Inside Perkins!

The Inside Perkins event is anything but boring.
In the course of a day and a half, the friendly and curious staff and students managed to fit the "seminary experience" into a manageable amount of time.
Herbert Coleman, Director of Recruitment and Admissions, and Tracy Anne Allred, Director of Student Services, worked together along with the rest of their staff to create an event that would fully encompass everything that Perkins believes in and has to offer, and they succeeded. I have never experienced a program that has been so well run and organized.

The day began with our choice of classes.
Hmm, which to take: an introduction to a really confusing in depth lecture on the United Methodist Doctrine? Or perhaps a class discussing the really confusing 'basics' of Theology?...
UM Doctrine it was!
As I walked to my seat in the class room, at least three different people asked if I wanted to take their pop-quiz for them. Did they not see I was heading for the back of the classroom?
Their fear of this quiz was enough to make me nervous about the level of difficulty at which this professor taught. As prospective students, we were encouraged to take the quiz for ourselves (by the students, and probably for the purpose of having someone to sympathize with them. Gladly!)
As we were waiting for people to finish up, I was humbled by the realization that not only are people called to Seminary, but it really is an academic placement that one has to earn. And that can be scary. Especially to someone like me who enjoys school but has never really been very good at. When talking to current students, they all mentioned how much reading and how many papers are involved in this spiritual phase of their lives that it's so hard to keep up.
However, all of them mentioned great ways to aid in the course load such as study groups, mastering the art of "skimming," and of course, going to the professor and simply asking for help. I witnessed the sympathy that comes from the teaching staff for people who have busy lives, who have to work and take care of families; they are understanding and supportive of all of their students and they want them all to succeed. Hearing that was a big source of comfort that began to ease my mind.
(And I'll have you all know that I got five of out seven correct on that quiz, thank you very much!)



Then it was Go time!
We were officially introduced to some of the Perkins staff and we met the Dean.
Dean Lawrence is a pretty cool guy. Not only did he introduce himself, his school, and his hopes and dreams for the future of the church, but he asked us to do the same. There were ten of us in the group and he took the time to get to know each of us and relate to us individually. I appreciated that and could tell he had a genuine heart.
During this time we were also introduced to a 3rd year Masters of Divinity student that shared her story of traveling abroad through the Global Theological Education program that Perkins offers.
Let's talk about this for a moment:
Perkins has an incredibly strong involvement when it comes to outreach and education that promotes diversity. Programs like the Global Theological Education offer multiple immersion courses in places like Africa, France, Israel, and more where students learn to lead their future congregations to think more "culturally" and "competently."
Perkins also has several certificate programs that add specialties to the various degrees offered. Hispanic Studies, Pastoral Care, Urban Ministry, Gender Studies...see what I mean?
These programs along with their array of organized interest groups, add to the future of what will most certainly be a continuously growing, beautifully diverse Church.

As the day continued, the community aspect of this school was made known. We worshiped in the Perkins Chapel with currents students and ate lunch with them.

Through out conversations with these people, there was one constant theme: Spiritual Formation.
The concept of Spiritual Formation is so important to Perkins that is has become a requirement for your degree- or as they like to call it, a "mandatory opportunity."
We sat down with the members of one of the classes and they raved about it! Through different forms of prayer and spiritual practices, they explained how the class and the fellowship from their classmates has begun to prepare them for their own ministry.
This spoke volumes because in the midst of such a busy society, it's important to take time to make sure that we are taken care of and I believe the only way to have spiritually healthy congregations is to be spiritually healthy ourselves.
And also because it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who struggles with Sabbath-ing...

I gave a sermon at the church I was interning at this past summer and I used the passage from Ephesians 4:
¹ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
I thought it was funny when this was the scripture Dean Lawrence opened us up with when we came into Prothro Hall, but it describes what the students said to me.
At the end of the last day, I finally scrounged up the courage to just flat out ask what the students thought the theological stance of Perkins was.
Cricket, cricket.
Then finally one student answered by saying that she didn't think there was one specific side of the spectrum that Perkins associated with. She said that for her, one of the best parts of her school was that she was in constant connection with students, professors, and faculty that all believed different things about God and had a wide range of religious views and that is what connects them. It helps them to learn and to grow.
Isn't that what the kingdom of God should be??

The rest of the time was spent talking about more logistical things.
We took a lovely tour of the Southern Methodist University campus, explored housing options and financial aid.
Let me tell you something- this staff, particularly Mrs. Allred, broke down the seminary expenses so well that even I (a non-numbers kind of chick) could understand it! Not only that but she and the rest of the staff have countless opportunities to find you money so that you can explore your call. Let them help you. They love to do it.

As this was my first official visit of Seminary Tour, I was so blessed to be in a group with such amazing people.


Here's your shout-out, Deneen! (And Steve, too!)
I have to be honest and say that this school has set the bar for the other 12, but I am so excited to press forward with my travels.

I learned so many things about Perkins School of Theology and this is what will stick with me:
Perkins focuses on context; the context of God and of the people it's students will one day serve.
Perkins is a school committed to your call, not to dictating what your call should be.
Perkins is a place to explore what you believe and to understand why you believe it.
Perkins embraces diversity and promotes opportunities that help create diversity.
Perkins is a wonderful place!

The water in TX does funky things to my hair...

Here I am.
It has been a trying (to say the least) couple of days prior to getting on the plane to Dallas, but I made it to my first stop on this exciting tour: Perkins School of Theology!

