theo|digital

Welp, my 2nd Amazon dump arrived this morning at 11:04am. I “in-processed” them like the nerd I am… entering ISBN’s into my LibraryThing, tagging them appropriately, then stamping each with my little “From my personal library: Chris Ridgeway” stamp on the inside lower right corner of the first page.

Part of what I want to track here (for my own emotional health) is what this feels like to leave so many years of campus ministry position and jump into a seminary. Perhaps a lot of my transitional stresses would be universal to the new friends I’m making here – those of us who are all starting this year and coming from elsewhere. But I’m sure there’s plenty of surprises that are unique to each of us.

There are so many simultaneous shifts happening that I I can hardly categorize them: Theological. Relational. Grocery-store related.

I’m not used to:
…sleeping in a single bed (although it really hasn’t been bad).

…saying “thanks be to God” after scripture readings (seminary chapel).

…the walk to class taking only four minutes (and I thought I was “on campus” in Champaign!)

…regularly hearing about “the call process” as referencing either a) how someone decided to enroll in a degree program or b) the hiring process for being a pastor at a church.

…pastors being hired.

…being assigned the reading instead of doing it myself.

…not having a coffee shop home (still working on it. Only starbucks is a close-by walk).

…being able to play with my roommate’s iPhone (my old roommates just talked about getting them).

…not having a chinese restaurant home (see “coffee shop”).

…formal academic theological Journals (surprise! The “J” section is the largest).

…hearing Swedish.

…feeling like I know less than everyone else (two people I’ve been hanging around have undergraduate degrees in Bible. I haven’t even had the intro courses).

…nobody stopping me on campus asking if we can get together and talk.

…hearing “Covenant College” and it referring to somewhere in Canada, not Tennessee (Covenant Evangelical Church, not Presbyterian Church in America)

…people not being able to understand me when I talk fast and mumble (I miss the Champaign friends who could interpret so easily).

…milk costing a $3.75 a gallon

…sermons instead of stories.

…paper handouts instead of digital (it’s sorta unreal. digital files exist around here but, let’s just say… Gmail Paper would probably get an enthusiastic reception here).

..the NRSV.

that’s good for a start…

ps – 2nd shot is a photo of my flat. I’m on the 3rd floor.