Prayer, Work, and Study

The past six weeks here at The Open Gate on Holy Island/
Lindisfrarne have been such a rich time for me. I have de-
veloped a very simple order of life as a result: prayer, work,
and study. I sense that these three daily routines are shap-
ing and forming me for the next stage of my life.

Ordered prayer three times a day adds to my own personal
time of prayer. Every morning at 7:30, Monday through Sat-
urday, I meet with a small group of residents and visiters to
the Island for Morning Prayer at the parish church. We read
through the Psalms, hear Old and New Testament lessons,
and pray for the Church and the World. It is the anchor of
my day, and noontime prayer and night prayer at the Open
Gate are the structure of my day. Three times a week I lead
the prayer services at the Open Gate that combine the anci-
ent faith with contemporary forms of rich Celtic Christian ex-
pressions of that ancient faith.

But hard work fills most of my day. I am realizing how much
prayer and work influence and enrich one another. I spend con-
siderable time setting up and preparing for meals and wash-
ing up after meals. I also spend a lot of time preparing rooms
for arriving guests, changing bed linen, and cleaning toilets and
showers. I also prepare for the three prayers services I lead ev-
ery week at The Open Gate prayer chapels that, as the name
implies, are always open to the public. The work is very hard, and
many nights I feel worn out. But I feel great joy in doing it. It is
a wonderful way to serve other people and Jesus Christ.

It is also important for me to nurture my mind, and so I try to
make time to study in some way. I continue to work hard on
expanding my thesis, but I seek opportunities to read for en-
joyment. I love that, and it refreshes me. I try to make small
times throughout the day to do that. But many times I am too
worn out to do much, so I grab a quick nap or go to bed.

I am experiencing much joy being here and doing what I am do-
ing. I am surprized by joy because I did not anticipate this or
plan for it. It has turned out so much better than I could ever
have imagined.

Continued blessings and peace to you and yours, Jeff T.

The Latest

Not only have I been hardpressed to get online, but it has
been especially difficult for me to do blogging. Only recent-
ly have I found some down time to to read recent emails
and to prepare a blog update.

I continue to be profoundly grateful to the Lord for sending
me here to The Open Gate and Holy Island/Lindisfarne. I
am often busy and wornout, but nothing that a good night's
sleep can't remedy. I continue to be amazed by the Lord's
provision for my needs, frequent divine appointments with
people, nourishing table fellowship with amazing people, the
beauty of God's creation all around me, and witnessing and
experiencing personally God working in the lives of God's
people. I'm glad that I'm able to continue to serve here un-
till the end of August. It has been a precious time for me.

Several weeks ago, the Church of Scotland (C of S) notified
me that I have been authorized to transfer my ordination
from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to the C of S. As I ex-
pected, I will be placed with an established minister for
twelve months in order to become more familiar with the
C of S. During that year I will attend seminars on working
with children and young people, study C of S law, do read-
ing on the history of Christianity in Scotland, and attend
four mini-retreats. I do not yet know where I will be placed
for my twelve month familiarization program. I will receive
a full stipend for the placement with a church.

Although I have not yet been able to do more writing on
my thesis, I have been able to think about a lot of things
while I make beds, wash dishes, and clean toilets. I am
really excited about what I want to write about, and I
am so grateful to the Lord for providing me with another
year to develop my thinking and writing in a greater way.
I am not tired of my thesis; I really desired more time. I
plan to start writing very soon.

All the best to you and yours,

Holy Island/Lindisfarne Update

It is hard to know where to begin sharing with you about
my time here at Holy Island/Lindisfarne. I've now been
on the island for just over two weeks. I am well versed in
the proper way things are done and I have been able to
shape my personal living space in the small trailer next to
the house. I have an increasing sense that God wanted me
here to serve and to be further prepared for what God has
in store for me. At times, especially at night, I feel worn out.
But good times of sleep always seem to restore me day by
day. Just today I have caught up journaling about my first
week here. There were so many people, conversations, and
observations to reflect on and write about. Now that I am
caught up with the journaling, I feel I can move on with my
life.

There are so many things that have touched me: the rous-
ing chorus of birds that awaken me every morning; the
bark of the seals when the sandbar is exposed at low tide;
days of glorious sun with just a touch of chill in the air; un-
expected conversations over a meal that turn out to be sa-
cred moments; being excited to learn that the Boston Cel-
tics won the NBA championship several days after the event;
seeing how quickly meal washing up and room cleaning take
with another pair of hands; the stillness of the air when the
tide changes and the tourists have left the island; and short
naps in the afternoon after all the room cleaning is done.

I'll try to keep you posted in the weeks ahead. But it is hard
for me to get access to a computer.

Blessings, and all the best to you and yours,

A New Era of My Life Begins

I want to give you just a quick update of the last ten days.
I sense that one era of my life has ended and a new era has
just begun. I am excited about how the next period of my
life will slowly blossom.

On Thursday, June 5th, I had two hours of interviews with
representatives of the Church of Scotland about my inten-
tion to transfer my ordination in the Presbyterian Church
(USA) to the Church of Scotland. On June 24th I will be in-
formed by the Ministries Council of their decision whether
I proceed or not with the transfer of ordination.

Friday, June 6th, was a very hard day for me. I said my
goodbyes to so many people, packed up all my belongs
here, and prepared to leave St. Andrews, my home for
over four years. It was a hard day for me, but I got through
it all. I mourned the loss of a very special place full of good
friends, friendly surroundings, and precious memories. I
wondered if I would ever get over the sense of loss of this
very special place.

On Saturday, June 7th, I moved from St. Andrews to Holy
Island/Lindisfarne, a tidal island in the far northeast corner
of England. It was the ancient site of a vibrant missionary
community of women and men of faith that evangelized
the pagan people of Britain from the sixth century to the
tenth. A good friend of mine, a fellow doctoral student,
picked me up at 6am, prepared a wonderful breakfast for
me, and drove me to the train station. From the moment I
got on the train to when I laid my head down on my pillow
to sleep on Holy Island, I was engaged in rich conversations
with special people. I was so wrapped up in listening and
talking that I did not miss St. Andrews. Truly a new era
had begun, and I was eager to get on with it.

The past week has whirred by, and it has been delightful!
I am volunteering at the Open Gate, a Christian B&B on the
island. The staff of three seeks to provide hospitality to up
to ten people a night. I'll write more about them later. The
important thing is that they quickly accepted my offer to
volunteer to help them for at least seven weeks. Hopeful-
ly I can give them eleven weeks. My week was full of cut-
ting vegetables, washing dishes, changing bed linen, doing
laundry, washing dishes, cleaning toilets, preparing rooms
for guests, wahing dishes, putting out seed for the birds,
dusting, preparing coffee and tea, washing dishes, hoover-
ing (in American English, vacuuming), leading evening
prayer, washing dishes, and, over a meal, listening to peo-
ple share from their lives. It wore me out, but it was won-
derful!

Today was my day off-boy, did I need it! I'm back in St. An-
drews for a farewell party. I and the families of five other St.
Mary's PhD students are leaving St. Andrews during June
and July. It was a special time to have fun and say goodbye
to close friends. I am fortunate that I will come back to St.
Andrews every ten days or so. Tomorrow I will return to
Holy Island. It gives me much joy to be there! I will miss
the people here, but it is no longer an aching loss. That is
what being at Holy Island has done for me. I thank the
Lord that I am there!

Blessings, and all the best,

The Great Disruption

It is 11:30 on Friday night. In six and a half hours a good
friend from Seattle, a fellow PhD student, will pick me up,
make me breakfast, and take me to the station to catch the
7:48 train going south. In a little more than two hours later,
I'll be at Holy Island/Lindisfarne. I'll write about what I will
be doing there in the weeks to come.

But right now I'm staring into the face of a great disruption.
I spent most of the day saying my goodbyes to a lot of people.
Most of the goodbyes were short and sweet, but there were
a few that I lingered to chat, putting off a little bit longer the
final packing. I just spent the last few hours packing and put-
ting most of my stuff in storage. So, I'll have stuff in both St.
Andrews and Holy Island.

To say goodbye to people I've cared about, to put my stuff in
storage, and to make a leap into the unknown of living in a new
and different place-all of that makes me feel overwhelmed
with a wave of disruption. I feel like I'm in a free fall and that
at any moment now I will lose it all.

That's when the words of David that I read early this morn-
ing come back to me: "Be strong, and let your heart take
courage, all you who wait for the Lord!" (Ps. 31:24). I take
comfort in those words.

Blessings to you and yours,

An End of an Era

I am grieving an end of an era of my life. Saturday, the day
I leave St. Andrews for Holy Island, is quickly approaching.
How quickly the time has passed has staggered me. It is the
people here that I will miss the most. I am grieving the loss
of them in my life.

I've been going through doing a lot of things here in St. An-
drews for the last time: the last morning prayer, the last Sun-
day church service here, my last day of volunteering at the
Ladyhead Bookshoppe, my last dinner at Dean's Court, the
final home group meeting, the last pancakes and hot choco-
late I have from the North Point...so many things that sup-
ported me and nurtured me over the past four years. That
era of my life is coming to an end the day after tomorrow.

And yet I have glimpses of a new era that is just beginning.
Today I met with Church of Scotland representatives for
interviews. They will let me know of their decision about
the transfer of my ordination on June 24. I felt good about
the interviews, and would hope that there is a place for me
in the Church of Scotland. My time of doing volunteer ser-
vice with The Open Gate on Holy Island is a fitting way to
begin a new era in my life.

