A New Journey

Tomorrow I begin teaching Intro to Church History at a local seminary. I learned today I have 44 students, which is a huge seminary class. It is a required course offered each semester, but this is my first time to teach it. It will be a mixed bag of mostly first and second year students, most of whom are preparing for ordained ministry.

My guess is the class will be almost entirely second career learners—a difficult group to teach a purely content course. I’d like to think they are eager to learn about the history of the organization in which they practice their faith, but I think most are taking it because they must. Consequently, I feel more challenged than I did when I taught in the 70s through the early 90s in a field about which I knew tons—pastoral counseling. I could call on dozens of counseling stories and illustrations to make what I was dealing with lively and relevant. Students tended to hang on every word. In the early years, I even had an afternoon class that, once a week, adjourned to Ruby Tuesdays for nachos and wine and more discussion after class.

Somehow I imagine most of these students have little or no interest in the past, particularly the dim past. As adult learners, most of whom will be serving in parishes in some capacity, they will be interested in “how will this preach,” or “what’s that got to do with my ministry.” I think that is my biggest challenge. My principal consolation is that when I was most recently in the parish, whenever I taught adult ed classes on some part of Church history, most people were intrigued and very interested. Of course, it was kind of recreational—not unlike watching the History Channel. Still, for many, making a connection with their roots made their present faith life more meaningful.

So, pray for me and for those upon whom I inflict myself over the next 13 weeks. Through our mutual experience, ask that the Spirit be upon us and enrich our lives of faith.

Peace,

Jerry+