why hello there week 12.

This semester is flying by. Part of me is excited to get it behind me, but another part of me is sad to see it coming to a close. This has been an intense semester, both inside and outside the classroom. Classes have stretched me more this semester than ever before; they have challenged me academically, but more than that they have challenged the way I understand and relate to the world. I can confidently say that I have learned and grown more this semester than I ever could have imagined, but it definitely hasn’t been easy! And I know that I’ve learned far more than I realize at this point, still in the middle of the hectic push toward the finish line. Outside of classes, life has been quite the rollercoaster this semester. I have hardly had the chance to have a “normal” few weeks without a crisis of some sort, which has made it difficult to concentrate at times. But in spite of it all, on this Monday night of week 12, I am still alive and pressing on. Next week is Thanksgiving Break, followed by weeks 14, 15, and finals. It’s hard to believe we only have two more weeks of classes after this week!

So, besides classes (which are in and of themselves great opportunities), this semester I’ve had some pretty incredible opportunities and experiences. First, I went to a conference called Israel/Palestine: Pathways to Peace, which was a great opportunity to learn more about peacemaking efforts in the Middle East. Then, I went on a silence & solitude retreat for my Spiritual Disciplines class, which turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than I had anticipated! And my last two weekends have been filled with training: first, I went through Module II Hispanic ministry training, so now I am a certified lay missioner for Hispanic ministry in the UMC! And this past weekend I finished my mediation training at Bluffton, which means I can start co-mediating cases for my mediation certification. All of these things have been awesome, but they’ve made for busy weekends (aka no weekends at all)! And this weekend I am headed to GA with PEACE Club for a nonviolent demonstration. Then…home for Thanksgiving!

So, here’s to peace and protests and turkeys and theology and huge papers and friends and everything else that will fill the pages of my life for the next few weeks!



Peace.

Katie :)

reflections on "The Spirit of the Disciplines" chapters 5-7

This week, I would like to reflect on a few different parts of chapters 5-7 of Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines. As I have spent more time with this text, it has become increasingly clear that Willard’s theology is very different from my own. My experience with this text has been frustrating and rewarding, and it seems like with every page comes a new reaction, question, or frustration. This journal is a reflection of those experiences— the good, the bad, and everything in between.

I really struggle with Willard’s definition of spirituality in chapter five. I would agree with his statement that “spirituality is a matter of another reality,” but in the next sentence he goes on to say that “[spirituality] is not a ‘commitment’ and it is not a ‘lifestyle’” (67). For me, what makes spirituality another reality is the fact that it is a commitment and is a lifestyle. I view faith and spirituality as a commitment, not in addition to all of my other commitments…but as the one commitment that supersedes all others. Some synonyms for commitment are loyalty, pledge, promise, and dedication. For me, spirituality is all of these things. Spirituality creates space for me to live into an alternate reality only when spirituality is a commitment— my highest loyalty. The second thing Willard says that spirituality is not is a lifestyle (67). This seems like a complete contradiction to chapter three, which is entitled, “Salvation Is a Life” (28). If salvation is a way of life, and our way of life is to reflect our salvation, then spirituality is a lifestyle. Willard goes on to say that though spirituality is not a commitment or a lifestyle, “a commitment and lifestyle will come from it” (67). I would argue that a commitment and lifestyle are not simply results of spirituality; these things are the essence of spirituality.

Willard also asserts that spirituality is “not a social or political stance” and that “the essence and aim of spirituality is not to correct social and political injustices” (67). He goes on to say that while “[correcting injustices] will be its effect…that is not its use” (67). For me, the alternate reality in which spirituality enables us to live is an inherently social and political one. As for the social aspect of spirituality, Willard himself says in chapter seven that “the new life in Christ…is a life of the whole embodied person in the social context” (111). It is difficult for me to understand how it is possible for an “embodied” spiritual life “in the social context” to be separate from a “social stance” (Willard 67, 111). As for the political nature of spirituality, I would argue that our faith commitment is a political stance. In his book He Came Preaching Peace, John Howard Yoder illustrates the political implications of citizenship in God’s Kingdom: “This new nation, the people of God, is the Christian’s first loyalty. No political nation, no geographic homeland to which one belongs by birth, can take precedence over the heavenly citizenship of a Christian in one’s new birth” (23). Spirituality— living a life according to one’s faith commitment— is as political as pledging allegiance to the flag of any nation. Last but not least, this idea that spirituality will result in, but should not be used for, the correction of injustices, is a difficult one for me to grasp. This is partly because I understand spirituality to be a whole life endeavor and partly because of my understanding of Christ’s life as a political one. Christ consistently and unapologetically confronted situations of oppression and injustice (Matt. 21.12-13) and we are called to do the same. For me, confronting and correcting injustices cannot be separated from spirituality.

So, in conclusion, I would like to express my appreciation for this text. In this journal it may seem like I disagree with everything Willard has to say, but this is not really the case. There are also many things I agree with, but journaling about the things in the book that I struggle with helps me better understand my own theology in light of Willard’s. I value this opportunity to read and engage a text written by an author whose theology stands in contrast to my own.

Pray Peace. Make Peace. Live Peace.

Katie :)

warning: academics ahead

So, classes start Monday. My blog will most likely reflect this (fantastic, long awaited) change in a few different ways. I just wanted to take a moment to give you all fair warning.

First of all, I’d like to point out my little bookshelf on the right side of this page. The books on my shelf are my textbooks for this semester, and it’s likely that I will be referencing them and/or quoting them in my blogs this semester.

Next, several of my classes require me to write journal entries and submit them online. Obviously, some of this will be more interesting than others. But there is a good possibility that I will post some of my journal entries on here.

