberation theology or the most up to date copy of John Bright's History of Israel with a few new pictures of the same old thing.
Obviously, these are things that should not be overlooked by an institution providing a theological education, but sometimes I think it might be nice if they put some of those things on the backburner in order to integrate technology more smoothly into student life. I can't imagine the tech people would get upset with the extra work because I bet they would love better technology even more than I would.
Think about it, PTS, you might want to compete with technology-conscious schools some day.
(This rant brought to you by the hour I wasted trying to print a passage in Hebrew so that I could do my translation homework for tomorrow, to no avail. Awesome!)
But, sometimes I wonder if the administrative bureaucracy here needs a little talking to. We have a lot of resources here at PTS. A (space) lot. So, you would think that they might use some of those resources to bring the school's technology up to snuff. Well, you would be wrong.
Money that could be spent on making access to online resources faster and easier, they buy another book about why Daniel was written in the second century instead of the first or another person's take on liberation theology or the most up to date copy of John Bright's History of Israel with a few new pictures of the same old thing.
Obviously, these are things that should not be overlooked by an institution providing a theological education, but sometimes I think it might be nice if they put some of those things on the backburner in order to integrate technology more smoothly into student life. I can't imagine the tech people would get upset with the extra work because I bet they would love better technology even more than I would.
Think about it, PTS, you might want to compete with technology-conscious schools some day.
(This rant brought to you by the hour I wasted trying to print a passage in Hebrew so that I could do my translation homework for tomorrow, to no avail. Awesome!)
Freak OUT!
It's getting to the point in the semester where I start to freak out about how much work I still have to do. Currently, my biggest worries are the two group projects (one which is almost done, the other which is barely started), but I also have three research papers (none of which are begun) and reading and Hebrew translation and work and job-hunting and other odds and ends that never stop flying at me...AND ONLY 5 WEEKS until the end of the semester.
So, what do I do? I blog. When I get stressed out, my main coping strategy is to ignore what's stressing me out until I have to deal with it. Ugh! I love school, but I hate deadlines (and working in groups...).
So, what do I do? I blog. When I get stressed out, my main coping strategy is to ignore what's stressing me out until I have to deal with it. Ugh! I love school, but I hate deadlines (and working in groups...).
The Book Sale
It was a success. The goal was $30,000 to split between four seminaries and, last I heard, we got about $29,500.
Next year, I will probably be a bit more involved in the whole process because Jordan is being groomed as the next "book sale person." So, most likely, I will be working at the book sale whether I want to or not ;). Fortunately, I want to... Maybe in special collections; greater prestige and all that.
Cleaning up the place was a little depressing. There were probably 100 boxes of books that went directly to the recycling center. Most of them were trash that should never have been printed, but I'm sure that there were many good books tossed away at the same time. I guess there's only so much you can do. When I found a book called Redemptorama, I stopped looking at what I was throwing away.
Anyway, if you live anywhere near NJ and have books that you might want to get rid of in the next year or so, bring 'em down, we could use them.
Next year, I will probably be a bit more involved in the whole process because Jordan is being groomed as the next "book sale person." So, most likely, I will be working at the book sale whether I want to or not ;). Fortunately, I want to... Maybe in special collections; greater prestige and all that.
Cleaning up the place was a little depressing. There were probably 100 boxes of books that went directly to the recycling center. Most of them were trash that should never have been printed, but I'm sure that there were many good books tossed away at the same time. I guess there's only so much you can do. When I found a book called Redemptorama, I stopped looking at what I was throwing away.
Anyway, if you live anywhere near NJ and have books that you might want to get rid of in the next year or so, bring 'em down, we could use them.
Emerging Women
I posted a lovely poem with some words of introduction over at Emerging Women. Check it out.
It Begins...
Tomorrow is the first day of the book sale. From 7-9 p.m., PTS students and faculty get a jump on the book buying madness. I won't be participating in the mad consumption since I've already had my fill. In the past week and a half, I have acquired 24 new free books as a reward for sorting and moving and sorting again.When you walk into the gym, it's crazy. Over 40 12' long tables chock full of books fill the room. As we ran out of space on top of the tables, we started laying books underneath. In almost every category, we had enough books to completely cover the table and the floor beneath. The weirdest part is that none of it was there before 4 p.m.-ish yesterday!
There is a gigantic stack of boxes in one corner of the gym (pictured at right). The ceiling is probably about 30 feet high and it reaches almost all the way to the top. This morning, shortly after 8:30, I caused a box avalanche while attempting to receive some box tops. Fortunately, very few people had arrived, so there wasn't any teasing.
