13 Specifics

I find that, after the sweeping post I just published, I myself need to write some more defined goals for myself. So here goes:

1. I am spending this Saturday at Disney's Magic Kingdom to observe the ways in which Disney implements their vision of the perfect, happy life in concrete ways, creating a different world so powerful that people all over the world come to experience it. I want to take these observations and turn them into a short paper that analyzes Disney's methods and offers some observations about how the church might learn from Disney about embodying a vision for shalom.

2. I want to write reviews of books that have impacted me this semester and put them on this blog. I specifically want to review For the Life of the World, Desiring the Kingdom, and Moral, Believing Animals to revisit their specific offerings and then put them in a dialogue with each other.

3. I want to finish out this semester's reading list: The Prophetic Imagination, Resident Aliens The Politics of Jesus, Reel Spirituality, and perhaps one or two more. I would like to finish this soon but also want to focus on each book and listen to its profound implications.

4. I want to begin my summer reading list with Alistair McGrath's Christian Theology: An Introduction and the accompaning reader. At some point I would love to begin N.T. Wright's Church Origins and the Question of God series. If possible, I want to also engage in some study of the Orthodox tradition in Christianity, for my exposure so far has created great respect within me for Orthodox theology.

5. As I read, I want to adopt/develop more spiritual disciplines which I can begin to practice to move myself closer to the goals that I envision. I want to build a routine which can provide a framework for the rest of my life.

6. I want to spend serious time reflection on my role as a Cultural Discerner in the fall and on my internship with Encounter Church.

7. I want to learn more about myself and about friendship from social interactions this summer and spend time thinking about how friendships deepen and grow, with the ultimate goal of growing the frienships I've made at Calvin to an even closer, deeper, and more challenging level.

8. I need to write on my blogs with some consistency as well as continue to work on my poetry and maybe even experiment with a screenplay or at least a story outline.

9. Watch movies!!

10. Be rooted once again by interaction with my family and friends back home, but in such a way that propels me toward greater growth and development and forms frienships which can last even while changing over the next year.

11. Be filled by Scripture, which will only come from consistent reading and reflection.

12. Continue to read the news and expand my learning and awareness in that way.

13. Improve at keeping in touch over distance with my friends from Calvin this year.