Five weeks in one post

"Hi, my name is Rob...and...I'm a procrastinator."  He said with his head faced down to the podium

"Hello Rob."  The group replied in unison.

"It has been 18 days since my last blog post."  The man at the podium said without raising an eye, too scared to look at the group in front of him.  "I know it has been too long, especially since so many people genuinely care and faithfully read so that they too can follow along on my adventures out here in California.  So, here it goes, five weeks in one post.  Hold on this might be a bumpy ride...."

So when we got back to Berkeley I had one day to readjust to being back in my monastic cell and get back in the school mindset.  CDSP requires that first and second year students take at least one class during the January Intersession.  J-Term, as it is often referred to, is supposed to be a time to take a course that will not count towards a degree but a course that is usually a fun topic.  This year I decided to take a course called Jesus and the Movies.  The course had two goals; first to show the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection through a compilation of ten or so films, and second to ask this question, can we accurately and faithfully depict the dual nature of Christ through film but in such a way that it is not campy?  The course was only meeting Tuesday through Friday from 9:00AM to 1:00PM.  Even though it was four hours sitting in a classroom, the professor was really into it and there was a lot to see so time just flew by.  After four days, I was exposed to a wide array of movies about Jesus, some of which I had seen or heard of before like The Passion of the Christ and The Last Temptation of Christ, as well as movies I had never heard of like Jesus of Montreal and Godspell.  All in all each movie had their strengths in portraying both the divine and human natures of Christ, and each one fell short in their own way as well.  I concluded that while no movie is perfect it is still necessary to continue to pursue this genre of film in Hollywood and that movies about Jesus have the power to reach out to audiences that perhaps have not been exposed or "unchurched."

"Well that was week one, albeit a condensed week.  Let's keep going."  the man at the podium added at the end of his first story.

The second week back from the mini-road trip was busy, at least for the first three days.  During this week, which also happened to be my birthday week, CDSP was offering four training courses in the span of three days.  They were: Canon Law, Safeguarding God's People, Safeguarding God's Children, and Multicultural training.  Certification in each of the courses are required by the diocese so this was a great opportunity to get them all in one fell swoop.  While it was a good thing to get them all at once, it was a very intense three days because each day was broken up into three session of three hours.  Canon Law covered the canons of the national church with special emphasis on Title IV.  It is under this section that details the processes and repercussions for various malpractices as a priest.  So, it was good to get some exposure to the canons and also become familiar with Title IV.  Safeguarding God's People and Children were two separate trainings on preventing abuse of power and authority within pastoral relationships with adults and to recognize child abuse and address this threat to the innocence of all of God's children.  The training section about children was particularly difficult at some points but it was indeed necessary for anyone who will be an ordained leader in the church.  Finally the last training was about multicultural training.  This entailed learning about issues surrounding power in terms of who has it and who doesn't.  We talked about being aware of the context in which we were raised and how that can play a role in the way we view others.  Ultimately this session was to help us as future leaders of the church to be aware that racism is still very present in our culture.  After the three long days of training I had Thursday off to regroup and then Lauren planned an evening out to celebrate my birthday that Friday night.  Most of the first year class showed up as well as other friends from the other classes.  We had a great time, gathered together outside of school, dancing and being happy to be together.  It was a good end to a long week, especially since classes started the next week.

"We are now almost halfway through to being caught up."  The man at the podium said.  With a heavy sigh he continued.  "Now it was time to get ready for the next fifteen weeks of classes and other school obligations."

