You can do anything for 99 days right?

"99 days of seminary left, 99 days of seminary, take one down, pass it around (I kind of like think it around), 99 days of seminary left"... So guess what?! There are 99 days until May 17th 2013. 99 days until I walk across the stage at my MDiv Graduation, 99 days until i'm done with school, 99 day... 99 days. Thats all. So I had a thought maybe for the next 99 days I will blog about my time at SPST First if you are not from the KC area and have some how missed all the newspaper articles and news headlines surrounding the school, you should know that A LOT has changed and is changing on this campus, and at the end of this semester the school is closing its doors on the KC Campus and moving to Leawood KS, on the Church of the Resurrection campus. There have been a lot of hype about this: people who are mad, people who are happy, people who dont understand, there are a lot of feelings surrounding this move. If I am honest with myself, at first I was mad. I'm not a huge fan of mega-churches and the "monopoly" they tend to have, but I am a huge fan of Saint Paul School of Theology its my school, my seminary. Have they made some bad decisions about the move to Leawood? yes. Some of those decisions meant I had to say goodbye to some of the best people that I'm proud to call my friends. Some of those decisions made me question the ethics of the leadership at SPST. What it boils down to is that I am grateful to my seminary for the theological education and for the personal, spiritual education I've received and regardless of where that seminary is located I believe they will continue to educate leaders and provide experiences for students to grow individually, spiritually and theologically. Even though there has been pain regarding this move as a Christian aren't I supposed to 'turn the other cheek' and continue to pray for and love my enemies? SPST is my seminary, and Im grateful for my education, and I hope that by supporting them through this mess, the new incoming students will see that, find 'community' and maybe pass on that loyalty and that community to the next round of new students. SO For the next 99 days will be blogging about my time, that 'sacred space' on the KC campus.

Today is the Chapel. This may actually make more than one day on this journey. Kresge chapel, I've cried, laughed, prayed, sang, preached, read scripture, shared my story, sat in silence, and reflected in that space. I remember 3 years ago sitting in the first worship service of the spring semester before my divorce was final. I cried a lot that semester. I was probably at the weakest point in my life, I didn't know if I could make it through. I didn't know how I was going to provide for my son, but somewhere I had to come up with the strength to keep going, AND finalize my divorce. Yet, with a combination of my family, prayers, chapel services, friends, and most importantly GOD I made it through, I found the strength, and I finalized my divorce. I remember feeling weak emotionally but going to chapel service in that building because I knew I would meet God there, sometimes meeting God, even if it is just in a 30 sec prayer or a hymn that lasts 2 minutes, is all the strength you need to make it through the day. I'm grateful for my experiences in that Chapel. SPST is my seminary, and it always will be. A lot will change even in the next 99 days. So for the next 99 days I will continue on this journey of blogging about my time at SPST, You can do anything for 99 days right? I look forward to tomorrow when I will blog about the Holy Grounds coffee house on campus. ~Bec