I grieve the door of the past four years closing behind me,
but I am becoming more aware of a door opening in front
of me, one brimming with new adventures of a different
sort.

As always, I covet your prayers on my behalf.

Blessings to you and yours,

The Next Step

Finally, I am certain of my next step. Next Saturday, the
seventh of June, I will leave St. Andrews and move to Holy
Island/Lindisfarne. I will be doing some short-term volun-
teer service at the Open Gate, the hospitality house of the
Community of Aidan and Hilda. The latter is a dispersed
Christian community that draws from the rich heritage of
ancient Celtic saints and seeks the renewal of the Chris-
tian Church in Britain in these days.


Ever since I first made contact with the Community in
early 2004, I personally have been renewed by five re-
treats at the Open Gate. So it is a thrill for me to serve
where I have been truly blessed and nurtured in my life
in Jesus. I have informed the small staff that I promise to
be there June and July, and I hope I can do longer. They
will have me preparing rooms for guests, cleaning toilets,
changing bed sheets, doing meal preparation, and being
available to help in any way people who stop by. I will be
working with a hostess and a couple who are the wardens.
For more information on the Open Gate and the Commun-
ity, see their website: < http://www.aidanandhilda.org/>.


Holy Island/Lindisfarne is a tidal island on the east coast
of England, just below the Scottish-English border. There
is a causeway between the island and the mainland that
is open for roughly six hours two times during every 24-
hour period. It has become a place of modern-day Chris-
tian pilgrimage because Christianity was brought by mis-
sionary monks from Iona to the island in northern Eng-
land in the sixth century. During the second half of the Sec-
ond millennium many Celtic Christian women and men
ministered from there, taking the Gospel all over Scotland,
England, and Wales. So, it really is a holy place. Further-
more, it has gained a reputation as a place to watch birds.
It truly is a great place to be.

Volunteering with the Open Gate is a great way for me to
make the best use of my time while I wait to see what will
happen with me and the Church of Scotland. . I have a signi-
ficant interview with the Church of Scotland next week. I
hope I can gain a better sense of what lies in store for me
as I continue in the process. I have no idea what the next
few months will be like or where I will be. But at least I
know what my next step is, and that means a lot to me. I
want to be active in a ministry while I wait. There is the ad-
ded benefit that I won't have to pay for housing or food be-
cause the Open Gate will provide that for me. Plus Holy Is-
land will be a great environment to work on my thesis. I am
ever more grateful that I have more time to work on it. I
have ideas pouring into my mind. It is fun!


I am enjoying how my summer is shaping up during this
transition time from university research to parish ministry.
A week ago I was anxious about my immediate future; I did
not see anything taking shape. But now I am taking my first
step. As always, I covet your prayers.


All the best, and blessings to you and yours,

Failures, Disappointments, and Challenges

I've been thinking a lot about the failures, disappointments,
and challenges that I've experienced over the course of my
life. My experiencing them has contributed to my growth as
a Christian man. Although it would be a stretch to consider
the viva result a failure, it was a disappointment and a chal-
lenge after all the time and work I've spent here in St. An-
drews. But the disappointment and the challenges have
only motivated me to grow deeper in both heart and mind.

I have heard it said that championship athletic teams be-
come better through losses; that successful business man-
agers learn from business failures; that the most gifted
writers often have seasons of their labor being rejected for
publication; and that life's most glorious times often come
out of the darkest moments. I cannot say that I interpret
the viva results as a great loss, a failure, a rejection, or a
dark night of my soul. Nor is it a disappointment that will
get me down and depressed. Rather I see it as a challenge
to use up to a year to interact more with Orlando Costas
whom I spent so much time researching. The interaction
with his theology of mission is what I sensed I needed to
do, but had not done by the time my academically allotted
time ran out. Now I do have that official time to do what I
need and want to do.

I must admit that I do feel wounded. But also I have heard
it said that woundedness yields godly character, especially
wisdom. That is what I most desire. May it be so.

As always, I covet your prayers. Blessings to you and
yours,

Hey, Hey, I Really Am OK! Eh?

The Canadians have a wonderful way of employing 'eh'
with just the right tone and timing when talking. The
Scots also have their own distinct way of using 'aye' in
their speech. The desired response by the hearer of
said 'eh' or 'aye' is to trust what the speaker has just
said. When I employ 'eh' (I couild have used 'aye') in
the title above, I am asking you, dear reader, to trust
me when I state that I am OK with the results of the
viva. In fact, I welcome the opportunity to continue to
work on my thesis for a bit longer.

I am not mentally quick; I ponder, wrestle, labor, and
struggle to think well. I have never learned things quick-
ly, and so I rarely do things right the first few times. In
terms of mental activity I am a tortoise, and not a hare;
a hotair balloon, and not a jet airplane; a crockpot, and
not a microwave oven. I hope I am more like an aged
fine wine one savors with a good meal than instant cof-
fee gulped down in the morning. I remember times long
ago when l would race ahead of my mother and look way
back to see her slowly making her way to our common
destination. Well, my thinking is like my mother's walk-
ing: sooner or later my thinking gets me to the desired
location.

Even though I feel disappointed about the outcome
of the viva, and because I am a crockpot-type think-
er, I actually welcome the opportunity to do some
more work on my thesis for re-submission. My the-
sis is like a good meal in the crockpot that smells
ready to eat. However, after having tasted it, I rea-
lize it still needs a little more time in the crockpot.
But boy, do I look forward to enjoying it when it
has cooked a bit longer. All the ingredients are
there; it is just going to need a little more time in
the crockpot.

Having the degree of PhD is not as important to me
as having had the chance to study and reflect on Or-
lando Costas, the topic of my research. I am appre-
ciative that my two readers maintained high stan-
dards and did not just wave my thesis through.
Their comments were useful and challenging. Be-
cause of that I hope to have a much better thesis
to resubmit.

Blessings to you and yours, the Crackpot Crockpot

Today's the Day!

Today is the day of my viva, and I am ready to get on with
it! I have spent the last ten days preparing for this day after
not having touched the thesis since it was submitted in Jan-
uary. I look forward to critical feedback on what I worked
hard on for four years. I am eager to get into the viva.

I had a good rest last night and woke up refreshed. Soon I
will head off to Morning Prayer at the University Chapel,
and then go for a walk along the North Sea, have pancakes
and hot chocolate at the North Point (a hangout of mine),
and then probably take a little nap. I don't know what
I'll do yet after that. The viva is scheduled for 2:30. I'll
try to remember to post the outcome of the viva some
time tonight.

All the best,

It's Time for Viva Time!

Well, in less than 24 hours I will have gone through my viva
and heard the outcome of the oral defense of my thesis. I am
experiencing a great sense of peace that will abide with me re-
gardless of the outcome of the defense. If there are things I
still need to work on, I want to hear it; if my thesis stands up
to the panel, I want to hear the affirmation. Regardless of what
happens, I believe I win both ways.

I have been learning a lot reading my thesis through several
times and I am making new connections as a result. I worked
hard on the thesis for four years and received the word from
my supervisor to submit it. I really enjoy reading my thesis
and I look forward to the viva tomorrow. I actually hope to
have some fun during it. I want to discuss my argument with
two scholars whom I respect. There are times when I feel
like my stomach is in my throat; but most of the time I am
eager to be in the viva discussing what has become very im-
portant to me.

So, Wednesday, the 14th of May, at 2:30, is a date and a
time I will long remember.

All the best to you and yours,

Viva Time: It's Getting Closer!

May 14th no longer seems so far away. It's only a few more
days until my oral examination, and I continue to read through
my thesis to prepare myself for the viva. I have not read
closely some parts of it for nearly two years now. I enjoy
reading what I've written and my argument seems to be
sustained until the end of the thesis. I am confident in what
I have written. By that I do not mean that I expect no neg-
ative criticism. What it does mean is that I want to hear
comments about both the good and the bad aspects of my
work. I expect that my two readers will be forthright with
me so that I can be better at doing written research like
this. It is a privilege to have two scholarly readers taking
considerable time to pay close attention to what I've writ-
ten, take my research seriously, and give me critical feed-
back. That's what I want. So I am eager to get on with it.

But it is the time after the May 14th viva that worries me.
I'm planning to move out of university housing at the end
of May and I don't have anywhere to go yet. At that point
I am no longer a student protected by the University and
I am not yet in a relationship with the Church of Scotland.
One possibility has not worked out as I had hoped. I feel
vulnerable. It is like the time is at hand when I have to
jump from a place of security. The problem is that I do not
see any place to jump to. Again I have to learn the lesson
of trusting God in all this. As usual, I covet your prayers
on my behalf regarding this concern.

All the best to you and yours,

One Week Until V-Day!

It is 6pm on Wednesday, May 7th. At this time one week
from today I should be out of my viva (oral examination for
my PhD thesis). For some time now I've been committing
the viva and my two readers to the Lord Jesus. So whether
i t passes with distinction, or I'm assigned to do some more
work on it, or even if it should fail, I'll know it is of the Lord.
I am eager to discuss my research with two very able Chris-
tian theologians. I want their feedback and their critical
comments. I have put so much into this thesis, but my iden-
tity and self-worth are not wrapped up in my project. As I
recently have been reading through my thesis, I have grown
more confident in what I have written. I really look forward
to critical feedback on my work. I want to know whether I
am on track or whether I have gotten bogged down some-
place. During the next week I have planned to study my
thesis carefully so that I am prepared to defend it before
the panel of two scholars. I am really looking forward to it!
I ask for your prayers.

