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Oh yeah – where are you?

Oh yeah – where are you?

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Yes, I’m not on the hill now that school has let out.  I’m doing CPE (clinical pastoral education) at local Portland Emmanuel Legacy hospital by the Rose Garden.  I’m moving into a house just down the street.  So for you local folks, I’m going to be downtown (starting end of this week).  I’ll be living there until mid/end of August when the assignment ends.  Already I can tell this is going to be extremely stretching and challenging.  I will be a chaplain intern at a trauma hospital, the one that gets most of the life-flight cases, burn victims, and surprisingly: lots of births and preemies.   In reality, though, they do just about everything.  It took almost an hour and a half just to walk through all the major wards – it’s a very big hospital with lots of different assignments.  I wouldn’t be able to spend even one week in each ward before my internship ends.

I must admit that I am apprehensive of my meager abilities to actually say or do anything right in all of the tremendous emotional and spiritual needs.  Thank goodness they seem to have a good training and mentoring program.  I just had my first day; but it certainly makes you feel vulnerable, weak, and turn outside of yourself for higher spiritual guidance.

If any of you happen to stop into the hospital, look me up.  I’ll be on the regular on-call rotation shortly and will be in 5 days a week and some weekends.

Indy 500

Indy 500

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Caught the last part of the Indy 500 and it was probably one of the best races in years!

The first woman ever to lead the 500 – a rookie no less.  Danica Patrick lead the last dozen or so laps only to get beaten out by mere inches before a  yellow.  She then took the lead again, lost it, and the winner runs out of gas before he can make it back to pit road!  What a great finish!

This is the first 500 in a few years that I didn’t get back home to see.  Usually make it to the time trials or the like; but watched it alone in a very empty seminary.  Yet, it was so exciting and fun.  I felt like I was there myself – whooping and white-knuckling my seat till the end.

The live, in-person version is really entertaining. Mostly because the hoards of drunk people that as much fun to watch as the race itself.  But I also missed the family because the race reminded me of watching the race together as a kid.

If you’ve never experienced an Indy-car race in person – make the 500 your first.  It’s so loud that you’ll be deaf without earplugs.  You can actually hear the race almost 20-30 miles away on good days.  Great, great race.

Finals week

Finals week

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Finals week begins tomorrow, I have 3 of them this week, with only one going to be particularly tough. I’ve been averaging a 10 page paper a day most of last week trying to get projects and reports done. Probably the most interesting paper I did was on how science and the Church have worked/and not worked with each other. I didn’t get to go into the detail I wanted to for the simple 10 page paper, but might use it for some kind of masters project (most guys up here get a few degrees at the same time). I’ll probably put more project notes up after the semester is over so that I can explore the idea a bit more; but here are some interesting observations:

  • Science and theology should not be viewed as at odds with each other, or a priori opposed to each other. Epistemologically they are both seeking the same thing – truth.  Alas, people have not always understood that truths found in how the nature works is also a kind of revelation of the way God manifests himself.
  • The difference between science and theology is in their objects. The objects of science is objective, unbiased descriptions of physical processes. The object of theology is the assignment of value and meaning based on understanding the teleology (ends) of objects or actions.
  • Science and theology (philosophy+morality) cannot replace the other – but should produce a partnership that mutually informs each other.  That process must be a dialog which recognizes the different goals, and limitations, of each branch of study.  Science can tell us how to split the atom, but it cannot tell us when it is ok to kill people with it.  Theology can give us meaning; but it cannot dictate physical facts (Galileo).  Both science and theology get in trouble when they try to do the job of the other – which is when we have had the most trouble in the past.
  • Following the progression of epistemology and teleology would be an important thread in this process: Aristotle’s 4 causes (knowledge as including ends) to Enlightenment notion that knowledge does not include ends – bifurcation of theology/science. To post-modern philosophies.
  • With a proper view of the ends of each discipline, it would be possible to outline processes and understanding for science and theology to complement and aid each other in a cooperative model of growth in a properly ordered way.
  • hmmmm, more ideas!

I’ve gotten my summer assignments and info about where I’ll be next year; but I’ll put that in a separate update. Short version: I’ll be living in Portland this summer.

St. Michael Award

St. Michael Award

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I won one of the yearly awards from the seminary last night at our annual Appreciation dinner.  It was one of 5 awards given out; and the local Catholic paper put our picture and story in the paper.  I got the St. Michael the Arch-angel award.  This was awarded to the person who faithfully carried out an already existing activity with great fidelity, or came up with a new one that significantly contributed to the life of the community.

I won for creating and printing up a photo directory in book format – think yearbook style.  I worked with two other guys and the Abbey press to get it done; and it was the results of about 2 years of planning and picture taking.  Working with the press was extremely fun and interesting.  They have some amazing binding and printing machines that print, fold, trim, staple and scratch your back while doing it.  It’s amazing equipment.  What’s funny is that next year I will not be at the seminary (pastoral year) so someone else will have to do it. 🙂