where you'll find us

So, we're now into our third week of classes or so and we thought you might like to know about our classes for this semester.  Classes do occupy about oh, let's see 75% of our time and about 98% of our mental energy (the rest given to things like studying Whedon's "Firefly" and how to get to the next age in Myst III).  But, we're having a good time and though this semester is much more of a doozie than last semester, we have a lot of fun things we're learning, researching and writing on.

Plus, we thought in case anyone calls or wants to get in touch with us, you can see where we're at and why we're not answering!  Though, this of course, does not include sleeping, working, etc.  We also have morning and evening prayer and are required to attend the one prior or after if we are on campus for class.  It's great.  Noel just officiated for the first time last week and did well, she even found a cassock about the right length and she didn't trip once!

Greg's days
Monday morning: Pastoral Leadership -pastoral care and servant leadership

*he almost always works from 2-10:30 pm on this day

Tuesday afternoon:  Christian Ethics - all things methodological and Biblical re: Ethics and morality

Thursday morning:  Medieval and Reformation Church History (lovingly dubbed "Mr. Church") - fabulous class on the church both on "the continent" and in Britain from about 500-1650ish

Thursday afternoon:  The Gospels - that is, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Noel's days

Monday evening: Hebrew - learning Hebrew, quiz every week, learn at least 10 new words per class, very difficult

Tuesday afternoon: Christian Ethics - Read Hays "Moral Vision of the NT", it's great

Thursday morning:  MR. Church 

Thursday afternoon: The Gospels - learning the whole book of John for a final exam? priceless.

Hope your days go well also.  Greg works at least 3 8-hr shifts a week, some combo of M-W-F-Sat/Sun.  Noel is doing odd jobs as they are presented to her.  Please pray for Greg as he is sleeping (at noon) while I publish this blog as he now has the cold that I had last week and is quite under the weather.  Thanks, dear 'pfiles!

PT500

Whoooooaaaa.... we're halfway there                              

WHOOOOAAAA-OH!

livin on a prayer!

Not only great in the Rockband experience between readings and assignments, but no greater singing prophet of the 80s than bon jovi could've given us this gem of truth. Halfway through the semester and we're looking to be in good shape. We're still hunting for and of course praying for balance in the force of our lives: schoolwork, workwork, playtime and praytime.

To focus on the schoolwork, this week we highlight Spiritual Formation with Martha Giltinan. A quick aside concerning Martha (as it is inevitable): We were warned about her more than any other professor as someone who is difficult to follow and “a little over-the-top”. She's a Drama Queen Empress and “little over-the-top” is far too insufficient, however, she has offered some of the richest in-class experiences we've had in some time and she approaches the material from such a sense of pastoral conviction that this class is one of the highlights of the week. She doesn't strike me as one who would offer benefits for brown-nosing, so I'm very comfortable lauding her... I'm also comfortable going on record as saying that when I first heard her launch into soliloquy I thought she sounded like a cross between Bullwinkle J Moose and Billy Sunday (what higher praise is there for a first impression?)

Spiritual Formation classes I've (Greg) had in the past have been very basic, “let's read some Dallas Willard” and learn about spiritual disciplines and talk about all those things we want to do for our growth in the Lord but certainly don't have time to do. Good stuff, but always the same stuff. I don't believe we've cracked open any Dallas Willard yet, but the disciplines and the quest for virtue hasn't changed all that much... now we're just reading everyone who likely influenced the Willard. This is great news! We don't have to try and be inventive or creative about fasting, lectio divina, Sabbath rest, the practice of the presence of God, etc because learning how to grow in Christ-likeness and abiding with God through the continual and active presence of the Spirit isn't new either... the people of God have been getting it wrong (and getting it right) for centuries!!! Blessed be the Name!

So, from this class we've learned to envelop ourselves in the great cloud of witnesses that we might learn a lesson or two and go and do likewise, trusting that God will draw us close and conform us to the image of his Son as we walk on that way of becoming like Jesus (status viatoris for the Pieper fans out there). We're going to forget to read our Bibles somedays and we're gonna forget about the blessing of fasting and just be cranky; but all glory to Him who loves us and calls us His own and nurtures us with His Spirit that sometimes we will get it right (whatever that means in this crazy world of spiritual formation) and we will mature and grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Since I opened with a hymn, I figure it's good to close with one as well:

             

Some Enchanting Evenings

Trinity School for Ministry has a rich heritage of academic rigor which has typically been hidden behind an incredibly pastoral outlook and focus on practical ministry.  All of the professors are actively involved in their local churches while also teaching full-time and the expectation is that students follow that lead.  Some of this is built into our program through Mentored Ministry or our 1hour/week Trinity community service. We are also involved in a number of extracurricular activities while at Trinity as a way to supplement our studies with an opportunity to exercise our theology.  Please be praying that we find a new church home while we're out here so that we can reactivate our love for doing ministry.  In the meantime, Greg has jumped into an often overlooked, misunderstood, or ignored ministry of the church:  chanting.

Geoff Mackey, 2 time Allegheny County little league chanting champion leads a group of monastic wannabes (myself included of course) once a week on the basics of Anglican style chant for the purpose of worshiping the Lord and adding a little more spice to the already red hot Book of Common Prayer. This has been a great aside to ministry study that conveniently happens to also be ministry study. So far we've gone through the better part of the Prayer Book that can be chanted, ending every evening chanting through the Compline. It's really marvelous... to be worshiping the Lord with a handful of good friends, joining with the community of worshipers who have been chanting their prayers for centuries. Below is a sample of what we're doing musically... there's more reverence involved when chanting the Prayer Book or Psalter ; )

907

“This far” is our adventure into Seminary that we each have been on for quite some time with the Lord, but in His mercy and grace has recently started to take shape. Noel and Greg are both going to Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA starting in the pfall. Ambridge not being one of the major metropolitan areas in the United States may not be a familiar location to all so think of Pittsburgh (2 Super Bowls in the past 4 years, current resting place of Lord Stanley's cup---for now that is; I think they have a baseball team too) Industrial city by the river, a kind of Chicago Jr.* Now travel into the boonies over the hills to the west about 20 miles where all the steel refineries have closed down*... you've made it to Ambridge!! Seriously, we're very excited. The Chapel is nestled between the local Hair Salon on one side and Barber shop on the other. The main Campus offices are slightly overshadowed by the Sunoco and just past a short bar crawl you'll find the 8-lane bowling alley... simply fantastic! If Barney Fife grew a lumberjack beard and could down a Rook's Fish Sandwich, he would fit in well in Ambridge.

So, as you can see, we're excited about the community. Classes start on 9/07 and both Noel and Greg will begin their 3-year studies towards Master of Divinity degrees and eventual ordination into the Anglican church (whatever she looks like 3 years from now).

We have recently found a home in Ambridge, on 907 Melrose Ave. It's a property owned by St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church (winner of the coolest Saint name award*) and is a Triplex (think duplex with an extra plex shoved in the middle). We'll be on one of the end units with 2 bedrooms- we'll need to put up our guests! An unprecedented 2 bathrooms, and a basement with washer AND dryer! Once again we're very excited.



For those who know us uncannily well (or have a thing for numbers), we feel as though God has given us a coincidental sign of His affirmation by way of the 907 connection, which just so happens to be our wedding anniversary.



*needs additional citation for verification