Many of you have asked me how my first semester of seminary went, so I thought I would post something about it here so all can read about it. It has been a semester full of firsts. (my first time away from home, first time living in a dorm, first seminary class, first seminary test, first family genogram, etc.) That is just a few of the firsts, but I think you get the point.
While I have learned a lot academically, I feel I have learned more about myself than anything else. Living in community with 20 people has a way of teaching you things you wouldn't otherwise learn. One of the things I have learned about myself is I need "me" time in order to function around others for long periods of time. In that, I have learned the importance of setting healthy boundaries and time management. At various points throughout the semester, I have struggled with these things. Both of these things have been included in the growth plan I created as a part of the requirements for Exploring Ministerial Identity. I have come up with several ways to improve these skills and have accountability partners, or "bumper buddies" to use Transformational Leadership language, to help me along the way.
One of the most valuable things I learned a little bit about is Bowen's family system theory. Basically, this theory looks not at the individuals within a system, but at the space in between the individuals. Put a little differently, it looks at how the individuals within a system interact with each other. It also points out patterns of behavior. For example, if I have been hurt in some way by a family member, then someone outside of my family hurts me in the same way. My reaction to the second person will be stronger not because I am more hurt by them, but because I have put them in my family member's spot. I have had several moments throughout the semester where I have reacted strongly to a situation that didn't really warrant a strong reaction. In those times, I then stepped back to think about the whole situation and the strong reaction really came from something that had happened within my family in the past. When you recognize these feelings and the reason behind the feelings, it is easier to respond appropriately. This has totally changed the way I view certain things.
This semester I took 4 classes which included Intro to the New Testament I, Biblical Greek I, Exploring Ministerial Identity, and Christian Tradition I. All of these classes were great and each one has taught me different things. The New Testament class changed the way I look at the gospels and the stories we read in the gospels. Many times we try to harmonize what all four gospels say and come up with this one big story, but each gospel has its own story to tell and a lot of that story is lost when we try to harmonize all four of them. Greek was a challenging class, but it has taught me the importance of accurate translation and shown me what can be lost in translation. It has also been neat in that I approach each translation as if it were a puzzle. Each word is an important piece to the overall translation, which ends up being the complete translation. Ministerial Identity has helped me see some of my strengths and also some of my weaknesses, or areas of improvement. Christian Tradition has helped to show me that some of the issues that we are facing in the church today have occurred throughout the history of the church.
I have also met a lot of great people, who have become like family to me. I LOVE my BTSR family and wouldn't trade them for the world! We have laughed together, cried together, had deep theological discussions, hung out, goofed off, etc. I can't imagine life without them. The professors and staff of the seminary are incredible and truly care about all of us. We may be a "small" seminary, but BIG things are happening in our lives and the lives of those we touch.
I know this is where God has called me and I couldn't be happier. I am thankful for all of the prayers and support I have received from family, friends, and church family!