This semester I am taking a full load of courses.  Just like last semester they are more foundational classes that are required by the seminary.  I am taking Christian History Part II, which is a collaborative effort between CDSP and another seminary Pacific School of Religion.  Since Dan our history professor is on sabbatical in England there is no one at CDSp to teach the course so he got together with the PSR professor and developed the class so that it satisfied our needs and requirements as well as the PSR students.  I am also taking Pastoral Theology, which is as the names suggests a course in the theology of pastoral care.  I am also taking Intro to Worship which again as the name suggests is an intro course about worship with specific focus on Anglican liturgy.  We are learning about the definition of worship and how it has developed over time as well as how it pertains to the Episcopal traditions of worship and liturgy.  Finally I am taking a course called Leading Through Lament.  This course is particularly interesting because of the topic and the class size.  We are looking at lament as found in the Psalms, the book of Lamentations, the writings of the prophets, and portions of the New Testament all while looking at modern situations that would cause lament.  There are only five students and the professor in this class, so it is a small learning environment and so far the first small class I have had so far.  Overall my schedule isn't too bad with three classes on Tuesday, one on Thursday and one on Friday, leaving me with Monday and Wednesdays off.  The first week was typical as we covered the syllabus and did basic intro to the course types of work.  Should shape up to be a good semester.

Here the man at the podium paused, took in a deep breath and continued on with his story.  It seemed as if he knew that though he was halfway done he still had more to say.

The last two weeks have been pretty busy with reading and assignments.  I am beginning to find that it appears as if there is less written work this semester but also a bit more reading.  So far I have not yet fallen behind, and God willing I won't, but it didn't feel as if I had found my stride.  I didn't quite have my time allotted in such a way to make sure I had ample time to devote to the homework for each course.   But now that we are four weeks into the semester I feel a lot better about my weekly schedule.  A few things of note did occur during the last few weeks.  The board of trustees for the school were on campus early in the second week of school.  It was a regularly scheduled meeting but there were a lot of significant changes that needed to be approved.  There has been a lot of anxiety around campus about what is going to happen and what will the seminary look like in the years to come.  Though everyone is not satisfied with the potential changes, I believe that the school is being proactive instead of reactive in regards to some of the issues.  On another note, my bishop was in town Monday so Jeff and I got to spend some time with him.  We took him out to lunch and we had a god conversation about how we were doing and what was going on at the school.  It was a good opportunity to have a solid amount of one on one time with the bishop since normally getting that kind of time with him is difficult.  We are now relatively caught up with the last month and a half.  The strange part is...time is flying by, it seems as if I have only been back for a few weeks.

The man at the podium stopped speaking, waited a moment and went back to his seat.  As he sat down a small smile crept across his face, as if he felt like he just let go of something that had been weighing on him.  Perhaps he felt good now that he got that story out so that other people finally knew what he was doing.  I am sure he will get up again and tell another story.

My birthday party at the White Horse Inn in Oakland

Again, my party at the White Horse

St John's Oakland - I went there three Sundays ago to hear a friend preach, even though it is technically in Oakland it looks like a suburban church, perhaps it is just a really nice part of Oakland

More of St. John's Oakland

Again, St. John's Oakland

Guess where this is???  You got it, St. John's Oakland

Staff Meeting at a long table outside LaVal's...this CDSP tradition happens every Thursday night

St. Paul's Oakland - third visit

Chewbacca!!!!

Golden State Warriors vs Phoenix Suns...Lauren is a Suns fan so it was cool to catch a game, wicked cheap tickets, and we had a friend sitting in a practically empty box who saw us and tried to get our attention but we both missed his texts...bummer

Lauren's cat Cubby on the prowl, asserting his authority

The first Peet's coffee shop was right around the corner from campus nestled in a residential neighborhood...nothing crazy but interesting factoid

Mini-Road Trip - Santa Barbara to Berkeley

We arose the next morning and it was another beautiful California morning.  We packed up the car and hit up the continental breakfast bar.  They did have a make your own waffle station which was cool and I had mentioned to Lauren the night before when we checked in that I was definitely going to check that out.  We ate our fill, grabbed coffee to go and hit the road.  We drove around a little bit to see what Santa Barbara was like since we had arrived in pitch black it was cool to see it in the light.  We got on the CA101 heading north when we saw a sign for the Santa Barbara Mission a few exits ahead.  We thought that it would be cool to see it since who knows when we would be back through the area again.

