As promised, here is the first posting in our new systematic theology category. I will follow up with some additional reflections throughout the week to come and at the end of the series, I will provide a complete bibliography/works cited document.
Prolegomena
Literally translated, credo means “I believe”. A definitive statement as to what those beliefs are and how they are arrived at is at the heart of the task of credo. Beliefs do not occur in a vacuum. They live in harmony and tension with the beliefs of others—past, present and future. A credo is as much a work of what I believe as it is a work of what is believed in the Christian tradition. Let us begin to lay the ground work and talk about first things first.
The credo at hand seeks a deeper understanding of God from the perspective of Christian faith. It is working from the inside out. There is a God and God is known in a self-revealing way. This becomes clear by looking at God’s divine self-revelation in the areas of the doctrine of God, Christology, pneumatology, the doctrine of creation and providence, soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology. In order to proceed, further discussion of systematic theology and epistemology is necessary.
Theology, derived either from the Latin theologia; or the Greek combination of theos meaning God and logos meaning speech, is defined as speech about God or God talk. This talk about God is undertaken scientifically or methodically in order to understand divine revelation (McKim, 280). Systematic theology is one branch of Christian theology that seeks to accomplish this task in an orderly and coherent way (McKim, 285). Therefore, this credo will utilize the aforementioned classic loci. This task requires deep critical appraisal, articulation, and appropriation of the beliefs that it explores. Rather than an exercise in mediocrity, it is an ongoing process of spiritual formation that acts as advanced catechesis in our faith journey (Abraham, 2007).
Critical appraisal, articulation, and appropriation cannot effectively take place outside of the Christian tradition. Therefore, we begin within the tradition. This assumes an encounter with the gospel, a transformative conversion that led to a relationship with Jesus Christ, an initiation into the Church through baptism, and a beginning on the journey of Christian discipleship. Our appraisal, articulation, and appropriation will concentrate on God’s work from creation to redemption. The God under discussion is “the Triune God professed to be known and loved within the Church” (Abraham, 2007).
Systematic theology has its own set of unique tasks. The first task is elucidation where beliefs are clarified and articulated. The second task of hermeneutics involves deep exploration that seeks out underlying distinctions of belief, how beliefs are interdependent, and why some beliefs are affirmed and others are denied. A tertiary task is re-storying; a process by which a belief is reclaimed, re-understood, re-applied, and sometimes improved upon. The fourth task is defense. Referred to as apologetics, this can be an attempt to protect the Church against false teachings, mere objections, or even slanderous accusations regarding its beliefs or it can be the pursuit of discovery that seeks to locate and delineate the foundations of why the Church believes the way it does (Abraham, 2007). While it would be noble to pursue each of these tasks, the primary focus of this credo is elucidation.
Epistemology must be addressed, especially regarding the utilization of methods, sources and norms. As previously mentioned; God reveals himself to us. This calls into question the ways in which God reveals. These are numerous. To Moses, God revealed himself in a burning bush. To Paul, God revealed himself on the road to Damascus. To the Church, God revealed himself through the Holy Spirit. To the disciples and to the world, God revealed himself through Jesus Christ. The epistemological tools for this process of exploring God’s self-revelation are Scripture, tradition, experience and reason (Book of Discipline, 77). Each of these bears witness to Jesus Christ and enables us to encounter this self-revealing God. Scripture attests to God’s activity in history from Abraham to Jesus and beyond (BOD, 78-79). Tradition reminds us that we are not alone on this journey and that we are informed by those whose shoulders we stand on, who have gone before us and canonized a heritage that we must become acquainted with in order to more fully embrace God (BOD, 79-81). Experience enlivens our faith. Both corporately and individually, experience entails encounter with the divine. This encounter moves faith from recognition to relationship; it is a place of transformation (BOD, 81-82). Finally, reason is the God given gift that allows us to confirm what we find “revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, and vivified in our experiences” (BOD, 77). While Scripture, tradition, experience and reason have been utilized as both sources and tools of knowing, I am reluctant to say that this is the definitive epistemological method. Room must be left for further discourse with philosophers and experts from other disciplines, in order to solidify a more fully embodied epistemology. The method is, however, an adequate jumping off point for the work ahead.
