Catching Up
Feb. 23rd, 2004 06:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qosThis past weekend was a wonderful time -- although only a career student with a ministerial vocation would probably agree with me. I spent fifteen hours in Christology class, studying theologies relating to the nature, identity, and mission of Jesus. (Part 2 of two long weekends.)
Did you know there are three primary theological "paths" in christology?
1. Through Jesus' ministry -- this covers what he preached and all the material relating to "the search for the historical historical Jesus."
2. Through the Cross -- the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, what salvation is and how we are saved. I've been amazed at the variety of doctrines there are under this heading that are all considered orthodox, even by the Catholic church.
3. The Incarnation -- Christian doctrine says that Jesus was both human and divine. What does this mean? How do we understand the terms "human" and "divine"? What do the creeds of Nicea and Chalcedon have to say on the subject, why are they important, and what does it matter on a day-to-day pastoral level? Is it a big deal that the Council of Nicea declared that Jesus is "eternally begotten" but that Swedenborg says that the second person of the trinity did not come fully into being until the incarnation? Is it important to me? I'm still working that one out.
Coming back to work was difficult, especially because the more I work with the admin who is my sort-of supervisor, the less I like her. She treats me like a minion rather than a colleague, despite the fact that I have been at this company longer than she has.
Today she came to me with an issue having to do with a folder from my previous position stored on a part of the company-wide system where anyone could access it. There was a security issue about some confidential (if old) data. I explained what was going on with it and gave her my opinion on how it should be handled, given my four months of experience in the other department. She refused to hear me, and kept repeating that she was going to talk with Joe, whose name was on the top-level folder but who had moved out of the department in question months ago. It wasn't a wholly unreasonable course of action, but she flat refused to take my advice to *also* speak with the director of the department that owned the folder, the one who would be aware of who is currently using the file and would need access.
Then she declared that I didn't understand what she was doing. Apparently I wouldn't be suggesting a different course of action if I truly understood what she was doing!And then she repeated herself again. When I didn't immediately reply, "Of course! That makes perfect sense," she repeated herself again.
Twenty minutes after she'd left my desk, she called to tell me that Joe had suggested she do exactly as I had advised in the first place: call the department head to find out what was going on, since Joe no longer had anything to do with the folder.
This woman (who is my peer in age) continuously treats me as if I needed detailed directions to do simple chores that I have been doing for this company for months. It drives me nuts, since nothing upsets me faster than being condescended to. And it happens with her a lot. My last position at this company was a joy. I wouldn't take this job if they offered it to me, not unless it meant getting out from under this gal's authority.
My actual supervisor, the new VP, is out of town all week, so I have very little to do (and Miss Snob doesn't inspire me to go out of my way to offer to help her). (I know: it's not at all a Christian attitude.) I wish I could use the time to study, but reading textbooks at one's desk is a Poor Career Move for a temp. It kills me to be wasting my time sitting at this desk when I could be doing real work. I'm going to start emailing myself some of my own in-progress fiction, so at least I can do some of that. I'm happy to work hard when there's work to do -- but an admin with a brand-new, out-of-the office manager doesn't have that much to do but unlock the supply cabinet for people.
And did I mention that this gal is too cheap to stock kleenex?
Yes, condescending to me gets me mad fast, and I hold a real grudge, especially when the condescension is ongoing.
I should probably work on that.
In my own defense, there are a lot of things I do forgive and forget quickly.
Did you know there are three primary theological "paths" in christology?
1. Through Jesus' ministry -- this covers what he preached and all the material relating to "the search for the historical historical Jesus."
2. Through the Cross -- the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection, what salvation is and how we are saved. I've been amazed at the variety of doctrines there are under this heading that are all considered orthodox, even by the Catholic church.
3. The Incarnation -- Christian doctrine says that Jesus was both human and divine. What does this mean? How do we understand the terms "human" and "divine"? What do the creeds of Nicea and Chalcedon have to say on the subject, why are they important, and what does it matter on a day-to-day pastoral level? Is it a big deal that the Council of Nicea declared that Jesus is "eternally begotten" but that Swedenborg says that the second person of the trinity did not come fully into being until the incarnation? Is it important to me? I'm still working that one out.
Coming back to work was difficult, especially because the more I work with the admin who is my sort-of supervisor, the less I like her. She treats me like a minion rather than a colleague, despite the fact that I have been at this company longer than she has.
Today she came to me with an issue having to do with a folder from my previous position stored on a part of the company-wide system where anyone could access it. There was a security issue about some confidential (if old) data. I explained what was going on with it and gave her my opinion on how it should be handled, given my four months of experience in the other department. She refused to hear me, and kept repeating that she was going to talk with Joe, whose name was on the top-level folder but who had moved out of the department in question months ago. It wasn't a wholly unreasonable course of action, but she flat refused to take my advice to *also* speak with the director of the department that owned the folder, the one who would be aware of who is currently using the file and would need access.
Then she declared that I didn't understand what she was doing. Apparently I wouldn't be suggesting a different course of action if I truly understood what she was doing!And then she repeated herself again. When I didn't immediately reply, "Of course! That makes perfect sense," she repeated herself again.
Twenty minutes after she'd left my desk, she called to tell me that Joe had suggested she do exactly as I had advised in the first place: call the department head to find out what was going on, since Joe no longer had anything to do with the folder.
This woman (who is my peer in age) continuously treats me as if I needed detailed directions to do simple chores that I have been doing for this company for months. It drives me nuts, since nothing upsets me faster than being condescended to. And it happens with her a lot. My last position at this company was a joy. I wouldn't take this job if they offered it to me, not unless it meant getting out from under this gal's authority.
My actual supervisor, the new VP, is out of town all week, so I have very little to do (and Miss Snob doesn't inspire me to go out of my way to offer to help her). (I know: it's not at all a Christian attitude.) I wish I could use the time to study, but reading textbooks at one's desk is a Poor Career Move for a temp. It kills me to be wasting my time sitting at this desk when I could be doing real work. I'm going to start emailing myself some of my own in-progress fiction, so at least I can do some of that. I'm happy to work hard when there's work to do -- but an admin with a brand-new, out-of-the office manager doesn't have that much to do but unlock the supply cabinet for people.
And did I mention that this gal is too cheap to stock kleenex?
Yes, condescending to me gets me mad fast, and I hold a real grudge, especially when the condescension is ongoing.
I should probably work on that.
In my own defense, there are a lot of things I do forgive and forget quickly.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-24 01:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-24 07:15 am (UTC)A great deal of what I'm studying right now is stuff most people will never think about. It either won't matter to them, or they are comfortable and content with what they receive from their church. Which is fine.
I didn't become a theologian until I experienced an existential crisis -- and then suddenly theology was the central concern of my life. But sometimes I miss the times when my spiritual life was simple. There are days I try to pray, but all the different names of God and doctrines about God and feminist and Pagan theologies all boil about in my head and it's a major effort to simply Be still and know that God is God (to paraphrase one of my favorite scriptures).
I wonder if that boss woman you're having trouble with feels threatened by you in any way (like if you are obviously more intelligent, so she wants to convince herself you're stupid)?
I'm realizing I'm having a more complex response to this than my first thought. I'm going to move this question up to an entry of its own in a little while.