Calvin Theological Seminary and SMCC

I just got back home from a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. I left on Tuesday, and got back at 3:30am today. Some highlights of the trip:

• The weather was pretty good - a bit cool but sunny. People in the mid-west have caught on to the flip flop thing. The only difference between them and my California friends is that they buy their flip flops from Old Navy and tuck their shirts in (sometimes too tight, hmm), whereas in CA they wear rainbow's and leave their shirts comfortably untucked.

• I stayed with Uncle Nick and Aunt Jean in Cutlerville. Uncle Nick is a retired chaplain at Pine Rest Hospital. He is also a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church. They provided a place of shalom and comfort for me.

• Wednesday was a day of visiting and arranging appointments. I had a wonderful time with Kim, Kris and Curt on Wednesday afternoon. They served the best coffee in GR and we had good conversation - we brought up ministry stuff, family, old times and the recent fascination with facebook.

• I dropped by Bruce and Sue's too. Four of us stayed at Bruce and Sue's home in the fall of 05' as we did a semester at CTS. They are beautiful people who get to the heart of life in conversation without effort.

• I spent a number of hours in the Heckman Library. Man, do I love that place. I could just walk the stacks for hours chasing ideas.

• I met Christian at CTS in the student lounge. We had a good time reconnecting and talking php and mac OS - okay, a little nerdy.
  

• Thursday, I spent more time in Heckman, attended a mandatory meeting about pension, healthcare etc. I also had warm visits with Don B, Nate V, and Dr. Mariano Avila. Dr. Avila is my faculty advisor. He has been a rare place of safety, support and nurture in an institution concerned with process, properness, and procedure. I also went to the mall and found some killer shorts for 9 bucks. Sweet.

• I visited with Doug and Lisa, whom we stayed with for 2 weeks in the spring of 06'. Wonderful people. Very good to catch up with them. They are at an exciting time of the lives.

• The main purpose for the trip was to meet with the SMCC (Synodical Ministerial Candidacy Committee). They are a panel of reps from Synod and Calvin Seminary. Their role is to review all the materials of a perspective candidate, interview them and then on behalf of synod recommend the candidate for ministry. My interview with them was at 8:20am (which is 5:20 am west coast) and went well ... another step in the process towards ordination. I've been ordained in various capacities (elder, evangelist) during the last 14 years of ministry within the CRC, but being the sole pastor at Heartland, I'm required by the denomination to be ordained as minister of word and sacraments. This process I've been in for the past 2+ years has been to work towards that ordination. Heartland's leadership and congregation have been amazingly supportive during this whole process.
  

• While waiting in GRR for my flight out, Daryl drop by and we had a good, although short, connect. He is ministering effectively with Young Life.

• I spent many hours (too many) in airports this trip with delayed flights, long layovers, and a missed shuttle bus. I don't travel that much, but besides seeing many people with ties, jackets, tucked in shirts and penny loafers, I noticed how much people keep to themselves. Most people in airports are on business travel, so they are talking on their cell phones, tapping on their laptops, or organizing their iPods, pda's or checking their blackberries. I even saw a vending machine in Minneapolis that had, not snickers bars, but iPods. Yes, you could swipe your visa, push a button and get a black 80 gig iPod video drop from a slot down to the bottom shelf. Lean down, push the door open and grab your new iPod. You could buy extra noise canceling headphones if you wish. With all the new tech stuff, there is much less contact between strangers in the airports these days.
  

• I stopped by Baker book store and picked up a used copy of George Barna's book, "Revolution." I read it in gate f6 while drinking a cariboo. Good book, very familiar material for me.

• Uncle Nick gave me a copy of N.T. Wright's book, "Simply Christian." I'm about 1/2 way through and love it. Probably the best book so far for me this year. He writes very well (not like GB), brings up issues then addresses them in ways that are clear, compelling and deep. He has some great one liners. Like when he is talking about people pursuing justice in life, he says it feels like "A moth trying to fly to the moon."
  

• I also got a couple of books on outdoor landscaping and backyard design from a used books store near 28th st. In between reading the canons of dort and trying to sort out the "L" in TULIP, I'd read up on how to design an outdoor kitchen or how to construct a block retaining wall. It was like going from agony to leisure.