Offically offical seminary updates are not Red either

Or maybe all updates are red? Who even knows! Let's make 'em yellow. I like yellow.

So here's the deal:
Applying to seminary is a two track kind of deal. The first track is the "candidacy process" that you begin generally with your pastor and your church. My church belongs to the ELCA. The ELCA is divided up into synods. My church is part of the southeastern synod. Thus, my candidacy process is through the synod. My big bad interview saturday is with the synod (the synod office is in ATL) and this is the final step on this track.

The other track is the application to seminary. Some choose to not attend an ELCA seminary though from what I gathered, that is greatly frowned upon because it is makes is so much more difficult to become ordained because of the extra year involved (catching up on all things Lutheran, you see?). So, whatevs. I liked Chicago. There was an ELCA school there. That's when LSTC came into the picture. God pushed. I walked. God presented. I accepted.

It seems like all those decisions were easy and painless, but they took at least two or three years of my life and school to figure out. What kind of seminary? Did I want to stay in the ELCA? Did I like all the things they taught and believed? Did I want to attend a secular divinity school? Chicago... really?

Alas, here I am. Nearing the final step. Applying for grants and asking for prayer. I've been accepted to the seminary... pending approval of the synod. I applied or am applying for two different grants. The Fund for Leaders was the one with the insane questions. Then I just found out about the Munderloh Foundation Grant. The Munderloh is worth $2,500. Neither covers the internship year (typically the third year of four years of school). So that is quite exciting. I'll keep you posted, I'm sure.

Other questions about the process or where I'm at? I'm leaving Chattanooga the end of July. I'll be starting school late August/early September. Yay? :)