preparing for the spring semester

Headed into my second long semester as a full-time student I'm quite excited about my course of study this Spring. During this week off in between Jterm (January) and the spring I am reminded of what a blessing it is to be able to study full-time...to be at least given the opportunity to focus (though I'm frankly no good at that) and to dive deep into these conversation, these relationships and these practices of education. I remember while I was discerning the transition to full-time study at Luther Seminary I had a conversation with one of my professors from Texas Lutheran University -- Phil Ruge-Jones. Dr. Ruge-Jones is an alum of Luther Seminary and I remember him saying (paraphrase): The thing about seminary is that if you go for it has the potential to transform you. You may be confirmed in your deepest convictions, but you may also change your mind about significant things too. It should change you. That was a prophetic insight perhaps. This past semester has been a whirlwind and over the past three months I've been discerning where this is all leading me. This semester will be filled with many changes. Just a few weeks ago the Seminary announced that Patricia Lull, my adviser and our Dean of Students would be resigning at the end of January. Your adviser at Seminary does much more than help you choose classes. They are also your discipleship mentor, they guide you and advocate for you in matters of candidacy and they walk along side you in vocational discernment. It will be hard to find an adviser quite as amazing as Dean Lull. Every week our discipleship group met in her living room and shared in prayer and spiritually significant conversations (that means we laughed and shared our burdens/hopes/frustrations). There will also be some changes for me personally...more on that soon. For those of you as nerdy as me, here are the courses I'm taking:

Worship // Profs. Scharen & Lange
Reading the Audiences // Profs. Zscheile & Scharen
The Ethics of Martin Luther King, Jr. // Prof. Simpson
Ministry of Evangelism // Prof. Simpson
Pentateuch // Prof. Fretheim (the Legend)
Church Leadership // Prof. Zscheile
Ministry with Young Adults (audit) // Prof. Root

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