Glasgow, Here I Come

This morning, I received word that the Head of Department had requested that a contract be drawn up in my name. While it’s conceivable that something might go awry at this point, it all seems secure enough for me to tell my visitors that beginning August 1, I will join the faculty of the University of Glasgow’s Department of Theology and Religious Studies.
 
My biblical studies colleagues will be Yvonne Sherwood, Sarah Nicholson, and Ward Blanton; they’ve been marvelously encouraging and excited about my joining them, and it will be a royal treat to join forces with them. I gather that there’s some curricular revision in the offing, which may afford a chance for us to tailor the biblical courses to an integrated, harmonious whole. Plus, there’ll be doctoral students and eager undergrads along with the ministry students I’ve grown accustomed to teaching. The University was founded in 1451 by a papal bull — now, that’s historic!
 
Glasgow is a terrific city (based on my six days’ acquaintance with it), and there’s much to be said for living in the U.K. I’ll enjoy the chance to interact more richly with my colleagues in the U.K. and Europe, plus I’ll be living in my ancestral homeland, and the home terrain of Gary Turner and Euan Semple, perhaps getting acquainted in the physical dimensions with the tech community Over There. Maybe Will Crawley or David Efird will have a reason to visit.
 
For the coming year, I’ll have to leave Margaret and my family behind. That will be hard, especially after having had such an intensely lovely time with them all at Si’s wedding, but we’ll see what we can afford by way of visiting back and forth. After this year, we plan for Margaret to come live in Glasgow while we see what we can find for work for her.
 
It’s intensely exciting for what’s to come, and poignantly sad for what I’m leaving behind. The moving/storing/releasing process strikes my great weakness, with really very little time in which to arrange all these matters. Luckily, I have a flat already arranged; it’s furnished, and within walking distance of the university. And people are sending me the names of relations and friends in Glasgow; if I were to see them all, my social calendar would be full for weeks.
 
A great many people have been praying and hoping and rooting and encouraging and reaching out over the past year and a half; I have been upheld and sustained by your concern, and I can’t thank you all enough. I hope that years to come afford to me the chance to do some good on behalf of other struggling job-seekers. Please remember the unemployed and the under-employed, the homeless and the desperate, whose hearts and hopes have been abraded by the harsh economies of the twenty-first century world. Though Margaret and I have been pulled back from the brink of that steep hillside, we experienced enough of it to keep us mindful of how fortunate we are.
 
For now, I’m gathering my wits and figuring out how to make the intercontinental transition — because in a few weeks, I’m moving to Glasgow!
 

35 thoughts on “Glasgow, Here I Come

  1. Now that is cool. AKMA a Glaswegian!

    My only trip to Glasgow was spoiled by having the only car accident I’ve ever had while driving. It sounds as if you are off to a better start.

    Congratulations. I look forward to your future posts.

  2. They speak Scottish on Pluto – who knew? Congratulations to you and to Glasgow, which has perspicaciously seized, with Scottish astuteness, one that the US will be poorer for lacking. This just sounds right.

  3. Congratulations AKMA! This position makes a lot of sense for you. I am glad to know that it worked out.

  4. Congrats doesn’t begin to cover all what I am feeling….As my husbands favorite OT prof used to say “It is more complicated than that”.

    We will continue to keep you all in our prayers as you begin this transition. I know that Glasgow will definitely benefit from your teaching, I know Todd did.

    Congrats and Good Luck.

  5. Excellent news!! Glasgow is indeed a beautiful city, the whole country is gorgeous. I hope you get the chance to do a bit of sight seeing!!!

    They are lucky to be getting you for a year! Us Colonials will miss you, and we wish you a fruitful year!! Keep in touch with us AKMA!

    Hugs!

  6. Oooo… after my second re-read I noticed that you will be on faculty longer than just a year!

    /Jealous!!!

  7. Overheard on the sidelines: I didn’t know Montana had a theological school.

    Um . . . That would be Glasgow, SCOTLAND, not Glasgow, MT. Just make sure you don’t accidentally book to the wrong place.

    Congrats.

  8. HOORAY!! Hooray for University of Glasgow and hooray for you and Margaret. This is both wonderful and exciting–a rich new adventure. We’ll now pray that the way for Margaret’s work there becomes clear as well.

  9. Congratulations — they are truly lucky to have found you! I only hope that you and Margaret are able to eek out many short visits back and forth in the coming year. My best to you both!

  10. AKMA,
    I am so excited for you! What a blessing for you to be on the other side of the pond. Sorry that your family will still be in the states, but hopefully free air miles will make up the difference some of the time. You really stumped me with all your clues on Facebook. God is good…God is very good! Peace, Pam+

  11. AKMA – What wonderful, wonderful news! I’m so glad that you not only have a paying job, but a position for which you seem very excited. Thanks for your continued prayers for those of us still in the job search process…

  12. Congratulations! What WONDERFUL news! I hope you’ll get a chance to meet my friend and colleague, Jolyon Mitchell, who teaches at Edinburgh — you’ll find a lot of shared interests when it comes to the new media world we inhabit.

  13. I’m desperately envious that you’re going to Scotland.

    However, I am quite sad you must leave Margaret et al. stateside. I will keep you all in my prayers particularly for this year of separation.

  14. I absolutely ADORE Glasgow, and am wildly envious. Rich blessings to you there, as always, and let me know if you want to talk about cool people and places in Scotland!

    Congratulations, and hurrah!

  15. I’ve already instructed my mother and step-father to host you around the sights for a day, lunch included.

    And we’ll be in town around the 18th August (when we see U2 play there) for a few days.

  16. Congratulations on your new position. It all sounds very exciting… a whole new adventure. We wish you the best for you and all your family. How long do you expect to be there?
    Lots of love,
    Mary Jo and Charlie

  17. So glad to hear of your good fortune! Since I continue to be among the ranks of the unemployed I know what a relief it must be!
    Bon voyage!
    Jill Harrison

  18. Hi AKMA! Wow, congratulations! Even though it’s on the other side of a really large pond, you have “gainful employment” (as Si would put it). In our current economy, that’s definitely something to be happy for, though. Best of luck with your new work in Glasgow, and I hope you keep posting, as I’m sure you will.
    –Nathan

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