Things I've Learned This Term

I'm afraid that I've been lousy at updating this blog this term - it has been a busy time, and I guess I just don't think that I have anything to say that people would be interested in!  It is hard to believe that in less than a week, I will have half of the credits that I need for my M.Div. - it seems like just yesterday I was starting here and feeling like a fraud and panicking about all of the work I was going to have to do.

So what has been keeping me busy?  School, mostly - I've had another full-time load of 5 courses - a continuation of my Supervised Field Education, United Church History (online), Introduction to Christian Ethics, New Testament Greek, and Theology and Literature.  I've also continued a little bit of physiotherapy work from one of my summer jobs.  And I've been working as a research assistant for one of my professors.  And we've had a school choir this year so I've been singing with that.

So here, in no particular order, is a list of things that I've learned this term:

1. New Testament Greek is hard.
2. I am able to be present pastorally for someone who is grieving without it triggering my own grief.  This is huge.  Seriously, it was one of my biggest fears about pastoral visiting.
3. I am learning to integrate all of the little bits of me into one person without needing to compartmentalize my life.  My identity is Kate, and I am all of these parts of me, but I am not defined by any one of them.  I feel relief at this.
4. I am able to make myself vulnerable in certain situations, and still be OK.
5. Have I mentioned that New Testament Greek is really hard?  Seriously!  I had to keep reminding myself that I am taking this for fun (it is one of my New Testament electives, but I am not required to take a language).  I'm at the point where I'm glad that I took the course, but I am even more glad that it will be over next week.

So it's been a big term, wrestling with fun stuff like identity and vulnerability and grief.  My last assignment of the term will be handed in on Monday, and classes end on Tuesday, and then I'm ready for a break since I'm exhausted.  I'm looking forward to having a month off from poking at these issues - time to let the Spirit blow away the debris that has been left behind, and see what emerges on the other side!

(On a lighter note - pun intended - this is the sunset from Monday afternoon as I was crossing the harbour.  I was enjoying a moment of quiet as it was chilly and I was the only one sitting outside on the ferry, and when I looked over my shoulder, this is what I saw.)