As for my transfer of ordination to the Church of Scotland,
things are moving faster than I had expected. A few days
ago I was informed that everything that I had submitted
to the Church of Scotland was in order. Yesterday I was
asked to appear before a subcommittee of the Ministry
Council on June 5th. That's really good.

As usual, I ask for your prayers.

God's blessings on you and yours,

A Quick Posting

On April 30th I began preparing for my viva-my
oral defense. I haven't touched my thesis or thought
about it much since I submitted it on January 21.
But I planned to begin reading it carefully two weeks
before my viva. It is close, less than two weeks away,
and I am enjoying getting back into it. I'll plan on
reading it through three times before I defend it.
I'm on the seventh of nine chapters of the first read-
ing of the thesis . I am very satisfied with what I
have written and don't see anything I could have
done differently. I will write more later on the viva
and my thesis.


Meanwhile I have been busy volunteering at a near-
by Christian bookstore and coffeeshop. I had been
putting in four to six hours a week since February.
But three weeks ago I was invited to do 12 hours
for pay. I do enjoy it, but it has really thrown my
schedule out of wack. I'm still trying to adjust to
the extra demand on my time.


I had expected that I would have more free time
once I submitted my thesis back in January. But
it seems that I have been busier than ever. I sub-
mitted all of the paperwork for the Church of Scot-
land on May 1. Getting that done and sent off was
a major ordeal for me. It took up a lot of my time
and energy over the past three months. Now I am
spending considerable time preparing for my viva.


One thing I enjoy is talking with people. The past
three weeks have been especially rich with planned
and unplanned conversations. I spend a lot of time
reflecting on those chats in my journal as well. I
have really enjoyed the conversations, but I ne-
glected keeping up with the blog.


If you do remember me in your prayers, please pray
for my transition time from St. Andrews to wherever
I go with the Church of Scotland. I am no longer con-
sidered a student at the University, and right now I
have no place to go. I have no idea how long the pro-
cess with the Church of Scotland will take, so it is
hard to make any plans. I want to be able to meet
with them as soon as they call. I don't know my next
step yet, so I would appreciate your prayers for the
Lord's guidance, provision, and protection.


I will keep you updated.

Under Orders

I admit it: I've been struggling for the past few weeks, if not
longer. I am firmly convinced that God's orders for me are
to remain in Scotland for the time being as a minister with
the Church of Scotland. That's all I know. I don't see any-
thing specific beyond that. I'm under orders. But I would
rather be going elsewhere other than Scotland.

I am reminded that I have pledged myself to God, that I
would go wherever He sent me, and that I was, and am, un-
der orders. I've had four marvelous years in St. Andrews,
Scotland: I treasure the people I've met, the places I've vis-
ited, and the things I've done. I was anticipating that I would
soon be leaving Scotland with happy memories and on my
way to the next destination in life and ministry. But my or-
ders are to stay and not go. I am under orders. But I desire
to go someplace else other than stay here.

Even though I am under orders, I take small opportuni-
ties to resist taking the necessary steps to complete the pro-
cess of transferring my ordination from the Presbyterian
Church (USA) to the Church of Scotland. I do everything
that I can in order to evade doing what I need to do to sub-
mit the application. Rather than working on the application,
I read books, volunteer six hours a week at the Christian cof-
fee and bookshop nearby, chat spontaneously with people as
long as I can, meet with friends to watch sports events, clean
my room and office, and do countless other things. But when
it comes to the application, all I do is drag my feet. I don't
really want to stay here in Scotland; I'd rather go someplace
else. But than I remember that I am under orders.

And so I ask (but only if you want to) that you would remem-
ber me in your prayers, that I would willingly and joyfully live
and serve under orders.

Blessings to you and yours,

Christ Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

I am still savoring the lingering flavor of a marvelous Holy
Week here in St. Andrews. During the past week I saw,
heard, tasted, smelled, and touched the Gospel of the Death
and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in ways that I
have rarely experienced before. It was a special week for
me, one that I will not soon forget.


Holy Week began at a Palm Sunday service at Holy Trinity,
my home church here in St. Andrews. It is a large Church
of Scotland parish church for the town. A large turnout pro-
cessed around the ancient church. As is my usual custom,
Monday through Friday I joined with two to five others for
the short Morning Prayer at the ancient University Chapel.
For Holy Week we prepared for Good Friday and Resurrec-
tion Sunday by reading from John 18-19. On Wednesday
there was Evensong and on Thursday evening, Compline.
These activities that I attend throughout the University
academic year helped me to prepare myself for Good Fri-
day and Resurrection Sunday.


Starting Thursday, I attended five services at a very liturgi-
cal Scottish Episcopal Church in town. Each service was a dra-
matic reading of Scripture that focused on one event in the
last few days of Christ's life. It was a very moving time for
me when I was able to focus on the passion, death, and Res-
urrection of Jesus Christ. For Maundy Thursday there was
a Solemn Eucharist of the Lord's Supper and a moving Strip-
ping of the Altar. Early on Good Friday there was a short
service when we meditated on the Stations of the Cross. Our
salvation, lives, and resurrections were seen in the light of
the Cross of Christ.


A highlight for me was the evening service of the Good Friday
Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion. The central theme of the
service was the events leading up to Christ's crucifixion as por-
trayed in John's Gospel. We ended the service by taking part
in the Lord's Supper. Saturday morning I attended a short
service that reflected on Christ's crucified body being laid in
the tomb, awaiting the Resurrection on the third day. The
highpoint for me was the late Saturday night Solemn Euchar-
ist of the Easter Vigil. It began with a service of light of a can-
dle that was brought into the darkened sanctuary and used
to light the candles of the congregation. Then we listened to
Scripture readings about God's great acts of creation and re-
demption. This was followed by a personally meaningful re-
newal of our baptismal vows. The service ended early Eas-
ter morning with the celebration of the Lord's Supper.


I did not get to bed until around 2am on Sunday morning.
I had planned to get up early for a very moving Sunrise ser-
vice put on by the area churches that I have attended in
Easters past. But when my alarm clock went off, I decided
not to go. I felt content to continue to rest in what God had
done through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I
did get up in time to attend a wonderful Easter service at
Holy Trinity. An Easter lunch with a good friend, a long nap,
and time to read and journal concluded a special Holy Week
that culminated in a glorious Resurection Sunday.


Easter Blessings to you and yours,

Viva the Viva! ('veeva' the 'viva')

Recently I was informed that my 'viva' will take place at
2:30, Wednesday, 14 May 2008. At that time I will meet
with an academic from St Mary's College, my school, and a
British academic who specializes in my field of research, the
theology of mission. They have agreed already to take part
in it. I will be examined orally by the two readers on my the-
sis for one to three hours. Based on my defense of the argu-
ment, they will determine whether my work is up to PhD
standards. My advisor, whom I have worked with for the
past four years, would not have allowed me to progress to
this stage unless he was confident that my thesis was ready.
I am confident as well, and am eager to receive feedback on
my work from two scholars I respect deeply. My only wish
is that it were taking place much earlier than 14 May.


In blog postings to come I will share more about my readers
and the viva process. I would appreciate you remembering
me in your prayers.


All the best to you and yours, Jeff T.

Bowel Movements of Nursing New Borns

The other day I went downstairs to the Common Room to
eat my lunch. I encountered three of my fellow Divinity PhD
colleagues having a lively and intense discussion. I soon rea-
lized it was not about weighty matters of theology or bibli-
cal studies, but about the critically important issues of chil-
dren and parents. One of them was seriously concerned
that his breast-fed, three-weeks-old, first born daughter
had not 'pooped' for 24 hours after feeding. The mid-twen-
ty-something new father was worried that something was
terribly wrong, and was consulting with two fellow mid-
twenty-something colleagues who had both recently gone
through this whole process. With great interest I listened
as the experienced two asked him questions and offered
their advice. The next day he announced that a close
friend, a medical doctor in the US, had confirmed the ad-
vice the other two had given him.



It was exciting to see that there are certain things in life
that are more important than our academic pursuits ever
could be.


Blessings to you and yours,

A Late February Update

It has been five weeks since I submitted my thesis, but still
there is no date set for my oral examination that must be
convened before April 21. Meanwhile I try to keep the shape
of the day that I had before I finished my thesis, but without
the intensity and stress. I continue with Morning Prayer on
weekdays and the North Point a couple times a week. I am
usually in my office from 9:30 or so in the morning until 8:00
in the evening, leaving my office often to eat meals, run er-
rands, go for a walk, and nap, a gift from God.

There are plenty of things for me to do each day. I have dis-
ciplined myself to read through Psalms and Proverbs each
month and to work through the whole Bible in five or six
months. I have people whom I remember in prayer. If I neg-
lect this spiritual discipline in my life, I get discouraged and
run down. I am working hard to respond to all the letters
and emails that I have neglected since the summer. I am
reading Robert Kaplan's Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts,
Stephen Lawhead's The Iron Lance, and Christopher Wright's
The Mission of God. Also I am correcting a colleague's doc-
toral thesis and volunteering four hours a week at a Chris-
tian coffeeshop and bookstore nearby. Considerable time is
spent filling out all the paperwork for the admission process
to the Church of Scotland. I am beginning to dismantle my of-
fice desk and bedroom in preparation for the next task God
has given me to do.