Finally, I have no reluctance in using the pronoun ‘him’ for God. I want to be clear that this is not a decision that was arrived at flippantly or haphazardly. I believe that masculine, feminine and neuter forms of address for God are all problematic. To change to a neutered or feminine pronoun appears to cause more problems than it would solve (Pinnock, 15-17). Considering this, I have opted for the continued use of the masculine pronoun to refer to all persons of the Trinity. With prolegomena now tackled, we now turn our attention more fully to God.
Let me know what you think. How would your approach be epistemologically different? Would you go with more traditional language or opt for some more modern metaphors when referring to God?
© Russell Hall/Radically Altered – 2009. All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 31, 2009
May 31, 2009
Here is today's prayer:
"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way (Proverbs 19:2, NIV)."
Lord, sometimes I rush into things without considering if I'm being wise--and that quick desire doesn't lead me in the right way. Forgive me for acting without thought and the prayer that would lead me in Your path.
I want to do right, to glorify You in all I think, do, and say. Usually, my desire to rush in is without deliberate disobedience. But without Your knowledge, I never end up in the right place. So keep me from quick but wrong reactions, and lead me by Your Spirit in Your way of wisdom.
From Prayers and Promises for the Graduate, pg. 172.
"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way (Proverbs 19:2, NIV)."
Lord, sometimes I rush into things without considering if I'm being wise--and that quick desire doesn't lead me in the right way. Forgive me for acting without thought and the prayer that would lead me in Your path.
I want to do right, to glorify You in all I think, do, and say. Usually, my desire to rush in is without deliberate disobedience. But without Your knowledge, I never end up in the right place. So keep me from quick but wrong reactions, and lead me by Your Spirit in Your way of wisdom.
From Prayers and Promises for the Graduate, pg. 172.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Little Saturday Humor
We are hanging out with the Piyakhun's and decided it would be fun to watch some You Tube videos...here is one of our favorites:
Happy Saturday!
Happy Saturday!
Blogging Systematic Theology - A New Adventure
I was having an email conversation with Michael Patton (you can check him out at his blog here) regarding the conflict that often occurs between Armenians and Calvinists. In my estimation, he made some very wise statements (which you can read here) and I sent him an email thanking him for his post. In that email, I told him about a plan that I had to start a conversation involving systematic theology from an Armenian/Wesleyan perspective here at Radically Altered and invited him into the conversation.
Well, I have waited to do this long enough. This blog post is my invitation to you to join in the conversation.
Here is the plan:
1) every week I will put up a post that shares with you a portion of my credo from systematic theology. I will put it up unaltered from the way in which it was submitted with one exception---because some portions of the credo are longer than others (the portion on the Character and Nature of God vs. Prolegomena, for example), some portions of the credo will be broken into several submissions over several weeks.
2) after the initial posting, I will do reflection postings involving the content of the original post. I am doing this because we were limited in how much we could write in the actual credo we turned in in seminary...but experience has shown me that there is much more to say in many of the areas that the credo addresses. These reflective postings give me the opportunity to expound upon what was originally written...taking into account other things I have studied since that original writing, and things that you all will be sharing in the comments.
3) I will reserve the right to extend an existing conversation over posting a new segment at the beginning of the week if the conversation is still moving along in a healthy manner.
4) Your part in this is to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section of each post. This is where everyone (myself included) has the opportunity to see varying perspectives and grow in the continual development of our own.
Why am I doing this, you might ask...well, quite frankly we share a rich Christian heritage and sometimes we simply forget about the things we have in common in light of all of the differences that we choose to debate. My hopes is that there will be some connection to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ regardless of our denominational or theological affiliations. Also, I love to learn. I am hoping that in sharing our comments and own conclusions with one another, that we can each grow in the process. I am not out to convert anyone to my way of thinking...and I am not seeking to be converted. Instead, experience has shown me that authentic dialog with integrity grows us as iron sharpens iron. I have left similar conversations in the past, not converted to a new way of thinking, but with a better understanding of why I believe the way that I do to begin with.
