Welcome to the June edition of ePilgrimage!
Information and inspiration for the future as you consider the seminary . . . this is ePilgrimage.
Last month's issue can be found on our blog www.seminaryblog.com or click by clicking here.
It's not too late! We are still accepting applications to begin classes in September 2008.
You've been praying about it, talking about it with your family, and thinking about it over and over again. You've been trying to talk yourself into it, then out of it, then back into it. The reality is that you're interested in the seminary and wonder if can really happen. It can!
Whatever your concerns, remember that God keeps His promises and the Lord will provide for you and your family. It's very likely that whatever may be holding you back has been confronted by seminarians before you. They have made it through and so can you.
Say a little prayer, and start the application process. You can begin to find the answers to your questions now.
Meet Your Admission Counselor
We've divided up the country into several regions to give you personalized attention as you consider the seminary. Find your counselor here.
Maybe after a lot of prayer and discernment, you will
decide that indeed you shouldn’t come to the seminary! The church has a real need for good and
faithful lay men and women to support; to provide for the resources that will
accomplish the work of Christ in the Church.
However, there are some of you for whom God has other
plans. When His plan includes you to be
one of His messengers, at some point you will find yourself coming to the seminary to become equipped to be one of His under-shepherds. Your prior experience will be of benefit to
your ministry as you leave your previous vocation to go and serve in His
harvest field.
How? It can be
done. Creative changes in lifestyle
and other sacrifices will be necessary.
Many others before you have successfully made these changes. Such changes may indeed be greater for some
than for others. The real question
becomes, “How can I not do what God desires me to do?” The Lord who made me, redeemed me, and
created faith in me is calling me? With all boldness and confidence you can
confess, “This same Lord will continue to provide for me. He will sustain me. He will be with my family as we seek to do
His will. He promises to care for
us. We believe His promises are sure!”
“How can I get back
to being a student after so many years of work?” You may indeed need to sharpen your study
skills. One way to help clear the
cobwebs off of the learning process is to take a course or two at your local
community college. Seminary studies are
challenging, but they don’t have to be overwhelming.
When? It may
be sooner or later. The truth is that it will not get any easier as you get
older. When I reflect on my own experience,
it would have been a lot easier to have come to the seminary before I was
married and had a family. If I had done
so, I would not have had the insight ten years of Lutheran teaching and DCE
work provided me. God was indeed shaping and forming me through those
experiences. When the experience of attending the seminary with a family was
possible, it was beneficial! The truth
is there is no perfect time. When you
recognize what the Lord is placing before you, contact us and together we can
work through the discernment process. After prayerful consideration, if you
desire to begin the application process, we stand ready to assist you along the
way!
Dr. John Nordling, our Greek professor, sets very high
standards for his classes, yet he was always concerned about our success. To that end, he encouraged us to meet in
small groups outside of class in order to help each other through. We each struggled in different areas, but
then when one of us was struggling, the other would help by re-teaching the
concept. In fact, I found that the
grammar that I taught was the material that I really understood. In Dr.
Nordling’s words, “There are three ways to really learn Greek: reading it,
writing it, and teaching it.” We were
also encouraged to attend the large group tutoring sessions. These sessions allowed us to ask questions
that we didn’t have time for in class.
The Greek tutor not only met with us during the week, but he would
also schedule time during the weekend especially before a big test to make sure that
we were prepared.
One of the greatest keys for success in Greek is knowing how
you learn. I am a visual learner, so I
used flash cards and sight memorization to help me learn the language. Others read them aloud, listened to them on
tape, or even wrote each term fifteen to twenty times.
Finally, before each class, be sure to not only read the required
material but think through it. I found
that engaging the text before class allowed me to truly understand Dr.
Nordling, and I was able to formulate questions in problem areas. Furthermore, by engaging the text (thinking
about it and not just reading it) I found there were a number of patterns that
allowed me to make connections with earlier material. This allowed me not only to succeed in Greek
but to excel!
I
have found that I use Greek almost everyday now, whether it is answering
questions in class, preparing for a sermon, developing a Bible study, or even
following my own devotional readings. I
think that Greek is more elegant and communicative than English. There are nuances that English eliminates
because it doesn’t have quite the right word or the grammar of the sentence
does not convey it. In fact, translating
from Greek to English becomes quite freeing because you are able to see the
richness of the author’s use of language and structure instead of something
that has already been filtered by a translator.
Given its frequent use and the richness it reveals, I feel that Greek
was one of my most valuable courses this year.
Take some time during your study to really dig into Greek, and you may
find that you also appreciate it for the freedom it can give you.
Registration is still open for the tenth year of Christ Academy, June 15 – 28, 2008.
Click here for information
and here for registration!
Are you a Christ Academy Alumni? Join us for a special tenth anniversary alumni event. Click for more information.
