As pledged, the second preaching-related post in as many days. While the lecture portion of homiletics hasn't been the most enthralling experience, I have come to appreciate the practicum component, in which groups of seven students are together for the quarter, with each giving two sermons.

Going into the experience, my group was a mixed bag of friends, acquaintances, people I recognized, and unknowns-to-me. At this point, six of us have preached, and I've appreciated the sermons given, which have illuminated both the biblical texts and the speakers. The cool thing is that in hearing certain people speak, I can get a vague picture of their life settings, including where they (and their words) come from and are going. Hearing my classmates preach, I've thought, 'They're right there, and are teaching in a fashion that will connect, especially in that setting.' Pretty cool.

When I came to Fuller, I was looking forward to a diverse student population. In some of my other classes, I've been frustrated because it has seemed a hindrance to learning, specifically with classmates from more conservative perspectives from my own (this probably says more about me, a cocky young WMA, than about the school, & probably isn't saying good things about me, but expunging the remark wouldn't be integrous, and would derail the thought, so it remains). In this class, I've seen student diversity in a positive light, and that has been quite cool, and worth mention.