In classes that don’t have journals as a requirement, and possibly even for those that do, I plan to use this blog to share quotes and reflect on the things I am learning in class…and outside of class, for that matter. And on that note, here comes the first textbook quote:

“The ultimate goal of biblical exegesis is not information but transformation. True exegesis is accomplished only when individuals and communities engage in the embodiment of the text.”
-Michael Gorman, Elements of Biblical Exegesis

See, this idea of “information” versus “transformation” really resonates with me, in my context as a student here at Bluffton. I came from a university with a strong focus on information. When I transferred to Bluffton, my whole life started changing…and it hasn’t stopped. At Bluffton, who we are becoming matters far more than where we are going. Character is valued over success. Education is about transforming, not just informing. That makes more difference than I can express in words.

But obviously, this quote is about more than the unique, world-class education offered at Bluffton University. It’s about biblical exegesis! One of my classes this semester is Old Testament Exegetical Studies: Wisdom Literature. So, I get to dive into exegesis this semester! I can’t wait to spend huge amounts of time engaging scripture in this incredible community. You will no doubt hear a LOT about this over the next 15 weeks.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for this semester. I can’t wait to see what God is going to teach me both inside and outside the classroom, through professors and friends, through books and late night conversations. Education by transformation blurs the lines between education and life. I can’t tell you where my classes end and my life begins…where homework ends and discipleship begins…

And that’s a beautiful thing.



Pray Peace. Make Peace. Live Peace.

Katie :)

great in your midst

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been back at Bluffton for two days already! I moved back onto campus on Tuesday, which was a rather warm experience both in terms of temperature and welcome! And I spent the past two days at the fall retreat for Bluffton’s Leadership Development Program. Basically, campus student leaders and student life faculty spend a couple days together at our nature preserve. Tomorrow the new students (first years and transfers) move in, followed by returning students on Saturday and Sunday! My amazing roommate returns home to campus on Saturday, so I am REALLY looking forward to that day! :) The weekend is filled with all kinds of welcome back activities, and classes start Monday! I am also really looking forward to that day!

So, how has my sophomore year been so far? Pretty fantastic. If this is any indication of what is to come, it’s going to be an incredible year. Being on campus four days earlier than most everyone I hang out with has been a great opportunity to get to know new people and turn acquaintances into friends. The LDP retreat was time well spent. It was very Bluffton…full of community and joy and fun and God and growth and laughter! We played lots of community-building (and just plain fun) games, learned how to understand and use our God-given gifts and strengths, and worshiped together. The first day was mostly ice-breakers and introduction to the leadership material we covered, followed by a bonfire, singing, smores, and a night hike! I’m not much of a hiker, but I decided to go on the night hike simply because the nature preserve closes at dusk, so it was my one chance to see it in the dark! One of the most memorable parts of the hike was crossing the giant swinging bridge over the creek in the pitch dark with about 50 other people, most of whom were JUMPING! It was terrifying! But since I survived, it’s one of those epic college memories! We also got to see the nature preserve lake with the super bright moon glowing in the sky, which was stunning! And last but not least, we got to make fireworks in our mouths with lifesaver mints. (quote: "this is the only time in your lives that you'll be asked to chew with your mouth really wide open while someone else looks in!") If you’ve never tried this, you really should. It was so much fun!

Then today we went more in-depth with our training on gifts and strengths-based leadership, played lots more games, sang crazy songs, put on skits about life at Bluffton, did guided meditation with our dean, and spent time brainstorming and planning for our organizations. My favorite part of the day was this crazy game called “It’s A What?” Basically, it is a game where tons of people sit in a circle and pass items around the circle in rhythm, telling one neighbor what the item is while listening to see what the next item is at well. I realize this sounds ridiculous and like no fun at all, but it is absolutely hilarious. And guided meditation was pretty cool too…different than what I’m used to, but it was a good experience!

Throughout the retreat, I couldn’t help but think about how unique Bluffton is. There is something so wonderful about being at a college where it is normal and expected for faculty and students to spend time getting to know one another, worshiping God together, and sharing lots and lots of laughter! I love this place so much because it’s a Kingdom community….a community where who we are together is greater than who we could be alone. A community that pushes me to do and think and become things I could never have imagined. A community in which God lives and breathes.

“Sing praises to God, for God has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
–Isaiah 12.5-6

Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

God is here.

Katie :)

and so it begins :)

Three days from now I’ll be all settled into my room at Bluffton, reunited with my friends and happy to be back on the campus that has become my home. It’s hard to believe summer is over and it’s time to move back to school…but I couldn’t be more excited! I never wanted to leave Bluffton in the first place!

So, in honor of the beginning of my sophomore year, I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from spring semester of my freshman year! These people and these places have stolen my heart. :)

Campus from above :)

 

Centennial Hall…this is where the majority of classes are held!

One of my favorite pictures of campus! The Riley Creek and the library field, where most of the outdoor fun takes place :)

Adams Bridge leading to my dorm!

The stunning lake at our nature preserve!

Erin came to visit during the Riley Creek Fest!

Bethany & Erin in the bounce house!

Jake rode the bull. Oh yes, he did.

May Day. Epic tradition that involves dressing freshmen like this, tying them to a pole, and making them dance. Only at Bluffton.

And last but not least…my wonderful roomie and I!! She edited this picture….we are just THAT Bluffton spirited!!

As I look at these pictures, I can’t help but smile as I remember the memories I’ve already made at Bluffton and look forward to the adventures that await me this school year! I have no doubt that this school year is going to be incredible…I love what I am studying, I love where I am, and I love the people who are with me! I couldn’t ask for more!

Katie :)