Month: December 2013

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My D.Min Experience

This past weekend Pam, Noah,  and I traveled to New Orleans for my D.Min graduation from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (Adam had finals so he couldn’t go). I wrote a few years ago concerning my struggles with going after a D.Min rather than a Ph.D. Basically, I can be a prideful person and my pride was getting in the way of me using an opportunity that was before me. My problem with a D.Min was that I have known some not very intellectual bozos who have D.Min’s from various institutions and I have seen some D.Min projects/dissertations that I was sure weren’t doctorate level work. You see my pride here! I want people to look at my work and be impressed and thereby I started judging other’s work. My worst judgement is usually directed at my brothers and sisters in my own calling of being a minister. It is quite possibly my biggest sin that I can be so generous to so many that are very different from me and the least generous to those that I have the most in common with.

Anyhow when I listened to Pam and kicked my pride to the curb (it is usually best when I listen to her) I found a wonderful experience that challenged me quite a bit. I am proud of so much of the work I did within my D.Min – there is only one seminar that I regret taking. The seminars I took on Jeremiah and Marriage & Family counseling regularly impact what I do and think and the independent study I did on Jurgen Moltmann’s theology of the Trinity is continually shaping how I lead Tapestry. I think I was most proud this weekend when two people responded to my doctoral project. These people are Dr. Lemke and Pam. I’ll start with Dr. Lemke, who is the least important of the two.

Dr. Lemke with the cheese. Mhmm. Glorious cheese.

I begged Dr. Lemke to be my faculty mentor knowing that as the Provost of the Seminary the chances weren’t that great that he would be able to do agree to the task. Still I asked because he had been one of the professors that I most respected from my M.Div from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and as he was Provost of the seminary I was pretty sure that if he was satisfied with my project then everyone else would be. After graduation I went to thank him and give him some cheese from Wisconsin State Dairy Cheese Co. (our personal favorite cheese in the area). When I thanked him he stopped me in front of Dr. Kelly (the president of the seminary) and told me that I should be very proud of the work that I had done on the project. He said it was good enough research that he actually enjoyed being a part of it. That meant a lot to me.

Pam with the corny certificate of appreciation

What meant even more to me was what Pam said about my project. I hope she realizes how important it is to me to impress her. My wife truly is one of the most amazing people I know. Not only is she an amazingly godly woman, wife, and mother but she is also one of the smartest people I have ever been around. Her work is amazing to me and she challenges me more than I can adequately describe. So when she said that she could take my project and do an educational study with it (she had a fancy name for this like SOPA or something but i don’t remember what it was for sure) that meant the world to me. The fact that Pam considered my study something good enough for her to possibly do something with is quite possibly the highest praise I could have received.

A few (very few) people have asked if my paper will be viewable anywhere. I am posting what I consider the most readable part here.  This part is the basic evaluation of the project and those the most important part. The remaining 158 pages are just setup and proofs for what was written in these 31 pages.

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Theology Group & I Stink @ Names

Thinking through new small/bible groups for 2014 while also designing a temporary ramp for the front door of the Terrell abode for “Hot Drink Night.” One of the members of the Leadership Team (who will remain nameless because while I am sure this person wouldn’t mind me mentioning their name, I don’t have their permission so therefore I won’t) suggested a theology 201 group – i.e. a more thorough discussion than just “here’s the basics of Christian faith.” I liked the idea and we’ve discussed starting it in January and meeting once a month.

Here’s what I mean by theology 201 – not just defining a theological belief but looking for its implications in our faith and life. One example of this is what I mentioned in yesterday’s post concerning Barth’s focus on the wholly other nature of God. That isn’t just a definition but a discussion of its implication in our life.

Other examples are:

  • What does the nature of the Trinity say about the church as the body of Christ?
  • What does the Incarnation mean for a follower of Christ’s role in the world?
  • What does the Transcendence and Immanence of God mean for our relationship with our neighbors?