Overall, it is a pleasant time to be in, but I am eager to move
on to the next stage in my life. Please keep me in your thoughts
and prayers.

All the best to you and yours, Jeff T.

Compline Splendor

I recently came to recognize compline as one of the unex-
pected jewels of my time here in St. Andrews. It is one of
the little-known diamonds of this ancient university town.
Ever since I first arrived here in the fall of 2003, compline
has been a special part of my life as a divinity student. At-
tending the 10pm compline service every Thursday of term
at the little St. Leonard's Chapel became a weekly routine
that I rarely missed.


The ancient Christian order of compline is a quiet service of
reflection before rest at the end of the day. The word comes
from the Latin word for completion. The 25-minute service
is a rich blend of crying out to God and hearing God's prom-
ises through spoken and sung Scripture. It is composed of
an introit, several blessings, a confession of sin, a congrega-
tional hymn, a choral anthem, prayer for protection through
the night, a confession of faith, and a committal of one's self
into God's hands. It ends with three minutes of silence fol-
lowed by people leaving quietly. Compline is a time of rest
for me because I lay aside the busyness of my life and enter
into God's Story. I am reminded of the ways God has guided
me, provided for me, and protected me. I hear again of God's
unrelenting redeeming love that will never let me go. Com-
pline is my weekly anchorage in a haven of rest.


Last Thursday, the seventh of February, I looked forward
to crowning my birthday with compline. The simple chapel,
constructed around 1450, was lit by the glow of candles
placed around the interior walls. The stalls of seating hold
no more than sixty people and face one another across a cen-
tral aisle. There was a steady stream of students entering
and finding seats in the back section of the chapel. In the
stalls up front fifteen or so students decked out in their red
academic robes made up the choir. The organist, usually an
advanced student organist, was setting the mood for the ser-
vice. I felt like I was at home and I was content to wait for
the service to start.

It was just a few minutes until starting time when I noticed
that the appointed minister for the night had not arrived. I
also observed that the choir director and the university mu-
sic director were discussing something. Then they looked at
me. Before I could fret and bolt, the music director was in
front of me asking whether I would be so kind as to take
charge of compline. I gulped, said yes, and moved over to
the minister's seat. The choir director gave me a list of the
music that would be part of the service. Before I knew it,
the choir was singing the introit. I announced the choral
music and the hymn that we would soon be singing. And
then we were off in the majestic beauty of compline.

It is my fourth year of attending compline, so I was confi-
dent about what I needed to do. I have always desired to
lead compline, but I never expected that I would have the
opportunity to direct God's people in compline in such an
ancient place of prayer. I felt like a director who is charged
with bringing order to the interaction of a choir and chorus.
I used my voice to set mood and tempo, thus guiding the
people through the beautifully crafted liturgy. It gave me
great joy to do that! Before I knew it, we had entered into
the three minutes of silence. And then I left refreshed, ready
for my nightly rest.

Blessings to you and yours

The North Point

For over two years Morning Prayer and the North Point
have been the keystones of my weekday morning routine.
I wrote about the former in a previous blog. The latter is a
small coffee shoppe in town where I do my journeying and
journaling du jour. Every weekday at 8:45 I go to Morning
Prayer at the University Chapel. By 9:05 I am usually down
the street sitting in at the North Point and cradling a hot choc-
olate or Fair Trade mocha in my hands. I have been attend-
ing the prayer time for over four years now, but only in the
last two years has my North Point time become a part of my
morning ritual.


Like the University Chapel, the North Point has become, to
a great extent, sacred space for me. In the morning I usu-
ally put in an hour or more of work at the office before tak-
ing a break that begins with prayer in the Chapel. My time
at the North Point has become the continuation of a daily
mini-Sabbath that begins with the earlier prayer time. Morn-
ing Prayer and drinking a mocha have become essential
morning activities of my weekday routine.

The North Point Coffee Shoppe is a small place crammed
with six two-seat tables, two three-seaters, three stools by
the window, and six tables that seat four people. The Hap-
py Hour was what first drew me to the North Point and
what continues to attract me there now. For the price of
one British pound (about $2US) I have a place where I can
sit, write, talk, and enjoy a good hot drink until I leave at
9:45 or so. Not many people are there at 9am when I usu-
ally take a place at one of the two-seat tables. There is a
quietness then that comforts me and soothing music that
makes me feel at home. By the time I leave, there is a con-
stant stream of people coming and going. I'm always as-
tounded at the thunderous sound of three dozen or so peo-
ple talking at the same time, all compressed into such a
small place.

A place and a time to journal my life journey while sipping
on a Happy Hour hot chocolate are what I like best about
my North Point routine. By journaling I chronicle and reflect
on people I meet, conversations I have, movies I see, things
I do, books I read, thoughts that emerge in my mind, and
insights that occur to me. It is a personal way that I signal
to God that I am paying attention to what He is doing and
whom He brings into my life. It helps me to take God seri-
ously in everything I do. And there are times I enjoy rich
conversations with friends, colleagues, and people I just hap-
pen to meet in the North Point. At other times I tune out
everything around me and read from a good book. There
have been occasions when all I have done is just sit there
doing nothing. The North Point has become a refuge for me.

Whereas some form of morning prayer is a discipline that
I will exercize for the rest of my life, my North Point rou-
tine is not. For the past two years in St. Andrews it has been
a wonderful ritual and an important part of my life. But it is
temporary. Soon the time will come when I will leave St.
Andrews. I will no longer enter the North Point; the Hap-
py Hours will become deeply cherished memories. But un-
til that time comes, I will continue to enjoy the journeying
and journaling du jour at the North Point.

Blessings to you and yours

Morning Prayer

With the submission of my thesis I have stopped the daily
routine of reading, writing, and editing that characterized
four years of doctoral research. But there is one routine I
continue even though my academic program has finished:
weekday Morning Prayer at the University Chapel. It has
been the foundation of my time here at the University of
St. Andrews. It gave focus, perspective, and shape to my
scholarly endeavors here.


Ever since the end of September, 2003, I have set aside ten
minutes starting at 8:45 of every weekday of the academic
term for Morning Prayer at the University Chapel. Over
the years a small group of as many as eight academic staff
and students have met for a short time of praise, prayer,
and Scripture reading. Usually it has been just the univer-
sity chaplain and myself. Sometimes I am the only one
there. But I sense the presence of the Lord no matter the
number of us in attendance.

The setting is the splendid majesty of the University Chapel
that has been revered as a place of prayer since 1450. I am
always soothed by the sanctity and peacefulness that per-
vades the place. The central aisle leading to the communion
table and pulpit is flanked by two sets of five rows of seating
that face one another. So we proclaim alternate verses of the
psalm of the day to the persons facing us across the aisle.
There are a variety of fixtures around us that bear testi-
mony to the faith of women and men through the ages.


Before I came here I made a vow to the Lord that I would
set Him at the center of my life in academia. I wanted to be
nurtured and supported in my scholarly journey by prayer
and God's Word. Without God at the center of my life, every-
thing I did would have been pure vanity. I came to Morning
Prayer every weekday that I was able. I needed it day by
day just as much as I needed three square meals a day. Ac-
tually, I realized that I could get by without eating for a day.
But Morning Prayer was not as easy to miss. It provided
order to my day and put whatever I did in proper perspec-
tive. I felt out of sync whenever I missed it. That is why I
went to Morning Prayer just before I submitted my thesis.
My work did not make any sense unless it was seen from
God's perspective and done to His glory.


Over the past two years I have realized I was called to join
with others in prayer at the very heart of the university.
Christian scholarship must be coupled with praise and prayer.
Without those two, our academic endeavors are misinformed
and deformed. The latter is evident everywhere I look in aca-
demia. Furthermore, I have sensed-and I may be wrong
here-that St. Andrews, both the town and the university,
has been the ancient spiritual center of Scotland. And so as
I have discerned that I am called to contribute to the renew-
al of God's people in Scotland, it has become imperative for
me to join with others in praying at Scotland's spiritual
heart. Morning Prayer has been for me four years of being
prepared for ministry here in Scotland as well as providing
the foundation for my doctoral research.


As always, I ask you to please entrust me to God in prayer.


Blessings to you and yours

Yes, I Know, the Pats Lost the Super Bowl

I was cheering for my favorite American football team, the
New England Patriots, to win the Super Bowl, be only the
second team in National Football League history to com-
plete an entire season undefeated, and be crowned as per-
haps the greatest football team in NFL history. But as I
was slowly waking up early this morning I was informed by
a distinctly British accented BBC news presenter that, in-
deed, the New York Giants had beaten the previously unde-
feated New England Patriots, 17-14. I spent the rest of the
morning moaning and groaning.

The latest Super Bowl pitted the overwhelmingly favored
New England team, MY team, against the feisty, spunky,
and upstart New York Giants. No one even considered that
the Pats could be beaten, especially in their fourth Super
Bowl in seven years. But it was a setup for an upset, and the
Giants pulled off a giant victory for the ages. It wasn't ex-
actly the news I had wanted to hear. But hey, life goes on.
I have a lot of things I need to do.

All the best.

Is There Life after Completing the PhD Thesis?

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.

Three Things I Did Before I Submitted the thesis

The process of researching, writing, and submitting my PhD
thesis has been my sole focus for over four years now. I came
here for no other reason and I committed myself to accom-
plishing the task. I rid mysef of anything that hindered me
from completing such an undertaking.

