My First Day of (dis)Orientation!

Well, today was a full day of (dis)orientation at BU. It involved a breakfast (read awkward conversation over pastries and orange juice), financial aid seminar, a BU student life overview, a Ph.D./Th.D. luncheon, and a meeting with my advisor all finished up with a reception at a swanky hotel nearby. The day was a bit frustrating as I kept finding myself turning into registration dead ends. I couldn't get a BU student ID until I registered; I couldn't register for class until I met with my advisor; I couldn't check out a book from the library until I had a BU student ID. It was cyclical frustration. I could tell I was starting to go downhill when I had the almost irresistible urge to stand up and yell, "Shut up!" to the girl who kept asking questions only pertaining to her during one of the last workshops. It turns out a financial aid workshop can really get my blood boiling.

Also, in between these meetings I had to drop my dad off at the airport. This was fine until I headed to the hotel for the reception and found that there was no parking. So, I had to drop $20 for valet parking at the hotel in order to go to the reception. Let's just say I was determined to eat $20 worth of prosciutto, grilled vegetables, and fried goat cheese balls to make the evening worthwhile. I think this gave me that extra touch of class that I needed for the evening. ("Oh, so you're from Maine? Cool. Would you excuse me while I pile large portions of meat on my very small plate?")  Also, I thought when I got to mainline seminaries/universities they would begin serving alcohol at receptions. Apparently I need to keep going to the episcopalians or Catholics in order to get booze.

So, I did end up registering for classes today. I know you're all dying to hear what I'm taking, so I'll just tell you: liturgical methodologies, the Psalter, Sung Faith (on hymnody and the Trinity which is like a dream course they designed for me), and either American Evangelicalism from Jonathan Edwards to Jerry Falwell or the History of Sacred Music at Harvard (you better believe I'm getting a sweatshirt and telling people that I did some doctoral work at Harvard for the rest of my life).

Tomorrow I am opting out of another day of orientation (which includes an afternoon of service, officially making me a bad person) and sleeping in before heading up to New Hampshire to visit Amy and Andrew Daigle for the weekend! I can't tell you how excited I am to catch up with these former ResCovers/Chicagoans!

Now, I just finished watching the Republican National Convention and decided it would be better for my blood pressure if I just shut it off. This occurred after the U.S. Olympians implied that Romney saved the US by helping get the Olympics back on track. So, I'm going to try and get some serious sleep tonight. Later!

Beantown or Bust!

So, my first full day in Boston has come to an end, but I want to take you back over the last couple days because it's been quite a trip.

Sunday. A beautiful service at ResCov with a sermon that ran a little long as I kept deciding to say everything I was thinking...sometimes more effectively than others. And yes, the last half of the service was pretty much spent on the verge of tears or full-fledged crying...especially the liturgy of sending at the end. Then, the ResCovers exceeded my expectations with their hotdish potluck. I have to say, ResCov in general knows how to have a potluck. They had very kind words to say, and it was both meaningful and difficult to say goodbye. I love this picture (credit: Natalie Mendez):

After my red-eyed nap, I picked up a Uhaul and packed it in the rain all Sunday afternoon, which did wonders for my general melancholy spirit. Next, my dad got in and we did some more packing in the rain. Monday we drove 14 hours; 14 of these hours were in the rain - some drizzling, some downpour. Again, this does wonders for the mood. The night was capped off by a stay in Binghamton, which, I apologize if you're from there, was one of the more depressing towns I've been to. The hotel was sketchtastic. The sheets were less than ideal, the TV was an ancient Apex that I basically had to kickstart to get going, and the continental breakfast should have been in quotes. If that's a continental breakfast, I do not want to live on that continent nor break my fast.

Anyway, the next day went well. We dropped off all the stuff at a Uhaul storage, my dad lost his glasses, and then we had to conveniently drop the trailer off at a different Uhaul because this one already had too many trailers. This trip affirmed everyone's warning about driving in Boston, but it got finished.

Finally, we got to the Bouris household, which has been absolutely wonderful. It is very nice to be in a town and feel like you have people to help you get your bearings, point you in the right direction, and teach you how to say the names of all of these unphonetic Boston suburbs.

