The Unexpected God

This was the meditation I gave for the Wabash Presbyterian Church's Women's Christmas Dinner.  Perhaps it contains a message for you too.

As we take a moment for reflection, I'd like to begin with a story.

Allow me to introduce you to Mary Anne:  Mary Anne is a typical Northwestern girl, of average intelligence and good looks.  She enjoys nature and loves people, and she appreciates an eclectic variety of music, and of course, a good cup of coffee.  And though she may grumble a little to herself when she's in a hurry, in general she's glad that she lives in an area where a quick trip to the grocery store can easily turn into an hour, or an hour and a half, because you're bound to run into someone you know.  She's deeply rooted in the beauty and quirks of the culture of this region. 

Return to the Blogosphere

Hello again dear readers!

Yes, I know it has been a shamefully long time since I've posted anything (my brother pointed this out quite clearly to me in a recent conversation).  I apologize, and I hope you haven't entirely given up on me...

What can I say? ... The past several months have not been the most fulfilling ones of my life...

I have several half-developed potential post concepts of a theological/reflective nature, but I've decided to use this re-entry post to show off my baking developments (perhaps my only celebratory achievement category).

Thanksgiving for Integration

Dearest Readers,
Please forgive me for so rudely abandoning you for the last two weeks.  I promise I'm not mad at you.  I hope you are not now mad at me...

I was in the midst of composing a post about the underside of in-between times, but then over the last couple weeks I ended up getting to spend lots of great time with several interesting people whom I love.

So, instead of depressed musings, here is a short reflection on the wisdom of creation - namely, the interconnectedness of our beings.

I have had my moments of discouragement this summer, with their varying levels of intensity and duration.  One's experience of in-between times depends a lot on the perspective we have at the moment.  For example, when I think of this time as an opportunity for reflection and to transition from the input of school to the output of work, my outlook is fairly positive. On the other hand, when I emphasize to myself the fact that I'm in my mid-twenty's, unemployed, and living with my parents, my outlook is not so positive.  Sometimes I am able to choose which perspective I take, and other times it seems more like it chooses me.

Anyway, I was in the midst of a more extended period of not-so-positive-ness when several people's schedules converged to line me up with multiple reunions with friends.  I will tell you right now, that was exactly what the doctor ordered... or would have ordered if I had gone to see her.  Speaking of which, I should probably try to do that one last time before my insurance runs out...

This fantastic picture from 2008 contains several of the people I got to see recently.

Everyone needs friends.  They're good for the soul.

I speak mainly from my own emotional experiences, but as I challenged myself to think more deeply about this claim, I have confirmed that this fact is compatible with my scientific research and reasoning as well as my theological convictions.  In the following I will attempt to highlight my most significant observations:

Communion: The Other Side of the Elements

Today I got to assist with Communion at my home congregation!

Before anyone gets too worried, I checked the Book of Order and it's apparently fine for a non-ordained member to assist with or serve Communion (we're not talking Words of Institution here) as long as they have the approval of Session.  I checked in with our pastor, George Dakin, and he assured me he'd run it by them and make sure everything was official. (Anyone who wants to check my polity please see W-3.3616d)

While today was not the first time I had assisted with Communion, it was the first time for me to do so for my home congregation.  For that matter, it was my first time to do so in a church setting; the other times prior to this were in the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) Chapel services (same polity situation as above).  It was really neat to have my supporting congregation/community acknowledge their awareness of where I am at on this journey and express their continuing support in this way.  It was also neat for me to have an opportunity to serve them as well.

Chocolate Decadence

It was my mother's birthday a few days ago, which was a perfect reason to explore new dessert options.

My brother introduced me to the Epicurious app, which I think is great.  It has a variety of helpful search options, and my favorite part, it usually has pictures.

My mom loves chocolate.  (I do too, though I didn't used to - I've since acquired that stereotypically female trait.)  So chocolate was a given.  We also had a bunch of raspberries (probably more on this in another post).  Chocolate and raspberries go well together, so the raspberries were in too.  Of the options Epicurious presented, the Chocolate Decadence was most intriguing.  Seriously, how could I pass up on a name like that?!  But the recipe looked interesting too, and like it had a chance to live up to its name.

This is also a flour-less recipe for my friends who are gluten free, though that's not an issue in my family, as I'm sure upcoming posts will make quite obvious.

Hello World!

Greetings!

I've decided to start a blog.  Which, I suppose, should be apparent if you are reading this.

As I get started, it would probably be helpful to begin by introducing myself:

Hello.  I'm Margaret Mitsuyasu.  I recently graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary, from which I now hold a Masters of Divinity (M. Div.) degree.  Which is kind of absurd if you think about it.  I've been granted a title that allows me to claim I have mastered the subject of God.  ... Really?!  I mean, really, who can actually do that?  And what kind of institution presumes to be able to make that assertion about a person?  But regardless of theological absurdity, it is a pretty awesome title:  "Hello. My name is Margaret and I am a Master of Divinity.  I HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE UNIVERSE!  Mwhahahaha.....!"  Yeah.  Totally awesome title.

Check out my nifty diploma!

Joking aside, what does having an M. Div mean?  It means that I know a fair amount of what lots of people have thought about God and God-related things.  Primarily from a Christian perspective, though we also examine others' as well to help gain a clearer awareness of our own position.  I know at least something about the Bible (Old & New Testaments), Church History, Theology, and Practical Theology.  I've also done a few internships: one as a chaplain in a hospital in Seattle, and two years at a church in New York City (Manhattan - that was pretty cool).
 
I'm also a Certified Candidate in the Presbyterian Church (USA). That's church-speak meaning I've completed all the preparatory requirements for ordination in my denomination (apparently the most demanding - maybe I'll write a post on this later), and will be ordained as a pastor as soon as a particular congregation agrees that I should be, and indicates this by choosing me to come be their pastor.  Which is exciting!  And scary.  But mostly exciting.