Nazarene Theological Seminary

As I approach my fourth and final year in the MDiv program, I can't help but look back on my time here and do some self-reflection.  It's hard to believe now, but there was a point in time when I had no clue what a seminary was!  I had heard a few rumors about it and knew some pastors who had attended NTS, but that was about it.  My time at MNU was spent as a student in the music department, so upon graduation I naturally accepted a position in that field.  However, I soon learned that my job was not a good fit for my personality and passion.  My heart was in and for the church.  But like I said, I didn't know what a seminary was, so I spent a year trying to figure out my next step.  During that year a friend of mine, who also happened to be a current student at NTS, invited me to audit an evening class she was enrolled in with Dr. John Knight.  The first night of class—though the discussion was way over my head—I knew it was where God wanted me.  Next fall I enrolled, and that was that.

The next several years were a whirlwind of activity.  I had to learn a new vocabulary, one that didn't include Beethoven or musical chords (although the concept of recapitulation was transferable, to my delight).  I learned about why an understanding of the original languages of Scripture was important, why the concepts of community and service (i.e. social justice) are essential to our faith, how the patterns of our spiritual practices (such as prayer and fasting) direct our minds and hearts toward God and neighbor, and about the beauty of the faith which has been passed down to us through the tradition and teachings of the Church. 

I also gained exciting skills in areas such as budget preparation and curriculum development!  So it has been, through the intense challenges and excitement of seminary—along with the support of my family, friends and church—that God has shaped me into a more faithful disciple and minister of the good news. 

"The Word of the Lord." 
"Thanks be to God."

These two phrases are paradigmatic of my time at Nazarene Theological Seminary.  My first semester I enrolled in Dr. Noble's Systematic Theology course, and something that has stuck with me was our discussion about the dying and rising pattern of Jesus' life as shown in his life, death and resurrection (see Philippians 2:1-11).  That pattern is reflected in our baptism and continued life in Christ, for in him the Kingdom of God has come near!  My prayer is that the peace of the Lord God, who revealed himself to us in Jesus through the Holy Spirit, would be experienced and shared by all, and that our lives would be a response to that Word.  Thanks be to God.