Anyway, today was also an adventure. We went down to BU, talked to my former NPTS professor (and now BU professor) Phillis (Woo!), and then decided to walk the Freedom Trail. This morning I went for a run that was basically all uphill, and I began to notice that the top of my foot/ankle was sore. By the time we were halfway through the walk, I couldn't do it anymore it was hurting so bad. So, my dad continued the walk (I think more because he wanted to get a cannoli at Mike's Pastries) and I took the T back to Boston Common. By the time I got home, I had to borrow a cane to go out for dinner because I literally couldn't put weight on it. I felt like quite the cool cat and thought of adding a top hat and a long cigarette with a cigarette holder so I could embrace the eccentricity and become the "weird kid" at orientation. Anyway, now it is late, and I need to sleep (and ice my ankle). Tomorrow is orientation, which includes a walking tour...just to stick it to me. It still feels like vacation, so I'm doing fine emotionally. I think when I get my syllabi and start the grind I'll begin my cryptic facebook cries for help. Something to look forward to!

Opening Ceremonies Wrap-Up

Well, as you probably know if you are a faithful reader (if not, why aren't you?), I love the olympics. I love the fanfare, the stories, the glory of triumph and the agony of defeat, the wild upsets, the channeled patriotism, the sport-specific commentators, the constant coverage, all of it. So, there was no way I was missing the opening ceremonies last night, especially after I heard Voldemort and Sir Paul McCartney would be there. So, last night I headed over to Cam and Linnea Johnson's (Elsa and Matt's sister and brother-in-law) for our second consecutive opening ceremonies party. Here are my thoughts about last night in no particular order.

1. Obviously the children's choirs starting the show was a big hit, especially when two of the four songs were hymns ("Jerusalem" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" - both sung at Kate and William's wedding btw). I earned a fair amount of nerd points with my commentary throughout this section of the opening ceremony. For instance, while we use all kinds of Welsh hymn tunes in our hymnal, "Gude Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" is one of the only Welsh hymns to be translated into English because the language is so difficult to translate into English meter.

2. Umm...how could you not love the Independent Olympic Athletes walking in? My question: what if one of them wins a gold medal? What song are they going to play as they stand on the podium? I guessed "I Gotta Feeling" while Cam guessed "Gettin' Jiggy with It." I guess we'll just have to wait, hope, and see!

3. I loved all the creative transformations throughout, although I wasn't as fond of the "technological age" part of the show. Also, people of Great Britain, we all know Al Gore created the internet...as well as the cure for global warming. So, yeah. I do think one of the highlights was the fairy tale section.

4. Arctic Monkeys were flat throughout the entire singing of "Come Together," though you wouldn't know it by the way Lauer and Costas were singing their praises.

5. Could the queen smile once in a while? Was she at a funeral or the opening games? This clever internet post proves my point.

6. Best olympic cauldron ever. Also, all the mechanics of the rising copper "petals" went off seamlessly. Eat it, Canada.

7. All speakers could try to show a little more general enthusiasm/voice inflection to prove they're actually living human beings rather than drones or automatrons.

8. Paul almost crying and "Hey Jude." Enough said.

Okay, now I have to finish writing a paper and try not to turn on NBC and get sucked in. Later!

Changes: A Sermon of Sorts

So, this is kind of sermonic; get over it. I'm working on a sermon for Sunday and this is part of it that I really resonate with but won't be preaching about due to time considerations (and all ResCov attendees breathed a sigh of relief).

I don't like change. I find change to be difficult and not part of my natural composition as a human. I still have a 218 number (Northern Minnesota area code), a Minnesota license plate and driver's license, and an undying loyalty to all Minnesota sports teams (and the state in general). I used xanga as my blogging format well into 2009 (which is conservatively a good three years after I should have); I still use yahoo for some of my email accounts even though I judge others for the same luddite indiscretion; heck, if I had gotten drafted for World War II, I probably would have showed up on the Western front with a muzzleloader, dressed in Union blues, singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Again, I'm not great at change.

So, this fall I have huge changes coming up. I'm moving to a new city, working at a new church, starting a new school - a whole big ball of change. On some days, I picture this change all at once and want to go in my room, turn on the A/C, and rock in the fetal position for the rest of my life. On other days, I look over this vista of new opportunities, freedom, possibilities and think how lucky I am to experience it. For, if I look to the not-to-distant past, change has been pretty good to me. Change took me to Ecuador and brought me to Chicago and North Park, two places I never thought I would have lived and two places that have changed my worldview, my opinions, my general disposition. I don't want to "spit in the face of Time/That has transfigured me," as Yeats said. And looking back over these past 10 years (getting old!) gives me hope for the future, that change will continue to mold me into me, that change will work over the corners and smooth the rough edges that can develop when I become sedentary in body, mind, and soul.