We pulled off the highway and wound our way up a hill until rising above the palm trees was the mission.  We pulled into the parking lot off to the side of the mission, which was only partially filled, and began to roam around the area.  Had we wanted to take a guided tour we could have gone into the mission itself and seen the church, the monastic rooms, and the rose gardens, but we figured just looking around the free areas was cool.  Lauren told me that there were missions like this littered up and down the coast that were founded by Spanish catholic missionaries.  After walking around we got back in the car and headed north on the CA101 to get to the CA1, the Pacific Coast Highway.

Looking out to the Pacific from the steps of the mission

The plaque on the front of the mission

The front of the mission with Lauren on the steps

Watch out Tom, I look pretty good in a Catholic habit if I don't say so myself

We cruised along the CA101 which hugged the coast for a good thirty miles or so before we came to the CA1 and veered away from the coast.  We traveled through what was predominately farmland as we made our way towards Vandenberg Air Force Base.  After another forty miles of cruising among the hills that line the coast we based the base and continued north.  The scenery was amazing as it was a mix of hills, farmland, and coastline.  We passed many little towns, with quintessential town squares and rural main streets.  I was a bit disappointed at first because I thought that we would be right on the coast with winding roads, the steep drop offs, and the ocean right next to us.  Little did I know that was waiting for me as we got closer to the Monterrey area and Big Sur.  We stopped for lunch at a train that was converted into a diner in a coastal resort town.  It was pretty good and pretty cheap.  We also walked down to the beach even though it was windy and cold, but at least we could say we went to a beach.

The Rock & Roll Diner

The edge of the continent

We were on the CA1 and still several hundred miles south of SF when the towns started to disappear and the road became much more winding.  We were approaching the Monterrey County line and it was clear that we were in for a change in scenery.  The farmlands disappeared and we were driving through the hills and much more closely to the coast than before.  That was when I knew that I was where I wanted to be.   We pulled off the highway at a turnout where there was a viewing point for elephant seals that littered the beach.  We hung out for a few minutes, listened to someone speak about the seals and how to preserve them, took some pictures and left.

One of many places where seals come to give birth, raise their young, and of course catch some rays

So many freaking seals!

Awww look at the baby seal, ain't it purdy

Lauren was nervous about the heights because we were driving through sharp switchbacks and going up and down in elevation rather quickly.  there were no gas stations, no restaurants, only hills to my right and the ocean to my left.  The road was only one lane on each side with many pull offs so that slower traffic could move out of the way of faster vehicles.  It was an intense and amazingly fun drive.  We had the windows down and the music playing as I clutched the steering wheel trying to stay on the road.  This carried on for about fifty miles or so and what would normally take only an hour to travel, took us nearly two hours to do that stretch of the PCH.  The views were one of a kind and unlike anything else I had seen before.  It truly was amazing.  I recommend this ride to anyone who has never done it before.  It was a lot better than just driving up the I5.  The sun was setting as we approached Monterrey and both Lauren and I were tired and looking forward to not driving anymore.  Instead of continuing up the CA1 all the way to the Bay Area, we made our way over to one of the freeways.  We cruised along for another hour or so until we reached San Jose which is located on the south end of the bay.  It would only be another 45 minutes and we were finally home in Berkeley.  All in all it was an amazing trip and one I hope to repeat again sometime before I head back to Boston.

Mini-Road Trip - Phoenix to Santa Barbara

The ride from Phoenix to Berkeley via the I10 and I5 normally takes about 12 hours, of course that time frame is contingent upon the LA traffic.  From what I have been told by going that route it is a fairly straightforward and uneventful ride.  Since this would be the first and possibly the only time that I might make this trip Lauren and I thought that we might as well make the most of it and take a more scenic route with a stop in LA.  So we decided to take the I10 west into LA, see a few sights and then make our way up the CA1 along the coast up to Santa Cruz and then pick up a major highway to get us back to the Bay Area.

The first leg of the trip through the Arizona desert was rather uneventful as the scenery was pretty much the same.  We were surrounded by rolling hills of brush, cactus, and dirt.  The sky was overcast for much of the morning so the sun was unable to truly bring out all of the colors that the desert surroundings had to offer.  Lauren took the first round of driving since I was tired and my body still trying to catch up to the time change.  We cruised through Arizona fairly quickly with limited interruptions for gas and bathroom breaks.  It was great to just have that time to listen to music and hear Lauren tell stories about the many trips she had taken along the roads we were traveling.

