Yes, there is life after submission, but it is still rather hec-
tic. Ever since I submitted on 21 January, I have had sev-
eral things on my mind. Mind you, I have been making ev-
ery effort to decompress from the final submission run: I've
taken long naps, been sleeping in, and reading fun stuff, too.
But I haven't been able to slack off too much.
Just because I have submitted my PhD thesis does not mean
that I have my PhD. By 21 April 2008, I have to defend the
argument of my thesis to two academics who know my field
of research, the theology of mission. Based on a close reading
of my thesis, they will determine whether I am granted a PhD
degree or not. I am still waitng to hear the date of my oral de-
fense and will write more about this when I know more.
For the past week I have been working on extending my stu-
dent visa that expires at the end of January. Since I have sub-
mitted my thesis, I have found that I am on shaky ground
as a student. Despite my flimsy status, I have been advised
to present my case for an extension. However I still have to
be prepared to return to the USA for a brief time if those ef-
forts fail. I'll keep you posted.
The biggest news for me is that a committee of the Church
of Scotland has assessed my qualifications and experience as
a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and determined
that I meet their criteria for entering a process of transfering
my ordination from the PC(USA) to the Church of Scotland.
I discern a strong calling from the Lord to remain in Scotland
as both a scholar and minister. Even though I have no idea
how that will work itself out, I can do no other than plan to
stay in Scotland for the time being as a minister in the Church
of Scotland. I covet your prayers and will keep you informed
as the process unfolds.
While I have these three crucial items to attend to, I eagerly
await time to decompress in the near future.
Blessings and peace to all of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment