taste of seminary, day 1

it's late and i'm already sleep deprived so i'm going to try to keep this brief...

current emotion: OVERWHELMED and ridiculously excited. it's only been one day and i've learned and experienced so much.

morning: site visit and worship service at a latino united methodist church in humboldt park neighborhood. some thoughts-

• a phrase that came to mind was GRITTY JOY. some of the prayer requests that were shared were intense and almost completely unfamiliar to me- families facing separation due to deportation, 3 women in need of kidney transplants but are unable to receive them (despite the fact that they have family members who are compatible) because of their illegal status, a little boy shot in the head. and yet, there was so much joy that arose among the people. el Senor is their savior and the praises that they shout come straight from their deepest sorrows and hopes.
• there was an anti-bacterial lotion in the front of the chapel next to the sacraments. it reminded me of what the pastor said earlier in the service when referring to the inaccessible health care that is the reality of the majority of the congregation- "germs don't discriminate". that purell lotion became a humorous and symbolic object to me.
• the lead pastor is a WASP (and from texas, of all places). i was thankful for a man who, by appearance and background, could've easily ignored the needs of this community and minister comfortably in some northwest suburb of chicago. and yet, he chose use his social status and power to give voice to the voiceless. so despite his at times ridiculous political comments, i believe that he's a man of integrity.
• "these are the people who rode on the backs of our movement" the pastor, when referring to the president and his chicago-based sidekicks about their humble and hopeful beginnings and their journey to being part of the system of oppression. (that, by the way, was not one of his ridiculous comments.)
• the service was bi-lingual, multi-generational and liturgical. there was so much to learn and experience!

some other highlights-

• met with a korean canadian professor who studies practical theology and specializes in worship and historical liturgy. she basically studies and theorizes about stuff that i get excited about. it was SO weird and freeing to talk to someone who understood and empathized with my questions, concerns, hopes and excitement. stuff like theological implications on including (or omitting) liturgical elements in worship, creating space for the spirit to move in a very structured environment, etc...they're not exactly friendly topics for small talk. AND she's a korean canadian female. connected on parental expectations, bi-cultural struggles and triumphs, etc. wowzers.
• i began today slightly guarded. brief encounters with different people last night left me wondering if some of these folks were too different for me to fully engage in dialogue. not surprisingly, the people i felt most comfortable with were asian americans from the west coast. but throughout the day i had some insightful, thought provoking convos. this is kinda sad to say, but i got really excited to talk to one of the guys in my small group- he's the first morehouse student i spoke to, ever. i don't know why that's significant, but it is.
• i think this is my first time being a minority in a non-white majority environment. i think african americans hold the highest percentage. i think the group dynamics will evolve over the week, but so far, it's been a great experience. i'm trying to speak out more instead of waiting to be asked for my thoughts, because i know that won't happen.
• frank yamada comes up to me and says, "so, are you sure you're not in seminary already?" it's the intervarsity education, sir.
• felt really really crappy this morning. almost felt like fainting during worship service, and it definitely wasn't the work of the holy spirit. 15 hours of being en route for what should've been a 6 hour trip, not eating enough breakfast, not getting enough rest, and acclimating to the humid chicago weather took a toll on me. hope to be better rested by tomorrow morn.
• finally, the swag bag is AWESOME. sharpie pen, kleenex, stainless steel water bottle, small bottle of sunblock and moleskine notebook, woohoo!

tomorrow, we start the first lecture led by frank yamada on biblical studies. i go to bed tonight stoked.