Dear ______: Thanks for writing. Glad you found the distinction between Protestant and Non-Protestant seminaries useful. Seminary as new car showroom? Yes, your car analogy works pretty well: Protestant seminaries are built on the chassis of an academic program, with spiritual features and option packages. Catholic and Orthodox seminaries are built on a monastic chassis, […]
What Kind of Seminary Is This? (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: Sorry if I burst your bubble when I said that Seminary can’t really be your church for the next few years. It really depends on what kind of seminary you chose. Like it or not, choosing just about any Protestant seminary means your school doesn’t even try to be a church. Don’t worry: […]
Is There Life OUTSIDE of Seminary? (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: I agree: when you are in seminary it can be hard to build relationships beyond that intense Christian community. But you do need a life OUTSIDE of seminary. When I wrote to recommend that you have a real church home while in seminary (despite the comings and goings for field education and so forth) […]
Yes, You Do Need a Church (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: Sounds like the first summer of seminary has brought to light a common problem: You no longer have a church. Yes, you do need a church. Yes, as I wrote last week this season is a great opportunity to visit churches of other traditions. But you still need one church to be your community, […]
Closed Communion: It’s Not About You (Letters to a Young Pastor)
Dear ______: Glad to hear that you are using some of these summer Sundays to visit churches of other traditions. It is the best way to broaden your real knowledge of what worship is, and to sense first hand the diversity of the Body of Christ. (And do it now or you’ll lose your chance — […]
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