During take off, I looked out the window-yes, I got the prime seat on the plane- and Columbus looked so different than I know it to be. The birds-eye view is really like looking on to another world and all I could hum to myself was, "Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky..." Everything I have known for 20 years of my life looked so ordinary and typical. I saw the houses that looked the same, there were roads and football fields. Part of me was disappointed that this was sometimes all that people saw of Columbus. Then as we began to descend into Dallas, I saw the same things. The homes, the pools, sports fields, and sure, a few more plots of empty land. And I thought to myself, "I bet the people here want me to experience their town like I would want people to experience mine."

So, since the weather was BEAUTIFUL, I went exploring after getting settled into my hotel. I walked down to the West Elm shopping area that isn't even two blocks away from the hotel and I had my very first dinner out...by myself!! I ate at Vapiano and just sat and decompressed the long journey I just took that was so out of my comfort zone. At first I felt as though I should rush and get out of there ASAP but then this feeling of confidence came over me and I realized that it was actually enjoyable to just sit with myself and eat some good food. It was a good night and I was just happy to finally feel settled.

I woke up this morning and got ready for the big day ahead. As I was blow drying my hair I realized that the water from the shower had done something weird to my hair.
"Stupid Texas water! I was afraid it would be different!" - she said so dramatically.
I grudgingly proceeded to get ready but as I continued, with what most men would consider extraneous hair care, I realized that my hair actually looked damn good!
(There's a point to this, so stick with me.)
It was smooth and wasn't frizzy. It was laying right and, maybe I imagined it, but was it a bit more shiny?!
Regardless, the thing that I feared, something as shallow as the kind of water I showered with, turned out to be a good, dare I say "better" thing than what I'm used to.

I think I'm stuck in this mindset of familiarity.
An old boyfriend used to joke that I spent my life on U.S. route 33. I went to and from school on it, I took it to get to the store, to go to the movies, to get to various friends' houses. Even when I spent my year at Ohio University, my fellow Columbus Bobcats know that you have to take 33 all the way down. So of course I used it! It was familiar. I was comfortable and safe on that road. I could almost auto-pilot my trips so why explore another route??

After spending the day at Perkins, I know why you explore other roads.
Because you find hidden gems in the comradery with fellow Latinos that are shaping ministry in such radically amazing ways like Elsa Tamez. Or you discover that you truly "can't have ministry in the 21st century without having a global perspective," or a sense of humor- two strong Perkins beliefs; or that no matter where you are, there can be a place made especially for you.
These things we know, but sometimes it takes going somewhere unfamiliar to get these truths to surface. Perkins has been that place for these particular things and countless more.

I am so lucky this has been my first stop on this journey because it reasserts the mission of this whole experience: to learn for myself while teaching others (another thing Perkins and I share a mindset about.) I've had to stop multiple times today to remind myself that I'm actually here in Texas and I am so glad that I am.

Today has been a long but very fulfilling day. I'll be posting soon about my actual time spent at the Inside Perkins! event, but for now I'm going to spend some time processing all the new, exciting information.
Here's to hoping for another good hair day... ;)

Dusty shelves & cluttered closets.

I am a planner.
I like to plan.
So when this idea of the tour started to become an actual possibility, I ran with it. And I ran faster than I thought I could or thought I wanted to. I sent out emails- tons and tons of emails- I did research, booked flights, made phone calls. Everything I needed to do to make this thing happen.

A week before I was supposed to make the trip down to Durham, NC to visit Duke Divinity School for my first official visit, I experienced this massive change of mind.
"This is a silly idea."
"You don't even have an interest in half of these schools. I already know I'm not going to go there."
"You're going to waste your time AND your money? Be serious."
"A single year? How are you going manage traveling, and school, and work, and family, and friends, and church, and.........."
In my head, there were so many legitimate reasons not to do this. I became anxious, and while those that know me well know that that's not all that out of the ordinary, the feeling I had was abnormal in the fact that it was just so powerful. It consumed my thoughts for a good two to three days and during those days I did everything I could to process my thoughts.
Were these thoughts my own? Or was this a message God was giving to me? How could I be sure? And if this was God, did I have a choice?

Discerning is hard!
Especially when you're not sure if you're discerning or if you're actually just trying to rationalize the thing you want.
I spent time praying, journaling, working out, cleaning, doing yoga, sitting in silence- anything that would help me focus.
And every time I did, I asked myself the same questions:
Is this something you can live without? Yes.
When you're older will you look back at this and regret not doing it? No. Because...-insert reason here...

During the times I actually took time to shut up and just listen I kept hearing, "It will be 'okay.'" "If you don't go, it would be 'okay.'"
But I've settled for "okay" for a long time. I remember the times when I struggled to be at "okay."
And I want to see "great." "Wonderful." "Amazing."
"Okay" is what keeps me here. At a stand-still, a place that I have been trying to move away from for four years. This place is a shelf where the things I've learned and the people I've met get to sit and wait for me to use them; it's the place where the dreams I've imagined for my life are placed in the back of the closet for when I find a need for them, when they are actually somewhat tangible.

So...

After talks with my parents, my dear friends, Brittany & Megan & Dorothy, getting my butt kicked by my mentor, and after receiving not only monetary support, but spiritual and moral support from my congregation at SUMC, I realized that I didn't have to settle; that this is more than possible. Sometimes- most times, it just takes asking for help and being faithful.

Not going is not an option.
The only option is to move forward.
And moving forward means beginning to prepare for my trip to Perkins School of Theology in just 11 short days.

So it's time to clean off those dusty shelves and clear out the cluttered closest because this is it; this is the time to find out what's buried behind it all.