Week 1

So here are the first week in pictures, starting on Wednesday.

I woke up on Wednesday with pain in my left eye.  It hurt all around the eyelid and into the inside corner, so now I'm on the look out for pink eye.  Let's hope it is not coming for me.

Thursday morning was much worse.  I had stayed up until 3am working on a presentation about Bonhoeffer and Nazi Ethics for my Western Theological Traditions class.  Here I am at 7:30am getting up for class and freaking out about it.

I woke up today very happy!  Todd was getting me some breakfast and we are going to Red Wing today for just over a week.  I'm in the library right now watching Todd work and posting, while waiting for class to come and go so we can get on the road!  

So my week in pictures:  painful, scared, and very happy.  We'll see what next week brings.

Youth Ministry and A New Project

If I have to hear one more time that youth ministry is a slacker major, I may go balistic.  I work very hard at learning how to talk with youth and develop curriculum in the classroom while putting it into practice with internships and at Sojourner (my church).  People cannot learn the same thing I am learning in the classroom with a good internship.  Without some sort of committment to studying youth ministry's practice for three years of your life while emmersing yourself in a youth group to practice what you are learning, you will struggle in youth ministry.  Youth ministry is not something you can do just because you care about youth.  It is something you have to learn how to do, through study and practice.  

On a lighter note, I have a new project.  Until Todd and I get married, I am going to take a picture of myself everyday of my mood when I wake up and post them all at the end of the week.  I need something to distract me until I get married.  Here is one to get you started.

More BTS Fun

Brad Nassif is our prof for BTS Senior Seminar class.  He is a very intelligent man and I have a lot of respect for him.  I have not had a class with him before this semester, and he has impressed me with even the fact that he remembers my name.

The class was invited to his home on Sunday for dinner with him and his family.  They made wonderful middle eastern food and it was a great time to get to know Brad, his family, and classmates.  This post is really to highlight a certain event of that night.

Thanks to Katie Kuehn, Brad Nassif now knows how to say "What's up big pimpin'?  Balla!" with the appropriate head nod and hand symbols.  Just take a look at his picture above and imagine him saying such a thing.  And then having him say it again in class a day later.  Like I said, it was a highlight of my night.

Obama?

Really?

The Rest of the Engagement Pictures

Here are the rest of our engagement pictures. It's so nice to finally have some pictures of us where we are 1: Not taking it ourselves and 2: Not always looking right at the camera.

Some Engagement Pictures

My wonderful friend Naomi took these pictures while we were on fall break in Red Wing. Thanks Naomi!

Home!

Todd and I went home this past weekend and had a wonderful time! We took engagement pictures, saw the fall colors, and went to the pumpkin patch with the Westphalls and William. Pictures to come soon!

BTS Jokes

So today, for Biblical and Theological Studies Senior Seminar class (BTS Senior Sem), we presented our group projects on different Hermeneutical trends from the beginnings of the church to contemporary trends. It's not as lame as it sounds.

Once we presented the overall themes and trends of each time period, we then had a person from each period present the parable of the Good Samaritan as an influencial person from that period. We had in chronological order:
Origen
Chrysostom
Aquinas
Calvin
Spinoza
Bultman
Bailey

Each person present 2 minutes about how they would interpret the parable and then they were all able to "duke it out" and ask each other questions/prove they are the best. The odd part, I laughed so hard in that class; harder than I have in a long time! It was so funny to hear John Chrysostom tell John Calvin they could have been wonderful John friends and hear everyone gang up on Origen and his allagorical approcah. Then, my favorite was, after failing to field a question, Julie Stoner yells out "Thomas Aquinas just got told!" It was the best time we have had in Senior Sem.

Maybe I should change my blog name to "More Proof I am a Nerd".

Side note: To preface this story, Todd is hairy. The other day, he had some dried blood in his ear, but not the inner ear. I pointed it out and he said "I must have been tagged in my sleep. You get used to that being a bear." I can't wait to marry that.


Annie just turned 1! I can't wait to see this little lady next weekend!

Senioritis and a New Obsession

I have been a school for a month now, and can't wait until I graduate, or at least get new classes. I like learning, but getting up to go to class I want to stop. I'm ready to be married and go to a job everyday. The only thing that scares me is having a job that I hate, and wanting to be back in school! Choices, choices, choices...

My new obsession is the wonderful British show "Doctor Who". It has been running from 1963-1989 and then restarted in 2005 and has been running since. The Doctor is an alien that can regenerate himself when he is about to die, so many different people (10 so far) have played the Doctor.

