Ephphatha

Wow, I cannot believe that it is the middle of March already. Yet, looking outside at the snow-covered ground and feeling the cold air as I walked to work really made me want to check a calendar to make sure it is March. The good news is that baseball spring training is in full swing and that March Madness is about to begin. I love the NCAA tournament- it has been a tradition of mine to stop doing whatever it is I am doing when the first two days take place. That tradition will continue this year as well.

Our trip out to Whibey Island (Just Northwest of Seattle) was incredible. Logan had a ball, and Anna and I had a great time hanging out with good friends. The weather was beautiful and we were able to spend a little part of each day at the beach playing with Crabs and dead star fish. It was exactly what we all needed- a break from this place- and I think it refreshed us all enough to finish this year and our time here strong. It's amazing to think that in a few months both Anna and I will graduate and then we will be moving to somewhere in Michigan and hopefully be moving into a house- I can't wait for the space!!! We are hoping that adding more chaos to our life in the form of a new puppy will help the time go faster. It's kind of funny- I am going to miss a ton of people here- great friends that have surrounded me, but at the same time I can't wait to be done, and move on- to leave the seminary and the small little world that it has become. I guess it is fair to say that I have developed "senioritis". Oh well!

As I begin to envision the type of ministry I will be doing, I have started to read Pete Ward's Liquid Church. Ward presents an image of Church that does not have the typical Sunday gathering at its center. He encourages church to be more about small group ministry focussing on the changing culture and molding with that culture. Interesting stuff- and I wonder why are we just now truly starting to see this type of thing take place? What's the big deal with the new "postmodern" movement anyway? Are we still in postmodernism or have we moved now beyond that? Just some questions I am having....