Today's exams were terrifyingly intense. 9-11am Greek and 11-1pm Hebrew. Paradigms, syntactical rules, parsing and translation. I was pleased to spot a couple of passages from 1 Peter we did in the third year and recognise the final passage as being from Hebrews even though I couldn't translate it! The Hebrew was a nice passage from 1 Kings and a horrid passage from Jeremiah 12. I left blank the question about rules for Pe-Yod verbs but hey, who needs to know the rules?

And the good news is I passed both without needing to do any remedial work or take any extra classes! The Hebrew tutor said he was looking to make sure my Hebrew was at Masters level or above and that it clearly was. The Greek tutor was looking very harassed after a long day of interruptions and computer failures so he just told me I passed, which was all I wanted to hear.

Today we had new student orientation. Yesterday was international student orientation and new student ice-cream social. There are only 4 of us starting the PhD programme and at least one of those is a Westminster student transferring from another course so it's a small group. Lots of our classes are shared with the ThM programme which is a bit bigger. But most of the people I've met yesterday and today are on the MDiv or MAR programmes just starting out at seminary for the first time. I feel like I've had the same conversation a hundred times:

Hi, I'm (fill in American name here)
I'm Ros
Rose?
No. Ros.
Okay, Rose. Where are you from?
England
Where in England?
I try to explain.
Oh. Not London?
No.
What program are you on?
PhD.
Oh. Wow. Where did you do your MDiv?
I didn't. I did an MTh.
Oh. Was that in England?
Yes.

And so on. I don't know how many of these people I'll come across again but they've all been pretty friendly. And today I had a proper 'Gee, I just love your British accent. Can you just keep talking?' experience.

And I've only had to wear a name badge once. So that's something.

One of the things I've enjoyed in the last week has been noticing some of the different (and some reassuringly familiar) flora and fauna. I've seen chipmunks (much smaller than I thought and cute), baby deer crossing the road (think Bambi and you won't be far off), Canada geese with their babies blocking the street and a whole host of birds I don't recognise. There is a constant background noise from the insects - crickets and beetles and I don't know what else, particularly noticeable in the early evening. Out in the back garden is a beautiful tree with bright pink blossom called a crepe myrtle because its blossom looks like crepe fabric.

Today I walked to the seminary for the first time. I didn't go the take-your-life-in-your-hands route without pavements and I took a detour to go via the bank so it did end up being quite a long walk but not unpleasant. I'd forgotten one of the things I noticed last week which is that road signs are always put up in the direction of the road they're labelling. So a sign straight in front of you labels the street that you're crossing, not the street you're on. Confused? I was. I took several wrong turns, even when I thought I knew the way, because the sign seemed to be indicating the other direction. Oh well.

The other thing I found out was that even where there are pedestrian crossings with lights, it's not always safe to walk. The general rule is that cars can turn right even at a red light if the road's clear. So as a pedestrian you still have to check that there is nothing coming even when the light's green to go. I'm finding crossing the road a little frightening. I know which way the traffic's coming but it's still not instinctive when I'm turning to check. Anyway I made it safely and not too damply.

It's been raining on and off for a few days now. Yesterday there was a serious downpour and today's been drizzling all day. Apparently the norm for this time of year is hot and sunny. I'm feeling quite at home in the grey drizzle.

On Sunday night I went to a church meeting in a house nearby. It was a preliminary meeting for a new church plant in the area and a wrap-up meeting for a Vacation Bible School that ran last week. We shared the Lord's Supper and the pastor prayed for each family or individual. I'd met him a couple of times earlier this week and asked for prayer as I settled into a new place and new studies.

One of the things he prayed was that I would excel in my studies. Which really set me thinking. I don't know if this is just a cultural difference, but I don't think at Oak Hill we ever prayed for people to excel in their studies. We'd pray that they'd do their best, honour the Lord, get the right balance, learn more and so on. But somehow excellence was equated with pride as if in itself it were a bad thing. Whereas it seems to me that excellence is precisely what we should be striving for in all that we do, recognising our dependence on the Lord and our temptation to pride and so on.

So I'm not aiming to be a mediocre scholar, even if that's what I end up as. I'm aiming to excel for the glory of Christ.

I haven't read it yet but I've just skimmed through the introduction to a new commentary on the Song which looks great. It's in the Interpretation series and it's by Robert Jenson. I may not need to bother...

So this morning I had my first experience of church in the US. I went to Tenth Presbyterian Church in the city centre. It was great.

