Batman was always my favorite because he wasn't a mutant. (image via flickr)
Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? I think it’s ok if you don’t. I am slowly approaching 30 and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. That used to worry me, but not so much any more. Sure, I’d like to make more money and maybe even become known for the work that I do, but I’m in no rush. I used to have a strong desire to do anything other than what I am doing now, but my job doesn’t really bother me. I don’t think it ever did, I just wanted something different then.
Over the past year or so, I have noticed that I really enjoy studying theology and doctrine. Not only that, but church history has recently become another topic that interests me deeply. I’ve been told a few times that I should look into doing consulting work for churches because of my understanding of how things work technically and in a church environment. I think if I want to do that well, I should have a good understanding of where the church as a whole is headed. To better understand where the church is headed, I need to understand where the church has been, and I think that is where my interest in church history is coming from.
This morning I met with Emanuel Naydenov from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I’ve been wanting to go back to school to get my master degree for some time now, and I think the time to start is quickly approaching. I am in a place right now where I still have the capacity to do more than what my job entails, so why not continue my formal education? It would not take long to complete a MA in Christian Studies, and I could take all of the classes here at my church.
We talked about the MA in Christian Studies program and how there is a lot of room in that course of study for electives. Since I mentioned the joy I have in studying theology and doctrine, he mentioned that many of the elective credits could be filled with systematic theology courses, but that church history should be studies along side of that. The history of the church and how the church has responded to culture throughout time is where our theology has taken form. To study theology and doctrine without understanding why is like reciting a poem in a language that you do not understand. It can become an empty and meaningless tradition. We shouldn’t form our belief on what our fathers believed, but understand the reasoning behind their belief.
I may not know what I want to be when I grow up, but I do know that it will be a part of the church. I also know that I love to learn, so this looks to me to be the next step. We’ll see what my mentors have to say.