Geeking Out with Yet Another Social Media Site

I am enjoying a relaxing break so far and decided to play around with yet another social media site. I'm giving Tumblr a try and wanted to test the features that will import from my blog as well as post to Twitter and Facebook. I thoroughly enjoy writing, sharing and staying connected electronically (as if you haven't figured that out about me already...) so I'm trying to find the most efficient way to use these sites together.

I've already been using "Selective Twitter Status" to send only the Tweets that I choose to Facebook and that is helpful. It looks like Tumblr is a really convienent way to share things from my iPhone while I'm on the go and to let my Twitter followers and Facebook friends know when I've got a new blog post on blogspot.

So I figured the best way to test out this feature was to post to my blog and see what happens.

My apologies to Tweeple and FB friends if there are a lot of duplicate entries since I import my blog into FB Notes currently. Once I see how this works I'll be adjusting settings.

Here goes nothing....

Fall Break already?

Its kind of hard to believe, but I’ve already reached the halfway point of my first semester. It seems like I just got started and I’m now officially on break and headed back to Maryland for a visit. Even though time seems to have flown by to get to this point I am physically and mentally exhausted and looking forward to some time to recharge and especially to see my friends and family. I’m sure part of the reason that time has flown by is because we have been so busy with papers and exams over the last several weeks and this last week in particular was chock full of assignments and exams.

In my last post I wrote about the school and the community and how I was adjusting, but not about my specific classes, so I want to share that now. I am taking four classes this semester – Systematic Theology, Introduction to Early Christianity: Apostolic era to 1650, Colloquy on Ministry and Vocation, and Introduction to the Old Testament.

Systematic Theology is probably my favorite class and Cindy Rigby is absolutely amazing. Sitting in her lectures is a little like Frog and Toad’s Wild Ride at Disney World. Its not the most linear path from A to B, but it is thrilling, there are gems all along the way and when its over I can’t wait to do it again.

My history class is by far the biggest surprise of the four. I really wasn’t looking forward to it, but Annie Bullock, who recently got her PhD from Emory, is a real treat. She is a wonderful storyteller, her PowerPoint slides are informative and amusing, and she really brings things to life for us so we can appreciate the context from which the history of our church has unfolded.

The Colloquy is a seminar style class which is co-taught by acting-Dean David Jensen and Alan Cole who heads up the dual-degree program at APTS. The purpose of this class is to help us to discern what our vocation will be and to learn and experience different methods of discernment. We only meet once a week, but for an extended period of time. Class is always broken up in to two components. Each week we spend half the time split into two smaller groups and have a book discussion about the reading. The other half of our time alternates each week. We have guest speakers from various vocations one week and then the next week we spend experiencing different spiritual practices and methods of discernment. Cole and Jensen rotate which group they facilitate each week. I am looking forward to taking a full class that meets more often with each of them.

The Old Testament is by far the most challenging academic class of the four so far. John Ahn is absolutely brilliant and has the impossible task of covering the entire old testament in 12 weeks. We aren’t just covering the content of the books, but also background for the origins of each book and the scholarship that has been and continues to be done to put the pieces of the puzzle together. With so much material to cover he moves at a blazing speed. The amount of reading and research that has to be done to keep up with his lectures and prepare for his tests is daunting.

One of my favorite things so far is how all four of these classes fit together like sprockets. It is really cool when we are sitting in one class and something from a lecture or discussion in another class will go off like a light bulb above our heads. I guess that’s what happens when you study for an advanced degree in any discipline, because it sure isn’t something that I can recall experiencing as an undergrad.

In late September we turned in our first paper, which was for History and the next week we had a mid-term in Theology. This past week was extremely intense though.

I had two papers due on Tuesday and a take home mid-term exam that had to be turned in on Friday. One of the papers was for Systematic Theology on the topic of the authority of scripture. One of the main texts for that class is Jean Cauvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (John Calvin – for some reason it bugs me that we have anglicized his name). We also were assigned several articles by various other theologians. Each of these articles was focused on how much or how little authority they attribute to the Bible. Our task was to spend a few pages explaining Cauvin’s position, then to pick two other theologians to summarize. Being at a Presbyterian school, we all had to write about Cauvin. Lastly we were to compare and contrast the views of the three and tell where we find ourselves with respect to scriptural authority.

