Covenant Conference

Currently, I am registered to attend the 2011Covenant Network of Presbyterians Conference. I am very excited about this opportunity because I am a huge fan of the Covenant Network. The topics that are going to be discussed ("Reforming the Ties that Bind: Theological Virtues for Living Together with Difference",  ‚Reconciling Visions,“Moving Forward Together and Preparing for General Assembly”, “Wrestling with Scripture: Progressive Presbyterians, Biblical Authority, and the Ministry of Reconciliation”, "Reconciling Voices" and  “Reconciling Vocations") all sound so interesting to me. Additionally, the mod of the PCUSA  Cindy Bolbach is doing a presentation on nFOG and the worship services through out the conference sound amazing. Time for fellowship for the 'Young Adults' attending the conference is specifically built in to the schedule which I really like because it allows us to network with other young adults that care about similar topics that we wouldn't ordinarily get to fellowship with. And if I wasn't sold already, the description of the workshops pulls me in: "Workshops will explore the theme of ‘Reconciliation’ and its complexities throughout many arenas of faithful living. Standard favorites such as ‘What the Bible Says and Doesn't Say about Homosexuality’, ‘Marriage Rites and Rights’, and ‘The Legal Landscape in the PC(USA)’ will be offered as well.  There will be opportunities to engage with conference leaders and one another, expanding upon themes presented in the plenaries and sermons.  Participants will receive practical resources to help address issues at the congregational as well as presbytery level.  Now more than ever, the Covenant Network recognizes the importance of our founding commitment to support the mission and unity of the PC(USA).  How we live into this new reality, the tone and spirit of our work, is critically important in these tender days."

I'm already registered for the conference. Hooray for Network Presbyterians realizing that Seminarians are poor and making it free for us to register. Now I need to figure out funding for driving down to North Carolina, a place to stay and food for the meals that the conference does not provide. My bank account makes this difficult. Anyone want to sponsor a poor seminarian?

Paying for Seminary

I have been so busy lately that I have been forgetting to do a lot of things...and one of those things is blog.

Money sucks! I wish we lived in a world where everything wasn't so dependent on money. David and I have had this conversation numerous times. He agrees, the fact that our society seems to revolve around money is depressing. My brother and I got into a fight the other night. Well, by fight I mean he informed me that I am wasting my life and that I'll never make money and will therefore get divorced, and I tried to defend myself. My family does not understand the desire to be a Pastor. No matter how many times I attempt to explain it, it never sinks in. My brother apparently looked at some list of professions and the amount of money they make and ministry was at the bottom of the list. Try as I might, my brother will never understand that it is not about the money. He also read that 80% of divorces are over money. So if I follow his logic: I'll become a pastor, I won't make any money, I'll be poor, and then I will get divorced because I have no money. Sigh!

I suppose what is making me write this post is the idea of paying for Seminary. I got my award letter for this year and it depressed me. With the PTS grant and Federal Work Study, I have been awarded $13,250. That's great, but when I use the cost calculator, it's not so great. Tuition+fees+dorm+15 meal plan+books=$20,880. $20,880-$13,250=$7,630. Considering I am financially independent (I don't have anyone helping me pay for school), and already have a lot of loans from my undergraduate years, that is incredibly daunting and depressing. Considering part of what my brother said is right, ministry does not make a whole lot of money, the idea of taking more loans on is frustrating.

So right now, I am wading my way through the Internet trying to find ANY grants and scholarships that I qualify for and applying to them. I'm already in a stressing and depressed mood due to the amount of work I have to do and this new factoid is not helping at all!

Boston --> Princeton Junction

What is the least expensive way to get from Atlantic Union College, South Lancaster, MA to Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ? That is the question that I spent hours tonight trying to answer. Yes, I have literally spent hours on this matter and yet I still lack an adequate answer.

I suppose I really have two main options. Option #1 I drive. Option #2 I take Public Transportation.