I have identified three routines that helped me to carry out
this process: a rhythm of daily morning prayer, regular
times of journaling at a local coffee shoppe, and frequent
walks on a nearby bluff that overlooks the North Sea.
Those three were foundational during my four years here.
Without them my life would have been disordered, dis-
tressed, and in disarray. They helped me to keep in relation-
ship with the Lord, to be in touch with myself, to connect
with people, and to enjoy the finer things of life.

Last Monday, just a couple days ago, the 90,ooo plus words
of my thesis were stored in my memory stick ready to be
printed out on paper. Since I had over an hour before the
printing office opened I did what I have done for most of my
four years here. I took a brisk walk along the top of the bluffs
and was re-energized by the fresh air. I remembered concerns
I had expressed to God and was reminded of God's lovingkind-
ness and faithfulness. Then it was time for morning prayer at
the University Chapel. Since it was Monday,I was the only one
there. But I knew I was not alone. I went over to the coffee
shoppe for a hot chocolate. I was too excited to journal, but I
shared with a friend, a fellow PhD student, that I was submit-
ting within the hour. When the printing office opened, I had
three copies of the thesis printed out. Within an hour they were
delivered to the college office.

It was important to me to do those three things because they
had been so foundational to my life here. Now that the thesis
has been submitted I probably will never go back to it the way
I had done. But I will always do some variation of each of the
three things I did before I submitted. I'll share more about
each of those in future postings.

Peace and blessings in Jesus to you and yours.

Birth Announcement

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

It's a PhD thesis!

Name: 'The Ecumenical Third World Missiology
of Orlando E. Costas'

Delivered by Jeff Tippner
St. Mary's College office, University of St. Andrews

10:30 am, Monday, 21 Jan. 08

Length: 243 pages

Weight: 90,000 words, 946 footnotes

Thesis has no hair and does not cry!

Godfather: Prof. Mario Aguilar

Both thesis and postgrad student are doing well

Just Plodding Along

My advisor has informed me that the next thing he wants to
read from me is my submission-ready thesis. For the past four
weeks I have been working hard on it. For about ten days I have
been struggling with my first chapter. It was the first one I
wrote and it is the most important because it is the founda-
tion for my argument. I expected I would be spending more
time with it than any other chapter, but I thought I would
have moved on to other parts by now. There are times when
I sense a portion of the thesis is ready but that hasn't come
to me yet regarding chapter one.

But what I treasure most from last week were the chats I had
with people. Last Monday I was walking somewhere when an
old man greeted me as I passed by. I stopped, returned the
greetings, he started talking to me, and I listened with great
enjoyment. His name is Tom, he's ninety, worked as an animal
keeper for the university his whole working life, been retired
for 25 years, and now gardens, keeps bees, and cares for his
ailing wife. He told me he is much better off economically
than ever , but that life was much better in the old days.

Yesterday, Sunday, I enjoyed lunch and conversation with two
of my favorite people here, a young couple from Canada. Ryan,
on staff of the management school and working on a doctoral
thesis, is savvy politically and we can spend all our time discus-
sing the latest news. Colleen is an early primary grade teacher.
Yesterday she shared about education, discipline, and behavior
issues that she faces in the classroom. She's an excellent teach-
er and she gives me hope regarding education.

Those were the two bookends of a week of delightful chats with
people. During the week I talked with students from the Basque
region, Norway, Rwanda, Spain, the Ukraine, Mexico, New Zea-
land, and Slovakia. I meet many of these people in conversation
at the place where I take my evening meals. I usually leave the
dining room feeling well-fed and enriched by good conversation.
Then I go back to plodding away on my thesis.

All the best, Jeff T.

A Late June Update

I have been hard pressed with thesis writing for the past five
weeks or so, and therefore I have had no inclination to do any
blogging. I have been occupied with my journal, but unfortun-
ately I didn't feel the desire to blog.

My advisor has let me know that he believes that my thesis
is at the stage that it is ready to be prepared for submission.
That means no more major writing or changing. I am to work
with what I do have in order to shape, tweek, and sculpt the
material that is already in it. I do have the conclusion yet to
write, but the usual procedure is to wait to do it at the very
end. Overall, I expect that the next seven weeks will mean
more painstaking work.

In the past five weeks I have put a lot of work into getting the
bibliography into shape, refining the crucial introduction to the
thesis, and doing considerable altering and molding of the first
chapter. I expect to have my work cut out for me in chapters
two and three, but after that I should have clear sailing in the
remaining six chapters. I don't expect the conclusion to be hard
to do.

I am planning to have a submission-ready draft by mid-August
for my advisor to read through. He has already approved with
suggestions the drafts of all nine chapters and introduction, so
I don't expect any surprises. But he will let me know of places
that I need to write with greater clarity. I really hope to be able
to submit the thesis by the end of August.

I have been putting in some pretty brutal hours six days a
week and my mind is frequently brain dead after long hours
at my desk. Despite all this I really enjoy what I'm doing. This
whole process has given me a lot of joy. For right now, I'm
where God wants me. So, keep praying for me.

A May Update

It is the end of May and my PhD thesis is progressing at a good
pace. I finished a draft of the ninth chapter, the last one, near-
ly two weeks ago. Just the other day I met with my supervi-
sor to go over the chapter. He was pleased with my progress
and identified some things for me to work on.

During the past two weeks I have been preparing to give a
fairly good draft of nine chapters and the introduction to my
supervisor in the first week of June. Both my supervisor and
I need to read the whole thing through (minus the conclusion)
in order to see how the argument flows.

Depending on his observations and suggestions I plan to spend
most of June and all of July (while my supervisor is on vacation)
preparing the thesis for submission sometime in August. We
have set September 1 as the latest date for submitting my thesis.
At this point we both don't see any major problems with my work.

The oral defense of my thesis has been set for some time in No-
vember. It is composed of one professor from the university and
another professor from outside St. Andrews. The latter profes-
or, Andrew Kirk from Birmingham, is not available until then. I
had hoped for an earlier date, but that was not possible.

I will be narrowly focused on my thesis until I submit. I don't
spend all day working on my thesis, but it does seem that I
spend the whole day thinking about it. I can imagine that
other people see me as being being rather boring. There still
is a considerable amount of hard work to be done in order to
make the thesis flow smoothly and make sense. I have been
like this since last February, and I expect I will be this way for
three more months. But the end is now in sight.

I would appreciate you remembering me in your thoughts and
prayers.

The Ascension of the Lord Jesus

Today, Thursday, May 17, is Ascension Day. It is a public holi-
day in the Scandanavian countries, Germany, and the Nether-
lands. But it is hardly noticed in Britain and North America ex-
cept by Roman Catholics and Episcopalians.

But Ascension Day is as important as Christmas, Good Friday,
Resurrection Sunday, and Pentecost because on each of those
days we remember that God did something marvelous and a-
mazing. On Ascension Day we remember that the resurrected
Jesus, in the presence of His apostles and disciples, ascended
bodily into Heaven.

Jesus' Ascension took place forty days after He was resurrect-
ed. During those days He preached, taught, and was among His
disciples and apostles. You can read biblical accounts of Christ's
Ascension in Acts 1:6-11, Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-51, and Eph-
esians 4:7-13. We also affirm His Ascension whenever we con-
fess our faith as expressed in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.

We believe that Jesus ascended into Heaven in order to sit at
the right hand of the Father. This means that He rules over
all of creation with majesty and power as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. He intercedes to the Father on our behalf, pre-
pares to return to take us home, and has sent His Spirit as He
had promised.

In the Act's account, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would
come upon the Church so that we would be empowered to be
His witnesses to all the world. So we look forward to Pentecost
in ten day's time. Two angels declared that Jesus would one
day return to us just as He had ascended into Heaven. And so
we look forward to Jesus Christ coming again as King of Kings
and Lord of Lords.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Lingering Resurrection Glory

Here it is, the fourth week of Easter, and I am still soaking in
the lingering glory of Resurrection Sunday. All during Holy
Week (the seven days beginning on Palm Sunday and running
through to Easter Sunday) God's people heard, saw, tasted,
sang, spoke, confessed, viewed dramatizations, imagined, re-
flected, meditated, and heard heart-stirring music about the
person and work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. I feel like I had
feasted at a seven course royal banguet and since then haven't
had the desire to eat.

Late on the night before Easter a small, intimate group of us met
in an historic Presbyterian church in town. We sang an ancient
Christian hymn of Christ's resurrection and greeted the Risen
Christ at midnight. On Easter Sunday I joined with others at
my home church to praise God for what God had done in Jesus
Christ. Later that day I enjoyed a wonderful nap in the after-
noon before joining dear friends for an Easter dinner and relax-
ation. Sadly, earlier that afternoon I learned that a special cous-
in had passed away the day before. As another special cousin
explained it, as a believer he experienced his first full day in
Heaven on Easter!

But for me the highpoint of Easter Day and of Holy Week was
the sunrise Easter service held on a promontory overlooking
the North Sea. Over two hundred of us from various churches
in town gathered on the site of an ancient church where Chris-
tians have met to worship God for over twelve hundred years.
We sang songs of praise, prayed, and heard proclaimed the
Good News of the Risen Christ. Then we made are way to the
nearby grounds of the 'younger' Cathedral raised up nearly
nine hundred years ago, but reduced to ruins in the sixteenth
century. The bread and the cup of the Lord's Supper were wait-
ing for us on the foundation of the high altar of the ancient cathe-
dral, once a great pilgrimage destination in the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries. Then we passed the cup and the bread from
hand to hand, to everyone in the group.

