Treadmill...
I loved this post by Jeff Kapusta. It is so true. Running on the road is a lot more difficult than running on a treadmill. There have been time when I really cranked on the treadmill, and then the next day I went for a run on the bike path, and I sucked wind. The reason - there are a lot of ups and downs when you run in the real world. There are little hills, big hills, stupid cars that back out of their driveway without looking for who might be running on the bike path, etc.
Running in the real world is a lot more difficult than running on the treadmill, and I believe that same principle translates to a lot of areas in our lives. In college, things were easy in the classroom, but when I got into a real world situation, things were a lot harder. Why was that? It's because things weren't as neat and tidy in the real world as they were in the classroom. People were involved. Emotions were involved. The real world can get complicated.
Knowing that the real world is a lot more difficult than the classroom is one of the reasons I have decided to finish my Masters of Divinity degree while I continue to work. I want to combine the education of the classroom to real world situations. I don't want to separate the two. Personally, I think a lot of seminaries are out of touch with the reality of ministry and the day to day life in the church. The normal person in the chair on a Sunday morning doesn't want to debate theology. They want to know how this relationship with Jesus works in their day to day life with their family, friends, at work, in the middle of a tragedy, etc.
So, if you are in college or you finished college, don't think that you know everything. The real world is a whole different ball game. Yes, college and graduate training are good things, but they are not the only thing. I believe the best learning comes when you hit the streets and go for a run in the real world.
3 comments:
I respect your opinion and you certainly have every right to it. But unless you've personally been to and experience "a lot of seminaries" then I don't think you should make blanket statements about them.
Interesting post...also interesting to think about how Jesus chose the "street guys" not the "learned guys" (the educated, the Pharisees, Saducess, etc.)to launch the church and begin a revolution. Their training/education was "on the fly" in the day-to-day interactions with people.
I think you are right. I have not attended ANY Seminaries but am familiar with many of them thru the work that I do. While they are all valuable and teach wonderful things...there is much to say about real world experience. That goes with any college, any type of training, any where. Always different when you dive into the work. I realize what you were saying was not derogatory towards seminaries and realize their value. The truth is....there is a lot of "The Church" that is out of touch with reality. It is people such as yourself that are taking the time and opportunities that God gives to you to walk the walk and make a difference. Thank you and be blessed in your studies.
Post a Comment