Week I // Recap
by Tim K. Snyder
The first week is over. The classes have been great, the atmosphere welcoming (besides the cold part...), the schedule intensive, and the relationships...beautiful. If there is one way to sum up this past week, I would have to point you to the relationships that are forming. This cohort model is, as President Bliese shared with us, on the cutting edge of theological education. We all come from such different contexts, but the relationships we are forming are built on our common struggle to answer God's call for our lives. And it comes at great cost, but it is a beautiful experience - a testimony to what God is up to in the world.
Highlights:
Coffee between classes.
Serving Communion at Chapel.
Hearing the life stories of cohort members.
Laughing. We are laughing a lot.
Being challenged to Tell the Story -
Cohort II - post a comment to share your highlight from this week. (see additional reflections from other cohort members in the comments section...)
- Tim Snyder
posted by Tim K. Snyder at 10:34 PM
4 Comments:
Right on, Tim! My best moments so far:
~having voices to go with the faces I saw online all fall
~the natural way we are all able to talk about our faith with each other
~road trips to Target
~the endless introductions where we all learn something new about each other
~serving communion together in chapel
~the awesome support we are receiving from all corners of the Luther campus
~being called, variously, a "pioneer" or a "guinea pig", not to mention a "cohortian" (is that anything like a Martian?)
Susan from Iowa
Week One: INTENSE and Awesome...
Now I know why they call J Term a two week "intensive". Feeling like we're either in class or scheduled at a campus orientation of one sort or another ever hour of every day with 10 minutes or maybe a lunch break... Squeezing in a few minutes of reading or a phone call to family in those breaks... Hours of reading and writing to prepare for the next day.
Now I know how blessed we really are to be part of such an innovative program! Speaking with traditional students who see and wish they had OUR sense of community as a cohort of Distributed Learning students... Being on Luther Seminary campus, meeting our professors, and knowing that we are being educated by some of the most respected theologians in the country...
Highlights:
*Standing in the rare book room of Luther's Library
*Serving Communion at Chapel
*Visiting the Yaroslavl Icon exhibit at The Museum of Russian Art
*Building lasting relationships with members of our cohort (AND with the first cohort!)
--Jen Grove Katy, TX
Ditto from Susan, Jen and Tim, and here's a few of mine...
* walking to Dunn Bros. for coffee
* scanning the offices for free coffee
* getting Amanda hooked on coffee
Oh and...
* Watching a friend wrestle -- physically, mentally and spiritually -- with a section of scripture
* Having AHA! Moments while I'm reading or writing
* Having a professor speak about Greek in class and actually understanding!
* Meeting Mary Hinkle-Shore face to face and eating her Pomegranate Chocolate Cake!
* Starting on this journey alone, but gathering some great friends along the way.
Blessings, everyone!
Sarah from Grand Forks, ND
So many things have been great, but I must acknowledge that it is wonderful to no longer be solely known as the DL M.Div group, now that we have all of the second cohort along on the journey! Welcome #2 and let us together journey, with God leading us all!
Blessings,
Mike Cohort #1
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