With that said, I need to lay out a few ground rules:
1) I am going to leave comment moderation off to begin with...please do not abuse this fact...I keep a very close eye on my blog...if things get out of hand, I will immediately institute comment moderation.
2) Do not pick fights or call people out. If you do, you will be blocked from further interaction.
3) Please note that this does not mean that we have to all agree---I expect that many of us will not. This is simply an expectation that we can have dialog with integrity and in an adult manner. At the end of the day, we can agree to disagree.
That's it. It is really simple. I look forward to our discussions and to growing from the interaction.
I will get the first post up by tomorrow evening.
Well, I have waited to do this long enough. This blog post is my invitation to you to join in the conversation.
Here is the plan:
1) every week I will put up a post that shares with you a portion of my credo from systematic theology. I will put it up unaltered from the way in which it was submitted with one exception---because some portions of the credo are longer than others (the portion on the Character and Nature of God vs. Prolegomena, for example), some portions of the credo will be broken into several submissions over several weeks.
2) after the initial posting, I will do reflection postings involving the content of the original post. I am doing this because we were limited in how much we could write in the actual credo we turned in in seminary...but experience has shown me that there is much more to say in many of the areas that the credo addresses. These reflective postings give me the opportunity to expound upon what was originally written...taking into account other things I have studied since that original writing, and things that you all will be sharing in the comments.
3) I will reserve the right to extend an existing conversation over posting a new segment at the beginning of the week if the conversation is still moving along in a healthy manner.
4) Your part in this is to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section of each post. This is where everyone (myself included) has the opportunity to see varying perspectives and grow in the continual development of our own.
Why am I doing this, you might ask...well, quite frankly we share a rich Christian heritage and sometimes we simply forget about the things we have in common in light of all of the differences that we choose to debate. My hopes is that there will be some connection to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ regardless of our denominational or theological affiliations. Also, I love to learn. I am hoping that in sharing our comments and own conclusions with one another, that we can each grow in the process. I am not out to convert anyone to my way of thinking...and I am not seeking to be converted. Instead, experience has shown me that authentic dialog with integrity grows us as iron sharpens iron. I have left similar conversations in the past, not converted to a new way of thinking, but with a better understanding of why I believe the way that I do to begin with.
With that said, I need to lay out a few ground rules:
1) I am going to leave comment moderation off to begin with...please do not abuse this fact...I keep a very close eye on my blog...if things get out of hand, I will immediately institute comment moderation.
2) Do not pick fights or call people out. If you do, you will be blocked from further interaction.
3) Please note that this does not mean that we have to all agree---I expect that many of us will not. This is simply an expectation that we can have dialog with integrity and in an adult manner. At the end of the day, we can agree to disagree.
That's it. It is really simple. I look forward to our discussions and to growing from the interaction.
I will get the first post up by tomorrow evening.
Reflections on the Past 4 Years - Part III
When thinking about the past 4 years, school and church life are of course at the forefront of the remembrances. The truth is, however, that there are far more memories, relationships and blessings that have happened outside of these two contexts. Here are just a few more of my final reflections about the past 4 years:
First, it was almost 22 months ago that our daughter was born. As I think about our time here, my memories are filled with late night awakenings, mid-afternoon naps (with Bailey sleeping on my chest), and tons of fun with the people of Edom as Bailey's area of exploration has grown over the past 22 months. They had warned us that drinking the water at the parsonage has caused more than one preaching family to leave this place with a larger family than what they had arrived with!
One of my greatest joys the last two years we have spent here has been serving on the volunteer fire department. There is nothing like going into a burning building to get the adrenaline pumping. In the two years of service to the department I have had the privilege of working hundreds of calls from medical crisis to structure fires, grass fires to motor vehicle accidents, downed power lines to high moving water rescues. It has been a part of me becoming more entrenched in the community. It has been an extension of my ministry---there is simply nothing like showing up on an accident scene and having the person ask you "aren't you that Methodist preacher?" and then them asking you to pray with them. I will definitely miss going on calls in my new appointment.
