Surprise! I'm Alive!

Okay, so I doubt that anyone even bothers to read this anymore, because I have let it gather dust for so long. That's just the kind of year it's been. But at least I just had a good time going back and reading my entries from a year ago; it's reminding me of how much can happen in just a short amount of time.

Since the last time I blogged here....

I DID settle on the internship at the Episcopal church. And it was transformational in ways whose ramifications I think I have only just begun to unpack. I have been a strong advocate of women clergy for over 15 years, but until now had never been in a church led by any. I had prioritized other things in looking for churches, I guess. I got so invested in focusing upon racial reconciliation that I didn't always notice that the ministries with which I was involved were always led by men. Seeking women out seemed kind of selfish at first, but the impact upon me has been seismic, and for the first time ever I really found clergy who I could relate to and be real with, and sort of envision myself as coming to resemble in some fashion. It's changed the way I preach and teach. It's the first time in a while that church attendance, or even possibly actual ministry, actually started looking attractive again.

I took my first shot at running the PdD gauntlet, learned a lot, hit some bumps and got bruised, but am reapproaching it slightly older, and hopefully with a modicum of additional wisdom. I've met some amazing people over the past year, and seen the mettle of my mentors/profs. tested as I've inundated them with questions and angst. And they still haven't given up on me somehow. Thanks, folks.

So this year is a transition year. I'm discovering that I'm simultaneously relieved to not be in school for the first time in six years, but that I also love teaching and mentoring students. Unfortunately, one doesn't earn any more as a TA than someone flipping burgers at In N' Out, so I will have to undergo the rigors of PhD studies to expand upon what I love doing. Which would be an absolutely joyful prospect if money were no issue and I had a limitless supply of energy and an ego made of teflon. So, it's a semi-joyful prospect. We'll see. Maybe I'll just go make music at the beach and hope people throw lots of dollar bills in my instrument case.