The other paper was also a really cool assignment, which was for the Colloquy class. It entailed interviewing three people who consider ministry, of one form or another, to be their vocation. I interviewed a hospital chaplain, a recent seminary graduate currently searching for a church to pastor, and an APTS graduate who runs a non-traditional ministry which consists of a retreat center and winery. We were specifically looking to obtain from them how they discerned their call to ministry in general and to this specific field, how they maintain their sense of call while dealing with the day to day aspects of their vocation, what challenges they faced while discerning their call and how they maintain a sense of call when they were challenged as well as with any challenges that may be ongoing.

As I type this my plane is slowly descending towards Baltimore and I am now ready to enjoy my break. But there is a part of me that is really looking forward to getting back to my classes once my tanks are full again.

Last night at a party I was introduced to a term that I (and many of my colleagues) are embracing and claiming wholeheartedly -

I am a semiNERDian!

New Beginnings, New Friends and a Great School

As I reflect on the last month and the beginning of the school year I am struck by the fact that I haven't felt a major sense of homesickness, nor second guessed my decision to move across the country and devote myself to pursuing a theological education (at least not yet). I think that there are several factors that have helped with this transition - APTS the school, APTS as a community, and the support of important people in my life.

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, as an institution, has done an outstanding job of welcoming, orienting, and getting incoming students off on the right foot. There were several social opportunities before and throughout orientation (a BBQ, an ice cream social, a pizza party) where we had the opportunity to meet and socialize with our peers, the students that were

returning, the staff, and the faculty. We were welcomed again and again. Everyone made a big deal about how excited they were that we were here and they really meant it (or they are really good actors). Formal orientation, although a bit overwhelming, was extremely well done and covered all the important stuff that we needed to know and do to get officially started. They built a day into the middle of it where we went off campus to do some bonding and team building exercises. But we were also given some time for relaxing, recreation and just getting to know

each other. This was crucial since all incoming students are (for the most part) taking the same

four classes. Since I will be spending a lot of time with these 34 people and because it is a bit hard to get to know someone sitting next to them in a lecture, it was great to have this built into the orientation. Here is half of my class doing a challenge course during orientation.

Since classes have started they have also offered a couple of optional workshops on organizational and study skills, which this old guy who hasn't been in school for 18 years really

appreciated, especially since my degree is in Mathematics and this is a whole different type of studying than I have ever done before.

This week the president and his wife had all new Masters students (and their spouses) to their home for dinner. It was a chance for him to get to know us a little better, but also for him to check in and see how we were doing now that classes have started. He may be the president of the school, but he is still very much a pastor. One last thing that really helped to get us started

on the right foot and that also served as the most formal welcome to the seminary that we received was the worship service that was held the evening of our first day of classes (Sept. 7th). During worship the Junior class read together a "Declaration of Intent" and we were invited to come forward and sign our names in what Rev. Ted Wardlaw, the president of the seminary, refers to as the "Book of Life." Every APTS student, starting with the first class in 1904, has signed this book upon matriculation. Ted's sermon that night, being recognized in worship this way, and the Eucharist that followed was a perfect reminder of the legacy not just of this school, but of theologians and Christians in whose footsteps we are following.

Some of my new friends enjoying a gorgeous day in front of the chapel between classes.

The second major factor that has made this transition go smoothly is the community that is APTS and the informal way that my classmates and I have been embraced and made to feel part of that community. The returning students have been a wealth of information about professors, study advice, the rhythm of life here, the best places to find deals, the best places to eat & drink, etc. Outside of the formal social events that were scheduled by the school, there have been parties, invitations to go out to dinner, game nights, people getting together to watch a movie, to watch football, to go see a local band, and late night breakfast at a local diner. I feel as if I've made several really good new friends here already. The community is great at supporting each other and is a very tight knit group so I feel that there is already somewhat of a bond even with those that I haven't gotten to know well yet. Feeling this way after a month, I can't even imagine what that will feel like after a year, two or (with my classmates) three.

Last but not least, I credit my friends, family and congregation with helping to make this transition smooth. The support and encouragement that I continue to receive in emails, cards, text messages, Facebook posts, and care packages are a wonderful continuation of the amazing send off that I received before I left Maryland.

Today marks the end of three full weeks of classes. I turned in my first paper today for my Introduction to the History of Christianity (Apostolic Era to 1650) class and I have my first Mid-Term exam next Thursday in my Systematic Theology class. I was asked to read scripture at chapel last week, I decided to join the choir, and plan on participating with a social justice student group.

