New Term, New Classes, Still Cold

The new term at Seabury is off to a good start - I finished last term with excellent grades (served up AKMA's exam on a silver platter!) in all classes save one, where I achieved a satisfactory grade though in room of improvement. I'm not altogether convinced it was entirely my fault, but that's water under the bridge. The classes I am taking this time 'round are all the second part of classes from last term (Old Testament, Liturgy, and Gospel Mission) with the exception of one - Spirituality for Ministry. This class promises to be really good and I am quite excited about it. We formed small groups today in which we will remain thoughout the term for discussing our personal conceptions and practices of spirituality, as well as our reactions to those about which we learn throughout the course. I am in a group with some fine and deeply spiritual people and I look forward to all our interactions. Rev. Paula Barker, the prof, earned my "gold medal teacher at Seabury award" today for actually providing us with a course packet instead of making us waste countless hours at the ONE xerox machine in the school.

In Liturgy II class today we got into a lively discussion (despite the lack of professor) on baptism as a rite of Christian initiation. There were arguments on all sides of the open/closed/free communion debate. For those who may be unaware: Open Communion - Communion is offered to all baptised Christians, regardless of denomination, stemming from the theology of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" as espoused by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (4:5); Closed Communion - Communion is only offered to members baptised in that particular denomination (i.e. Catholicism); and, Free Communion - Communion is offered to all, baptised and un-baptised. I am a believer in Open Communion by those definitions and must argue against those who espouse Free Communion, but can respect, if disagree with upholders of Closed Communion. Only those who understand and can accept what Holy Communion is (to the fullest extent humanly possible) and have been welcomed into the Body of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism should receive communion. (Based scripturally on 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, though this also speaks warning to baptised Christians who accept Communion friviously or undeservingly.) Those who feel ostracized by this should examine themselves and seek to discern why it is they feel called to the Communion Table but not to Baptism. I beleive they will discover they are called to both, that is, to full life in Christ.

The weather this morning when I woke up was a bitterly unpleasant negative twenty-one degrees with wind chill, and believe you me, the wind was blowing! Getting out of the alley behind my house was a driving experience akin to skiing.

I am afeared tomorrow I'll not be able to move my upper body. After a heavy workout yesterday following several weeks without any, and a good workout today, I am already feeling a bit sore and stiff. I know exactly what will happen tomorrow morning - to quote "A Knight's Tale" - "...pain...lots o' pain!"

Now, I should do some reading for class and then maybe even get to bed a bit early.

-R