Christ Academy is not your normal agenda for high school camps or retreats. Some of the programs today offer flashy, postmodern tendencies lacking any substance. On the contrary, Christ Academy offers confessional Lutheran theology focusing on Jesus Christ, and it continues to flourish. Whether you are considering the ministry or just want to learn more about our Savior who is present in Word and Sacrament, the Academy will provide clarity of vocational direction and enrichment in God’s Word.
Already out of high school? The seminary has also been blessed with a way to continue the Academy experience into the college years with Christ Academy College. This college retreat takes place in January and offers a fulfilling weekend of study in class, theological discussion with faculty and students, and the formation of solid Lutheran fellowship. It is great to see men from a variety of universities aspire the Office of the Holy Ministry.
Having been blessed with the of experience of Christ Academy, I am an eye-witness to the life-changing studies present with each Academy. Not only do I see this take place with the students, but I can also attest to this fact. Starting college as an education major, it was really the experience of Christ Academy that finally convinced me of God’s calling to the ministerial life. It is a life deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, and from His calling ,ministers are servants of His church. Now at the seminary, how wonderful it is for me to see God’s calling in action as He prepares laborers for His harvest (Luke 10:2)!
Concordia Theological Seminary continues to receive many young men from all over to study at Christ Academy. Whether you are in high school or college, God has blessed the seminary with this Academy for the study of Christ crucified and for the sake of the church. Our Lord does provide, and He provides you with the opportunity to come and experience the many blessings He bestows through the Christ Academy experience.
Deaconesses: Expressing the Femininity of the Church
By Deaconess Rosie Adle
I remember being in high school, quite unaware of my own identity
as a woman, I proudly insisted: “I won’t marry anyone who doesn’t iron his own
shirts. I won’t need him to take out the garbage, so why should he need me
to do his dirty work?” A relatively recent Gap commercial advertised a
pair of slacks being marketed to women called the “boyfriend trouser.” In
the ad, a couple danced about to a catchy jingle, and the woman adjusted the
original lyrics to insist, “Anything you can do, I can do better; I can wear anything better than you.”
Females insist: “A woman is as good as a man.” But in an
essay entitled “Are Women Human?” Dorothy Sayers importantly pointed out that
such a phrase, “is as meaningless as to say… ‘A poet is as good as an engineer’
or ‘an elephant is as good as a racehorse’ – it means nothing whatever until
you add: ‘at doing what?’” This question of “at doing what?” is precisely
the one that has been ignored on a cultural level, as well as an ecclesiastical
level.
The best place to argue for the feminine expression of gifts is
within the church’s life. This should be the place where men and women are
affirmed in their created identity and urged to live out their vocations as
the distinct creatures that they are. Though society may refuse to see the
beauty in the different sexes, the church is excellently positioned not only to
acknowledge but also to honor both male and female according to their unique essences. This is why the women who are formed to serve
as deaconesses are such a blessing to the church and community. Many believe that a deaconess tends to the
various aspects of ministry that the pastor doesn't have time for. I
would argue here that the deaconess does not pick up the slack of the pastor
but of the parish. And what a beautiful image! The deaconess acts
as the active agent and representative of the Bride of Christ, the church
herself. The Bride exercises her
husband’s compassion. What could be more feminine than that?
September 24 – 27, 2008 is the perfect opportunity for you to come and get a feel for what life at the seminary will be like by worshiping with the seminary community, sitting in on classes, and hearing presentations about the new curriculum, financial aid, and the application process. You will gather here in Fort Wayne with dozens of other future seminarians who are wrestling with the same questions as you. Come together and explore the possibilities!
Best of Blog
Another Gem from the Blogosphere
Rev. Rick Stuckwisch is the pastor of Emmaus Lutheran Church in South Bend, Indiana. Here is "How to Contend for the Faith Without Killing your Brother." It's an insightful piece on how to engage our differences out of love in the truest sense. We want to win back an erring brother or sister in Christ and do so not at the expense of our own faith or theirs. His blog is "Sword-in-Hat." Visit and learn about the name.BONUS! In a bit of self-promotion, another blog for you: Cyberstones
Rev. David Petersen comments on the work of the Admission Department of Concordia Theological Seminary.
Somewhere Along the Way . . .
Somewhere along the way you've considered serving the church
as a pastor or deaconess. But, the road is long and the way sometimes
isn't very clear. You haven't finished the journey yet. Maybe you've
applied and been accepted but just haven't finalized the move. Maybe
you're just beginning to think about service to the church and what God
might be asking of you. Maybe someone else has encouraged you to serve
the church.
Whatever your story may be, you've found your way to our
attention and so we want to encourage you to prayerfully consider
serving the church. Come see for yourself what seminary is all about.
Then, rather than wondering if this is what God has in store for you,
you can finally see the path laid out before you.
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