As this is my second year as an Intern for the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, I attended my second "Seminary World Tour" last week. We traveled from Ohio to Georgia and back. We visited the Methodist Theological School in Ohio (Delaware, Ohio), Duke Divinity School (Durham, North Carolina), Candler School of Theology at Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia), Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, Kentucky), and United Theological Seminary (Dayton, Ohio). The people were different; the seminaries were the same. I decided to not judge the seminaries or make an informal decision about where I would like to attend until after I got home, until I absolutely have to make a decision of where to apply.
I was intrigued by how similar each of the seminaries seem as they tell us all of the information they want us to hear so that we will think they are good seminaries. Do the statistics and the facts really matter? I think I am more interested in where I am physically and spiritually when I have to make the decision than the information that they pumped into us while we were visiting. The seminaries wanted us to be able to identify with the uniqueness of each institution, but I think the decision of where to receive a theological degree depends on more than that.
I have already said that I intend to consider the option when I have to actually start applying and judge how I am feeling at that time. I think this decision depends on where God is calling me to serve. I can tell everyone in the world that I really want to go to Candler because of all of these various reasons, but in reality, if God wants me to continue doing the work that he has intended for me here in West Ohio, how can I leave?
I do admit that sometimes I would be able to choose a seminary completely outside of my current situation - spiritually, physically, and financially. But I know that is not how life works. God is calling me to serve where I am with the people that he has surrounded me with. I don't think I take this too seriously and often feel like I have to wait until I am out of undergrad to start serving. Many people have given me this advice to serve where I am.
Goal for this upcoming year: follow that advice. Even though it is my last year, I intend to be involved in the community outside of the university, as well as immerse myself in campus life. This has always been difficult for me because I enjoy being by myself or with a small group of people. But I know that I want to impact this world for the kingdom of God. In order to do that, I have to be amongst God's people.
I know this has just been a spewing of random thoughts, but in my head, they are related to my journey as I prepare to make a decision regarding my theological education and eventually my call into ministry as a vocation.
How do you get motivated to become a part of communities that you know you will only be a part of for a short while?
