WANTED: A Challenging and Stretching Experience

Ultimately, I chose Garrett-Evangelical for several reasons. First, Garrett-Evangelical’s reputation preceded it. At least one of my undergraduate classmates pursued graduate study at Garrett-Evangelical and recommended it highly. One of the things I was seeking was a high level of academic rigor, because it is my lifelong dream to pursue doctoral studies. As I have learned from these first few weeks of “introductory” classes, academic rigor is one thing that Garrett-Evangelical has in spades.

More than just academic rigor, though, I was in search of an experience that would stretch me and expose me to different ways of thinking and seeing both God and the world.

You see, before coming to Garrett-Evangelical – in all my studies, which include three different degrees in religion or ministry related areas – I had never had a professor who didn’t look a lot like me. Eight years of Christian theological education from people that looked and talked like me. Don’t get me wrong, those were good years and I cherish the knowledge I gained from them...but I didn’t want more of the same. Instead, I wanted to hear from professors who didn’t look like me or talk like me or share a similar story with me.  Again, Garrett-Evangelical has that in spades.  It is obvious from even a quick look at the website.

Here in my first semester, I have two classes on campus. Both are taught by African American professors. It is challenging and exciting to engage learning from a different perspective, and I am grateful to Garrett-Evangelical for providing me the opportunity to do so.  Moreover, I eagerly anticipate the years to come when more and more such opportunities will present themselves.

When I began searching for a school at which I could complete my Master of Divinity studies, I had two main standards: academic rigor and a multi-cultural learning environment.  Oh, and it had to be close to home. I was concerned initially that I would have to sacrifice one or the other in order to stay close. I needn’t have worried.

Garrett-Evangelical is already proving to be just what I was looking for, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the journey holds.

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Joe Boggs is a first year, Master of Divinity student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

What is the role of a Christian as citizen?

First year, Master of Divinity student, Annie MacNeal, continues to post about her first few weeks at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on her blog Journey of Faith: Seminary. This week, she began a class taught by seminary president Dr. Phil Amerson called "Christian as Citizen." The following is an excerpt from her original post: 

Yesterday afternoon I made my way down to the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple for a class offered by Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary called “Christian as Citizen.” This class is taught by the president of our seminary, Dr. Phil Amerson and asks the question, “What is the role of a Christian as citizen?”

Over the three hours of the course we discussed many interesting and important questions that come up for us as citizens of the U.S.A., specifically as Christian citizens. We started off talking about how we, as people, have become a commodity. In the 1970s, the service industry made up about 25% of our workforce while the manufacturing industry (physical goods, farming, etc.) made up about 75%. Today, the service industry makes up more than 90% of our work force, while the manufacturing industry has been reduced to less than 10%. What does this mean for us as citizens? If most of our workforce is devoted to service, what is the actual product that is coming out of that? The answer is we are the product. We are reduced from living, breathing, human beings to a client; to a commodity. The important question to think about now is, “When did it all go wrong?” A member of our class pointed out that we can usually find the answer to that question by tracing the money.

We then moved this discussion to think about citizenship in the context of the Bible. Where in scripture do we find the topic of citizenship and what does this mean for us? Many people recalled the many times Paul discusses what citizenship should/should not look like in his letters to various peoples. An interesting thing to note is that when Paul writes about citizenship, he is looking at citizenship through the lens of being a Roman citizen. Another instance of citizenship in the Bible is addressed when Samuel is wondering if he should anoint Saul as a king. Samuel warns the people about becoming a state. After discussing many other instances, we realized that our Christian heritage is full of questions about citizenship. This led to the question, “Is democracy the ideal state for Christians?”            

At the conclusion of this first class meeting, I was left with many questions. Why, as people, did we let ourselves become a commodity? How did the foundations and understanding of Christianity come to be skewed by politics and the government? What is the ideal form of government for us as Christians? Although I hope to find some answers to these questions throughout the semester, I have a feeling that my question list will only get longer. However, I feel blessed to have finally found a place to openly discuss these important issues and be in dialogue with people who have different views from me. It is in places like these that we can truly have “holy conversation” around controversial issues.

           

New Friends, New Insights

Classes have been underway for two weeks now and our students are already reflecting on their classes, chapel sermons, and their journey to seminary. First year, Master of Divinity student, Annie MacNeal, posted her reflections on a sermon by Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary's associate professor of church leadership, Rev. Dr. Mark Fowler, on her blog, Journey of Faith: Seminary, titled, "New Friends, New Insights."


Sometimes I sit back and I cannot believe I am actually in seminary...finally! I was sitting by the lake with one of my new closest friends yesterday, reading. I stopped for a minute and looked out onto Lake Michigan, at the city of Chicago, and at the waves crashing onto the shoreline. It took my breath away and I could not believe I was finally at Garrett after all of this time waiting to follow through on God's call for my life.

Today during chapel, the sermon preached by Dr. Mark Fowler made me think about another aspect of God's call that I had not really thought of before. He spoke about Moses and the burning bush and how Moses turned aside to listen to God. Dr. Fowler pointed out however, that this was not the whole story of Moses' call. In the few verses before this, people were broken and crying out for God, so THEN God called Moses to address the needs of these people and minister to them. His sermon went on to talk about how when we were called by God, it was because there were broken people crying out and God knew that we would be the right ones to minister to those people, wherever they are. When I think back to my call from God and my warmed heart experience with God, I knew that I wanted others to feel that same peace, warmth, and love. However, I had never thought about who these people were, what they looked like, where they were located, and what exactly they needed. God knows who they are and God knows that I will be able to minister to them. It is so strange to think about, but it is also so humbling.

Something I am truly thankful for since coming here are the amazing people I met: students, faculty, staff, and others outside Garrett-Evangelical. There were a lot of things I was worried about as I prepared to transition into seminary, but I thank God that God has put these specific people in my life. It might be strange to those of you who know me from other places besides seminary to be hearing how I have all these amazing friends already that I am really close to. I do not really know how to explain it, but I am extremely thankful for the fact that I have close friends. I guess it is a combination of having a strong belief in God, a calling to ministry, passion for the same things (social justice, helping others, ministry, etc), and just appreciation for being at Garrett that brings us all together. I pray that as we move forward on this journey together that our bond as friends becomes even stronger.

P.S. Classes are going really well too! I am not really a history person, but I loved my first history class last night on the early church. Old Testament is fascinating and I will have my first Christian as Citizen class at the Chicago Temple this Thursday night.