pros and cons
Okay, I'm getting to a point where I have to make some decisions. That is, of course, not much fun for me. I'm planning on using next week (spring break whoo hoo!) as time to do some serious discernment.
So what's this all about? Well, I got a letter yesterday saying that I'm excepted into the Graduate Theological Union's (GTU's) Master of the Arts program in Christian Ethics (pending on my taking the GRE and doing okay on it). So now I have to decide; finish out the MDiv program at SFTS or transfer some credits (stay on SFTS' campus) and do an MA in Christian Ethics and Social theory. In a couple of my previous posts, I have talked about my dis-ease with the ordination process and questioning whether I want to be involved in a church. Furthermore, I'm not a fan of Presbyterian Polity. I see its merits. I just feel that if an organization has that many rules it has gotten too big to be effective.
I balance that with a serious desire to preach and teach. This semester I have a preaching class and it is undeniable that I have skills in that area. (Sorry if that came off as cocky) I also have some leadership gifts. I'm pretty good at rallying people around ideas or causes. I always have been. The other side of the skills and gifts coin is that I know I have academic skills. I love to write putting papers together is fun for me. (weird, huh?) My fear is being stuck in academia forever and losing touch with the real world. i know some intellectuals like that. They disturb me.
So do I need to keep going down this either/or route? Part of me says "yes". Right now, I want my life to have a focus, even if it is a temporary focus. I really don't want to be ordained, so I don't know what an MDiv would do for me without the ordination. I don't know...
Keep me in your prayers this week. Ultimately, I want to do whatever is going to bring God the most glory. I want that to stay as my focus.
So what's this all about? Well, I got a letter yesterday saying that I'm excepted into the Graduate Theological Union's (GTU's) Master of the Arts program in Christian Ethics (pending on my taking the GRE and doing okay on it). So now I have to decide; finish out the MDiv program at SFTS or transfer some credits (stay on SFTS' campus) and do an MA in Christian Ethics and Social theory. In a couple of my previous posts, I have talked about my dis-ease with the ordination process and questioning whether I want to be involved in a church. Furthermore, I'm not a fan of Presbyterian Polity. I see its merits. I just feel that if an organization has that many rules it has gotten too big to be effective.
I balance that with a serious desire to preach and teach. This semester I have a preaching class and it is undeniable that I have skills in that area. (Sorry if that came off as cocky) I also have some leadership gifts. I'm pretty good at rallying people around ideas or causes. I always have been. The other side of the skills and gifts coin is that I know I have academic skills. I love to write putting papers together is fun for me. (weird, huh?) My fear is being stuck in academia forever and losing touch with the real world. i know some intellectuals like that. They disturb me.
So do I need to keep going down this either/or route? Part of me says "yes". Right now, I want my life to have a focus, even if it is a temporary focus. I really don't want to be ordained, so I don't know what an MDiv would do for me without the ordination. I don't know...
Keep me in your prayers this week. Ultimately, I want to do whatever is going to bring God the most glory. I want that to stay as my focus.
