Week 1 @ ATS

Well I have made it through my first week of classes at Asbury! Again everything has beat me expectations by leaps and bounds. I know that my classes are going to be hard and will challenge me at times, but I'm looking forward learning about my God. I believe that I have read more pages this week/weekend then I did all summer, and there is so much more where that comes from. I have 3 papers due in the next 3 weeks along with a Greek quiz each week. It will all be worth it in the long run.

This week also started the regular chapel services for the semester. JD Walt, our Dean of Chapel, spoke at Tuesday's chapel. It was an amazing message. He challenged us not to be here to earn a Maters of Divinity, but to be Mastered by Divinity. What an awesome message. Thursday was the Opening Convocation Chapel. We sang two of my favorite hymns, "And Can it Be" (Asbury's "fight song," for lack of a better term) was the opening song, after the Procession of all the faculty and staff in full academic regalia. After the Invocation, Words of Welcome by Dr. Tennent (the president) and Matt Pennington (student), and Scripture reading, Dr. Tennent gave an amazing and inspiring speech on "The Translatability of the Christian Gospel." Everyone that was present was greatly inspired and we have been talking about it ever since. You can hear Dr. Tennent's message at http://www.asburyseminary.edu/chapel/kentucky-chapel/. We ended Chapel with my other favorite hymn: "Here I am Lord." Let me say that I hope the rest of the Chapels this year are as inspiring.

This week I also joined Singing Seminarians. This is the Seminary's choir. I really like Dr. Goold, our professor and can't wait to sing at Dr. Tennent's inauguration later in the semester. I also stopped by AHOP last night. AHOP is the Asbury House of Prayer and a collaborative effort between the college and seminary. It was a great night of prayer and worship and I am looking forward to going more often and some of the upcoming events they have planned during the semester.

I attended the "Offerings" service at First UMC in Lexington last Sunday with my roommate and a friend. Offerings is a contemporary service at First UMC. This weekend I am going to check out Nicholasville UMC (this is where Matt and Allison attended while they were here, if you are interested). I hope to find a church home soon, so I am not jumping around week to week, but this is only my second weekend here, so I'm giving myself some more time.

Well I should get back to my studies, I have about 570 pages of reading left, a quiz to study for, and a paper to write. Until next time. . .

In His Service,
Erica <><

As always keep in touch.