I have just read Flirting with Monasticism and that is how I ended up at this site.
I wrote a review at my site http://www.liturgy.co.nz/worship/books.html
I think Neal’s point is highlighted in the Dominican’s surprise in Karen’s book that one might just turn up at theological college without a foundation of spirituality.
I am fascinated to translate monastic insights into our new context and am convinced that our only way forward is a deep spirituality.

I have been an ordained minister in the PCUSA for 10 years now. I often reflect on my time in seminary (I went to Pittsburgh Theological) and how helpful it was.

Initially in my ministry I felt as though -outside of constructing and preaching a sermon-seminary taught me very little about ministry.

I served in a church in which the windows on the top floor had no screens. The Senior pastor and I spent two hours one day trying to get two pigeons out of a classroom on that floor without harming them. Seminary taught me nothing about that.

I served in another church in which a family disappeared while sailing on Lake Michigan. I helped coordinate search teams. Seminary taught me nothing about how to handle this task.

However, as I continue to reflect on this experiences and other like it, I feel as though seminary laid the groundwork for the importance of such events.

When the rest of the family received the worst possible news about their relatives sailing trip, I still didn’t know exactly what to say while I sat with them. But I did know why I needed to sit with them.

My experience was that seminary was what you made it. I had a great time, took some parts seriously, other parts less so.

But the more I reflect, the more I see the value of that time, both professionally and personally. I will pray for you as you continue to discern that call.

I’m not much of a Presbyterian, but I’ve been a member of a PCUSA congregation for the past 20 years. I’m a part-time seminary student at Ashland (http://www.ashland.edu/seminary/). Last year I took a course on Emergent Christian Spirituality, the first time it was offered. One other course, taught by the same professor, also drew heavily on emergent church ideas and writings. “School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism” (Rutba House) was one of the texts. These courses are part of their spiritual formation offerings. Hopefully PTS is offering courses like this.

I experience a fairly strong sense of community at ATS among the students and faculty considering that I’m a part time commuter student. I wish I could participate in more of the campus life there which would include chapel and spiritual formation groups given my “Sitz im Leben”.

The strongest experience of community that I’ve had hasn’t come with the Presbyterian Church (unfortunately), but with a small, non-denominational church plant that I was involved with before that. So much of what the emergent church is doing now reminds me of the house church movement in the ’70s and early ’80s. It’s great to see ideas that Howard Snyder was writing about back then reemerging. I hope they take deeper root this time.

BTW, for more about Dominicans in seminary & my search for community, check out this Relevant Magazine e-newsletter article:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/850/012907/012907.htm

Thanks Neal.

Are there any other Presbyterian monastic flirts reading this conversation? Where have you found community?