Let the fun begin

 

A little light reading

Well, it is official, seminary has begun in earnest. My fall semester classes started yesterday morning. Yes, I realize I took Greek this summer and that was both challenging and rewarding, but for some reason it just didn’t feel like seminary, I’m not sure why, it could be just because summer classes have that feel of something temporary or that there were very few of us on campus. 

So this fall I am taking 4 classes (well, actually 5, but 1 is a weekend elective that will be over and done with before Labor Day ever shows its face). I’ll have Preparation & Delivery of Sermons, Greek in Exegesis, Covenant Theology I, Spiritual & Ministry Formation, & Gospel-Centered Sexuality (the weekend course). It is a good schedule, plenty of demanding work and lots of good content. I am excited about my professors and the chance to take the classes with some friends. I’m still not sure about this whole semester thing, having only ever been in the quarter system I am a little fearful of the 16 week slog, but I am looking forward to having a little extra time to plow through the reading that I will need to get through (yes, some of it will indeed be skimming). So for those of you that are interested, here’s a run down of the books I have for this semester…

New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the New Testament, Rogers & Rogers
Greek Grammar Beyond the Basic, Daniel Wallace
How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth, Fee & Strauss
Novum Testamentum Graece (Nestle/Aland) 

Christian Spirituality, Alexander
Children of the Living God, Ferguson
Transforming Grace, Bridges
The Call, Guinness

Creation Regained, Wolters
He Gave Us Stories, Pratt
Proper Confidence, Newbigin
Far as the Curse is Found, Williams
Science & Faith, Collins

Real Sex, Winner
Sex for Christians, Smedes

Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapell
Using Illustrations to Preach with Power, Chapell 

Well, there they are… not nearly as big as the pile that will accompany some of my future semesters, but plenty to keep me busy for this one. One thing about all this reading… obviously there will be things that I or other people will disagree with in some of the texts (probably not so much in the reference books). One of my professors this morning encouraged us to do the opposite of what out generation does so well and instead be sympathetic readers. This does not mean the we need to agree with everything we read, but neither should we approach everything we read with suspicion. We should look to read cooperatively, ideally the author has written something that is readable and that accurately relays the idea that they are trying to get across, so we, as the readers, should also approach the books with an ear to listen for that idea. I think we so often are looking for what we disagree with, but we should be looking for what we agree with. How do we define ourselves? By always stating the negative about what we are against or by positively identifying ourselves with what we believe is true. Food for thought… dig in.