After three hours of driving we made it to the California border and were met with the mandatory agricultural inspection that every vehicle entering California is subject to.  Of course the person manning our line looked briefly in the windows of the car and waved us through.  I imagine that the sight of the two of us gave the person enough confidence that we weren't trying to smuggle any illegal flora and fauna into the sate which allowed us to pass through without having to rummage through the car.  We switched roles, I driving and her navigating, on the other side of the border and we continued west to LA.  the scenery was very much the same.  Sprawling desert landscapes with little to no civilization around us.  While we did not get the opportunity to view wildlife we did see what looked like a mountain lion on the side of the road that fell victim to a moving vehicle.

We cruised through the southern California desert and didn't actually make an intentional stop until we were just north of Palm Springs.  For those who are unfamiliar with the area, like me, Palm Springs is an area of civilization out in the middle of nowhere a few hundred miles west of LA.  It is a playground of casinos and various festivals held throughout the year.  We saw a sign for a large Christian rock festival that we missed only by a few weeks, while we would not have attended such an event it attests to the many different events that occur in this oasis in the desert.  But just north of Palm Springs in a little town there is a stop that Lauren insisted we had to make.  As we pulled off the highway rising into the sky above the gas stations and restaurants were two gigantic dinosaurs, a T-Rex and a Brontosaurus.  As a child Lauren and her family would always stop in this town to see the dinosaurs.  Now grown up whenever she is driving with her young nieces they too desperately want to stop to see the larger than life animals that once walked this area of California.  It was cool to have the opportunity to share that with her.

Dinosaurs in the desert???

Notice the sign under the head...I am thinking that the people who put this up may be creationists

Help!  I'm T-Rex lunch!

Except for the height difference they look exactly alike.

After our brief stop and a refuel we continued our way west to the sprawling metropolis known as LA.  As we got closer to the city there were more cars on the road, more staties patrolling, and my excitement grew.  I have never been to LA before so this was a bit of a novelty.  Given the fact that we were only there for a few hours we decided the the best place to stop and look around would be Hollywood Boulevard.  There are so many things along the boulevard that define LA and all its grandeur.  The Hollywood walk of fame, the Chinese Theater, the Kodak Theater and dozens of people hawking maps of homes of the stars are but a few things we were able to see.  Since it was the Sunday before MLK day there were tons of people out and it was utter chaos, though tenuously held together by the beat cops that walked the streets.  We walked around and for the most part had a good time soaking it all in.

We were greeted with this mob of people as we exited the parking garage

The Chinese Theater

Star Wars heaven!!!!

As you can see a storm trooper was among us, so many people dress up for pictures it is almost a full time job, we saw at least five different Capt. Jack Sparrows and three Darth Vaders...I wonder what kind of benefits they get???

Everyone's favorite cartoon family has a star...score!

Fortunately the Oscars weren't happening or this would have been so much worse, though the Golden Globes were that night though at the Beverly Hills Hotel

The iconic Hollywood sign...what is more LA than the excess of Hollywood

Phoenix, AZ

I have now been in Berkeley for the better part of two weeks and as you may all know I have not posted a thing.  I had hoped that upon my arrival on campus I would have posted several times by now but alas time has again got away from me.  I didn't think that I would have been that busy with everything especially since the semester just started, oh well.

As most of you know I left Boston to head back to Berkeley for my January Intersession class, but instead of heading straight to California I stopped in Phoenix to meet up with Lauren.  She was in Phoenix to visit some friends and interview for a possible position at her home parish after her ordination.  Her father drove out with her but she had no one to ride back with her so I figured it would be a good way to see more of the country that I have not previously seen.

