Dear Friends and Family,
Though this is a thanksgiving like none before, there is a great deal to be thankful for this year. I’m grateful for all of you who support me in this seminary journey both financially and through prayer. If nothing else, this thanksgiving is teaching me to truly be thankful for the little things we took for granted last year – sharing meals around a common table and being together! I’m staying local for the holidays this year, which was a hard decision to make, but I think is the right one. I’ll be spending the day on my own, which at first I was quite sad about, but am trying to re-frame and look on the bright side, seeing it as an excuse to have a day of rest and retreat (I’m supposed to take a day long retreat for a class anyway!) before the end of semester push.
Speaking of which, the semester is nearly wrapping up, which means full paper writing and finals studying mode. It’s a bit stressful, but when I decide on paper topics and begin researching and writing, I find that I really enjoy putting words on the page and integrating ideas that have been marinating for the semester. Paper topics include:
• The marks of spiritual friendship in Aelred of Rievaulx (12th cent) as compared with modern understanding of friendship,
• Responses to revival by church leaders during the first great awakening (hint: apparently not everyone was happy about it!)
• Personal reflection papers on my own personal spiritual design and my own response to the ‘project of reconciliation’ course
Needless to say, I’ve got my work cut out for me for the next 3 weeks! I’ll therefore keep this update fairly short, and share three pictures from the past month. Guess what order these were shot in.
Scroll down for answers!
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Fall bike ride: November 5th
Snowy day at Gordon Conwell: October 30th(!)
Sunny day outside at church: November 8th
New England weather is weird.
Happy thanksgiving everyone!
Adam Kurihara 