I couldn't help but sense the sacredness of the time and space.
Truly we were on holy ground. As I stood there I reflected on
women and men of centuries past who had stood in the same
spots where we were standing: disciples of Colomba from Iona,
medieval serfs and monks, pilgrims from near and afar, fiery
and fired-up reformers, worn out fishermen and their famil-
ies, hard working and hardly working students and towns peo-
ple, and even golfers. Indeed, I sensed the communion of the
saints. I also had a deep sense of being in communion with peo-
ple all over the world who were meeting that very day to wor-
ship the Living Christ.

After the services people gathered for bacon rolls and warm
drinks. I took my time joining them and slowly worked my way
along the bluffs, pondering Christ's resurrection. I soaked up the
warmth of the rising sun and I felt the gentle touch of the sea
breeze upon my skin. There was something magical about the
light: it seemed to radiate a golden glow upon the earth that
heightened the colors of things. The sea and sky were a majes-
tic blue, and there were dazzling yellow flowers clinging to
green-covered bluffs. The sea was gentle, and waves gently lap-
ped up upon the beach below. Birds glided on air currents above
me and made their own kind of music. I will never forget that.

In it all I pondered the mystery of the faith: Christ has died,
Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Blessings to you and yours.

Hearing the Story Anew

I am still savoring the wonderfulness of this past Holy Week,
with its effects lingering on and delighting my soul. Before this
Holy Week I realized that I was forgetting the Story that had
captivated my life all these many years.

I remember that last Advent (the four weeks before Christ-
mas) I was thrilled as I heard God's promises again, eagerly
awaiting the birth of the baby Jesus. And, oh the joy of Christ-
mas Day, and how it swept me on into Epiphany (January 6).

But, as I had done many times before, I started to forget the
Story, that is, until Holy Week. Something clicked in me on Palm
Sunday, and I sensed my heart getting more in tune with God's
redeeming grace. Over the days of Holy Week I started remem-
bering the Story again and I sensed that my heart was gradual-
ly being tuned by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

On Monday of Holy Week I listened on my IPod to the Story
put to music and sung by the likes of Michael Card and The Sec-
ond Chapter of Acts, some of my favorite vocalists and song-
writers. During the next two days the Story was visualized for
me. On Tuesday a small group of us walked through Jesus' walk
to the Cross and on Wednesday a colleague led us through a Jew-
ish Passover Seder, tying it to the life and death of Jesus.

On Thursday I attended a Maundy Thursday service. As we
took opportunity to focus our attention on Christ's death, the
sanctuary was cleared of Christian imagery and the lights were
turned down. We then all left in silence, preparing ourselves
for the great event of the next day.

On Good Friday the Story started coming to a climax. Good Fri-
day is good because by His death on the cross Jesus has won for
us the victory of salvation. At the church I go to, I was able to
hear reflections on the Story of Christ's crucifiction and the ef-
fects of His death on us today. Later that day at the same church
I joined with others in renewing our baptismal vows and taking
the first communion of Easter. As we pondered the redeeming
work of Christ on the cross at the end of the service, the organ-
ist let loose with a beautiful, awe-inspiring voluntary that that
filled the sancturary with praise and honor to God. It was breath-
taking and inspiring!

I'll write soon about the events of Resurrection Sunday. But
now I want to stress that my heart was being tuned in order
to praise God for all the great things God had done through
Jesus Christ.

Until the next time, peace.

Divine Choreography

I often view lively, biblically-based, Spirit-inspired faith to be
like a dance. It is not so much choreographed steps that we
men and women dance, but a divine choreography, the Dance
of God. Jesus Christ, the Son, dances; God the Father choreo-
graphs; and the Spirit of God animates and invigorates, enabl-
ing the Dancer, Jesus, to dance the Dance choreographed by
the Father. All we can do is watch and marvel at God's glorious
Dance.

Every year for countless generations, we and our ancestors
have watched the the same Dance unfold. During Advent, the
four Sundays before Christmas, we hear the promises of the
coming Dancer, and wait in eager anticipation and expectation.
At Christmas we joyfully celebrate the Dancer coming to dance
among us women and men who knew not how to dance the
dance of life.

It was on a Friday nearly two thousand years ago that the Danc-
er got out on a dance floor outside a city gate of ancient Jerusal-
em and danced the Dance that not one of us could ever dance.
He died. He was buried. But the Spirit raised Him from the dead.
Out on the dance floor He went, dancing the dance we could nev-
er dance.

The Dance did not end there with the Risen Dancer dancing the
night away in Jerusalem of yesteryear. We continue through the
year to remember Jesus' ascension to be with the Father (this
year on May 17) and the coming of the Holy Spirit with power
at Pentecost (May 27). But even then the Dance is not ended,
for we eagerly await Jesus' coming again in glory.

Please do not take me too literally or seriously for what I now
write. But I often envision the Triune God out on the dance
floor, taking great pleasure in dancing the Dance. All around
the dance floor there are multitudes of us who believe that we
are not good enough dancers to go out on the dance floor to
dance the night away. But I see the Triune God inviting us out
onto the dance floor to join in God's Dance. And I hear the Tri-
une God saying to each one of us: 'Dance, my children, dance!'

Continued blessings to you and yours.

Starting to Descend

This past week I experienced what felt like the girding up of my
loins for the final stage of my dissertation writing. I wasn't real-
ly expecting it, but I wasn't surprised when it happened. During
the past three weeks I have submitted my introduction and sixth
chapter. My advisor was pleased with both submissions, and we
agreed that I had turned a significant corner. I am several days
away from finishing my eighth chapter (chapter seven is done),
and I have already written a significant portion of the final chap-
ter. I expect to have that done by early May. I will submit a qual-
ity draft of all the chapters to my advisor in early June. Based
on his evaluation, I plan to submit my completed dissertion for
examination no later than September 1.

Late last December I flew from Frankfurt to Denver, a twelve
hour flight. I enjoyed chatting with my seat companion during
much of the time in the air. Even though it was long flight, it
was a good one. About an hour and a half out of Denver the pi-
lot announced when we would be expected to land and what
the weather was like in the Denver area. I had been having a
good time, but I was excited about reaching my destination. I
felt a burst of energy and I had a grin on my face as well as a
smile on my heart.

That's how I feel now, only more so. And rather than being a
passenger on the plane, I am the pilot of a Boeing 747 Jumbo
jet. The control tower has just reported that they have picked
me up on their radar. I look at the check list of things I need
to do as we prepare to land. It used to be a lengthy check list
at the beginning of the flight, but now it has gotten shorter. All
that I need to do is follow my submitted flight plan and keep
checking off the things that need to be done. There is still a lot
to do, but the end is now in sight. I am working very hard, but
I am having fun doing it!

So, dear friends and family, if you have an occasion to remember
me in your prayers, please pray for me.

All the best to you and yours.

Decompression, a Parade, and a Long Conversation

This past Thursday I turned in a draft of my seventh of nine
chapters. I worked on it quite intensively, so I was relieved to
submit it to my supervisor. I needed time to decompress be-
fore I start work on the eighth chapter on Monday. I have been
doing reading for fun, walking, listening to radio programs on
my IPod, and doing light chores that I had neglected.

Today, Saturday, I took pleasure in the annual Kate Kennedy
Procession. Nothing much is known about the Lady Kate, and
legends about her abound. But there has been a procession in
her honor for many centuries now, celebrating the return of
spring to Scotland. Today was a glorious spring day that accom-
panied the 2007 edition of the Kate Kennedy procession. How
I enjoyed it!

The procession has been organized by the Kate Kennedy Club,
and it has three purposes: to preserve university traditions, to
encourage university and town relations, and to raise funds for
local charities. The highpoint each year for the club is organizing
and conducting the procession. The procession promotes and
proclaims the collective memories of the town and university.

The procession of selected students representing just over
eighty significant historical figures of the town and university
process through the three main streets of the town. There are
colorful figures from the early Scottish church, the War of In-
dependence, the founding and long history of the university
(since 1410), the arts and sciences from the university, the
Scottish Reformation, Royalty, the National Covenant era,
revolution, reform, and the town, each figure or group dress-
ed in the colorful attire of their era. There was a bagpipe and
drum marching band at each end of the procession. I loved
the history, pageantry, and especially the bagpipers. The mu-
sic really stirred my heart and I wanted to get out on the street
and march with them. It was all quite fun!

Since the procession was relatively short, I viewed it from var-
ious places in the town. I was waiting for the procession to come
to my new vantage point when a Scottish guy I had seen around
town for the past few years came up and started to chat with me.
People say I am easy to talk to, so I do have plenty of occasions
when people I don't really know come up to me and engage me
in conversation. Over the years I have had many memorable
conversations. It seems to happen when I least expect it, but
I really enjoy it.

He started talking to me about political stuff in the US that was
in line with British public opinion and the British press. Many
times I sense a degree of hostility from British people and the
British press in regards to the president and various policy is-
sues. Politically I am conservative, and when I hear such talk I
usually roll my eyes and move on. But I was really annoyed, and
I went after him.

I sensed that he realized that I was not like most Americans liv-
ing here in St. Andrews. I would characterize most of the Amer-
cans, ever since 2000, as being in a state of moaning and groan-
ing, and mourning, that is until the US elections last November.
As I replied his eyes got bigger and he seemed to think more
carefully about what he was going to say.