There was also a massive pile of boxes in the middle of the gym (pictured at left) that still needed to be sorted, but Marcy, Jordan, I and a handful of other people, who came and went, had them all sorted and placed on the proper tables by about 3 p.m. It was very satisfying to see the progress that we made as the day went on. It was freaking awesome when we finally sorted the last box.
Of course, it wasn't really the last box. As soon as we were "finished" they brought some more of the special collections (old, rare books and complete sets) boxes up to be sorted and put on display. Though the book sale thing can sort of become an obsession, I was ready to leave. The book sale people are grooming Jordan to become the next book sale person, though...
Anyway, if you're going to be in the Princeton area on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, stop at the PTS gym (on the corner of Hibben Road and Route 206) and have a look around. The prices are reasonable ($5 for hardcovers and $2 for paperbacks on Monday), the variety is sure to please almost anyone (everything from children's books to Paul Tillich and Karl Barth), all the money goes to overseas seminaries, and there are at least 5 copies of The Purpose Driven Life and the accompanying journal. Come on down!
Focus
When I was younger, I kept a journal. During high school and my first semester of college, that journal contained a fairly detailed account of everything that happened every day of my life. When I read my accounts now, they are pretty silly. Dozens of books filled with details of my life that no one (except I) will ever care about, but that I can't bring myself to toss in the garbage because journaling did something for me. It helped me to process my life when it felt like there was no one with whom I could share the details.
In the past few years, blogging has done the same thing for me in some ways. But...blogging is different. The processing has to take place before I write. I have to determine whether something I'm thinking or feeling is worth releasing in a public forum or whether I am even ready to communicate it.
I think I'm offering you, my faithful readers, an excuse for why I haven't been around. There's a lot of stuff milling around in my head these days and I just can't decide what of it is worth writing about. I never realized how much thinking one does in school until I came back after a few years off. The number of topics that I think about and talk about on any given day seems insane and it doesn't leave me a lot of energy (or time) to process something for ye olde blogosphere.
Anyway...that's all...I need a nap after getting only 5 hours of sleep and doing a presentation on Daniel 7 this morning. Read Daniel 7 and some of the commentaries on it, your brain will hurt, too.
In the past few years, blogging has done the same thing for me in some ways. But...blogging is different. The processing has to take place before I write. I have to determine whether something I'm thinking or feeling is worth releasing in a public forum or whether I am even ready to communicate it.
I think I'm offering you, my faithful readers, an excuse for why I haven't been around. There's a lot of stuff milling around in my head these days and I just can't decide what of it is worth writing about. I never realized how much thinking one does in school until I came back after a few years off. The number of topics that I think about and talk about on any given day seems insane and it doesn't leave me a lot of energy (or time) to process something for ye olde blogosphere.
Anyway...that's all...I need a nap after getting only 5 hours of sleep and doing a presentation on Daniel 7 this morning. Read Daniel 7 and some of the commentaries on it, your brain will hurt, too.
More Awesomeness
When I was a child, my favorite book was Katie the Kitten. We had three different copies of the book because I insisted on having it read multiple times a day. In the past few years, I've been trying to find a copy to keep, but have only been able to find expensive first editions on eBay. And I just wasn't down with paying $60 for a Little Golden Book.But, thanks to Jordan and the book sale, I now have my very own copy of Katie the Kitten. He found it in the pile of children's books and he brought it to me when he picked me up from work. If it were in better condition, they might be able to auction it, but as it is, I will treasure it and be able to read it to my children. Awesome!
Free and Easy
Every year, the Stewardship and Mission Committee at my dear seminary has a book sale. Thousands upon thousands of books are donated by students, faculty, alumni, friends of the seminary, widows/widowers of alumni. All of the books are then sorted and sold for very low prices to the Princeton community. The proceeds go to seminaries in developing countries and some of the books that are left over are donated to them. Because so many books are donated, it takes a multitude of people to sort and box them. All of the work is done on a volunteer basis, but for each hour one works one gets to choose a single hardcover or a couple paperbacks.
Many of the books donated are less than desirable; similar to the junk that people would take to the local Salvation Army store or Good Will. But, while sorting, it becomes easier to find the gems amidst the piles of rubble that should never have been printed in the first place (e.g. multiple copies of The Purpose Driven Life). Tonight, after I had already left, someone discovered a Greek textbook and a preaching textbook. Jordan was there and later told me of the discoveries. So, at the low low price of 1 hour of sorting, I've acquired two textbooks that probably would have cost nearly $50. Now that's what I call a good trade.
Many of the books donated are less than desirable; similar to the junk that people would take to the local Salvation Army store or Good Will. But, while sorting, it becomes easier to find the gems amidst the piles of rubble that should never have been printed in the first place (e.g. multiple copies of The Purpose Driven Life). Tonight, after I had already left, someone discovered a Greek textbook and a preaching textbook. Jordan was there and later told me of the discoveries. So, at the low low price of 1 hour of sorting, I've acquired two textbooks that probably would have cost nearly $50. Now that's what I call a good trade.