Other ministry has included working with the teenagers at Sundown Ranch. Sundown is a residential treatment and recovery center about 20 miles away from home that has its own school (to where kids don't lose out on their education while working their programs). I have spent numerous afternoons with young men processing their 5th steps. It has served to ground my own recovery and to continually allow me to give back in an area that I am passionate about.
The friendships that have been made here have transcended denominational lines. As such, I have had the opportunity to work with other pastors in their ministry settings as well. There are many friendships from outside the church that I will take with me into future years.
I am grateful for the relationships that I have built with city and county officials. It is funny that the JP that was elected when I first got here, I met because of a speeding ticket I received on the way to school one morning. The current JP is a fellow hunter and sojourner in ministry and is an amazing man. He is a great example of how ministry happens with the laity in any job and any situation. The current mayor has also been a blessing to my time here...it has not gone unnoticed that when there is a city event (like the Christmas tree lightings) that in spite of her attending another church, she has continued to invite me to do the invocations (that has been a real blessing).
I had an experience once where I was standing between the county constable and the JP and I just busted out laughing. They looked at me and wondered what was so funny and I told them that this is only the second time in 12 years that I have stood between a cop and a judge and not been in handcuffs (they both know about my past struggles with addiction). They laughed heartily...after all, it is the little things in life that are important!
A couple of years ago, I did something I hadn't done since high school...I performed a lead in a play at the community center. The play was A Sanders Family Christmas and was a hoot to do. Later that year, I received two awards for my performance (best actor and best newcomer)...I am still not sure that they were deserved, but I welcome them as it is probably as close as I will ever get to winning any other awards for my acting and singing (thank goodness the lead wasn't supposed to be able to carry a tune in a bucket...that was right up my alley!)
Of course we can't forget about all of the outdoor activities available here in the country. I have been no more than 10 minutes away from my hunting spots for the past 4 years. Trust me when I say that this will be incredibly missed. Some of my new best friends are hunters here in Edom. That reminds me, how many Edomites does it take to track down and pull a deer out of the woods? Apparently 3...the JP, the plumber and the preacher! One night I shot a deer with my bow and arrow and it was a good shot, but she ran 40 yards into the deep thicket of woods off of the hunting trail. It took us some time to track and find her and since it was after dark, my buddy Boyd and I (I had called him to help me out) called the JP to drive up to the road with his lights on so we could find our way back to the main trail...absolutely hilarious! I have been able to play golf on a couple of different courses. I have also been able to fish some of the local fishing holes. I have been blessed.
I am leaving here probably knowing as many people outside the church as I do inside the church. They have all touched my life in meaningful ways...and I pray in some small way, that I have been a blessing to their lives.
Thank you Edom. Thank you Sexton Chapel. Thank you Mt. Sylvan. Thank you for all the friendships, blessings and memories that are now a part of the fabric of my life.
First, it was almost 22 months ago that our daughter was born. As I think about our time here, my memories are filled with late night awakenings, mid-afternoon naps (with Bailey sleeping on my chest), and tons of fun with the people of Edom as Bailey's area of exploration has grown over the past 22 months. They had warned us that drinking the water at the parsonage has caused more than one preaching family to leave this place with a larger family than what they had arrived with!
One of my greatest joys the last two years we have spent here has been serving on the volunteer fire department. There is nothing like going into a burning building to get the adrenaline pumping. In the two years of service to the department I have had the privilege of working hundreds of calls from medical crisis to structure fires, grass fires to motor vehicle accidents, downed power lines to high moving water rescues. It has been a part of me becoming more entrenched in the community. It has been an extension of my ministry---there is simply nothing like showing up on an accident scene and having the person ask you "aren't you that Methodist preacher?" and then them asking you to pray with them. I will definitely miss going on calls in my new appointment.