But I really respected him because, even though he realized
we held contrary positions, he didn't walk away but convers-
ed with me for over an hour. He recognized our disagreement,
but he listened to me. In all of this he never told me that I or
anybody else with my views were evil, stupid, or a Christian
right wing idiot. He didn't go ballistic on me! I firmly believed
he was wrong, but I would never have considered him evil or
warped. We listened to each other and had respect for one an-
other.

We both got so caught up in our discussion that we didn't take
the opportunity to watch the parade going by. But it was worth
it.

The Italian Connection

I had wanted to write about my Holy Week, Good Friday, and
Easter Sunday, but that will wait until later. I would like to
share with you about my dinner conversation at evening meal
today. I was eating and chatting with three delightful Italian
students over the evening meal just a few minutes ago.

For three weeks now I have been taking my evening meals
at Deans Court, the postgraduate accommodation just be-
hind the building where I have my office. I have now been in
St. Andrews for three and a half years. Deans Court was where
I stayed my first two years. Each of the fifty postgraduate stu-
dents has his or her own room, and three meals a day, five days
a week, are provided. I really enjoyed my time there because
I made friends from various countries of the world. I have to
admit that I wish now that I had not moved out because I did
enjoy it so much. I have so many happy memories there and
friends whom I remember fondly.

Two good friends of mine, Michael from Slovakia and Alan from
Scotland, were at Deans Court when I lived there and had also
moved out the same time I did, but had continued to take their
evening meals at the residence. Three weeks ago I talked with
the administrator and asked if I could take my evening meals
there. Ever since she gave me her ok, I have never regretted
being back there.

The food is good (the chef is a good cook); it costs me about the
same (if not less) than cooking for one on my own; I get vege-
tables, fruit, and a good variety of food; and I have very interest-
ing table companions. It has been a very good deal for me.

I have tended to be one of the last ones to leave the dining room
each night because I get caught up talking to people (and I am a
very slow eater). Tonight I found myself sitting across the table
from three Italians (one from the north, one from the south, and
one from the middle). Two of them are doctoral students in phil-
osophy and the other is a Masters student in history. I asked
about whether Italy ever had much in the way of colonies. What
followed was a history lesson about the Italian city states and the
reasons why Italy never really had an empire. Then they told me
about the distinct differences between their respective regions. I
really enjoyed the conversation and listening to each one share
about his affection for his respective region.

I left well-satisfied with good food and excellent table conversa-
tion.

What to Do About What Was Done

Last week I was experiencing a tension, perhaps even a con-
flict, in my life. I was going through a time of sustained clarity
of mind and an abundance of energy. I was able to write a sub-
stantial portion of the next chapter of my dissertation. I had
such a momentum going that I had planned to turn in my next
chapter early next week!

The tension arose when I realized that this week was Holy
Week. For many centuries now the Church has seen fit to set
aside special days to help God's people prepare their hearts
for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, the high point of
the Christian year.

But sadly, I felt that Holy Week was taking me away from
concentrating on getting more of my dissertation done. I just
did not want to be bothered by all kinds of Holy Week activities
that would distract me from what I thought I needed to do.
God seemed to be interfering with my plans. I sought ways to
blow off the events of Holy Week.

But God slowly and graciously confronted me, questioned my
reading of reality, opened the eyes of my heart, and changed
my attitude. I sensed the change of my heart at church on Palm
Sunday. In a variety of ways those of us there all participated
in the drama of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and the events
that led Him to death on the Cross. Through the preached
word we pondered Christ's suffering on the Cross in our place,
and later we were nourished by sharing in His death at the
Communion Table. I noticed that my heart was slowly soft-
ening and loosening its controlling grip on the agenda of my
life.

Later that day a friend and I went to see the movie Amazing
Grace. The movie powerfully portrayed how God's amazing
grace brought to life a dead-hearted slave ship captain and
won the life-long allegiance of a member of the British Parlia-
ment who committed the best years of his life to abolishing the
slave trade and reforming British society. What impressed me
was not the amazing things these two men did, but that their
lives were anchored and grounded in God's amazing grace, that
is, what God had done through Jesus Christ's death on the Cross.
I was moved by what I saw in the movie.

I am letting the rolling wave of Holy Week wash over me. So
far this week both Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer have
centered on the passion of Christ. On Tuesday a small group
of us prayed and walked through Jesus' own walk to His death,
pausing for times of prayer, devotion, and reflection on what he
had done.

Last night children and adults gathered for a messianic inter-
pretation of the Jewish Passover Seder. The Passover Seder
is arranged around four questions, each asked by a different
child. All the answers focused on what God has done to liber-
ate the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Since that act of
liberation so long ago, Jewish people throughout the centuries
have reclined at the Passover table and identified themselves
with their ancestors whom God had delivered some 1500 years
before Christ.

I have often associated Moses with the Exodus, but he is never
mentioned anywhere in the Passover Seder. The focus, however,
is on God and what God has done to liberate God's people. The
beautiful words spoken during the meal are full of blessings upon
God's Name, remembering what God had done to rescue Israel
from slavery, and crying out to God for God's continued deliver-
ance and blessing. The meal stretched my heart, making it in-
creasingly capable to hear again and remember what God had
done for Israel in the Exodus, and what God did for us by means
of a greater exodus, Jesus' death on the Cross.

It is Maundy Thursday as I write this, my heart is growing in-
creasingly aware of all that God has done through Jesus. Tonight
at church there will be a choral eucharist and Stripping of the
Sanctuary, followed by a time of waiting in silence. It will be a
precious time to contemplate and ponder all that God did all so
long ago. More importantly, in a way I don't quite understand,
we are there in the Upper Room with Jesus and the disciples,
and then at the foot of the Cross. It is my sin, it is all of our sins,
that put Jesus Christ to death on the Cross. He died to set us free
from the bondage of sin. Oh, how I need to remember that.

Tomorrow, Good Friday, especially the afternoon, will be a time
to remember, to wonder, and to ponder Jesus' death. It is sad
to say that I often get caught up focusing on what I am to do
rather than looking at what God has done. The Christian faith
is not a religion of dos and don'ts, but a relationship with the
Living Lord based on faith in what God has done through Jesus'
death on the Cross. I mourn that I often forget that. Let us pon-
der all that God has done for us through Christ's work on the
Cross.

Blessings to you and yours.

God's Forgiveness: The Heart of the Gospel

I hope the title of the blog piece doesn't sound so spiritual or
religious that it scares you away. As we journey on further
into the Lenten season and prepare ourselves for Good Fri-
day and Resurrection Sunday, I am increasingly aware of my
need -our need- of God's forgiveness.

I recently viewed The Barbarian Invasions (2003), a hard-
hitting and thought-provoking companion movie to The De-
cline of the American Empire (1987), both written and di-
rected by Denys Arcand, a well known French-Canadian film-
maker. The context of the film is post-1966 Montreal, the year
when a majority of people fled from the Roman Catholic Church
and turned their backs on God, the Church, and hope.

The central character is Remy, a feisty child-of-the-60s aca-
demic and a frisky philanderer who is dying. His lifestyle and
philosophy of life have devastated his relationships with his
estranged wife and children. Arcand uses the visits of his aca-
demic colleagues, former mistresses, and alienated family
members to comment on such issues as healthcare, the Ro-
man Catholic Church, financial prosperity, euthanasia, mar-
riage, family relationships, and death and dying.

My overall impression of the film was that it captured the es-
sence of life in North America and Europe: of societies of wom-
en and men who live without God and without hope in the
world. When I finished watching the movie I appreciated how
well done it was, but I was also saddened and grieved by see-
ing people who chose to live their lives as if God did not exist.
I felt a sense of heavy heartedness.

As I have reflected on the film I play back in my mind a scene
that swept past me when I saw it. From the opening scene to
the last portion of the movie, there is a nun who really be-
lieves in God in the midst of a world that does not believe in
God. In one scene the nun is engaged in conversation with
Remy, the dying academic. It was a powerful scene for me to
witness, and I may be embellishing it a bit because I am re-
calling it from memory. He makes a comment about the 3000
dead on 9/11, and how miniscule that was compared to the
30,000,000 indigenous people killed during the Spanish con-
quest of Latin America. Getting more agitated he talks about
the 150,000,000 dead at the hands of the British, Dutch, Dan-
ish, French, and US imperialistic ventures. Emotionally spent,
he falls back upon his bed, exhausted by his tirade.

There is a long period of silence. Remy stares at the nun. She
appears devastated by his outburst, and she struggles to re-
gain her composure. Meekly she utters that there has to be
someone to forgive us. Then with power she proclaims that
is what she believes. Now it is Remy's turn to be devastated.
After a while, he mutters that she is fortunate to believe that.
I do not quite know for sure, but I had the sense that he real-
ly wanted to believe that for himself. I couldn't help but won-
der if he wanted to have someone to forgive him for the infi-
delity to his wife, the withholding of love to his son, the mis-
use of countless women, and the misleading of generations of
students with his take on the latest intellectual fads and isms.

I do believe that the Church, God's people, is called to address
racism, poverty, oppression, hunger, injustice, corruption, ex-
ploitation, contemporary forms of slavery, and the environ-
ment, to name but a few of the issues. But as for me, what I
yearn for most, what I need most, what we need most, is God's
forgiveness. We all have gone astray from God's way: we each
seek glory for our names, build our own kingdoms, and walk
our own ways. What we need more than anything else is God's
forgiveness. We need it more than we need air to breathe, or
food to eat, or people to love us. My heart's desire is that we
would be God's people, the community of the forgiven and the
forgiving.