The Doctor travels around in his spaceship the TARDIS. It stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space. So he can travel anywhere and go to any time period. He travels to save the world and other plants and species again and again. The funny thing is that he doesn't want to kill anything, he always wants to help some other way, but some things die every once in a while.

Also, the Doctor is a bit of a player. He always has an assistant with him, and it is always a woman. Rose, his most memorable, he saved and then invited her to come with him and see the universe. It is always some thirst for adventure that brings them along.

I feel like there is some deep, theological meaning that I can pull from it. But for now, I am enjoying their adventures and the accents.

Classic Covenant

I have grown up in the Swedish Covenant Church. In the past few years, I have learned more about the theology and traditions of the Church and traditions of Sweeds, not being one myself. Today at work, I did the most Covenant thing I have ever done.

I am working at the Center for Youth Ministry Studies at North Park University. Tomorrow is a march to honor all the youth shot in Chicago in the past year. CYMS is bringing a group of people tomorrow, so Alison wanted me to get some things ready. She needed me to get everything ready for coffee and pastries tomorrow morning! It's just like a group of Covenanters to go to a march for Justice, but bring coffee and treats for everyone. And yes, I am proud to be part of it all.

What Rob Bell has taught me

Most of you know who Rob Bell is. And I'm sure most of you have seen one of his fifteen Nooma videos. I have seen about six of them, and learn a lot every time. Recently, I have seen two that have absolutely blown my mind.

First was "Breath". He talks about how the name of God, LORD, is YHWH. These letter all sound like breath in the original Hebrew language. So, could God's name be the breath we breath? It is the first thing we need when we lose it, we die. YHWH's breath is in everyone, whether you believe it or not. I'm not quite sure what to do with all this yet, how to apply it. But I am meditating on it for now.

The second is "Name". I have seen this one three times now, and have loved it more and more with every viewing. Rob talks about Jacob and his wrestling with a divine being. He wrestles with this "man" all night, until Jacob must break the "man's" hip and demand that he blesses him. Before the "man" does, he asks Jacob "What is your name?".

Names in that time, meant more than they do today. Names told of your character, your personality. Jacob's name was not a name he liked. It showed his shady past and failures.

Here is the kicker. Jacob must accept that name, accept exactly who he is, to gain a blessing. This blessing that he receives is a new name, Israel. To quote Rob "It's like God is saying 'Are you ready to be you? Because we have a lot of work to do.'" It makes me think every time, am I being who I need to be? Am I being the person that God needs me to be so he can work through me? Can I even accomplish such a thing?

Rob Bell. He blows my mind every single time.

Everything's Coming Together

Well, wedding plans are coming together quite nicely. Food, cake, pictures, dresses...it's all getting worked out, and we've only been engaged two weeks! It's funny how it's been two weeks since I have seen Todd, but I miss him more than when we went two months without seeing each other! What's that about?!


Here is us right after Todd proposed. Be on the look out for invitations in April and maybe a save the date in October.

It's true...Todd and I are growing up

Well, Todd and I are getting married! And yes, I am so freakin' excited. Also, I was not expecting it at all to happen where it did. Here is the story:

First, we must gaze back into the past and go to our first week of CBC. Todd and I were sitting on a bench in Estes Park and I asked Todd "Who do you like?" Todd then replied "Ah, I'm keeping my options open."

Come back to the present. Todd takes me to this same bench in Estes Park on July 19. He then gives me my birthday present which was an adorable photo album of our dating together. But, there were four blank pages in the back of it. He says "I thought we could fill those with pictures from today." I say okay. Then he gets my attention and says "Oh, and by the way, I'm not keeping my options open anymore." Then, he pulls out the ring from his far side and asks me to marry him!

It was wonderful, nostalgic, and completely caught me off guard. Of all the places I thought he might propose, this one was the best.

Disappointed

I feel like this year had been a year of disappointments. Turns out, the year isn't over and the disappointments keep coming. It hurts every time.

In Chicago, back again.

I am here in Chicago, IL, staying at North Park University on a mission trip with First Covenant Church of Red Wing, MN (my internship). We have been doing all this work for different ministries and I realized something crucial today: I am far more concerned with the group's understanding of what is happening than with my own spiritual awakenings this week.