Other ministry has included working with the teenagers at Sundown Ranch. Sundown is a residential treatment and recovery center about 20 miles away from home that has its own school (to where kids don't lose out on their education while working their programs). I have spent numerous afternoons with young men processing their 5th steps. It has served to ground my own recovery and to continually allow me to give back in an area that I am passionate about.
The friendships that have been made here have transcended denominational lines. As such, I have had the opportunity to work with other pastors in their ministry settings as well. There are many friendships from outside the church that I will take with me into future years.
I am grateful for the relationships that I have built with city and county officials. It is funny that the JP that was elected when I first got here, I met because of a speeding ticket I received on the way to school one morning. The current JP is a fellow hunter and sojourner in ministry and is an amazing man. He is a great example of how ministry happens with the laity in any job and any situation. The current mayor has also been a blessing to my time here...it has not gone unnoticed that when there is a city event (like the Christmas tree lightings) that in spite of her attending another church, she has continued to invite me to do the invocations (that has been a real blessing).
I had an experience once where I was standing between the county constable and the JP and I just busted out laughing. They looked at me and wondered what was so funny and I told them that this is only the second time in 12 years that I have stood between a cop and a judge and not been in handcuffs (they both know about my past struggles with addiction). They laughed heartily...after all, it is the little things in life that are important!
A couple of years ago, I did something I hadn't done since high school...I performed a lead in a play at the community center. The play was A Sanders Family Christmas and was a hoot to do. Later that year, I received two awards for my performance (best actor and best newcomer)...I am still not sure that they were deserved, but I welcome them as it is probably as close as I will ever get to winning any other awards for my acting and singing (thank goodness the lead wasn't supposed to be able to carry a tune in a bucket...that was right up my alley!)
Of course we can't forget about all of the outdoor activities available here in the country. I have been no more than 10 minutes away from my hunting spots for the past 4 years. Trust me when I say that this will be incredibly missed. Some of my new best friends are hunters here in Edom. That reminds me, how many Edomites does it take to track down and pull a deer out of the woods? Apparently 3...the JP, the plumber and the preacher! One night I shot a deer with my bow and arrow and it was a good shot, but she ran 40 yards into the deep thicket of woods off of the hunting trail. It took us some time to track and find her and since it was after dark, my buddy Boyd and I (I had called him to help me out) called the JP to drive up to the road with his lights on so we could find our way back to the main trail...absolutely hilarious! I have been able to play golf on a couple of different courses. I have also been able to fish some of the local fishing holes. I have been blessed.
I am leaving here probably knowing as many people outside the church as I do inside the church. They have all touched my life in meaningful ways...and I pray in some small way, that I have been a blessing to their lives.
Thank you Edom. Thank you Sexton Chapel. Thank you Mt. Sylvan. Thank you for all the friendships, blessings and memories that are now a part of the fabric of my life.
May 30, 2009
Here is today's prayer:
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Luke 16:13, NASB)."
Many desirable things quickly turn me from You, Lord. I admit I willingly fall far from You when worldly toys attract me. Forgive me for placing anything ahead of Your love.
Though deep down I know things can never replace You, when money or goods attract me, I don't usually ponder the exchange I'd be making. I want to believe I can have it all. Remind me, Lord, that to be faithful to You, even my money must serve You. Spiritual things have so much more value than the wealth I desire.
Make me wholeheartedly desire Your will, Jesus, so I cannot serve the wrong master. Amen.
From Prayers and Promises for the Graduate, pg. 153.
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (Luke 16:13, NASB)."
Many desirable things quickly turn me from You, Lord. I admit I willingly fall far from You when worldly toys attract me. Forgive me for placing anything ahead of Your love.
Though deep down I know things can never replace You, when money or goods attract me, I don't usually ponder the exchange I'd be making. I want to believe I can have it all. Remind me, Lord, that to be faithful to You, even my money must serve You. Spiritual things have so much more value than the wealth I desire.
Make me wholeheartedly desire Your will, Jesus, so I cannot serve the wrong master. Amen.
