Class

I have never been particularly fond of class. I've always done everything in my power to avoid attending, studying for, or passing them. One of the things that drew me to this program is the uniqueness of the classes. Rather than trying to force myself to learn difficult engineering nonsense, I'll be taking classes that focus on the Bible and spiritual growth. As much as I love numbers, I definitely do not have the same passion for thermodynamics as I do for Jesus. Also, attendance is actually mandatory (not "mandatory"). It will be a challenge, but surely I can't fail Bible school? Famous last words.

Anyway, while we are all eagerly waiting to see if I can attend my classes, here are some initial reactions:

Principles of Praise and Worship: This class is taught by Sharon Daugherty, the senior pastor's wife. Her credibility was somewhat compromised when she confessed to only recently learning that the moon does not create light of its own. Other than that, her lecture was very interesting. The focus is on the idea of worshipping through the way we live, with music as a small component.

Principles of Prayer: Quite possibly the primary reason for my interest in VBI. Senior Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty teaches this class, and the first lecture was very fascinating. While I do not anticipate having "all the answers" at the end of this course, I am eager to learn more about the charismatic approach to prayer. Many of the concepts are new to me, but PBJ does a good job supporting his thoughts with scripture. Good stuff.

Transformed Living: Romans 12:2 says that as Christians we are to live transformed lives. This entire course is based on that principle, and is taught by VBI director Ron McIntosh. The class is very interesting, and should be fairly practical as well. Ron is a great storyteller. I am optimistic about staying awake at least in this class.

Authority of the Believer: Probably my least favorite class thus far. I'm not entirely sure what we will be learning, and the teacher is not the most compelling speaker. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.

Advanced Music Theory: I took intro to music theory at Montgomery College last winter, and it could not have been more boring. This course should be more interesting, and hopefully I will learn a lot. I like music theory.

Intermediate Keyboard 1: This class was way too simple, so I switched into...

Advanced Keyboard 1: This class is way too hard. But sitting through it I was very excited to be stretched. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up, but the idea of the course is to learn how to do improvisation and arrangement. I hope the teacher doesn't mind that I don't really know how to play the piano...

New Testament 1: Haven't had this class yet. I imagine we will discuss the New Testament. I guess you can't go wrong there. Should be good.

As you can see, none of these classes involve anything that remotely resembles engineering. Simple logic allows me to deduce that I will not fail. Yes, this logic is flawed. I guess only time will tell. Sorry this post was so boring, but you should have known as much from the title.