Orientation - the beginning of a journey

This first week on campus has been amazing. Orientation at PSR is unlike any other orientation at any other school anywhere. Sure, there were information sessions about how to register for classes and when the dining hall is open. What I am referring to is the attention to our spiritual lives, and our care for one another as well as ourselves.

Orientation opened with a worship service that included moving accounts from current students about their time at PSR. One of the most memorable for me was a student who said what he has learned here is that the Bible is a mirror of humanity, not a mirror of God. Mostly what I came away with was the passion in these students' voices and their preaching talent.

We broke up into small groups led by current students which we met with a few times during the week. These groups gave us a time to reflect on our experiences during the week, ask questions and get to know a few people on a deeper level. I was appreciative when the small group leader told us not to wait until we leave PSR to start doing the work we've been called to do. Our ministry starts now.

The week also included a powerful workshop on dismantling racism. Racism exists everywhere, even on the campus of a progressive seminary. We read an essay describing an event on a bus in which a man was ridiculed for being gay and the narrator chose to do nothing. (This is my one sentence synopsis.) We discussed our assumptions about the character - whether the narrator was male or female, black or white since the essay didn't specify. We discussed what we would have done in that situation, and is silence in itself a form of oppression. The discussion was powerful as we wrestled with if there are times when silence is the best option - either for safety or to keep the situation from getting worse or because the victim may not want our help. Or is it always better to take action. Are bystanders still victims because discrimination and hatred that goes unchecked continues long after the situation is over? I found myself discussing the workshop with fellow students well into the evening and I am looking forward to doing more work with the Dismantling Racism group on campus in the future.

I ended the week with a Praise Dance workshop. We spent about 45 minutes interpreting the words of a few different gospel and other spiritual songs into movement. Loved it.

I could go on and on about all the wonderful things that happened this week - meeting new people, having dinner with a Priest from France, watching our dogs play with their neighbor Baxter in our hallway, but I think I will wrap this up by sharing my classes for the semester since they will be a big part of my life for the next three months. So here goes...

Situating the Bible: Contexts and Histories: examining the history, archaeology, societies, religions, and various cultural and political forces that shaped and influenced the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.
Spiritual Disciplines for Leadership: spiritual practices from the Christian tradition will be explored in their social and historical contexts and examined critically for their role in contemporary leadership formation
Art and Technique of Exegesis: introduction to the process of crafting effective exegesis and other critical academic writing.
Christian Iconography: This class is being offered at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT). An historical survey of the signs, symbols, modes, manners, myths, legends, and art forms of Christian culture, primarily from Biblical figures to time-honored saints.
Generosity in a World of Scarcity: This class meets over a weekend in October. The course description reads "Why and how can it be that many Christians around the world who suffer so greatly and have so little, live with such joy and demonstrate such generosity? Meanwhile, many others who have so much are spared some of life's worst suffering often experience an acute shortage of joy and hold things tightly. We will be hearing from Christian leaders from the Majority World who will help us to understand, to engage, and to respond to these realities as an expression of following Jesus Christ. "

Sorry for such a long post. It has been an incredible and very full week. Maybe that's why I took a long nap this afternoon!