From Prayers and Promises for the Graduate, pg. 153.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Reflections on the Past 4 Years - Part II
Much of my time in Edom over the past four years has been related to school and ordination.
During this time I have been working on (and completing) my MDiv at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. That means that I logged about 624 hours (that is 26 days folks!) on the road between Edom and Dallas for classes. That does not count the hours to Longview for internship or any of the hours on the road to Houston or Lakeview for conference related work. Add to the travel time the amount of time that it took to write all of those papers, complete all the projects, do all the reading (and I am still not done with all the reading...are you?), etc., and you will begin to get some sense of the insanity that has been my life these past four years.
I have been frequently asked about my choice for seminaries and what I thought of others. My seminary choice had a lot to do with family relationships and having enough money to go to seminary. Needless to say, the package that Perkins/SMU offered me was the best deal. It allowed me to stay and serve in my current conference and kept me close to family ties that we have here in Texas. Although I would say that I am more conservative than many folks at Perkins, I faired well with my grades and studies. My experience with seminaries is that no one school has it all. Some have phenomenal preaching teachers, while others are noted for their biblical scholarship. I have learned in my seminary career to temper everything. I have spent a great deal of time reading from authors and professors of other seminaries to keep my education as balanced as possible (or as unbalanced as possible...depending on how you want to look at it); and this has served my own spiritual growth and education quite well.
While there are areas of disagreement that I have with some professors at Perkins, I have been blessed to learn from some folks that I truly consider great in their fields. Some of those include Dr. Bassler, Dr. Howard, Dr. Heller, Dr. Abraham and Dr. McKenzie; just to name a few. I have been well served by the works of others outside of Perkins including Dr. Ray Anderson (Fuller Theological Seminary), Dr. Joel Green (Asbury Theological Seminary), and Dr. Darrell Bock (Dallas Theological Seminary). So the point of all of this, I guess, is to say that your education is quite literally what you make of it (regardless of who is at the head of the class teaching it).
Perhaps the best feature of Perkins was the mix of students that were there. Because of that mix, I have been able to have meaningful and thoughtful debates and conversations with ministers (and future ministers) in the Catholic, United Methodist, Anglican, Episcopalian, Greek Orthodox, Nazarene, Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostal, African Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, and many other denominationally affiliated and independent churches. Add to that the ability to worship and study with folks from all over the globe (Iran, Russia, Africa, Australia, and many other places), I have been blessed with a deeper look into the cultures and practices of Christians everywhere. This has been, by far, the deepest blessing.
One of the realizations that I have had, now with more than 8 years of recent schooling, is that I am a student. I love to explore and to learn. And I love to share those explorations and lessons with others. While I am planning on returning to school to get my Doctorate of Ministry (DMin) degree in a couple of years, I realize that learning and education are just a deep part of who I am and how I am wired.
On the ordination side of things, I reached a milestone during my time here in Edom. At this last Annual Conference, I was commissioned as a probationary elder in the United Methodist Church. This process has taken 9 years to accomplish...and if all goes well, in a couple of years (the Annual Conference of 2011) I will be fully ordained as an elder in the church. There are/have been a lot of hoops to jump through and it has been an excruciating process at times. I am, however, better and stronger for having stayed the course. I look forward to the opportunities that I will have in the years to come to work with others to revise and improve upon this process for those that will follow me into ordained ministry.
I do want to say, that by and large, the commissioning interview (the big board) was one of the most affirming experiences to date in my process towards ordination. I have had several of the members of the Board of Ordained Ministry come along side me in the past few weeks and speak encouragement and blessing into my life. It is as if I have finally made it out of the wilderness and am truly becoming a part of something that is much larger than I could ever be on my own.
The highlight of Annual Conference for me this year, was the moment that Bishop Huie placed her hands on my shoulder, smiled, said my name, and spoke those historical words of the commissioning liturgy over me and prayed. It is a moment that I don't think will soon be forgotten.
So while at times, my journey has seemed tenuous and tedious, I am grateful to have completed these two huge milestones in my life and career as a minister within the United Methodist Church.