Good Things About Today
-My problems with my work study job were cleared up with one single email. Awesome!
-My Hebrew midterm wasn't necessarily a piece of cake, but it definitely favored those of us who regularly do our homework.
-It is barely 10 a.m. and I have already attended my last class of the day.
-There is a new episode of C.S.I. online, at CBS.com for me to watch.
-I don't have classes again for nine days. I do have to write a paper and a midterm over the break, but ten hours working at the Y will help me focus on that so that we can have fun times at Jordan's house later in the week.
-My Hebrew midterm wasn't necessarily a piece of cake, but it definitely favored those of us who regularly do our homework.
-It is barely 10 a.m. and I have already attended my last class of the day.
-There is a new episode of C.S.I. online, at CBS.com for me to watch.
-I don't have classes again for nine days. I do have to write a paper and a midterm over the break, but ten hours working at the Y will help me focus on that so that we can have fun times at Jordan's house later in the week.
Money Trouble
So, I have this work study job. Or, at least, that's what I thought. This afternoon, I received an email from the PTS Financial Aid Office that the job I am currently working is not work study, that I do not have work study. The problem is that I've already worked at least eight shifts. That's forty hours that I may or may not get paid for depending on whether I can straighten this out with the school. Another problem is that work study was definitely included in my financial aid package, so it makes no sense to me that suddenly I don't have it.
I was supposed to work tonight, but I called my supervisor to talk about the situation and we decided that it was best for me not to come in again until all of this is straightened out and we know that I'll be paid. If I'm not going to be able to do that job, I don't know what I'm going to do. I really need work, but positions on campus are hard to come by and non-work study positions would require more hours and, generally, a car.
If you pray, please lift me up. Thank you!
I was supposed to work tonight, but I called my supervisor to talk about the situation and we decided that it was best for me not to come in again until all of this is straightened out and we know that I'll be paid. If I'm not going to be able to do that job, I don't know what I'm going to do. I really need work, but positions on campus are hard to come by and non-work study positions would require more hours and, generally, a car.
If you pray, please lift me up. Thank you!
Things I Hate To Do When I'm Sick...
-be awake
-move from my bed
-eat food
On Friday night, I had a tiny sore throat. It didn't seem like a big deal. I thought it might just be an allergic reaction to inhaling cigarette smoke.
Woke up Saturday morning, still had a sore throat, but it wasn't that bad. However, as the day progressed, my sore throat got worse, my body became achy all over, and I developed a headache and a fever. I spent most of Saturday afternoon and evening curled up on my newly acquired papasan couch, drifting in and out of feverish sleep. Jordan (who never gets sick) brought me ginger ale and crackers since I couldn't make it to dinner. He even risked getting whatever I had by staying with me for a while.
Sunday was more of the same, except with a hacking cough that was awful enough to prompt my neighbor to ask if I needed any medicine. No, no medicine, thank you. I'll just let it run its course. I felt better enough to read for my classes, but not better enough to stir from my room much.
It's the third day now...I can tell it's coming to an end, but I still have to get through the congestion and residual cough. Should be an awesome time to be among other human beings. I can't wait for the looks that range from why-are-you-here-among-the-living to I'm-so-sorry-do-you-need-some-ginger-ale?
Which leads me to a final question: Who on earth taught our mother and their mothers and their mothers that ginger ale was good for sickness?
-move from my bed
-eat food
On Friday night, I had a tiny sore throat. It didn't seem like a big deal. I thought it might just be an allergic reaction to inhaling cigarette smoke.
Woke up Saturday morning, still had a sore throat, but it wasn't that bad. However, as the day progressed, my sore throat got worse, my body became achy all over, and I developed a headache and a fever. I spent most of Saturday afternoon and evening curled up on my newly acquired papasan couch, drifting in and out of feverish sleep. Jordan (who never gets sick) brought me ginger ale and crackers since I couldn't make it to dinner. He even risked getting whatever I had by staying with me for a while.
Sunday was more of the same, except with a hacking cough that was awful enough to prompt my neighbor to ask if I needed any medicine. No, no medicine, thank you. I'll just let it run its course. I felt better enough to read for my classes, but not better enough to stir from my room much.
It's the third day now...I can tell it's coming to an end, but I still have to get through the congestion and residual cough. Should be an awesome time to be among other human beings. I can't wait for the looks that range from why-are-you-here-among-the-living to I'm-so-sorry-do-you-need-some-ginger-ale?
Which leads me to a final question: Who on earth taught our mother and their mothers and their mothers that ginger ale was good for sickness?
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