This whole week has been spent making sure the group understands what is happening around them. I want them to see the poverty and injustices. However, while trying to help them see that there are incredible mistakes in humanity, I forget that we are serving in my part time community! I live here nine months out of the year and I didn't even know these things were here. I need to focus on what I learning, not just what they group is learning. and I need to be humbled by this experince and be shown that I am not the center of the world. There are people all around needing help and I do not know everything.

Sorry kids, I'm doing it. I am such a hypocrite and you may mock me as much as you like for this. But I want to let you know what I have learned. A few weeks ago, I did an exegetical paper on Job 42. So, I submit to you, the final draft. It's not that I want you to see how well I understand Job, because I have missed so much. And I do not think that this is the best paper ever written. I merely cannot remember what I wrote about enough to summarize it for you. So here is the entire thing. Job 42 as I understand it.

Epilogue

7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.

11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver [a] and a gold ring.

12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.

13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters.

14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch.

15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

In-Textuality

Vs. 7-…”because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

Vs. 8-“You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”

This repetition of this particular phrase shows a certain characteristic of Job that God wants his friends to understand. God wants Job’s friends to see that during this trial of Job’s life, he had remained faithful and not turned his back on God. The three friends, however, continued to tell Job to curse God and say that he had done something to bring God’s wrath on him.

There are two very clear themes in this text that are similar: recreation and restoration. God has torn everything Job had from him. He killed his children, took away his wealth, and gave him sicknesses over and over again. God’s creation of Job was torn down and put through the ultimate test of faithfulness to God. Once Job showed his faithfulness, he was recreated with twice the blessings as before. God had built him up to his previous status and with more added on than he had before. Job had been completely recreated to the man he was before his trial started. In recreating Job, he has restored him to a right relationship with the Creator. This allows Job to be restored to his previous status among his community and family and restored to the proper relationships with them. And throughout this entire process, Job never falls from his created place of a faithful man of God.

Inner-Textuality

The overall theme of the book of Job is restoration. Job is put on trial by God. Everything is taken away from him and he is tested. Job proves that he is a faithful servant of God and never falls from God’s grace. Then God restores Job after his trial. Job is made right with God and is returned to his place in society. He is then given by God twice the amount of what he had before. God restores Job to his previous life and to a relationship with him.

This text is the epilogue to the entire story of Job. It shows the restoration of Job by listing what earthly things were returned to him. The text also eludes to a restoration of a right relationship with God. In vs. 9, Job prays for his friends at the prompt of God. Job prays for them, and God accepts his prayers. This shows that God is listening to Job’s cries and prayers and is answering them. Job had been restored to a relationship with God that had been torn down during the rest of the book of Job.

The theme of restoration is central to the Hebrew writings. David, Job, Esther, and God’s people are all examples of restoration. God has made a promise to his people and consistently keeping his promise to restore them to a relationship with himself.

Inter-textuality

This theme of restoration is found throughout the entire Bible. In Genesis, we see the fall of man and the beginning of this need for restoration with God. Mankind sinned and fell away from what God’s plan was for them. We were created to desire a relationship with our creator and we now see what happens when we turn away from that relationship and restoration.

Throughout the Torah, we can see restoration, such as in the Exodus story. The entire book of Exodus is the story of God’s people and their restoration to him. Although they are slaves in Egypt, God delivers his people and continues to restore them back to a relationship as they wander the desert and then come into the promise land in the book of Joshua.

This theme of restoration is found in Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Ezekiel (one of my favorite restoration prophets), Psalms, and Job. Restoration is what the Hebrew Bible is about. God desires to restore fallen humanity back to a relationship with him.

The theme of restoration is found in many places throughout the Hebrew Writings. Many of David’s psalms are praising God for being blessed by him. However, there are also psalms of David crying out for God to restore him and save him from pain that he is experiencing. David is in a consistent spiritual battle for restoration.

Restoration is also found with Esther. She is made a queen, and God uses that to restore his people. Once she is able to gain the trust of the king and is able to talk with him, God uses her to save his people from Hammond. The Jewish people are restored to their place in society and can safely call themselves Jewish. God used Esther and Mordecai to restore his people in a hostel place.

This theme of restoration is found in Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Ezekiel (one of my favorite restoration prophets), Psalms, and Job. Restoration is what the Hebrew Bible is about. God desires to restore fallen humanity back to a relationship with him.

Canonical-textuality

The theme of restoration is found throughout the entire Bible as well. In the New Testament, we have the fulfillment of God’s promise for restoration as seen through the four gospels. Jesus was sent to restore the world to a relationship with Christ and fulfill God’s promise to his people. Paul then writes his letters to churches telling of the restoration and reminding us how to not lose that bond with our creator.

