If you haven't noticed, I haven't written in a while. Right now I am in the heat of battle with my classes at seminary. My "Introduction to World Missions" course has been sucking every spare minute of my life away. I have never had a class that has expected so much work out me. I have literally given up every aspect of my life to merely do the minimal work for the class. I have never had a class that has pulled me away from what is most important (family, ministry, etc.) as this one has. I have been studying from 8 am till 10 pm, Monday through Saturday (Ok, so I don't go straight through: I take a 30 min break for lunch and an hour break for supper). The good thing is that I have learned a lot. But, as a result, I have not been writing much on my blog. This class will be over in less than two weeks--until that time I will not be very regular in my writing. In the meantime I will be putting up pictures of James and stuff like that (I know, thats the main reason most of you come here anyway.)
Please pray for me during these next two weeks. Pray that the Lord would give me supernatural ability to get all of my work done on time--pray that I would produce quality work. Most of all, pray that I would retain it and that it would be useful for ministry in the future. Pray for Kristal as I am not able to help much with James. Pray for Kelly (my mother-in-law) as she is having to pick up where I cannot help.
Also, James is doing really well. Please continue to pray. He is starting to get congested and is throwing up again. We are praying that he is not coming down with RSV again (the doctor said it was a possibility). Aside from all of this, he is really progressing. Kristal has been working with him a lot lately on his motor development. She is such a good mommy.
Anyway, pray for me as I enter my theological ivory tower divorced from the world, family and ministry. I have already been in the tower for a few weeks and cannot wait to get back to normalcy.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Enter Ivory Tower
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5 comments:
From an outsider's view looking in, it sure doesn't make lot of sense that they would give you so much work to do just for one class when I bet a bunch of you have young families and jobs and other ministries, like you said.
I am sorry that you have so much to do - especially for Kristal ;-)
I admire your God-given good attitude toward your circumstances.
Jimmy,
I am glad to see you intended us to have the correct understanding of your "ivory tower." Terms like esoteric and useless research, and most engaging "willing disconnect from everyday life."
Are you saying that your class' content is esoteric and useless research, or simpy that you have to disconnect from every day life? Or both!?
Luke,
I wholeheartedly believe that studying the word of God is not worthless work. I wholeheartedly believe that academic work is good and useful and necessary. The problem comes in when those who do the hard, academic work teach the Scriptures in a way that only benefits the intellectual elite. The problem here is not academics but rather a lack of hard work on the part of the communicator. It takes hard work to do hard core academic work, but it is even harder to simplify it (without losing the central themes etc.).
I do not see my homework as disconnected from everyday life. In fact, I see that it is wholly and ultimately practical. Seminary, if approached correctly, produces life in the Christian. What I am against is when this work takes me away from my family in an unreasonable way. I believe that future ministers ought to labor. The future ministry ought to sacrifice at times, but the sacrifice should not be unreasonable--it should not be a sacrifice which renders family life and everyday ministry impossible.
As I said in my post, this is the only class I have ever taken that has crippled me to minister to my family and church in meaningful ways. I have literally cut myself off from every ministry that I was a part of in order to do the minimum requirements of this class. I believe that God is going to make my efforts useful, however, I would not attend seminary if the majority of classes were like this.
I have never had a class on the seminary level that I would consider to be unprofitable. Every class I have had has been useful for me. I have been blessed.
Jimmy,
While I am very glad to read your response, I think I failed to present my post as I intended...in sarcasam! Though, thank you for the reminder of how seemingly unimportant studies of the Bible are profitable.
Luke
Jimmy,
Your church family will do just fine until you get all of that class behind you. There's a day coming when we will profit by your current discontent. Take a break now and then and have some cookies and a glass of cold milk.
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