This Sunday is both the eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (depending on which calendar you follow) and the feast of Mary Magdalene. I'm preaching this week and thought it would be interesting to look at Mary Magdalene instead of the usual Sunday texts. The Gospel text for the feast of Mary Magdalene tells of Mary's encounter with the risen Christ. She is the first person to see the Risen Christ, and when she sees him, she embraces him. Confusingly, Christ responds: "Do not hold onto me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father." He seems to be saying, "Mary, get off me. I don't want you touching me," which seems kind of cold and Scandinavian for our Palestinian Savior. But I think Barbara Brown Taylor has it right when she interprets this as Mary wanting to keep Jesus as she knows him, in the here and now, in an eternal present of sorts. Taylor says, "He (Jesus) knows that we would rather keep him with us where we are than let him take us where he is going." How many times do we cling to half-truthed dogmas because an unknown future seems to scary? How many times does fear cause our fists to close on whatever is near in an almost reflexive reaction?

Now, I know it's not a perfect model for my life (I don't claim that Boston is somehow my messianic destiny, but I do think it's where I'm called), but I think fear makes me want to cling to what I know right now: my life, my church, my city, my friends, my views on politics, my view of God. I like it. It's become rather easy. Yet, maybe I'm being led to a new place, and my call is to loosen my tight grip on the past and present so I can move into a future. This is not to say we're all supposed to move every six years to spice things up; I think that is just as dangerous and can lead to us running from problems and circumstances, but as someone who feels called to a different place, I think it is accurate.

At least that's what I'm telling myself so I can stay out of the fetal position for one more day! So, not the usual blog post, but these are the things I'm pondering at the moment. Now, off to run at Helwig because it is way too hot to even think of running outside.

New Computer, Bad Habits, and To Rome with Love

I have to say, after spending so much time waiting for my old computer to do simple tasks, it is so luxurious to click on a website or application and, voila! it appears without taking a bathroom break/nap/inventory of my life as I wait for it to load (on a separate note, I've been thinking a long time about how to use "voila!" with correct grammar. I'm not sure I did it, but at least you know that I tried.) I especially notice how fast iTunes and Spotify are compared to the old one. I really do recommend letting your current computers getting really slow and crappy before you buy a new one because then the stark difference is so pleasurable! Actually, I think that could go for a lot of things: TVs, cars, furniture, etc. You don't appreciate them unless you've had to spend some time with less than ideal versions. There's some sage advice to live by.

So, today I had to rectify a bad habit I've formed over the last six months or so. In the sanctuary next to the piano, there is a large green ceramic planter that is currently empty. This is not one you would put a few flowers in; this is small tree material. One Sunday I got to the piano and noticed that a few weeks of chord charts/music had accumulated on the sides of the piano. Responsible Dave would have at least grabbed the music and thrown it in the worship closet to get filed later. I mean, let's not get crazy and think I should have filed it right then and there! But, you know, the closet was at least seven steps away, and here was this cavernous empty space of a planter right next to me just asking to be filled, so I quickly shoved the music into the planter...and have continued to shove more and more music into the planter until this week I arrived at the point where any more music would rise above the rim of the planter and expose my papered monument to disorganization for all the congregation to see. I could have tried to pass it off as some type of metaphoric statement about tree destruction around the world, but I think my thinly veiled laziness would have quickly been uncovered. So, today I emptied it out (along with all of the chord charts that did find their way to the closet but not quite to the filing cabinet), sorted the music, and filed it. 

Oh, I saw the new Woody Allen movie, To Rome with Love starring Woody himself, Penelope Cruz, Roberto Benigni, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Alec Baldwin, and Alison Pill (among many; there never seems to be a lack of stars willing to play any role for Woody Allen). It revolves around three separate stories that are held together by their common geographic proximity to Rome. In many ways, like Midnight in Paris, the city is one of the main characters in the movie. It's hard not to book a ticket on your smart phone (if you are one who owns such things) while you watch it. Many parts were funny/charming, but I think having three different stories going led to an uneven and disjointed movie, especially when all three aren't equally strong (I'm looking at you, Benigni). It's definitely worth watching, but it doesn't have the holistic storyline that other Allen movies have. 