I left Boston just before a cold front swept in and the threat of snow looming.  I made through the whole break back home without snow and without any serious cold spells.  So I boarded the plane bundled up and looking forward to the warmer weather of the Arizona desert.  The plane trip was uneventful and I arrived in Phoenix in the dead of night.  Lauren met me and we made our way to her friend Gini's condo.  It was cool sitting in the passenger seat and looking out into the night.  I could only make out stuff that was close because it was so dark and there was no natural light to see off into the distance.  I saw a whole lot of sand and cactus.  Definitely not in Boston anymore.

The next morning we woke up and I got a better feel of where I was and the surrounding area.  It was still early but Lauren and I bundled up since desert morning are cold and went to her favorite local coffee house, Coffee Rush.  We hung out there and I listened to her reminisce about events from her life that occurred there since she hung out there a lot.  The next stop on our agenda for the day was to visit her maternal grandmother and grandfather.  However we were not expected until 11:00 so we needed to kill some time.  We drove around for a bit as Lauren pointed different places she knew from her childhood.  We visited her home parish which is sponsoring her for ordination.  We walked around the downtown area of Chandler, a town just outside of Phoenix.  After a while it was time to head to her grandparents house.

 A Tumbleweed Christmas Tree in downtown Chandler

 The town square

What started as just a 30 minute visit turned into a 2 hour stay that was filled with stories and good food.  It was great to meet them and for them to get to know me better.  Her grandmother was born in Mexico and spoke little English, while her grandfather was born in California but had a thick accent and sometimes acted as translator.  Lauren could understand her grandmother even though she doesn't speak Spanish.  We had homemade tamales and quesadillas, both of which were excellent.  After two hours we left and went back to the condo for a house warming party and of course more importantly the AFC Divisional game between the Pats and the Broncos.

A lot of Gini's family and friends showed up for the party and it was a good time.  There were kids running around, food laid out all over the living room and dinning room, and the NFC game between the 49ers and the Saints.  Of course a lot of people in the house were rooting for the Niners and it turned out to be a great game.  Then the Pats came on and I took a prime seat on the couch in front of the giant flat screen.  We watched the Pats dominate the Tebow led Broncos and munched on a burrito from Lauren's favorite restaurant.  After a long day we all retired and called it a night.

The next morning Laurena and I woke up early to pack the car and get ready to hit the road back to California.  We said our goodbyes and took off for the highway.  Then to my surprise on the horizon that familiar sign came into view and I knew that this was my lucky day.  In the middle of Arizona there was a Waffle House, I missed the opportunity to stop at one on the cross country road trip, so I was excited to get my fix.  I ordered the same meal I get every time and we grubbed out in breakfast bliss.  After our feast we hit the road heading west to LA.

Thank you Jesus!

The same meal I get every time I go to Waffle House...I affectionately call it the heart stopper

I'm back...in Berkeley that is

After almost three and a half days of traveling I have successfully made it back to Berkeley.  I have had some interesting adventures, with pictures and over the next few days I will be letting you all in on what I have been up to.  But now I must unpack my car and get some rest because not only do I have a class tomorrow but I am physically and mentally burnt out right now and vegging out sounds excellent.  Stay tuned y'all.

End of first semester and home

I have made it home as most of you already know.  The past twelve days have been stressful, challenging, fulfilling, and overall a whirlwind experience.  Just about a week ago I two normal final essay due in both Greek and OT and I had a three hour timed final essay for my history class.  We were given several options for our final history paper and one of options was a three hour timed essay, which is similar to a standard General Ordination Exam, or GOE, session.  By the end of our first semester of our third year those students pursuing ordination must take the GOE.  This test consist of three hour session in seven canonical areas:  Holy Scripture, Church History, Christian Theology, Christian Ethics, Contemporary Studies, Liturgics and Music, and Theory and Practice of Ministry.  So, our professor thought it was a good idea to expose students to these similar situations to ease our general anxieties about the whole experiences.  On a side note, in some dioceses the GOE score is taken under very serious consideration when they decide whether or not to advance a candidate for ordination, while in other diocese it means nothing at all.  Anyways, by Tuesday of last week I had finished my two papers and electronically submitted them and looked towards preparing for the history paper.

