SEMINARY, SERIOUSNESS, AND ME

I started Seminary again tonight. I'm in a christian ethics class from 7:15 -10 pm for the next 10 weeks. I tried really hard to enter class today looking forward to it. I tried to decide that I'd make the most of it. I tried to decide that I'd go ready to learn and listen and have a good time. Here's what I was reminded of in class tonight:

• Seminary is serious business. We don't laugh. Smiling is allowed during breaks.
  

• Seminary is about big words. The bigger the words, the smarter you are. (there's probably a big word for this too. I'm just too stupid to know what it is)
  

• Seminary is about listening, not conversing.
  

• Seminary is about surfing the web on your computer while acting like you're taking notes. Really, this happens every week. My mac won't get the web in this place, otherwise I might have to confess my sin of distraction here too.

• Seminary is a place where I put my big foot in my big mouth. I had to apologize after class for laughing at the professor's use of a german word to clarify a students lack of understanding of a bigger word. I thought it was kinda funny. Bad idea. Mostly because I let an air of sarcasm slip out of my big stupid mouth. That and the fact that seminary is a serious serious place proved I was not funny at all. UGH. I think I'll just sit there this quarter and take notes and mind my own $1200 worth of business. I was already thinking this, but after today I decided it's pretty much a must do decision. I'm supposed to be talking in Big Church this weekend about Moses and "Dealing with difficult people." Instead, I'm going to change the title to: "Dealing with Brian Berry". I hope my professor comes and I hope my "alternative better self" is listening.
  

• Seminary is set to be home for me once a week for the next 5+ years of my life. I better get this thing figured out soon. Year 3 for me is starting a little rough.