Whenever I'm feeling down, I remember that I could be miserable, agoraphobic, and sweaty at the W(t)aste of Chicago, and it makes me feel better. I feel like I'm in a deep inhale right now before I begin the exhale of vacation, preparing to move, moving, and getting settled in. I've decided to lean into the relaxation rather than fight it. We'll see if this is a good life decision. Okay, I'm off to read. Later!

Jar Jar, New Computer, and First Paper

Last night I watched Star Wars: Phantom Menace for the first time probably since it came out. Again and again, I was amazed thinking of the number of people who must have assented to both the existence of one Jar Jar Binks. He is a truly horrible character that says nothing beyond cliches and nonsense. Did they really all sit around and watch the edits and think, "You know what would make this scene perfect? We should have Jar Jar come in, say something stupid, and fall on his face. Does that sound good to everyone?" There's a point in the movie when young Anakin Skywalker saves Jar Jar from assured death at the hands of a trader of one kind or another, and I think of all the things that Anakin/Darth Vader did in his life, this might have been his most profound work of stupidity and evil.

I think I'm going to buy a computer today. I know I'm going to get a new one for school, so why not just go out and buy the thing? Plus, I am starting to develop an irrational hate for pinwheels, the perfect sign of your life slowly swirling down the drain while you wait for your computer to accomplish the simple task you have commanded. Actually, I think I'm going to go right now and buy that thing.

Okay, I'm back. I have successfully bought a new MacBook Pro (with student discount plus $100 to spend at iTunes/Apple apps) and also transferred all my info from the old computer to the new. All of this, and I just received David James Duncan's The River Why in the mail. It's a pretty good day in the Bjorlin household.

In other news, last week I turned in my first official paper for my Th.D./Ph.D. program. I'm taking an independent study methodology class that will officially be counted in the fall, but I can do as many of the papers (7 in all) beforehand during the summer and take some pressure off my class load in the fall. If you don't know, this is my dream come true. So, one paper and three books down, 6 papers and 11 books to go!

Also, congratulations to Brian and Alissa Holmertz who got married this weekend in Green Bay (I don't know if a WI license is good in the rest of the US; we'll keep our fingers crossed). It was a beautiful wedding for two great people. Also, I stayed at Aloft in Green Bay, and I have to say I was impressed that such a trendy hotel existed in Green Bay. Okay, I'm going to spend the rest of the evening either reading The River Why or watching West Wing. Later.

Fantasy, Star Trek, and Wedding

So, I just finished George MacDonald's Lilith. It's the story about the famed Lilith of Jewish folklore who was supposedly created at the same time as Adam and would not be subservient to him or God and has spent her life going after children and howling her hatred toward humankind (I'm going to skip the obvious feminist critique of such a story). MacDonald's belief is that no one, no matter how evil, is too evil to be past the point of the love or redemption of God even after death (this is where much of the theology/soteriology behind C.S. Lewis' Last Battle and The Great Divorce comes from. So, he takes the story of Lilith and shows how even she may be redeemed by the judgment and love of God. The last 50 pages were incredibly poignant, poetic, and hopeful.

I think that's one of the reasons I love Christian fantasy (Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, George MacDonald). Sometimes it's hard to see the plot, the beauty of this grand story of redemption and love when you're reading Paul's epistle to the Corinthians or when you've grown accustomed or hardened to the beauty of the biblical story. It can be easy to forget this grand narrative. Reading fantasy/fiction shows this epic story of redemption that can slip under the defenses I've created for myself, renew my hope, and help me return to the biblical stories with new eyes to see the story I'd been missing the whole time. On that note, if you haven't voted in the poll on your favorite fantasy work, please do so on your right. Harry Potter's currently avada kedavra-ing the competition...or at least crucio-ing it.

I watched Star Trek for the first time (the 2009 movie, not the TV series). I have to say, I truly enjoyed it. Although Jessie nerding out to it was a bit much at times, especially when she went into the history lessons ("The blue shirts are the medical people....etc." or "When I was little, I taped my fingers together until I could do the Vulcan sign for "Live long and prosper.").

Today I'm heading up to Green Bay for Brian and Alissa's wedding! Two wonderful people that met at ResCov, I believe! It should be a good time, even if it is in Green Bay. Luckily, we won't need to print out directions; we'll just follow the smell of beer and industrial waste. BOOM! I kid, I kid!

Okay, I'm going to get some stuff done before I head to Wisconsin. Later!