During this time I have been working on (and completing) my MDiv at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. That means that I logged about 624 hours (that is 26 days folks!) on the road between Edom and Dallas for classes. That does not count the hours to Longview for internship or any of the hours on the road to Houston or Lakeview for conference related work. Add to the travel time the amount of time that it took to write all of those papers, complete all the projects, do all the reading (and I am still not done with all the reading...are you?), etc., and you will begin to get some sense of the insanity that has been my life these past four years.
I have been frequently asked about my choice for seminaries and what I thought of others. My seminary choice had a lot to do with family relationships and having enough money to go to seminary. Needless to say, the package that Perkins/SMU offered me was the best deal. It allowed me to stay and serve in my current conference and kept me close to family ties that we have here in Texas. Although I would say that I am more conservative than many folks at Perkins, I faired well with my grades and studies. My experience with seminaries is that no one school has it all. Some have phenomenal preaching teachers, while others are noted for their biblical scholarship. I have learned in my seminary career to temper everything. I have spent a great deal of time reading from authors and professors of other seminaries to keep my education as balanced as possible (or as unbalanced as possible...depending on how you want to look at it); and this has served my own spiritual growth and education quite well.
While there are areas of disagreement that I have with some professors at Perkins, I have been blessed to learn from some folks that I truly consider great in their fields. Some of those include Dr. Bassler, Dr. Howard, Dr. Heller, Dr. Abraham and Dr. McKenzie; just to name a few. I have been well served by the works of others outside of Perkins including Dr. Ray Anderson (Fuller Theological Seminary), Dr. Joel Green (Asbury Theological Seminary), and Dr. Darrell Bock (Dallas Theological Seminary). So the point of all of this, I guess, is to say that your education is quite literally what you make of it (regardless of who is at the head of the class teaching it).
Perhaps the best feature of Perkins was the mix of students that were there. Because of that mix, I have been able to have meaningful and thoughtful debates and conversations with ministers (and future ministers) in the Catholic, United Methodist, Anglican, Episcopalian, Greek Orthodox, Nazarene, Eastern Orthodox, Pentecostal, African Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptist, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, and many other denominationally affiliated and independent churches. Add to that the ability to worship and study with folks from all over the globe (Iran, Russia, Africa, Australia, and many other places), I have been blessed with a deeper look into the cultures and practices of Christians everywhere. This has been, by far, the deepest blessing.
One of the realizations that I have had, now with more than 8 years of recent schooling, is that I am a student. I love to explore and to learn. And I love to share those explorations and lessons with others. While I am planning on returning to school to get my Doctorate of Ministry (DMin) degree in a couple of years, I realize that learning and education are just a deep part of who I am and how I am wired.
On the ordination side of things, I reached a milestone during my time here in Edom. At this last Annual Conference, I was commissioned as a probationary elder in the United Methodist Church. This process has taken 9 years to accomplish...and if all goes well, in a couple of years (the Annual Conference of 2011) I will be fully ordained as an elder in the church. There are/have been a lot of hoops to jump through and it has been an excruciating process at times. I am, however, better and stronger for having stayed the course. I look forward to the opportunities that I will have in the years to come to work with others to revise and improve upon this process for those that will follow me into ordained ministry.
I do want to say, that by and large, the commissioning interview (the big board) was one of the most affirming experiences to date in my process towards ordination. I have had several of the members of the Board of Ordained Ministry come along side me in the past few weeks and speak encouragement and blessing into my life. It is as if I have finally made it out of the wilderness and am truly becoming a part of something that is much larger than I could ever be on my own.
The highlight of Annual Conference for me this year, was the moment that Bishop Huie placed her hands on my shoulder, smiled, said my name, and spoke those historical words of the commissioning liturgy over me and prayed. It is a moment that I don't think will soon be forgotten.
So while at times, my journey has seemed tenuous and tedious, I am grateful to have completed these two huge milestones in my life and career as a minister within the United Methodist Church.
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