Aside from school stuff - I got a new tattoo, I became a member of "The Big 50" club at The Local (sampled 50 different beers - over the course of a month), I was given a personal mug that hangs on the wall for me to use when I go there, I got my Texas plates and drivers licence, I swam in Barton Springs, and I saw the bats under the South Congress Street Bridge.

What can I say? I'm loving it here. Hard to believe I'll be on fall break and back in Maryland in a few short weeks. I can't wait to see everyone. I'll need a break by then though -- I've got three papers and another Mid-term exam the week before our break.

My Road TripFrom Annapolis to Austin (5th & final part)

Graceland is a major money making operation. They've got a set-up across the street from Elvis' house similar to the entrance to an amusement park--ticket windows with different levels of passes that you can buy, multiple gift shops, photo booths, and places to eat. We opted for the cheapest pass which got us an audio tour through the house and grounds and a special exhibit about his comeback tour after the Army. We boarded a shuttle bus and were driven across the street and up the long driveway. It was raining pretty hard so we didn't bother getting any pictures of the gate or the front of the house. Our first impression was that it wasn't nearly as big as we had expected. It wasn't a small house, but I've been in much bigger homes than Graceland. Now the decor, that's a whole different ball game. The house has been left as it was decorated when he died in the late 70's and the audio tour was narrated in large part by Lisa Marie. We weren't allowed to use flash so my pictures didn't turn out very good in the house. The room that I most wanted to show pictures of was the "Jungle Room" but it was pretty dark and those came out horrible. This was basically his den and it was complete with a waterfall built into the wall, fur lampshades, and lots of tiki style decorations. Here's a picture that I found online. It'll give you some idea, but doesn't quite capture how wild it was.

The tour also went through separate buildings where his father had the business office and what used to be stables. Vernon's office is left as it was, but the stables have been converted into trophy rooms with awards that he won, gold records, memorabilia from his movies, TV appearances and his wedding. Another building that we toured held a racquetball court (now converted into a display room for many sequin covered jumpsuits) and a rec room where you could watch the game through a glass wall. The last stop on the tour was out by the pool (again much smaller than I would have figured) where he and his parents have been laid to rest.

Not my favorite stop on our road trip, but I'm glad we went. Its one of those things you just have to do if you are in or near Memphis.

After Graceland Andy and I hit the road and made it through Arkansas and into Texas by the end of Friday.

Saturday

Saturday we finished our road trip and made it to Austin by early afternoon. We went straight to the seminary, stopped by the community center and picked up the keys to my apartment so we could check it out. We found a welcome note and a bucket full of helpful items (snacks, a couple hangers, 6' extension cord, paper towels, toilet paper, etc) on my kitchen counter by a group of students calling themselves the "Bucketeers." Very cool to be welcomed like that and yet another affirmation that I have chosen well with were I will be studying.

Andy was flying out on Sunday morning, so we grabbed a hotel close to the airport. We had planned on heading downtown so that he could see a little of my new city but we were both exhausted from our trip and fell asleep.

Sunday

After I dropped Andy off at the airport I drove myself (first time behind the wheel in 6 days) over to Auditorium Shores to see the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue.

Sorry Elvis fans but SRV is much more of a Rock Legend in my book. (If you want to know why, just watch this performance of Texas Flood live in 1983 at El Mocambo).

For more pictures of our road trip check out this album of photos that I put up on Facebook (you don't need an account to view the album)

Rather than spend another night in a hotel I went out and bought an air mattress so I could stay in my apartment. My POD didn't arrive until Wednesday morning, so I spent three days living in an echo chamber. But now my stuff is here and I'm almost completely set up. I've been meeting other students, learning my way around and starting to feel at home. Here's a bunch of pictures of where I'm living.

