seminary scribbles

         a new pal of mine keeps a blog and the title/theme of it all has inspired by blog title for today's post. seminary scribbles.
        sometimes seminary really does feel like a bunch of scribbling ----- in the form of note-taking, to-do/should-do lists, chapel bulletins, meeting minutes, comments in the margins… etc.
        scribbles are always abstract. sometimes messy. sometimes inspiring. mostly scribbles are random and frequently i am so aware of how random seminary is.

        just this past week i put on my galoshes, rain coat, and polka-dotted umbrella and strolled to tuesday chapel like normal (add: splashed in all the puddles) and as i neared the chapel i noticed three fifteen passenger vans with the heading STATE PRISONERS. i barely thought twice about how odd that situation should seem. i continued into the chapel and realized that the Voices of Hope, a select choir from the Lee Arrendale State Prison were here to perform. in the front of the chapel i saw twenty-five women standing in their fresh white choir robes with red decor. i scanned the room and also saw a dozen stationed guards, and a smiling warden. there was a jazz band set up to the left and choir alumni seated in the crowd.
      Voices of Hope proceeded to perform a medley of gospel and christmas tunes that engaged the audience and brought some real holiday spirit to the exhausted audience.
      as i sat listening i thought to myself: this is pretty bizarre. it is not everyday that i get to share in a space and be a guest/audience member of people who are generally deemed dangerous or even worthless.
      with all of this swirling in my head and in my heart i just couldn't help but think about how so much of seminary (for me at least) has been about showing up. this practice of showing up, whether it be to class, chapel, a club hike, a group discussion over tea, or to Clarkston, showing up and participating in the scribbles and scribbling of seminary, is proving to be fruitful. i am thankful for this place and the opportunities that i have as i continue to show up and through that, gain a better idea of who i am and who i am going to be.