Week 2 Update

I have reached the midpoint of my summer intensive here at The Theological School. As many of you know, I can be a tad dramatic at times--and the amount of work I have to accomplish and figure out ways to navigate my sleep schedule had, for a brief time (say three days) turned me into a whiner. If you have been reading my status updates on Facebook, you'll know what I mean.

As it turns out, I have learned a few lessons:
1. I am no longer as young as I used to be. When I was younger, I could stay up for several days in a row with little sleep. Let me nod off for a few hours, and I'd be good for the entire day. Now, if I don't get my 7-8 hours of sleep at night, I am both incoherent and dazed.

2. If you work hard enough, you'll eventually figure it out. When I was younger, there were times that I would get so frustrated that I'd quit trying to figure it out after trying for just a little while. Now, I actually have the patience to look at something for a long time without either zoning out or losing attention.

3. Not having an Xbox to tempt me away from work has been a good thing. But then, there is Facebook and I have tended to escape there from time to time.

So yeah, I've learned some good lessons. And, I have also been learning other things too. As of now, I have my final draft of my Prospectus completed. My Prospectus is the overview of my ministry project including information such as my problem statement, my purpose, the scope of the project, the methodologies I intend to use, how I will evaluate my project and tonight, I finished a rough draft bibliography (that can change during the course of my project).

I am also working on an assignment in my Practical Theology class where I have learned to interpret and deconstruct narrative stories using particular methodologies meant to frame the stories. This will be important as I navigate the various personal narratives within my particular project. The class lectures have been intense but very rewarding.

Next week, I will be taking a class called Thriving in the Digital Age through Collaborative Leadership. I am very much looking forward to this class as it'll focus its attention on modern narratives as experienced by younger generations and how to develop particular ministry that affects them with the Gospel. Or at least, I think this is what the class will be about. ;) I'll let you know once class begins if I am correct or not.

As an aside, I've still been swimming while I am here. While I didn't swim as far yesterday as I normally do, it did feel good to get some exercise into my day.

Okay, so I have to get back to my homework. I have a project due to tomorrow in which I am to design a teaching/learning event for a designated community using material taught from the Gospel of Mark and the course I am taking. I am supposed to communicate one of the primary insights or theological constructs that I have gained in the course and then describe the context and community that will be my primary responsibility in this teaching project. In the end, I am to describe what the learning or engagement process will be and what theological action/reflection I expect will lead to this community's religious/political/social transformation. The paper doesn't need to be long, say 5-7 pages. Then, I am to give a 15-20 minute presentation on this methodological teaching curriculum.

Interestingly, I was only given this assignment today. You'd think that I would be panicking right about now as to the scope and breadth of the assignment. But I am not. I am actually calm...sorta. But I do need to get working on it. I may be up rather late tonight getting this accomplished.