Wednesday, April 27, 2005

ground hog day 5 years later

It is wierd being here, at a place I first stayed 5 years ago. It was 1999 and I was wanting to do a PhD. I had wanted to study with John Drane and had written him. Once, but the second time I got no reply. “Busy overseas lecturers” I muttered and went looking elsewhere. No luck. Everywhere I turned I met blockages.

I gave up on doing a PhD. The next day, a letter arrived from the UK. Yep, John Drane. Wondering why I had not replied to his second letter. It turns out that his letter to me got lost in the post. “Useless overseas mail” he was probably muttering.

So it was back on again. I worked to link University of Otago, Mike Riddell, and John Drane.

By another set of (God) coincidences, through Tom Sine, I was invited to be part of a Young Leaders Network (early incarnation of EmergentUS) thing at Seattle, and John and Olive Drane were teaching at Fuller Theological Seminary as John completed McDonaldization of the Church. I could fly through Los Angeles. I could met John and Olive at the Fuller Bookstore and give a lecture at John Drane’s D.Min class.

Afterward, John and Olive and I headed back to the Fuller Guest House and talked. And talked. And talked. Swapping “worship” ideas and stories. John told me that my speaking at the D.Min class was him testing whether it was worth his time to supervise me. I told him I was glad he told me that after, and not before.

5 years later I’m back. So are John and Olive (arriving today) and once again I’m hoping we’ll talk and talk and talk. Ground hog day – 5 years later. Although I now have a PhD.

Posted by steve at 04:42 AM

1 Comment

  1. I hope so too – groundhog day I mean. Have an energising and refreshing time.

    Comment by Paul Fromont — April 27, 2005 @ 7:14 am

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