Job is a story of restoration and the epilogue is the restoration of Job on earth and in his relationship with God. Job was put on trial by God, made the lowest man in society and had God take all his blessings away. However, Job remained faithful through the trial, never cursing God. Because of this, Job was restored to the man he was and where he was with God.

Humanity is in desperate need of God in this story. Job’s friends believe that God is punishing Job for something wrong he had done. They were living a faith that needed to do everything right for God to bless them. However, we see that God will take everything away even if you are doing the right thing. Trials come, but God is the creator and keeps his promise to restore those that are faithful during trials. Job is an example or a faithful man of God and is restored because of that.

Hockey

I was thinking about hockey a lot this past week with the NHL playoffs well underway. Last night, my wonderful team, the Minnesota Wild, were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche. It was, to be honest, heart-breaking. I cried a little.
With these thoughts about hockey, and all the reminiscing that comes with it, I was thinking about what professional hockey really is. And I have come to the conclusion that it is a group of guys that refuse to grow up. Yes, they have to deal with contracts, injuries, and being on the road. But when it comes down to it, it is guys that are playing a game they have worked their entire life to perfect and have put their entire hearts into.When I watched the Wild shake hands with the Avalanche after being eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, I could see along with everyone else watching, that they were crushed, while the Avalanche were gleaming with excitement. These boys were happy to play the game and were sad when it ended. Their boyhood dreams of winning the Stanley Cup were brought one step closer, or ended that night. This game is one of passion and commitment. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes you are put in a situation where you need to grow as a player and work harder for your dreams.

Photoshoot

My friend Stefanie needed a picture to send with an application for a job this summer. So we had a fun day yesterday taking pictures. These are my favorites.

I think they are fun and show Stef's personality. Hopefully one will work out.

Job

I'm working on an exegesis on Job 42. More to come once the paper is finished.

I used to call my group of six girls "my girls back home." Sorry ladies, it has now switched to Corrie, Annie, and mom. I miss my new girls.

Latest Fascination

My latest fascination is with Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) This "church" has a doctrine that is anti...homosexuality, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Swedes, Canadians, Irish, British, Mexican, and American. There reasoning behind this is either one of these groups is gay, or they allow a GLBT community to exist. Google, YouTube, or Wikipedia WBC and more than enough information will come at you about this group.

Last year, I attended a Friday night and all day Saturday class about building bridges with the GLBT community. The Andrew Marin Foundation's founder Andrew Marin came and spoke about the work his foundation does and what it looks like to be a straight, white, Christian male working in Boystown in Chicago. This class made me think of homosexuality in a completely different way, for the better. The more I thought about it, wrestled with it, and learned, I came to see that it is a sin in God's eyes. But how is that more of a sin than me gossiping about my friends, or taking a piece of Halloween candy from Will when I was eight? The truth is, it isn't. To God, sin is sin, no matter what kind it is. It is not my job to condem the GLBT community. It is my job to walk along side them and be an example of Christ in their lives so that one day, they may come to know him and have a lasting, real relationship with him.

So where does WBC get the notion that it is their predestined job to picket funerals of gay individuals, soldiers of the Iraq War, and (as they so tastefully put it) "fag enablers". My Bible does not say anything about Jesus hating gays. All I see is that we are a fallen world looking for restoration with our creator.

Sin is a terrible thing that eats away at your life. But sin is sin and equal in God's eyes. He loves everyone, no matter what their lifestyle, religion, or ethnicity. Is that a free pass to sin or that everyone is going to be restored? Not at all. Stay away from sin, and restoration comes from a real relationship with Jesus Christ. But does that mean judgment from one human on another is wrong? Yes. We are in no place to judge one another. So why do we so quickly start?

Jesus didn't die on the cross so the predestined could be saved. But so that we may have a chance at a relationship with our creator, the God of the universe, and we may one day be restored to a full and right life with Him.

First Thoughts

I have tried the blog thing before, and I'm not sure how much I liked it. But this year has brought a lot of new things to my life like more family, more knowledge, and more friends. There is a lot to process. Instead of writing in down in a journal, which is so 1998, I once again make the leap to the internet so everyone may enjoy (or simply scan) my thoughts about what life is handing me. This is just a place to put my thoughts down and process what I am learning. So enjoy and read at your own will.

*Erin