My second year of seminary begins with some deep dives into Theology, as I tackle taking Intro to Theology and Practical Theology. Thus far, I am inspired by the thought that "Theologies that matter arise out of dilemmas." (Mary McClintock Fulkerson) Additionally, I am taking a class on Funeral Praxis and a history course called, The Pursuit of Happiness, which examines the many ways religion and culture have viewed the idea of human flourishing.
Another significant change this year is that 2 of my classes are in person. With proof of vaccines and masks affixed, we dutifully stay 6ft apart as we gather. Iliff's beautiful, Historically Registered building has insufficient air circulation, so we remain in the modern end of the school- shuffling furniture around in the library and community room.
Less than 5 days in and already my mind is reeling with concepts like Black Transhuman Liberation Theology and eudaemonia.However, amid the thrilling intellectual challenges and exciting new social justice perspectives, it is also a rapid descent into massive amounts of work and already feeling like I am falling behind. In this one week, I have had to start and finish 3 books, read and analyze dozens of articles, and write 3 discussion posts. I have been significantly better about carving out time for spiritual practices that keep me nourished, but stress is definitely creating around looking for a way in.
One of my classes requires us to chose from a selection of books to read, study, and write about along side our regular work. The book I chose is titled, Food and Faith. I have been watching with great interest the ministry of LUUP, the Longmont Unitarian Universalist Presence. Before the pandemic, they had a wonderful dinner church. Rev. Conger was working alongside the community to create something special. The pandemic obviously altered their work, but they found safe ways to transition to a community garden project. While I just found out today that Rev. Conger is leaving, I have hope that this innovative approach to community building and spirituality will open new ways forward. As K. Rahner stated, "There is hardly anything more mysterious in everyday life than nourishment: the transformation of something dead into something alive."
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