First Day of School, Part II

The first week of seminary classes is over. It all started on Monday morning with an awkward chapel about how we should all go to chapel. My friends and I realized that we talk about chapel sermons much like you would talk about a first down play in football. "A useful 4 yard gain." "A solid completion over the middle." "An incomplete pass." Well, the first possession of this quarter was a fumbled snap. Fortunately, Dr. Gibbs recovered on Tuesday and put 6 points on the board.

I'm finding that having four classes is noticeably less stressful than having five, and I don't think I have a bad professor among them. I am taking my second preaching class (Homiletics II), a history class (Church in the Late Middle Ages), a theology class (Systematics I), and an Old Testament class (Isaiah and the Prophets).

It's also been great to get reacquainted with friends, some of whom, after discovering that I have written a rap or two, decided to provide me with some new material. Although I question the Political Correctness of a rap entitled "Hile Ho!" I have to credit them for its humorous value and their originality in pulling the chorus from a Disney soundtrack.

Other highlights include:

• My parents and my Grandma came to visit over Labor Day weekend. We went to the Japanese Festival at the Botanical Gardens and enjoyed some of St. Louis' culinary gems (including Kelly's fajitas and our secret sangria recipe). You'll have to visit if you want a sample.
• I finally saw the only other Hope College alumnus at the seminary, who is back from a year of studying in Cambridge and vicarage. I hadn't seen him since second-year Greek class in spring 2004.
• A couple of friends took us to the Cardinals-Cubs game, where the home team won it in the bottom of the ninth. Feigned apologies to my college roommate, who will probably stop reading this blog because of his love for the Cubbies.

Keep checking back for more updates, including a short post I already have planned and a parabolic sermon.