My Road Trip from Annapolis to Austin (part 4)

Friday morning and early afternoon was spent at another historic site in Memphis that is quite a bit more somber than Sun Studios, but I am so glad that we made the stop. The Lorraine Motel is one of the most tragic sites in America because it is where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed. The facade of the building has been preserved and driving up and seeing that balcony where Dr. King fell is hard to put into words.
But thankfully the site has been used for the National Civil Rights Museum and is an awesome tour that inspired and reminded me of the kind of things that ministers can do to help transform society and see that all are treated equally and fairly. The museum was really amazing and the audio tour was really well done. It walks you chronologically through the history of African Americans in the US and the major milestones of the Civil Rights struggle. (We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but you can check out the web site for photos in the link above). You get on a bus from Montgomery and can sit next to a statue of Rosa Parks. The seat is wired so that when you sit down the driver's voice comes over the PA and instructs you to move and give up your seat several times. Finally it threatens to have you arrested and even though it was only a recording I found it hard to stay seated and imagine what it would have been like to have been this little seamstress taking a stand by refusing to give up her seat.
The museum was full of powerful exhibits like that and Andy and I both found ourselves wiping away tears on more than one occasion. Towards the end of the tour you stop at the window of what would have been room 307, directly behind where King fell (the windows with the curtains open in photo above). They have preserved his room (#306) and turned the wall that would have been adjoining #307 into windows so you can see inside. Thankfully they don't end on that sad note. They take you through the end of the garbage worker strike that was the reason King was in Memphis and then through exhibits showing how his dream and legacy have gone on to continue the civil rights movement in the US and how it inspired others around the globe to do similar peaceful methods of resistance like he used. My favorite quote from the tour was - "You can kill the dreamer, but you can not kill the dream." Wish I knew who said it, but I can't seem to find the source.
A new addition to the tour is now across the street in a new wing that has taken over the boarding house where James Earl Ray stayed and fired the fatal shot. That part of the tour is focused on the criminal investigation, his arrest, the evidence against him and of course conspiracy theories. It was interesting, but focused on the crime and not the legacy of MLK and the movement. It was very similar to the 7th floor Book Depository tour in Dallas if you've ever been to that. There was actually a protester set up on the street corner who has been there every day since the museum opened according to her signs who is upset that they are memorializing the assassination too much. I get her point, but I don't see how you can ignore such a huge piece of American history. Better that you educate folks about what happened and why than just ignore it altogether in my opinion, especially when you can show how the tragic event was not able to undo all the good that was done by the man or to stop his memory from inspiring others to keep up the struggle.
To offset the heaviness of that tour we headed for what many visitors to Memphis is THE reason to come to town - Graceland. And since it was Elvis Week the devoted fans were out in droves.

My Road TripFrom Annapolis to Austin (part 3)

A few short hours on the road and we were in Memphis. We headed straight for a major landmark, Sun Studios. The record label that started out as the Memphis Recording Studio, widely believed to be the birthplace of Rock 'n Roll. The studio where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and many many others first recorded songs. Its just a tiny little building and they have taken over the corner building next to it for a gift shop and a small upstairs museum where the tour guide shares the history of Sun with folks and where they have some of the original reel to reel equipment, as well as some instruments, clothes and other memorabilia from the performers that Sun recorded.

Then they led us down stairs and into the original building. It consists of three rooms - a small front office that served as a reception area and business office -

A control room in the back where the recording booth is (which we didn't get to go in because the studio is still used today and it has been modernized quite a bit). And in between the studio which still has all the original acoustical tile on the walls and ceiling. Its not a very impressive room except for the instruments, microphones and pictures on the wall that remind you of all the greats that have stood in this very room and recorded some amazing music.

Since the studio became active again and has been registered as a historic landmark many newer artists have come to record music there. For instance, U2 recorded "Rattle and Hum" at Sun Studios. As you can see by the above picture, they get their money worth out of each tour. There unfortunately wasn't much opportunity to get great pictures in the studio because they packed us in like sardines. The tour guide was pretty entertaining though and had great enthusiasm for the studio, the stories and the music. They played lots of samples of the music throughout the tour, so it was well worth the stop.

That night, on the recommendation of a few friends we choose to get our BBQ, not at BB Kings place as many suggest, but went instead to Charles Vergos Rendezvous Charcoal Ribs. I am so glad that we did. Andy and I completely stuffed ourselves with smoked sausage, dry rub ribs, and pork shoulder. It was amazing. I was so full, but I didn't dare leave any meat uneaten. I knew if I did I would have woken up in a cold sweat for weeks thinking of what I had left behind.

After dinner we waddled down to Beale Street and checked out a couple live blues bands in outdoor settings. Its hard to believe we started Thursday out singing on stage in Nashville and finished it stuffed with BBQ and hanging out on the streets where the Memphis Blues helped create Rock n Roll.

