Tag / Seminary

by Michael

Reading for Class

This is a part of my reading for tomorrow’s class. It’s after the author describes how the world adapted economic models post World War II so that everything that was done essentially contributed to a nation’s economic strength. Wealth was measured in terms of goods and services, but not quite immaterial things. Services like creating weapons or being a soldier or a law enforcement officer counted while cooking dinner for your kids or cleaning up after your kids or working in your garden didn’t.

In short, we have converted destruction into an economic good. But anything that grows without money changing hands–parents who care for their children, people who voluntarily care for the sick, the dying, or the homeless, people who pray or meditate or walk in the woods–these, at best, have no value. At worst, they take away precious time and energy that could be used to grow the G.D.P.

…During Sabbath we stop counting…During Sabbath, things that grow in time are honored at least as much as those things we would buy and sell. At rest, we can take deeper measure of our true wealth. If we do not rest, if we do not taste and eat and serve and teach and pray and give thanks and do all those things that grow only in time, we will become more impoverished than we will ever know.

From “Why Time Is Not Money” in Wayne Muller’s Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest

by Michael

If You Were Teaching Pastors…

I am one of the adjuncts in the vocational formation and church leadership program at Garrett-Evangelical.  I have been there three years, leading one of the formation groups each year for eight to nine soon-to-be pastors in their first year of seminary.

The other day we finished our semester.  We said goodbyes to our students.  Then, after class, the adjuncts met for our grading meeting.  We discussed our concerns and commented at length regarding individual students when needed.  We said our thank yous and our goodbyes to members of the faculty who would be moving on to other things: one of them is retiring this summer; another is moving to a different track; and one became a pastor recently and won’t return for at least a year to our group.

This summer I’m teaching the summer version of this same class.  A couple weeks back I put the finishing touches on my syllabus for the intensive four weeks.  I spent a good deal of time thinking over what the course is about.  The focus of the first-year of our program tends to fall in two categories, spiritual disciplines and theological reflection, while assisting students in understanding, integrating aspects of, and articulating their callings for leadership.  I kept that focus in my view as I worked on the syllabus, which is a course guide for what we’ll read, discuss, and work on over the class.

So, here are my questions for you: what do you think persons training for ministry need to know?  What would you include in the course if you were teaching ministers and servants of the church?  What must be said or understood by women and men preparing for leadership in churches and para-church organizations in your opinion?