Before the service began there was a period of people being encouraged to sit quietly and prepare while someone sang two songs. He was a very fine singer and worth listening to, though I have to admit I found it hard to take his first song seriously - He's Got the Whole World in His Hands is a song I associate with 5 yr-olds. We then had a welcome and notices before a call to worship from 1 John. The congregation then stood (this wasn't announced but was indicated by an asterisk on the service sheet) to sing the doxology. Following a prayer and a hymn, we read part of psalm 104 responsively then sang the Gloria. None of this was announced, we just did what the service sheet told us to do next. We had a spirited saying of the apostles' creed together and then sat down for the intercessions.

The bible reading was part of a sequential reading through scripture and was introduced at length by the elder who read it, taking care to point out the context and the meaning of the passage with applications for us. It was from Genesis 7 and I am ashamed to say I cannot remember the points he drew out other than the phrase 'the Lord shut him in' which was very important. Anyone remind me why?

We were at the 11am service but I was impressed to see that in the service sheet it said that at the 9am service a minister would leave at this point to teach the sermon to the elementary school students.

The next item warmed my heart wonderfully. In bold type it announced that we would have the 'Baptism of Covenant Children'. Four were baptised at our service, aged betweed 6 weeks and 2 years old. The senior minister asked questions of the parents and the church then baptised and prayed for each child. He took the names of the children as the basis for his prayers - so he prayed that the child named John would grow to be a disciple whom Jesus loved, the child named Luke would be a careful observer of the Lord's works, the child named Elise Catherine would be pure and set apart for God.

Then another hymn and the offertory during which the singer did his stuff again. The sermon was the second in a series of two on baptism and was particularly focussed on explaining the practice of infant baptism. It wasn't the clearest or most compelling explanation I've heard and did seem to deny the possibility of infant faith (or at least to devalue it) which was a shame. You could have left thinking that faith is a human work not a divine gift. On the other hand, it was a mile better than any explanation of infant baptism I've ever heard in an Anglican church and it was refreshing to hear a sermon aimed at this sort of ecclesiological discussion.

Prayer, hymn, blessing.

I was really encouraged to meet with other Christians and to remember how much more in common I have with them than the differences between us. That we know and love the same Lord says it all.

There were lots and lots of things I really liked about this church. But it's quite a long way into the city and it's a big church so I think I'll probably settle somewhere nearer and smaller. They're planning a church plant in the new year up near where I am so that's another possibility.

On Friday night there was a thunderstorm which left us without power for over 24 hours. It was a very localised problem so we were able to go round the corner for dinner and TV and another very kind friend popped by with some hot water so I could make tea. But it did feel strange to be in one of the most developed countries in the world and having to undress by candlelight.

Yesterday I went for a walk. I know, amazing isn't it? I went to Keswick village (obviously you pronounce the 'w') and pottered round the shops there. In the supermarket they had a small shelf devoted to British food: McVities's digestives and chocolate digestives, Twinings tea, Cadbury's chocolate (Flake, Crunchie and Curly Wurly), Lyle's Golden Syrup and, bizarrely, Batchelor's marrowfat peas and mushy peas. All at extortionate prices, but still. I also found what looked like a nice craft shop called 'Granny's Sewing Den' but it was closed on Saturdays. And a mini-roundabout. There were arrows painted on the road in case people couldn't work out which way to go.

I couldn't find the blind pedestrian despite numerous signs warning that he would be crossing...

People in America (or at least the tiny proportion of it I've seen) clearly do not believe in walking. It's extraordinary. There is masses of space, the roads are wide, the area pleasantly leafy but on most roads there are no pavements and no verge so that any foolhardy pedestrians are forced onto the road to face the mad traffic. This is particularly frustrating when looking for accommodation when you don't have a car. I say things like, 'That doesn't look too far' and the chap helping me says things like 'If you want to take your life in your hands every day.'

On the other hand, I feel like I've stepped into the 'good old days' when everyone knows their neighbours and wanders freely in and out of each other's houses. It's kind of nice really. Today I was out with Jeff who I'm staying with and we stopped outside one of his friends' houses, let ourselves in, raided the fridge, said hello to one of the kids and left. When we got home there were two kids and their mum in the pool who'd just dropped by. Jeff made hotdogs for everyone and suddenly it was a party.

Cars in Pennsylvania don't have front numberplates. I'm finding this incredibly disconcerting. I keep having to blink and check that I am wearing my glasses. I have no sense of the highway code. Today I was in a car with some other people who all suddenly drew a sharp breath as a car came out of nowhere. I was completely oblivious to any danger since I had no idea where to expect the cars to come from in the first place.

I've just had a look at some sample Greek and Hebrew exams and I think it's now clear what I'll be spending the next week doing...

