2012/04/23 Spring Semester 2nd Year & The Kristen Center

Well, once again I am a little more than 1/2 way through my spring semester of my 2nd year in seminary.  I can't believe it!  Time has really flown by.  This semester has been probably one of the most difficult semesters of seminary.  I have 15 credit hours (5 courses).  To give you an idea, most colleges and universities consider 12 hours a full semester.   So I have been really busy once again.

This semester I am taking the following courses:

• Ecclesiology
• Reform and Modern Church History
• Moral Theology
• Christology
• Synoptic Gospels

I am in the middle of my mid-term papers.  I just finished two papers.  The first one was for Christology.  My paper assignment was to compare, contrast, and explain the differences between the Christologies of Fr Karl Rahner, OFM and John Dominic Crossan.  The 2nd was for R/M Church History.  I had to basically cover the history of the church from the 12th - 16th centuries.  I still have two exegetical papers due for my Synoptics class and a basically a book report on the book "Communion Ecclesiology" by Dennis Doyle, professor of Theology at University of Dayton.  I also completed a paper for Moral Theology.

One reason this semester has been more difficult than other has been the subject matter.  Pretty heady stuff.  The other has to do with the amount of required reading this semester.  Just for one class alone I had over 12 different required texts!  And that was one class.  For me this has been quite a challenge as I am not the fastest reader (No Evelyn Wood Speed Reading courses here).  But, with the thanks and help of God and Jesus and Mary, and a supporting family, I am making it!

I have also been for the last two to three months been busy in preparing to launch a new "faith-based" HIV Community organization.  I received word early this year that I had an individual wanting to donate a home for our HIV Support Groups.   So I have been busy planning the transition of all the HIV ministries from St John XXIII Pastoral & Outreach Center to the new faith-based community service organization (The Kristen Center - see http://www.thekristencenter.com).  The website is still in development and not yet complete, but it will give you an idea.  The goal is to complete the transition and launch the Support Groups this year.  The goal is by fall of 2013 to launch a faith-based Care Coordination Center through The Kristen Center (a Care Coordination Center is a central location where those with HIV may go to receive a myriad of services for those with HIV and those who care for them).

Well that is about it for now.  I had to papers left and a lot of ground to cover.  But I did want to provide an update since it has been a while.

Peace,
br jeff