random thoughts

1. I've been blogging for a year now, and this is my 60th post. So I am averaging slightly more than 1 post per week. That's probably about as much time as I wanted to give this -- it's an authentic record of my seminary experience (and life in general) and I forget what I write between posts, so I start fresh every time (a good way to see what's important to me).
2. Many 20-something students crack their knuckles in class. It drives me crazy -- the noise is distracting from the lecture, but also, I remember hearing when I was young that daily cracking of the joints like that will cause arthritis. Not sure if that's true -- guess I could research it -- but I shudder to think of all these people with painful fingers in a few years!
3. Interesting chapel experiences this week: A.) On Friday, crowded service cuz of communion (that's always the case, interesting), one young man was sitting at the edge of a pew with his legs crossed so that no one else could get in the pew with him. I guess he might have moved if one asked, but I assumed he was saving seats for friends. At the end of the service, I noticed everyone else packed in like sardines, while this man had a pew almost to himself (there were some who came in at the other end). He often sat sideways and stretched his legs out along the length of the pew. (I know this cuz I sat in the pew in front of him.) Am I getting too curmudgeonly? How tolerant must we be in church?
B.) On Thursday, I sat in chapel next to a young man who was sniffling throughout the service and wiping his nose with his hand. For a brief moment at the passing of the peace, I considered not shaking his hand (extending the peace to him/sharing the peace with him) but I couldn't bring myself not to -- I guess couldn't deny him that without a lengthy and judgmental explanation. So I shook his hand and smiled at him (I didn't feel dislike for him at all -- I don't even know him) and then I made a mental note to go wash my hands, which I did. It reminds me of the US Presbyterians in Kenya who "Purelled" their hands after shaking the hands of hundreds of Kenyans in a crowd, usually children, and right in the sight of those whose hands they'd just shaken. While I might have "Purelled" afterwards, too, I didn't want the people to think I found them unclean, so I didn't do it until after we had left. What are a few minutes' delay? It also reminds me of the Presbyterian Church I know where a petition was signed to do away with the passing of the peace -- most of the people who generated that petition (and request to the Session) were afraid of spreading germs in church....
Interesting. That's all I have for today!