One of my biggest concerns when I started my discernment process was how was I ever going to get back into the student mindset again.  After all I haven't been a full-time or even part time student since I completed my undergraduate degree in 1993.  I have now have completed almost 2 weeks of classes and I can say that I really am enjoying it.  All my classes are interesting, thought provoking and challenging.  Each of my classes challenge me in different ways.
Fundamentals of Worship is a class where all incoming students learn the way that the CDSP chapel operates as well as learning the different offices contained within the Book of Common Prayer.  Unfortunately, here at CDSP, Tuesday's daily office is either sung or chanted so I have to learn how to chant and sing each service.
In History of Christianity, I have to read primary source materials and try to understand not only what the person is saying but also what the text is saying to me.  I really enjoy history but this class scares me.  This class isn't about learning history, it is about learning how to think critically about a text.  I have read my classmates posts about what we are reading and I think I must be reading something different then they are because I just don't see it in the text.  I am continuing to work to understand and hope it comes to me soon.  I started my study of Greek last night, and thank goodness for fraternities in college because I have some knowledge of the Greek alphabet.  Unfortunately, I didn't learn the lowercase Greek letters which I now need to know.
In my Introduction to Old Testament, I am refreshing my memory on the Documentary Hypothesis (the idea that the old testament has four distinct sources) as well as learning about Biblical Exegesis.  I can say that I really enjoy that class, the three hours fly by.
The final class is Anglican Tradition and Life.  This is a class that is lively, engaging and the professor is just an encyclopedia of knowledge.  When he lectures, you can see the enjoyment he is getting and it is contagious.
Of course, the term has just begun and the hard work is still to come.  My first one page reflection paper is due on Friday morning and I have struggled to put my ideas down on paper.  It really shouldn't be hard since the topic what is the relevance of studying Christian history have for my learning goals in your academic program?  I have now written the paper five times and I still am mot sure if I like it or not. The paper isn't even graded.  It is merely to show what our thought process is and to see how well we write.  I need to get past this block because after this week, I have a paper, of at least four pages, due every week for the next eight weeks.
Besides writing papers, I am expected to read about 75 - 100 pages per class per week.  As you can imagine that adds up to lots of time reading texts.  As with any assignment, sometimes I understand the material and sometimes I don't.  What is wonderful about living in community is that we understand what each other are going through and we are there for each other.  The first year students spend a lot of time together talking about our classes and helping each other work out the areas that we are struggling.

Of course, seminary isn't all about classwork.  I also spend a great deal of time in worship and prayer.  Yesterday for example, I was present at four different services.  I began the day with morning prayer at 7:30,  followed by a noon day Eucharist, a 5:30 p.m. evening prayer for the the Eve of the Feast of the Holy Cross and then ended the day at 9:15 with Compline.  It is hard to have a really bad day when you begin and end your day in thanksgiving to God for all the blessing of this life.  Now that is not my normal worship schedule but yesterday was special as a friend was giving her Senior Sermon and I wanted to hear what she was going to say.  Typically I try and attend two of the services during the day.

Well it is about time to head to morning prayer (today it is in Spanish)  so I must say goodbye.