In two of my classes (Baptist History and Hermeneutics) my professors typically begin with a short devotional thought. My Baptist History professor, Dr. Wills, constantly exhorts us and challenges the way in which we think about ministry. I am incredibly grateful for these "hard" words because I know my sinful heart needs to hear them! I have been reminded so many times in class and in chapel that a good number of seminary students fall into a season of "spiritual dryness" during seminary because they are gorging their minds on knowledge and not engaging their hearts in the things of the Lord. What gracious and pastoral reminders his devotions have been!
Of my five classes, two of them definitely stand out. The first is the class that every prospective seminary student seems to dread -- Elementary Hebrew. I noted in an earlier blog post that my teacher has a reputation for being very difficult and he also has a very dry sense of humor (that most of the students find hilarious!) Today was a good example of that humor. There is a chapter in our book that we will be studying next Thursday and Friday that is infamous for being extremely difficult. So at the end of class today he had us all sit down and said the following:
"I want all of you to go home and do a few things this weekend. Call home and tell your mom and dad you love them. Make sure you have your will in order...because next week is going to be messy. I have grown quite fond of some of you...not all of you, but some of you. And next week is going to be bad. I mean...there will be empty chairs, limbs on the floor...it's going to be bad."
Despite his dry and slightly sadistic sense of humor...I absolutely love that class. It's definitely challenging, but when I actually understand what I'm doing (which isn't often) and I can do the exercises -- I feel pretty darn satisfied. =)
The other class of note is my Church History 1 class with Dr. Haykin. His class is set up so that we have already studied, read and completed the assignment for the material he is lecturing on -- so the real purpose of being in class is to learn (what a concept, huh?)! Right now he is taking us through the early Christian church in Graeco-Roman society and his lectures are amazing. Not only are they insightful with a ton of interesting historical facts and anecdotes, but the connections he makes from history to the present day are extremely pastoral. One of my favorite readings in the past weeks came from a recent assignment we did on an old apologetic work called The Epistle to Diognetus from sometime in the 200's. The author is in the middle of an apologetic argument but as he writes, his apology turns into theology and his theology into doxology.
He did not hate us or repel us or remember our misdeeds, but was long-suffering, bore with us, Himself in mercy took on Him our sins, Himself gave up His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for the wicked, the innocent for the guilty, "the just for the unjust", the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for mortals. For what else could cover our sins but his righteousness? In whom was it possible for us, wicked and impious as we were, to be justified, except in the Son of God alone? O the sweet exchange, O work of God beyond all searching out, O blessings past our expectation, that the wickedness of many should be hidden in one righteous Man and the righteousness of the One should justify many wicked!
Amazing. What a perfect place to end this post. "O the sweet exchange...that the wickedness of many should be hidden in one righteous Man and the righteousness of the One should justify many wicked!" I hope and pray that the theology I am so blessed to be learning here in seminary always...always...turns into such sweet doxology.
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