Since I am currently a teacher, I just received a nice, healthy break during the holiday season. I am extremely grateful for that opportunity to recharge my batteries, go on a 2nd honeymoon, and see lots of friends. I feel I have some real momentum going into the rest of the year now.
But perhaps the most significant thing I did, next to the honeymoon, was apply to seminary.
Even before I thought about teaching High School, I had been thinking about being a Bible teacher. Yet, it’s not quite as simple to become a good Bible teacher as a school teacher.
For one, there is a spiritual qualification necessary to becoming a Bible teacher. I didn’t feel (and I know this sounds subjective) qualified spiritually, right out of college, to become a Bible teacher. There were elements to my own life that were too inexperienced and uncertain, as much as I knew I loved teaching the Bible. A good teacher-preacher has to be very spiritually secure in order to be consistently used by God on a weekly basis to preach and teach the Word.
Two, I didn’t want to be unmarried going into seminary. It is hard enough being a man who is young in a place of spiritual authority in a church; I didn’t want to have to do it all alone. Thank Providence I found such a wonderful woman who encourages me and helps me each day!
Three, I needed to know Biblical languages. For me, this is a daunting undertaking. I do not memorize things well. Even when I played piano, which I love, my teacher told me I was always the last one to memorize the pieces I was learning before a recital. Thankfully, I will have some time this summer in-between the time I finish teaching High School and (Lord willing) begin Seminary during which I will (a) still be receiving a paycheck and (b) will be able to spend a lot of time teaching myself some beginning languages.
So it is my prayer that God will open a door for me to serve him in this way. Ultimately, I don’t know if I would just stay in Washington and teach or perhaps God may send me to another country; but if he does either, I would be prepared to do his work after I complete my education. For those of you who are interested, I have applied only to Northwest Baptist Seminary (at this point). Please pray for me if you think about it. I know it is a a rigorous task to earn a Master of Divinity. I hope to do so in three years.
Postmortemism 