I'm fortunate to attend a church in which I have the opportun-
ity to celebrate communion at least every Sunday, and some-
times more. Each time that I see the elements laid out before
me, feel the Bread in my hands, smell and taste the swig from
the common Cup, and hear the Gospel proclaimed, I sense my
profound need for the Gospel of the Lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world. Only then do the questions of who
I am and what I do, of who we are and what we do, are put in
proper perspective and make any sense.

Shalom to you and yours, in Christ's Name.

Shaving, Crockpot Thinking, and Dissertations

For the past two weeks I have been struggling with crafting
the introduction to my dissertation. I have written nearly sev-
en chapters in rough form and there are two more to write.
Usually the introduction is written after the complete first
draft is done, but I decided to do it before I did the remaining
chapters.

Most of my time has been spent struggling to shape a concise
thesis statement that would provide shape and structure to
the whole dissertation. I anticipate that the thesis statement,
if done well, will help me write the final two chapters and shape
the other chapters. As I had expected, writing my thesis state-
ment has been a time- and energy-consuming process. I tend
to do a lot of pacing when I'm doing hard mental work, and for
the past ten days I have done a lot of it.

Then there are times when ideas or words plop themselves down
in my mind when I least expect them. This happened this morn-
ing while I was shaving. The day before I had been very pleased
with the way my thesis statement was coming into focus. I don't
want to share it with you at this point, but know that it was ten
well-chosen words that communicated clearly and effectively
what I wanted to say in my dissertation. I was pleased, but there
still seemed to be something missing and I didn't know what it
was.

I had just woken up from a good sleep and I was shaving, some-
thing I do every morning. Somewhat lost in my thoughts, I was
enjoying the way the thesis statement developed. All of a sud-
den, as if out of thin air, one single word plopped into my mind
and into the thesis statement. In my mind I put it at the very
beginning of the statement, and it made a lot of sense. I could-
not contain my excitement! I finished shaving and then wrote
a single word on a Post-It note. My mind was racing, making
sense of whole sections of several chapters and connecting
them with the overall thesis statement. It really made my day!

Wishing you all the best.

It's a Small World After All

During my two decades in Boston, a city some people call the Hub of the
Universe, I had amazing opportunities to meet people from all over the
world. But only since coming to St Andrews have I had opportunities to
share daily life with a good number of people from other nations. All that
I can say is that my life has been ennriched and blessed by sharing com-
mon living space and/or meals with people from all over the globe, espe-
cially Africa, Asia, and Europe. My closest friends still come from the USA,
Canada, New Zealand, England and Australia-and one dear friend from
Germany. But over the past three years a number of people from other
countries have also richly blessed me with their friendship.

Earlier tonight while I was preparing my evening meal, I chatted with a
graduate student from Rwanda who was also preparing her meal. In pre-
vious chats I had been struck by her radiant smile and her joyful Chris-
tian faith. She was sixteen when the Rwandan genocide took place. I felt
awkward asking her more questions on that, so I asked what other lan-
guages did she speak besides English. Even though she was comfortable
using English, she found it difficult. Her language in school in Rwanda had
been French. And then she told me with a laugh that she apoke Chinese
because she did a university degree in finance in China. Now she's here in
Scotland doing a masters degree in the same subject. I found it hard to
imagine myself doing university studies in Chinese.

But there are a considerable number of Chinese women and men doing
university studies in English here in St Andrews. There are many grad-
uate degree students from China here in my residence hall, and it seems
that the majority of them are studying finance, marketing, or manage-
ment. I find that many of the Chinese students are so eager to chat that
they take the initiative to converse with me. I remember the first conver-
sation I had with one Chinese graduate student in finance. As we prepared
our meals and sat down to eat he expressed his fondness for anything that
had to do with the National Basketball League in the USA and American
TV shows that he downloaded from a Chinese website. I was amazed that
he knew so much about NBA teams, players, and standings, and the latest
TV shows in the States.

Then there was the time I was in the kitchen eating my dinner when
a tall Chinese doctoral student in financial management introduced him-
self to me. I guess it had gotten around that I was a Christian minister.
He stood on the other side of the table from me and started asking me
questions about God, Christianity, and the Bible. As I answered his ques-
tions and shared with him about God, the Bible, the Cross, forgiveness
of sins, what happens during a church service, and what a minister does,
he gradually worked his way around the table, slowly moving ever clos-
er to me, and finally pulling up a chair to sit very close to me, looking
directly into my eyes. He asked question after question and seemed
so hungry to take in whatever I had to say. It was really a special
time for me.

I often pause to remember friends (many of whom have returned to
their home countries) with whom I have shared living space and meals:
men and women from Germany, Italy, Spain, Scotland, Japan, South
Korea, Singapore, Portugal, Slovakia, California (just kidding), Argen-
tina, Greece, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, England, Australia, the
Netherlands, Canada, Cambodia, South Africa, and the USA. I have
been blessed by these friendships and they have enriched my life
here.





-

Blessed to Be a Blessing

One of my heartfelt desires is that people would someday speak of
me as blessed by God and, as a fruit of that, a blessing to others. This
would mean that God the Father would have so blessed me in Christ
Jesus, the Son, that the Spirit of God would have flowed through me
blessing others. That I would be blessed by God to be a blessing is
what I yearn for.

The pattern of God blessing women and men in order to bless others
runs through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. I first encounter
this in Scripture when God promised to bless Abram and his des-
cendants so that all the families of the world would be blessed (Gen.
12:2). God has blessed all the nations through Jesus, Abraham's prom-
ised descendant. By trusting in Christ Jesus we have been made sons
and daughters of Abraham (Gal. 3:7) and in Him we have received ev-
ery spiritual blessing in heaven and on earth (Eph. 1). Christ has sent
God's people who have been blessed in Him into the world to bless
others in the Name of the Triune God (Matt. 28:18-20).

I believe that Gen. 12:1-3 is a foundation for Christian mission. The
Church has been blessed in Jesus Christ to be a blessing to the na-
tions of the world. I also yearn to make the pattern of being blessed
by God to be a blessing a part of my daily life wherever I am. But I
am saddened by the reality that I so quickly forget God's blessings
in Jesus Christ. And so daily I feed on the Scriptures and pray that
the Father may grant me the Spirit so that I may know God more
deeply (Eph. 1: 17ff). I also pray that I would seek every opportunity
to do good to someone. That may mean spending time to listen to a
person or helping someone to do something. It may mean praying with
another in need or handing a person a cup of cold water or a mug of
hot coffee. It could be helping someone move to another house or shar-
ing with another about entrusting his or her life to Jesus Christ. But
the important thing is to seek every opportunity to do good to someone.

So I encourage you all who have been blessed in Christ Jesus to be a
blessing to others. Blessings to you and yours.

Mini-Sabbaths at the North Point

Every Monday through Friday, 8:45 until 9:30AM, I enter into what
has become for me during the past two years an established and sac-
red routine in my life. Most of this time is spent at a local coffee shop
writing in my journal. During this time I reflect on the past few days
and prepare for the day at hand. It is almost like having a mini-Sab-
bath each day.

On weekdays, with varying degrees of success, I try to get to my desk
around 7AM. Sometimes I get some work done, and sometimes I do
not. Around 8:35 I start walking the short distance to the University
Chapel for Morning Prayer that is hosted by the University Chap-
lain. I'll write more about that later, but suffice it to say that Morning
Prayer has become an important part of my life here at the university
during the past three and a half years. It is only ten minutes long, but
it has had a huge impact in terms of forming me spiritually and shap-
ing the direction of my life.

After prayer, I take a short walk to the North Point, a well-known
local coffee shop, for its morning Happy Hour. The hot drinks are
inexpensive during Happy Hour, the staff people are chatty, and
the place is full of life, conversation, and laughter. But what I like
best about mornings at the North Point is that they provide me with
place and time to examine the immediate past, pay attention to the
present, and look forward to the future. It offers me the time and
space in which I can journal about these things. There may be lively
conversation next to me, but I am usually lost in writing my thoughts,
feelings, and observations down on the pages of my journal. I don't go
out of my way for coffee, but I do enjoy hot chocolate, Fair Trade tea,
or Fair Trade Mocha while I sit, feel, think, remember, and write.

For many years now journal writing has been an enriching spiritual
discipline in my life. It has always been a part of my Sunday routine
after church. During the last few years I have tried to make time ev-
ery day to take short mini-Sabbath times of rest. Journal writing has
become a way in which I can take God seriously and pay attention to
what God is doing in my life. There might be lively and loud hustle and
bustle jampacked into every one of the forty or so available seats in
the North Point, but I am oblivious to it all while I write in my journal
as if before the face of God. As I write about people I have met, conver-
sations I have had, the books and articles I have read, movies I have
seen, the feelings that are within me, decisions I have to make, and the
things I have done, I am oblivious to the world around me. As I write
things out I become aware of things I hadn't noticed before, make con-
nections I had not seen previously, and gain insight and wisdom. I am
also aware that at times I find it difficult to write about something and
to bring it before the face of God. There are some things that are just
too painful or shameful. But I do pay attention to those things because
what I don't want to write about is just as important and revealing as
what I do write about. As a result of my experience I would say that
journal writing has become as important to me as writing and complet-
ing my dissertation, and perhaps even more so.

On most week days you can find me at the North Point drinking a hot
beverage, journaling about the good and bad experiences of life, and
entering into a mini-Sabbath with the Lord.