At Year's End

Sitting in a recent chapel service, I was moved by the impassioned sharing of seniors at their seminary journey’s end. Their stories were full of discovery, community, and hard work. They all experienced difficult times and joy-filled ones, waxed eloquent on the profound privilege of being part of the seminary community and joked about a few notoriously demanding classes. Above all, the seniors reflected dynamic processes of personal change during their seminary years.

I sit at the end of just one year, but already I see change at work in me. Yes, there have been times of difficulty; times of writer’s block or jam-packed schedules, times of mourning a family loss or making sense of a world gone awry, times of bewilderment about the choices of the church in history or uncertainty about my vocation today. But to a greater degree there have also been times of joy; times of sharing life stories and meals together, times of rejoicing over transformed conflicts or finished assignments, times of seeing the world in a new light or finding a place of rest, times of seeing Jesus present in history or affirming my own vocational vision.

In a year I have learned much about myself, about the church in history and about faith today—and I see great hope! At the end of two semesters I have only gratitude for the journey of growth thus far and am excited for the continuing road ahead.

Thanks be to God for the years of divine work in those who have reached graduation. Thanks be to God for God’s work in those of us still on the path through seminary. Thanks be to God for the work happening in those of you considering joining us on this journey!

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