Lifelong Learning

I’ve been in Sewanee, Tennessee for the past several weeks, at the School of Theology, taking some classes as part of an advanced degree program.  This year I’ve been studying the Hebrew prophets and the Christian churches of the first three centuries. My professors are “wicked smart,” and we’ve been completely immersed in reading and study.  It’s been fabulous.

I think the study of Scripture, the church, theology and spiritual practice is vitally important to helping us mature as Christians.  None of us, whether we’re new to the faith or seminary trained, should feel like we know enough.  Every single day that I’ve been here, I’ve learned things that have challenged and inspired me.  Some of my ignorance has been erased and presuppositions transformed. 

Let me give you a couple of examples. 

How many of you have opened up the book of Leviticus?  If you have, you may have closed it pretty quickly.  Well, last year I studied this book with a Christian Old Testament scholar, and he helped open it up to me in ways that have made it not only palatable, but also profoundly beautiful.

This year I’ve been looking at the prophets.  Now, I’ve always loved the prophets, but I’ve definitely had favorites to the neglect of the others with whom I was less comfortable.  In this class we’ve explored some of the seemingly hard words of these books (some of which you’re going to hear on Sunday when the prophet Amos is read), what led the prophets to say them, and why those hard words may still speak today.  The goal is to be able to see how these prophets speak “the Word of the Lord,” even when it hurts, even when it chafes, even when it offends our sensibilities.

So, if you haven’t been to Adult Forum in a while...come!  If you are interested in doing some reading on your own, but aren’t sure where to begin...ask me!  I would love to help. 

See you Sunday.