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Beginning seminary

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  • Beginning seminary

    I'm enrolling in my first semester in seminary this fall, with a goal of ordination. I am starting out by taking my first classes entirely online, which works out well with my schedule. I'd like to ask for prayer, and advice from any of you who have gone this route before is more than welcome. I'm very excited, and nervous.
    "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

  • #2
    ing KG
    3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures --1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (borrowed with gratitude from 37818's sig)

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    • #3

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      • #4
        The greater number of laws . . . , the more thieves . . . there will be. ---- Lao-Tzu

        [T]he truth I’m after and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance -— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

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        • #5


          and

          Congrats!
          "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

          "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

          My Personal Blog

          My Novella blog (Current Novella Begins on 7/25/14)

          Quill Sword

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          • #6
            Don't let seminary ruin you, KG.

            Seriously -- I have known some young men who were fired up about serving the Lord, then they got "educated", and lost their fire. This does NOT have to happen! I had a couple of seminary professors who were.. .um..... at the risk of sounding like I'm judging their Salvation, they "had no fruit". On the OTHER hand, I had some incredibly inspiring and encouraging professors who were quite engaged in living their faith.

            Since you're doing this online, you're probably less likely to encounter the problems I'm thinking of, and I'm thinking you'll do great.

            So, lemme ask ya... "with a goal of ordination"... what does that mean? What is it you want to be ordained to do? What's on your heart in this area?

            AND.... do you think this is "something you want to do", or do you feel "called" to do this?

            Meanwhile, yeah... ing.
            The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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            • #7
              Cool to hear, brother. Praying as well.
              I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

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              • #8
                Sure thing! What denomination?
                βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι᾿ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον·
                ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην.

                אָכֵ֕ן אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל מִסְתַּתֵּ֑ר אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

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                • #9
                  Baptist, I believe.
                  "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

                  "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

                  My Personal Blog

                  My Novella blog (Current Novella Begins on 7/25/14)

                  Quill Sword

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                    Don't let seminary ruin you, KG.

                    Seriously -- I have known some young men who were fired up about serving the Lord, then they got "educated", and lost their fire. This does NOT have to happen! I had a couple of seminary professors who were.. .um..... at the risk of sounding like I'm judging their Salvation, they "had no fruit". On the OTHER hand, I had some incredibly inspiring and encouraging professors who were quite engaged in living their faith.

                    Since you're doing this online, you're probably less likely to encounter the problems I'm thinking of, and I'm thinking you'll do great.

                    So, lemme ask ya... "with a goal of ordination"... what does that mean? What is it you want to be ordained to do? What's on your heart in this area?

                    AND.... do you think this is "something you want to do", or do you feel "called" to do this?

                    Meanwhile, yeah... ing.
                    Thanks a lot for responding. I definitely look up to you a lot and was hoping I'd hear some advice from you.

                    I can't know for sure if I am called because it's easy for me to take my feelings about it and just assume "they're definitely from God" when I don't know for sure. but it's been something on my mind/heart for a number of years (I've also had it suggested by my pastor, who was very excited when I talked to him specifically). I knew I wasn't even close to ready awhile back; I had a LOT of growing up to do (and I still do) but at this point in time, it finally seems right. I think one of the other problems that might have come up if I had gone in the past is that I would run the risk of seeing myself as too intellectually smug. I feel more comfortable knowing that I'm not going in to find all the answers and to be able to rattle them off, because I don't think that's what the Lord's kingdom needs. I've even sort of lost interest in jumping in some of the more arcane theological debates that used to fascinate me because I'm not sure how much they really matter in everyday living. I actually tend to think that's a somewhat healthy sign of me having a balance.

                    I've been nervous about the same thing; I know a lot of what is taught there is, well, a lot further 'out there' than I would agree with. One of the names of the authors of a book I'm assigned to read this semester in particular struck me as a little out there. And I worry that if I had gone in the past, I might have been drawn under the tide by some of it. But with a strong faith and a supportive church (with a pastor who graduated from the same seminary), I think I'm up for the challenge. And I figure that if I can't handle reading people with other perspectives, this isn't something I'm cut out to do. A personal encouragement to me is a friend of mine from high school who went to a very prestigious and very liberal divinity school on the East Caost, and is back in the Midwest with a church. He is a godly man and I've looked up to him for a long time. It's sort of like proof it can be done, I guess.

                    As for what I'm going to do specifically... to be honest, I'm not sure the specifics of what my call will look like. I know there is plenty of work for me to do for the Lord's kingdom; I'm trying to keep an open mind and see what opportunities present themselves. This seminary offers a hospital chaplaincy program at an inner city trauma unit for one semester. I definitely want to do that just to get exposure to it.
                    "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by robrecht View Post
                      Sure thing! What denomination?
                      American Baptist.
                      "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                        Thanks a lot for responding. I definitely look up to you a lot and was hoping I'd hear some advice from you.
                        You just don't know any better.

                        I can't know for sure if I am called because it's easy for me to take my feelings about it and just assume "they're definitely from God" when I don't know for sure.
                        Been a long day and I can't stay awake much longer, but here's a quick answer -- will get back to this in the morning.

                        Don't worry about the "calling" --- you can do seminary with or without that. The rest of your response sounded pretty encouraging to me --- I'll explain why tomorrow.

                        Go fer it!
                        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                          American Baptist.
                          I'm an honorary Southern Baptist.
                          βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι᾿ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον·
                          ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην.

                          אָכֵ֕ן אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל מִסְתַּתֵּ֑ר אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                            You just don't know any better.



                            Been a long day and I can't stay awake much longer, but here's a quick answer -- will get back to this in the morning.

                            Don't worry about the "calling" --- you can do seminary with or without that. The rest of your response sounded pretty encouraging to me --- I'll explain why tomorrow.

                            Go fer it!
                            Thanks. That's good to hear because I wasn't quite sure how to explain everything on my application essay; the what brings you here question.

                            For one of my classes, we had to read an article this week on why people enter seminary and it did talk about how some people enter for the wrong reasons.
                            "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                              For one of my classes, we had to read an article this week on why people enter seminary and it did talk about how some people enter for the wrong reasons.
                              Interesting. Whad does it say are some of the 'wrong reasons'? Personally, I entered ministry, celibate religious and then seminary for some of the wrong reasons. I was too young, right out of college, and trying to find an instant idealized identify for myself without yet facing some of the difficult personal questions and challenges that are part of becoming an adult. I loved it, was happy for years, grew a lot personally, but eventually realized that I had short circuited some important identify issues pertaining to personal freedom, marriage and children. For me, as a Catholic, it was a much more complicated issue than it would be for a Baptist, where celibacy, marriage and family are not at issue.
                              βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι᾿ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον·
                              ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην.

                              אָכֵ֕ן אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל מִסְתַּתֵּ֑ר אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

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