Question: Seminary Will Hurt Or Help My Faith?

unapproachablelight asked:
Do you think your faith could be where it is now if you hadn’t gone through seminary? What do you think of serving in either the church or the missions fields without attending a seminary school?

Near the end of my seminary studies, I wrote a blog post about my entire experience plus wisdom for students here. Read it whenever you like.

One thing seminary does is it will expose your strengths and weaknesses. I hear plenty of pastors say, “Seminary will destroy your faith and make you resent God” — but that’s impossible. No one makes anyone do anything: your environment only exposes who you really are. Same with the car who cuts you off, the friend who betrays you, the dude who holds you at gunpoint, the seminary that pressures you. All of it reveals what’s already inside.

That’s why some seminarians come out with huge Bible-heads all puffed up from learning Greek, or some will have a dried up faith when they learn about Creationism, the Old Testament genocides, and how the Bible was made, as if they finally get to say, “This is what we believe?” No one did that to them.

So be ready for the most rigorous refinement of your intellect in the context of your faith. If you’re humble and teachable along the way, you’ll love it. If your expectations are otherwise, it’s a minefield.

Continue reading “Question: Seminary Will Hurt Or Help My Faith?”

Quote: Grateful

Why do you think Israel kept messing with their blessing? Why did God painfully remind them of His presence? Because it is impossible to be grateful without grief. It is impossible to be blessed without knowing you’re broken. The need for healing acknowledges our default is hurting. Deficit must always precede thankfulness, which then leads us to joyfully obey. There is no other way.