Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Done and Undone

If things get quiet around here for the next few weeks, there's a good reason. A few factors are converging which will mean I am going to be insanely busy.

1 -- I'm graduating June 6th. Here at Iliff, classes continue to meet up to and including graduation day. This means that if you intend to graduate, you have to have all your work in to your profs. 2 weeks early. No one thinks this is a good idea, but that's the way it is. So technically all my schoolwork is due Friday May 23 (some profs give a little more time).

2 -- My trial starts May 19th. Yes, friends, that's the same week at the end of which all my stuff is due. Nice timing, eh? Thankfully, most of my profs are being flexible with me -- some stuff I will turn in *way* early, some a little bit late. The thing will be getting it all done.

3 -- Other little things along the way, like having a birthday (Friday!), lawyer meetings, meetings for the new church start, dates with my cielo, spiritual direction (I started this last week), more Reiki, and in general good self-care so that I can get through this without losing my mind.

Here's what all has to be done, assignment wise (what's in red is already done):

GREEK:
--Exegesis Topic (only a paragraph, but if I have to write it, it counts)
--Text Translation (I'm doing Romans 13:1-7)
--Exegesis paper (5 p.)

FIELD ED.
--Theology of Ministry paper (8-10 p.)
--Evaluations

CONGREGATIONS
--Reflection Paper #1 (3 p.)
--Reflection Paper #2
--Reflection Paper #3
--Website comparison paper (really???)
--Congregational Study final paper (15-20 p.)

RITUAL & WORSHIP
--Chapel Report (attend 4 chapel services and write about it...)
--Group Project (spare me!)
--Final Paper (~10 p. I think)

THEOLOGICAL IMAGINATION AND CONSTRUCTION ("TIC") II
--Author Assignment (2-3 p.)
--Embodiment Assignment (in process, length is relative)
--Book Assignment (worksheet)
--Final Paper (our integrated theology. oh boy...)

Plus a few other graduation details like an exit interview and forms to fill out and what-not.

Yeah. I'm tired just thinking about it. And in fact I had a little freakout when I got it all written down and saw what I'm in for. But it's do-able. It's do-able.

Here's the strategy I worked out to make this all happen:

Week 1 -- well, that was just reading and getting oriented.
Week 2 -- Theo. of Min. paper, Cong ref. #1
Week 3 -- TIC #1, TIC #2, Cong. #2
Week 4 -- Greek topic, TIC #3
Week 5 -- R&W report, Cong #3
Week 6 -- R&W Final Paper, Gk. Trans.
Week 7 -- Cong. Website thing, Cong. Final
Week 8 -- TRIAL. Field ed. evals on Friday.
Week 9 -- Greek paper, TIC Final Paper -- turned in by the 29th at the latest as grades are due on 30th for graduates.
Week 10 -- sleep, graduation paperwork, sermon for June 8th.

Whew. I'm only going to do the essential reading (which is mostly TIC reading), otherwise I won't have time to write. I mean really, if the prof. for Congregations essentially just tells us what we read in his lectures...why do I need to read? I'm just taking notes and identifying things I might want to review to use for my paper.

I decided that for every assignment I knock off the list, I get to celebrate by having a little Coke, the 6 oz. glass bottles.

Cheer me on, y'all, I'm gonna need it!