There are more and more examples. Good theology should affect life, otherwise it probably isn’t good theology. I guess that would set this group up to be more practical theology, rather than systematic, biblical, or historical theology (though obviously all three of the latter will be a part of the former).

So here are my questions:

  • Anyone willing to say they would already be interested in something like this?
  • If so, any suggestions concerning what day/time would be best to meet once a month?
  • Anyone have a decent name for this thing? All I can think of is “Let’s Talk Theology” which is a dumb name that I promise we won’t use. Little help here people. I really stink at names, mainly because I don’t think they matter that much. I would probably just call the thing the “Wednesday (or whenever) Theology Group” but that wouldn’t tell people much about the group other than when it met. If I could combine “theology” (study of God) with “biology” (the study of life) without it completely confusing people I would do that. Please help me people.
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An Answer to Every Question

She had disliked the pervasiveness of Lutheran thought, especially the Calvinist faction, who seemed to have an answer to every question before it had even been asked.
Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card, p. 113.

I am presently reading the second book in the Ender’s Game series and I ran across the above quote. I don’t really know any Lutherans who would describe themselves as Calvinists (typically different traditions). I was, however, hit by the last sentence of this quote, “to have an answer to every question before it had even been asked.” It made me laugh because I have some good friends who are pretty strong Calvinists. One of whom takes me fishing and lets me deer hunt on his property and therefore I would never say anything bad about Calvinism. 😉 Truth be told the quote probably made me laugh because it hit close to home, even though I’m not a Calvinist.

1 Peter 3:15 says

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

This scripture says to be prepared to give an answer but it also tells us the specific question that we are to be prepared to answer (i.e. “the reason for the hope that you have.”) I don’t think that means that we need to pretend like we have all the other answers, because, truth be known, none of us do. If we pretend like we do then all we do is lie to ourselves and others. God and life are too mysterious and wonderful. We only know Him because He reveals Himself, not because we discover Him. If our piddly little brains can know and have ready all the answers then we have severely put God, and life, into a box. God is so much bigger than that. Ask me Who my hope comes from and I should be able to answer that on the spot, ask me another question and hopefully I take a bit longer.

The other thing about the above quote is that it makes me think that if we already have “an answer to every question before it [has] even been asked” it probably just means that we aren’t really listening to the question. It makes me think of those times that I become idiotic and focus more on how I am going to respond to something, than I do to actually listening to the other person in the conversation. Real dialogue (etymologically meaning “across speech“) and understanding fails to happen when I do this. When I am at my best I truly listen to what a person is saying, pause a moment or two to make sure I understand what they just said, and then I respond. When I am at my worst I am biting to respond before the person even finishes his or her statement. I am usually much closer to connecting with truth during the former and much further away during the latter.  As James says, we should be “quick to listen” and “slow to speak.” Sounds a whole lot like that whole “you have two ears and one mouth, and they should be used in that proportion” saying.

I think the next book I am going to read is Karl Barth’s The Humanity of God which I believe from the synopsis has some points similar to this. God is “wholly other” and thereby we only know Him through His self-revelation, rather than our own discovery. This knowledge of Him through revelation is an act of grace (undeserved) and therefore should produce grace and humility in us. Humility doesn’t pretend like it has all the answers. Pride does that. The humility that comes from knowing God through His self-revelation just points to Him as the answer.

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Not one of my finer moments

The minivan wouldn’t start Saturday morning. All the lights came on but instead of turning over it would just click. I was preparing to have it tower to my mechanic Monday morning because I assumed it was the starter. Talked with my parents yesterday and my dad said it sounded like a starter or solenoid to him. He made one off hand remark about a dead battery that stuck with me. So on a chance I checked the battery tonight and it had about half a charge. Put the battery charger on it and it started fine. So basically I almost had my minivan towed to the shop for a low battery. Not one of my finer moments.

Thanks for sparking things Dad.