The middlers and juniors are all taking their New Testament exam right now, and the freak-out level on campus has escalated. It peaked yesterday with the Ethics Exam (which I just looked at, and it sort of looked fun to me, but then I really liked Ethics), but it is peaking again today with Kathy’s NT final. I said a prayer for them.

I read a letter today that the deans of all the seminaries are sending to the Board of Examining Chaplains about the train-wreck that was the GOEs. It was a nice letter, and made me feel slightly better about myself. Still, I’m going to have to do remedial work of some sort when I get home this summer. Yay. (Can you stand my enthusiasm?) It won’t be as bad as actually taking the GOEs, I’m sure, but it’s still annoying. Anyway. Moving on.

I’ve been reading a bunch of books on the practice of ministry – all fiction, but all real in their own senses – and I have to say… Depressing. There’s just such an incredible amount of sorrow going on. What is it about the life of ministry that is a beacon for sorrow? But even as I say that, I welcome it. Not that I’m an angst fanatic – as you yourselves have seen evidence to the contrary – but rather, sorrow is a part of life and it is a part that is not always dealt with well, across the board. Do those who are doing stuff in the name of God have a copyright on Dealing With Sorrow? No, I should think not. Particularly not a copyright on Dealing Well With Sorrow. And yet, of the stack of book I’ve read (Death Comes For The Archbishop by Cather, Things Fall Apart by Achebe, Cry, The Beloved Country, Silence by Endo, Gilead, The Diary of a Country Priest, by Bernanos) sorrow is the theme. Maybe it’s the books I tend to read for fun, but sorrow is usually not one of the major themes.

I have managed not to run in the last three days. This is not good. Today I’m supposed to be running for 60 minutes, which should translate to something like 5 miles. I’m sort of looking forward to it, but I forgot my Gatorade. That’s going to suck.

I think I’m going to try to write a bunch of little drabbles. Sudoku is doing nothing for me today, and I can’t quite concentrate on my sorrowful books on the practice of ministry. Soon (as soon as I beta it, which might happen today) there will be more Firebolt Ring.