ministry

Fall Semester Wrap-Up

*Whew!*

Now that the excitement and fun of going back to school has waned, I find myself in the midst of a long, slow grind. This semester was the hardest yet in terms of its workload (my last assignment was due by 11pm on Thursday, and I worked on it up to the last minute!). Nonetheless, my seminary experience continues to be a positive, rewarding one. It is a labor of love.

Now that the semester is over, I am dealing with a slight financial deficit. Keeping 2 Thessalonians 3:10 in mind, I’m looking into what my options are for additional income to help pay for school next year. I’m committed to my job at CCC, so whatever work I pick up will be in addition to what I do there. If you’d like to help lighten the load, there are ways you can support me financially – just click here for more information.

All that said, I’m looking forward having January off from school; it will give me a chance to rest, work on my licensing paper, and do some just-for-fun reading for a change 🙂

In the support letter I sent to my family and friends in September, I wrote the following:

More than anything, I ask for your prayers. In each of my letters, I ask for you to pray that I will trust Jesus to provide the spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial stability needed to complete my studies. Without God’s provision in all of these areas, I will burnout far before I reach my academic goals. Throughout the semester, something as simple as a text or a Facebook message to let me know you’re praying for me will go a long way.

All I have to say is thank you! Whether you prayed for me, shared words of encouragement, or made a financial contribution, it all made a huge difference. With your help, I’ve successfully completed another semester of school, and by the grace of God, I’m one step closer to earning a Master of Divinity.

Merry Christmas!

Seminary Update – Fall 2011

This update is coming a little late, but I wanted to make good on my promise to share some of my coursework from last semester. What follows is an excerpt from a “reflection journal” I wrote for my Vocation and Spiritual Formation class. These journals chronicled our experiences with the various spiritual disciplines we explored throughout the semester.

My view from the picnic table where I wrote my reflection

Last week, I took advantage of Omaha’s beautiful weather and followed this exercise outlined in Calhoun’s section on Meditation:

Take a walk in nature, meditating on the handiwork of God. The lilies of the field and the birds of the air spoke to Jesus of God’s care (Matthew 6:26-31). How does God speak to you in his creation?

I split my time between two days: on Monday before and during a run with a friend, and on Friday during a distance run.

On Monday, I spent some time in the park where I was to be meeting my friend. I’m especially fond of this park for its large trees that almost completely cover the ground with leaves during autumn, so I made a point of coming early and sitting in solitude and meditation for a while.

I silently observed my surroundings and wrote the following in my journal:

Trees, grass, bushes, and all plants are sustained by things unseen. Light, air, moisture seeping into roots…when a tree is rooted in good soil, it is able to survive the harshness of a storm, the cold of winter, and the dry heat of summer. It does not seek shelter or sustenance elsewhere when the going gets tough. It is firmly planted, and, because of intangible, unseen provision, full of life.

In the same manner, I pray that I will be firmly planted in Christ. I have buried my roots of faith in good soil, and I will rely fully on the Lord’s provision. He is all I need. Amen.

It wasn’t long after I wrote these words that my friend arrived and we went for our run. About halfway through the run we stopped, rather spontaneously, and prayed for each other. I cannot help but think that this was somehow shaped by my meditation experience from earlier – that by spending time in prayer with God, I was attuned to the spiritual needs of a close friend.

On Friday afternoon, I went for a run at another park, this time listening to one of my favorite bands on an mp3 player. All the right variables were in place – the weather was wonderful, it was the perfect time of day (about an hour before the sun started to set), and I left my stopwatch at home so I wouldn’t be distracted by my fitness goals. On this run, I was nearly overwhelmed by God – the music in my ears, the beauty of nature in my sight, and the joy of running itself were all offered back to God as an act of worship. As I ran, I found my mind returning to the excerpt from the Heidelberg Confession of Faith found in Calhoun’s section on Meditation: “I belong, body and soul, in life and death, not to myself, but to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ…”

Since I started running about a year and a half ago, I’ve found that some of my most meaningful prayer experiences occurred on runs when I was intentional about opening myself to God. Being able to incorporate this into my coursework (and more importantly, into my spiritual development) has been a blessing.

In my next update, I will be sharing my thanks to those who supported me last semester and my prayer concerns for the future. I’m excited for the spring semester to begin!

Seminary Update – October 2011

Today’s post is for my church family, as I promised to give periodic updates regarding my studies. Thus far, my experience with Sioux Falls Seminary has been overwhelmingly positive – few times in my life have I ever felt such a strong sense that I’m right where God wants me to be.

Here’s a quick overview of what I’ve been up to:

This semester, I’m taking two classes: Biblical Foundations of Sermon Preparation, and Introduction to Spiritual Formation and Vocation. Sermon prep is all about the basics of preaching, and the Spiritual Formation class is focused on self-care. In addition to learning practical information that I’ve been able to implement at church, I am also learning a lot about living a healthy spiritual life.

Last Friday, I was asked to speak and perform at the seminary’s board of trustees dinner here in Omaha. I shared a bit of my story (which you can read about here), performed an original song, and finished with the song Jesus Paid It All. I received a lot of affirmation from the seminary’s representatives that night; they truly care for their students, which means a lot to me.

And here are a couple ways to support me:

Prayer. I cannot stress how important this is. Although I feel that I’m up to the challenge, the reality is that being in full-time ministry and taking graduate-level classes at the same time means more work and more stress. Please pray that I will trust in Christ alone to provide the spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial stability needed to complete my studies. I don’t want to simply survive seminary; I want to thrive. I know this is only possible with your help. Please remember to pray for me regularly.

Financial Support. Through Sioux Falls Seminary’s LIFE Fund program, you have the opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation toward my educational expenses. While I am grateful that the church is providing some support for my education through the general fund, this only covers a fraction of the total cost. Your support will help me “bridge the gap” between my current income and the costs required to attend seminary, allowing me to concentrate on my studies without becoming distracted.

Please consider giving to the LIFE Fund (and thank you to those of you who already have!). If you’re interested in providing financial support, please contact me and I’ll be happy to pass along some literature. If you choose to contribute to the LIFE Fund, any giving should be above and beyond what you currently give to your church. I do not want to take away from anyone’s tithe or other commitments.

That’s it for now…for my next update, I plan to share some of my coursework so you can get a “taste” of what I’m doing.

Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for investing your friendship, your money, your time, and – most importantly – your prayers in this endeavor. I am moving forward in faith, trusting that God will guide me every step of the way!