What a last 10 days we've had in Richmond! I graduated from seminary, family came into town, we celebrated for multiple days, we finalized "baby things" at our apartment (my mom finished painting the baby's dresser, we did some of the baby's laundry, and finished packing our hospital bags), and we prepared for our upcoming move.
As I write this blog post, which will probably be my final one for a while, I'm filled with gratitude. I'm thankful for the ways that God continues to work through me and through each of you. I'm thankful for the love of family and friends. I'm thankful for new life growing inside of me. I'm thankful for the professors and students at UPSem who've taught me how to think theologically and pastorally, how to prepare for worship and preaching, how to think contextually about the biblical texts, etc. etc. I'm incredibly thankful!
Below are some reflections on the last couple of weeks. I hope to be able to update y'all about the details of my call in the next month or so (pending "the way is clear" in the Presbytery of my call and pending I have time to write a blog post when I have a newborn!).
Sunday, May 25th
St. Andrew connections --- I first "met" Elizabeth Smith-Bartlett when my dad connected me with her for an informational interview as I started to look at seminaries. I met Elizabeth officially in Summer 2023 when she guest preached at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church. We got to know each other better at the beginning of 2024 and then in Summer 2024 when I did Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) where Elizabeth works as a Chaplain. A few months ago Elizabeth told me that she grew up sitting on the same pew as my grandparents. So when Grandmother came to town for graduation weekend, I figured we should create an updated version of Elizabeth's memory. We enjoyed donuts outside of church and then worshiped together. What a joy to connect with Elizabeth, who was a very involved youth at St. Andrew and who was under St. Andrew and Grace Presbytery's care like I've been.
Pure joy in our connectional church!
Saturday, May 24th
At 37 weeks & 5 days pregnant I graduated from UPSem with a Master of Divinity degree (as a classmate pointed out, a Master of Divinity is 81 credit hours which is no joke!). What a wonderful, exciting, sometimes stressful, challenging, life-changing experience I've had over the last 3 years as a seminarian. Without a doubt my favorite parts of seminary were the field learning experiences and the time spent with classmates and professors --- problem-solving, "what-ifing", imagining life outside of seminary, channeling creativity, discussing the biblical texts, learning Hebrew and Greek, and taking "laps," which was our sacred time in-between classes and studying when we got to just "be" with each other.
This group of gals was alongside each other through the many joyful and stressful times of seminary.
I never understood why, after earning a degree, the partner who earned the degree would say to the other that their partner deserved part of their degree. I always thought "You did the work! Why should the other partner get credit too?!" But now I understand this sentiment. Almost 2 years ago Charles and I entered the covenant of marriage. Almost 3 years ago we moved to Richmond as a couple engaged to be married. Charles picked up his life, comfort, and safety and moved to Richmond alongside me so that I could follow God's call for me to seminary and into ministry. Around 4 years ago I started to feel God calling me to ministry. When I told Charles about this new call, or feeling, his response was "finally!" I'd mentioned to him numerous times that while I enjoyed my job, most of my coworkers felt called to our field. But I didn't feel that same sense of call to my job. So Charles' response of "finally" was all the support I could've ever imagined. Shortly after telling Charles about this call, I began to research seminaries and have informational interviews with anyone who'd talk to me. Then Charles accompanied me on the journey of visiting seminaries and discerning where God might be calling me for seminary and where God might be calling our family. All of this is to say that I feel incredibly grateful for Charles' partnership, our covenant of marriage, our commitment to each other, and Charles' and his family's love and support of this journey. What a profound gift to have Charles at my side and to know that he's alongside me as God continues to work through both of us in new ways.
My "biblical languages sensei," as a friend put it. Dr. Lemma is a gift to UPSem, to the world, and to me. I'm grateful for his encouragement when I thought I was failing the languages, for his support and mentorship throughout my seminary career, and for the love he has for my family and me.
I'm thankful for those who joined us in-person for graduation weekend and those who joined us virtually! Here are the YouTube links to recordings of Baccalaureate and Commencement.
How neat it is to have your grandmother, aunt, parents, husband, and mother-in-law at your side when you graduate with your Master of Divinity! I certainly wouldn't have gotten here without the love and support of our communities, especially those faith communities who've nourished and helped raise me (FPC Mt. Sterling, FPC Troy, and St. Andrew). The folks of St. Andrew have surrounded me with love, support, and opportunity to learn and practice ministry while I've been under their care. Shoutout to Julie Tolle for being a model liaison and for always meeting me exactly where I am.
Friday, May 23rd
32 years ago my dad graduated from seminary with my mom, who was about 4-5 months pregnant with me, at his side. What fun it is to hear about that time in my parents' life and then to reflect on the time in our life right now. I know that seminary wouldn't have been possible, or at least it wouldn't have been nearly as fun, explorative, and reflective, without the support of my parents. To be able to call my dad after something in class shocked me, to have my mom understand what it's like to be the spouse of a future minister, to have your parents visit campus and know your journey intimately because it's part of their journey too --- it's an incredible feeling. Thank you to Mom & Papa for always believing in me, for cultivating my love for people, for encouraging me when I started to feel a call to ministry, and for all the things you've done for my sisters and me that have gone unnoticed and unrecognized. I started every seminary application essay about my family with these sentences: “Living out your calling is a phrase to which I am accustomed. My father is a Presbyterian minister and my mother is a dentist who started a nonprofit dental clinic. I witnessed my parents serving our community and ministering with those in need through their respective callings, inspiring me to seek a job that I love and feel called to do." What a privilege and a gift to have Mom & Papa as my models.
Post-Baccalaureate reception on campus --- we'll miss this beautiful campus for sure.
Sunday, May 18th
The week before graduation I preached at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church (GPPC) at 36 weeks & 6 days pregnant. We're immensely grateful for that beloved community.
I borrowed a stole to wear at GPPC and it's a favorite!
Thursday, May 15th
I realized I haven't taken a photo of campus in a while. Gotta soak up the views while I can. I worked in the library to prepare for the final sermon of my seminary career.
Sunday, May 11th
On Mother's Day we attended a Disciples of Christ church in Richmond (where my former boss' husband is the pastor). Turns out they take Mother's Day celebrations and honoring caregivers very seriously! I hadn't thought of Mother's Day being a holiday to celebrate me quite yet, but many friends and this church felt differently. What a gift it was to worship there.
Saturday, May 3rd
Our "day date" in May included eating at a restaurant that has been on my "want to try" list for 2+ years then making homemade ice-cream at Sweet Wynn's.
I'm not sure how many more times I can say "thank you," so here it is one last time. I'm grateful for each of y'all, for our communities, and for the ways God works in and among us. Here's to Summer 2025 --- the summer we become parents (in just a few days!) and the summer we move as I receive my first call to ministry.
With Love,
Caitlin