           
(Click on the pictures for a bigger view)

There is a US flag in the front porch and a pool in the back garden (sorry, yard).  The house is exactly how you'd imagine a stereotypical American house with a clapboard exterior and a verandah.  It's lovely and the people I'm staying with are incredibly generous and welcoming.

Last night they hosted a weekly neighbourhood dinner.  Children swam in the pool while the adults ate, drank, chopped wood and competed to tell the best 'attacked by a bear while camping' story.  Everybody welcomed me as if I was their new best friend even though I didn't have any bear stories to share.

Yesterday I was told that it hadn't rained here for a month.  I was quite surprised by that since everywhere still looks pretty green.  At four o'clock this morning I woke up (jetlag) just in time to hear the heavens open and watch the lightning strikes.  By breakfast time there was no sign of this at all.  I wonder if it's actually been raining every night for the last month but no-one has noticed.

There is a cat here.  Seaside.  Possibly the largest cat I have ever seen.  This is partly explained by his propensity to sleep all day and partly by the fact that he likes to eat out of other people's cereal bowls.  I shan't be letting him near my plate. 

Someone is about to come and pick me up to take me into Westminster.  Hopefully I should get to meet my supervisor as well as sort out some of the admin stuff and start to think about more permanent housing.  Though I'm quite keen to stay here as long as it's warm enough to swim. 

Terrorist attacks notwithstanding, I shall be flying to America on Wednesday. Scary, exciting, unknown and just a long, long way away.

But praise God for lots of incredibly kind people in America who've offered accommodation, lifts, meals etc. And for lots of wonderful friends over here who've listened to my worries and anxieties and patiently offered wise advice in the past few weeks and months. And for many very generous friends who've given me money as well as prayers of support for the next few years. And for a family who've housed me all summer and helped me with lots of the practical arrangements and who are going to get up very early on Wednesday morning to take me to the airport.

And it is a huge comfort to know that the same Lord is Lord over all the earth, even in America. And if he's provided for me here, he can do the same there. And that in Christ I already have brothers and sisters waiting in Philadelphia.

The first official thing is a week on Wednesday for new students' lunch and orientation. Then Greek and Hebrew exams on Thursday morning - lots of last minute cramming needed there! Lectures start on Sept 7th and I'll probably be taking 3/4 courses plus mugging up my French and German.

Right now I think it will just be a huge relief to finally get there and get started. I'm very much missing any sense of routine in my life, so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into a church quite quickly and getting back to the studies.

Next post from America!

You scored as Calvin. You are John Calvin. You have a Nestorian Christology and separate the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus. You believe only those who have faith are united to Christ, who is present spiritually, yet you call this "Real." Calvin 75% Zwingli 56% Luther 50% Unitarian 19% Catholic 6% Eucharistic theology created with QuizFarm.com

Pretty happy to be associated with Calvin, Zwingli, Luther in that order and hardly at all with the Unitarians and Catholics.  NOT happy to be called a Nestorian.  I'm not sure the author of this quiz understands the difference between undivided and indistinguishable with regard to the human and divine natures.  But then, I'm not entirely surprised that clear thinking orthodox theologians aren't the ones wasting their time writing silly internet quizzes.

Over the summer I've been reading Annie Hawes's book 'Journey to the South' about her trip with her Italian boyfriend and his family to mark the memorial service for some dead relative. The book is much better than I've made it sound and her two previous accounts of her attempts to run an olive grove in northern Italy are even better.

One of the things I learned in the third book is that until the middle of the twentieth century, parts of southern Italy still operated according to a feudal system. Landlords owned vast tracts of the countryside on which they allowed peasants to live and work in return for some enormous proportion of the food they produced. In order to prevent any family becoming too attached to the land that they worked and thus becoming more likely to want to claim it for themselves, the lords insisted that no family could work the same patch of land for more than one consecutive year.

The result? Land which had the potential to be rich and fertile if well-managed fell into disorder so that it became harder and harder to make a living. Hard work became a pointless exercise since the landlords would take most of what was produced and the great Italian art of corruption and deceit became the common currency.

By contrast, Anna Del Conte was talking about Italian food on Women's Hour a few weeks ago and made the comparison between the Italian love of food and the British attitude to food as functional. She suggested that the industrial revolution was at least partly to blame. Once people were separated from the land that produced their food they lost the sense of what food could and should be. In the part of Italy that she comes from, everyone keeps their own patch of land, presses their own olive oil, preserves their own peppers and tomatoes and artichokes. People know what food is, where it has come from, what it is good for, how it should be cooked. And, as a result are healthier and happier.

So there we go. Yet more reasons to live on the land!

One book

If you want to see what Mandy wrote, check it out here.