Well… the virus given to me by my in-laws has reared its ugly head. I woke up yesterday with severe stomach pain and had to have Jon call me in sick to work. (I’m amazed that I’m still working there since I’ve been out more days than I’ve been in this month.) I spent the day praying that it wasn’t a.) a Crohn’s flare up or b.) appendicitis since appendicitis is a hereditary condition in my family. (I’m the only one of my cousins over the age of 21 that hasn’t had it on my mom’s side. Mom is the only one of her siblings who hasn’t had it.) Oh yes… Jon’s scar from his scalp surgery started bleeding profusely yesterday morning so when he woke me up for help, he was covered with blood from his head to his waist. (I got the bleeding stopped and the doctor on call told me that I’d done all the right things and to get him stitched up if he started bleeding again.)

If I’m not on a lot in the next few days, it’s because I’m in bed. I have to work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday this week and I’m praying that I can get through all of those shifts. I worked on the 11th and barely made it through my shift after the first part of this virus.

This morning, I tuned into the religious channels (PAX and EWTN) for some edification since I missed church for the first time since August. (I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve missed church in the last two years if that tells you anything.) On PAX, they were playing some Vineyard settings of Psalms. On EWTN, there was a speaker on teaching teens about sex and dating. I then caught part of Mass before turning off the TV to engage in some LBW Matins. Jon brought me Communion which was really nice. (There are some advantages about being married to a pastoral intern.)

I just mailed off a copy of my contemporary worship paper to my college fellowship leader. Does anyone else want a copy? (Email me if you do.)

Work
I was invited to apply for another library position and I’m doing it somewhat half-heartedly. I’ll also apply to be a counselor for the Seminary Sampler program at Trinity this summer. Last time, she was still looking for people and I have a feeling that CPE will probably prevent some people from applying. Then again, I don’t have as much youth experience as a lot of people do. I’m going to submit my application and pray that all works out. It’s 6 weeks in residence with the high schoolers and I think it would actually be fun. Most importantly, it would be a chance to show the kids about ministry and I really think that this is essential if we’re going to keep people my age in the church.

The only downside: I’ll probably be competing against a lot of people for the Seminary Sampler job who have MUCH more youth experience than I do. I’ve been a camp counselor, taught VBS all of ONCE, and I’ve done about as much work with the youth here as they’ll let me do. Still… if I don’t apply, I’ll never know if I will make it.

Why I am Lutheran
My in-laws got me “The Third Miracle” for Christmas and watching it made me have dreams about maybe joining the Roman Catholic Church. It would be interesting, it would indulge my mystical side but…
-They won’t ordain me. Sorry, but… the Lord has called me to ordained ministry.
-As much as I revere the saints, I still have some issues with the way a lot of Catholics pray to them. I know that there is the distinction that it’s like asking a friend to pray for you but… some people cross the line on that.
-The Roman Catholic Church is NOT the one true church. The universal (“catholic”) church is. I cannot say that all Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Orthodox, and [insert Trinitarian Christian group] are wrong and going to hell. This is also what prevents me from being Eastern Orthodox.
-The way things are done in the Roman church is NOT the way they’ve been done since the beginning. Much of the way things are done is how they’ve been done since the Council of Trent or at most 1000 years. Celibacy did NOT exist until the 11th century and purgatory started with Augustine.

I’m in a really strange position because there aren’t a lot of Lutheran bloggers. There is a pretty good-sized Reformed community but I cannot claim to agree on the way a lot of them express their faith given that a.) talking theology does not turn me on; b.) I am not a believer in paedocommunion — there is no basis for it in Scripture and I think that children need to be old enough to understand the sacrament in which they are partaking; c.) I do not view my faith in terms of covenants; d.) I feel like a lot of Reformed bloggers neglect the fact that Luther was influential on Calvin which means that *I* can count myself as Reformed (something many of them dispute); and e.) I don’t really find a lot of Refomed theology to be Cross-centered (which is what Lutheran theology is).

Oh yes… a lot of the Reformed bloggers I encounter don’t affirm my call to ordination, which is fine — I just feel like a lot of them look at me as a heretic.

OK… there is an amendment to the drinking game. You may subsitute water, juice, Red Bull, or whatever if Coke or alcohol is not your cup of tea.