I just viewed my “Who Am I?” page from Covenant, and everywhere I have an apostrophe, it looks like I am speaking Japanese. In greater news, I was able to add links here. I still haven’t figured out my caching problems on my home computer. How annoying.

I am very much enjoying my time in St. Louis. I have to admit that I wasn’t very excited about the prospect of coming up here. However, it has been wonderful. Yesterday I worshipped twice at Providence Reformed PCA. This was a very enjoyable experience, and Providence has a liturgy much like our own with only slight differences. I’ll probably comment more on this when I my sermon notes close by me.

I am still more and more surprised by who has been to my blog. The associate pastor at Providence is Tommy Lee. He introduced himself to me at the morning service, and by the evening service, I figured out who he was. Rev. Lee has written a well known paper on the history of paedocommunion that you can get at this site. When I mentioned to Rev. Lee that I had figured out that he was the one who had written that paper, he asked me my name again. After I told him, he replied, “Oh…beautifulfeet?” AHHHHHH!!!! I am absolutely frightened to know who else has passed by my blog.

I also got to meet Chris Smith of HotDogBlog and Jonathan Barlow of Barlowfarms. I didn’t realize that Chris Smith was an assisstant pastor at Providence. I knew he worked with inner city ministries and that he was ordained recently, but I didn’t realize that this was a ministry of Providence. I had the opportunity to eat at an Irish pub with Jon, his family, and another friend of mine, Duane. I have also been encouraged by Covenant. I have sat in on two classes so far, including a discussion on the openness of God. Tonight I will be sitting in on one of Dr. Collins classes.

I long for the atmosphere that Covenant has here…simply a bunch of young men eager to discuss the Word and its practical implications. I hardly ever have the opportunity to discuss the Word and theology with anyone back home with the exception of Pastor Wilkins. I think that it has helped that I came here with an open mind. Sure, I have heard a few things that have made me cringe, but I also see people wishing to reach out to others with different beliefs.

Something Dr. Chapell mentioned in chapel struck me today. He mentioned the passage that says something along the lines of, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I have longed to gather you under my wings as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing” (Revised Rick Capezza Trying His Best From Memory Version). He mentioned that when we are gathered around close to Christ, under His wings, not only are we gathered close to Christ, but we are also gathered close together.

Another thing that struck me was a story of how a son who had just went off to college wrote back to his father saying how he was strangely tempted by sins that repulsed him. How often am I in the same boat!

Okay, so I need some advice on some books. If anyone has heard anything about these books, tell me if they are worth buying:

Linguistics and Biblical Interpretation by Cotterel and Turner
How to Read the Psalms by Tremper Longman III

I am on an email list or two with Tremper Longman III, but I can’t remember what I think of him. I think that’s all I have for now. Y’all be good now.