My Road Trip from Annapolis to Ausin (part 2)

Wednesday

Once we got up Wednesday morning we set out for the town of Lynchburg which is about and hour and fifteen minutes south of Nashville. Home of the Jack Daniel's distillery. I have always enjoyed Old No. 7, but I am so much more of a fan after this visit. If you are ever in Tennessee go take this tour, whether you like whiskey or not. It was fascinating and it is a beautiful drive getting there and it is in a beautiful part of the state. This is the one and only place that Jack Daniel's is made or was ever made. The tour is free and they are very proud of their product. The tour starts with a short film about the man, his discovery of the spring water still used today and the birth of the company. Strangely enough Lynchburg is in a dry county, so you have to drive quite a ways before you can actually sample anything made there. They show you ricks of wood (half of a cord) that they burn in order to make the charcoal used in the mellowing process. They take you to the mouth of the cave where the spring water still flows and is still used to make JD. They take you through the distillery building where they ferment the mash (oats, barley and corn), evaporate the alcohol and then condense it to collect clear whiskey. They have a spigot that when it is on pours a 3 inch stream of whiskey that flows at 44 gallons per minute to be collected and send to the next phase. We got to stick our heads in and smell the mash at the top of a silo and it was a burn like horseradish going up your nostrils. A fine smell, but STRONG. Next they trickle the whiskey through large vats of charcoal to mellow it. The charcoal serves to filter out any impurities and we got to take a whiff of those vats too. I think I actually got a little drunk off of those fumes. Next they took us to the building where the barrels are raised (by hand). This is an art form and requires special craftsmen. They do not "make" a barrel, they "raise" them. Then the whiskey goes into the barrel for several years, where it picks up its color and additional flavors from the wood. There is no set time limit. A master distiller tastes each barrel to determine when it is ready to be bottled and he handpicks special ones for the JD premium lines, particularly the Single Barrel Jack. If you happen to have $10,000 you can buy one of these barrels. You get to visit and taste several and pick the one you want. One barrel fills about 44 cases or 264 bottles of whiskey. So if you are looking for gift ideas for me....

Lastly, they take you to the barrel house. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside of any of the buildings, but it was a site to see. Imagine the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but with barrels of whiskey and you'll have some idea what it was like to walk through that. All just sitting, aging and picking up color and flavor until the master distiller deems it worthy of the Jack Daniel's label.

Our tour guide Roger was a great guy and he seemed to like Andy and I, chatting us up as we walked from one site to the next.

Not only don't they charge you for the tour, they don't even have a gift shop. They let the local folks take care of that and they point you to downtown to support the local economy. We went to an ice cream parlour and I had Jack Daniel's Whiskey Raisin Ice Cream on a sugar cone. It was amazing. We checked out the tshirts and other souvenirs and I was about to leave without anything when I spotted the perfect memento of this visit. I bought a walking cane that is made from the stave of a used barrel that JD was aged in.
We headed back to Nashville and after a short rest in the hotel headed downtown for dinner and to drink some good ole Tennessee sipping whiskey. There was a concert in the arena right in the center of town and wouldn't you know it Bieber fever was taking over Nashville. Tween girls and their moms squealing everywhere. It was a bit frightening. We ducked into Legends and had a Jack Daniel's while deciding where to eat. We agreed that Jack's was so good the night before that we went back second time. We went back to Rippy's too and saw another really good local act. We decided to grab a shuttle back and make it an early night before the Bieber fans came out and took over the city again.

Thursday

We headed straight to the Ryman Auditorium on Thursday morning. The Ryman is the most famous stage in Nashville and for years was the home to the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry is there twice a week currently while they are repairing Opryland from the flooding. The Ryman was not affected at all. It is a beautiful theatre full of wooden pews and stained glass with acoustics that they claim are second only to Carnegie Hall. We took a guided tour of backstage and a self guided tour of the public spaces. You could get on stage and have your photo taken and they had guitars there for props. Andy and I headed over to do it and I said to him - "I don't care if its three bars...I'm gonna sing on that stage when I get up there to have my picture taken." The lady taking the photos over heard me and said "Honey, you just go right ahead and sing all you want." So Andy and I had our picture taken together and were pleased to find the guitars were tuned and ready to play. So we played a little and then I stayed up to have a picture by myself taken. I played and sang a little bit of a song that I wrote recently and a woman in the balcony gave me a standing ovation. It was a major highlight of the trip. We were both giddy for the next few hours.
We jumped in the car and headed for Memphis....