I spent a fair amount of time with the texts and my class notes that the professor distributes before each class.  I had a good grasp on the topic and I used a good amount of references to both the texts and the notes.  I sat down, started my timer, and began to type.  After about three hours I had a nine page essay on  about salvation in the middle ages and I thought it was pretty solid.  I sent it off to the professor and will get my grade soon.  I took care of that on Thursday and had Friday to get ready for my flight home to Boston at 11:15 that night.  Friday was a relaxing day and by six Jason, Lauren and I loaded up my car and made our way to SFO, Jason was flying out an hour and half after my departure and Lauren was taking my car back to school.  We did stop for dinner at Sizzler.  It was a classy place but it did have decent food for the options that they had.  It was good to have a full meal before getting on a red-eye flight.  I was at the airport by 9:30 and in the air before 11:30.

The flight was uneventful even though I did not sleep.  It is not that I could have fallen asleep, it was that I couldn't even if I had wanted to.  I was sitting two rows from the back in an aisle seat.  I had two people to my left, the aisle and then a set of three more seats.  The flight was full, every seat was filled with a body.  Now there were two bathrooms at the rear of the plane, two rows behind me, and one up front by the front door and the cockpit.  My shoulders are fairly broad and my should extended beyond my seat and into the aisle.  every person that went to the bathroom on that five and a half hour flight, including the flight attendants, hit my shoulder as they walked by...twice, one for going and one from returning.  Not one person went out of their way to try and squeeze by so needless to say I didn't even bother to try and sleep.  Other than getting knocked around a whole bunch the flight went by quickly.  We landed in Boston around 8:00 Saturday morning and I was asleep in my bed by 10:00.

My first semester is done and I have five more until graduation.  While I am taking my time and trying to explore and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way while I am in Cali,  am always looking forward with my eye on the future.  I have a goal and like a good puzzle every pieces has to line up and fit together to get the desired result, so too for me as I put all the pieces together and move forward.  It is amazing to think how quickly the semester went by.  It was a full three months but it didn't feel like it.  I can only imagine what three years will feel like.

I am home now and ready for a break.  I may post while home but I will be relaxing and getting ready for my next semester.  I fly back to Cali in January so you will definitely hear from me by then.  Merry Christmas.

A difficult task

I received an email from my aunt yesterday evening during class.  I know what you are all thinking why were you on your computer instead of paying attention in class?  My answer is..duh I had other work that I'd rather work on so I zoned out the prof and worked on other assignments.  Just kidding.  I usually take some notes on my computer as well as have the internet up to look up articles pertinent to what the subject being covered that day.  Anyways, I opened the email and started reading.  According to my aunt, a court in Georgia is going to be ruling on a motion to suppress evidence in the murder case for the shooter who shot my uncle almost two years ago on Valentine's Day.  A member of the DA's office is seeking Victim Impact Statements from family members of the victim.  Immediately a rush of emotions swept over me as I remembered back to that day and the days after as we dealt with the aftermath of the seemingly random murder.  I am now tasked with putting my thoughts, feelings, and reactions, now two years removed onto paper before Sunday.

I have spent the last day and a half thinking about the incident and the effect that it has had on me.  It does bring back some very strong emotions, no doubt, but I don't think that it has impacted my daily life.  It did not trigger another depressive episode, which it very well could have, but after thinking about it I have come to a conclusion.  It is my faith that has brought me through this time of trial and tribulation.  I don't feel vindictive or vengeful towards the perpetrators of the crime because while I believe the US judicial system will hopefully determine an appropriate punishment based on the legal gather of facts and evidence.  However, I firmly believe that when Jesus comes again they will have to stand in front of him and be judged for their actions.  Since they violated one of God's most sacred commandments they will be found wanting and deal with the eternal punishment that awaits each of them, all the while my uncle will be joined with God in all of His peace and love that awaits him.  I know that I will see him again, not today or tomorrow, but without a doubt we will see each other again.  I think that the losses that my family have been through over the last four years would be more difficult to deal with if I did not have my faith to comfort me.  My prayer book and my bible have provided me with strength that has served me well over this difficult time.  Hopefully others can find the same peace and comfort as I have...hopefully.