GOEs Day Three

All in all, a good day.

This morning was the Ethics questions. This was another topic where some very - ahem - unusual questions have been asked in the past. Blessing upon blessing, this one was about virtue ethics and the martyrdom of Jonathan Daniels, a seminarian who was killed in Selma Alabama while fighting for the right to vote of the African-American population there. Since our primary ethics professor is a virtues ethicist, and since we also covered aspects of it in my Medical Ethics class last quarter, I felt like I could do a good treatment of the subject and talk about how Daniels' actions were consistent(mostly) with a virtues ethics methodology. Three solid pages, with some good references to solid sources.

This afternoon was Theory and Practice of Ministry, which is one of those questions that allows you no outside resources. The question was about having a pregnant teen in your youth group, who wants you to help her get an abortion and not tell the parents. What issues does it raise, and what's your pastoral plan? We had talked about this kind of situation in a couple of my pastoral care classes at some length, and as the mother of a 20 year old daughter, the topic of "what if?" has certainly crossed my mind on occasion (but hasn't had to stay there, thanks be to God), so there was plenty to write about there, despite the fact that we had to answer from our own hearts and minds, and not from someone else's ideas.

So another day ends. I am preaching this evening at our Eucharist, which feels like a real gift.

I intend to watch television tonight to stay relaxed. Tomorrow morning is the final question, on Church History. Open resources. Thus far, we have had no really odd questions, and it is rare that the Church History one fits that description, so I am hopeful that I will end this up tomorrow without weeping, wailing, or gnashing of teeth. May it be so.

We will get our scores sometime in mid-February, but I feel reasonably good about my work thus far, and whatever happens after that is in God's hands. Thanks for the prayers and good wishes so many of you have sent - I could feel them.