Day 7:

Today I may or may not have eaten an entire bag of gummie bears, it's been a rough day. Thanks Mom and Dad for the cavities. It's been a very stressful week and the work keeps piling on top of me. Classes are intensifying and I have more homework to do that I can possibly manage. Despite the chaos I had three hours to think about why I am putting myself through all of this.


In my Preaching Paul class with Dr. Braxton I have seen God on many occasions. Tonight was no different. We had a paper due tonight and I was just not happy about going to class because I was tired and didn't really want to talk about the paper anymore. We didn't talk about the papers (which we were given an 2 day extension on, there is grace!). We watched Braxton preach a sermon and talked to him about it. Through this conversation we talked about how to make preaching relevant in different cultural context.


I walked away enlivened. I truly believe that I can help bring fire to a cold and stiff pulpit. Our Presbyterian preaching tradition has not been emotive or passionate and I feel a need to be a part of changing that tradition. I don't want to be a white woman who preaches like an African American preacher. I want to be a preacher visibly filled with the Spirit. I want to be someone who's voice quakes and arms flail and my body takes on a language of it's own. Don't worry, I'm not trying to be Pentecostal either. But I want to lose myself to the Words of God so much so that I am not aware of what my body is doing. God has planted this seed within me and my spirit is filled with the possibilities of what I can do. My body is weak and I'm exhausted right now, but after walking out of Braxton's class my spirit has been renewed and for that I am truly grateful.