A Change Will Do You Good

While I was in Denison and Taize I was able to spend some time reflecting on my first year of seminary. And the most striking thought is "wow, I have changed". Sometimes our human nature makes us fearful of change, when really, God shapes us through change. And perhaps change scares us because it is so much out of our control, as external forces meet internal forces we re-become.

When I first entered seminary I could not imagine using gender inclusive language. I actually thought I was going to fail out of seminary my first semester after our director of chapel spoke about using inclusive language in all we do - from worship to scholastic work - at Drew. Yet, now I speak inclusively without giving it much thought and I know that it was rocked my view of God and expanded it out of its previously limited box.

My views on some things theologically have also changed - including who should be ordained, what it means to be ordained, how we should approach the Bible, how the Hebrew Scriptures can be used, what the structure of the church looks like - you get the idea. Every area of my life was expanded.

Some people fear seminary saying that it takes away their faith, seminary has restored my faith in what the church can become. It was expanded my view of God exponentially. And it strengthens my faith in God's calling in my life. May the second year of seminary I now approach expand me just as much as the first. Amen.