Let's break it down- option 1: I can drive down which will be about 5 hours of nonstop driving. I'm not a huge fan of driving. I will spend approximately $13,920 for gas. Plus the cost of tolls. Or take about 15 more minutes and avoid toll roles. Based on my status as a poor college student I would naturally avoid toll roads, but that still leaves spending money on gas!

option 2: This could break down a couple ways:

• The totally independent way: I pay for parking at the Leominster station, take the commuter rail to Boston, get on the T, grab the cheap Chinese bus to NYC, hop on the NJ transit to Princeton Junction, take the shuttle to Dinky Station. I'm unsure of the cost of the shuttle. Without the potential price of the shuttle that would be around $49.
• Ask someone to drive me to the commuter rail at the butt crack of dawn. That would save me $9 so its around $40.
• Ask Scott if I can go with him into work. He works right next to the riverside station on the green line. I would hop on the green line, switch to the red line, grab the bus to NYC, then the train then the shuttle. That brings it to about $32.

I suppose the benefits of driving is that I am pretty much on my own schedule.

The benefits of taking public transport would be I don't have to drive for 5 hours straight. It's better for the environment. I don't have to freak out about the prospect of driving anywhere near New York City.

Can I just say how much I hate hate hate hate hate hate being a poor college student. Yes, I hate it that much! How am I supposed to be able to afford to visit seminaries? I'm sorry, did I mention that all of those prices are 1 way!!!!!! ONE WAY!!!!! so double it, and that's how much it would cost me total. I can't find anywhere where I can calculate how much the tolls and gas would be so I am trying to make the right choice. GRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Help?

New Direction

So I have decided to take my blog in a new direction. As a result, I am pretty certain that I will blog more because it is a topic that is on my mind 36 hours a day 12 days a week. For those doing the math...that is more than all the time.

So what is the new direction you might ask? THis is going to be my "Quest for Seminary" blog or my "Presbygeek tries to get ordained" or "Presbygeek M.Div." blog or whatever clever name comes to be. Essentially this is going to be where I vent my frustrations but share my joys about applying to seminary, the ordination process of the PCUSA, actually going to seminary (Hopefully!), and whatever else happens to occur.

I have been searching the interwebs to hear about other people's faith journye, quest for ordination...etc... and I came across a pretty cool blog. Charles Wei is a PCUSA seminarian in San Francisco and I have totally fallen in love with him (In the will you please be my new best friend sort of way)! You can check out his awesome blog at http://jesushighforthegayguy.blogspot.com/. Reading about his story and his journey is really helpful. So I present here for you (and the rest of the monkeys of teh interw3bz) my journey, my quest, or whatever we shall call it!

just to recap

WoW! I haven't posted anything in 21 days. Opps :( I'm sorry. There's been so much going on. Last we talked it was about TOMs shoes.

So The Toms event happened and there was about 30 people who went barefoot to raise awarness for those around the world without shoes. We got coverage in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette as well as in the Clinton Item. A bunch of people donated shoes which will be sent off to Haiti. All in all I think it was pretty successful.

I kept meaning to log on and post some stuff as things have been happening, but alas I just get busy and forget.

Let's see what else has happened?

• I was elected Secretary of the Student Ministerial Association for the 2010-2011 school year. Kayleigh was elected head of public relations so it should be a good year in that respect. Our President is Willis Byas and that people is going to do great things for God.
• At the awards and honors chapel I was given a $1000 scholarship so that's pretty cool. Yay free money! Now I need to remember to write the thank you.
• I went to Atlanta to cheer on Gael Force, Team 126, at the Championships of FIRST Robotics. It was pretty awesome. Kate and I helped Shelby with Strategy, ehich I enjoyed. While the team didn't win it was a great weekend.
• While I was in Atlanta, I checked out Columbia Semianry. I don't think it is the seminary for me, but it was an interesting experience. Every time I have gone to visit a Seminary it was one of the ones in the Boston area and it was just to hang out with people or attend an event. This time it was me as a prespective studnet and it is a whole differnet feeling.

Right now I am in the middle of the hectic part of the semester. It's time for FINALS. The only one that I am really stressing over is Statistics. A) I am not good at math. B) His teaching style nad my learning style to not line up C) all of the homework is on the internet and I can't sit in front of a computer screen for 5 hours straight doing an assignment. D)I have spent over 5 hours on one assignment and I am still not done with this assignment. This class is seriously hurting me and I am afraid of how it will affect my GPA and therfore affect my chances of getting into the Seminary I want to get into.

Graduation is in a week and that is bumming me out. Last year I didn't really care about the seniors graduating. It's not that I didn't know them it's that I wasn't as close to them as I am to a number of this year's graduating seniors. :'(