The Present

When you head off to seminary, you are never quite certain what you will encounter. Even with the steady rhythm  of semesters drumming by, things do manage to change.

I am deep into my third of four years. When we started, there was a good deal of excitement about how we were the largest cohort (class) of seminarians at UDTS, at least among those on the distance paradigm, with 23 members strong. I sat in my Homiletics class last week and listened to a sermon from each of the remaining seminarians in my cohort, and there were only 12.

Nearly half of us are gone.

It is true that many have moved on in a good way. Some had begun with a few credits under their belt, and will be graduating early, like my friend and theologian Katy Steinberg, who has started a new worshiping community, The Missing Peace, on Ormond Beach, Florida. Others jumped off paradigm and will graduate early, like Derek Martin, who will follow his dream to become a Navy Chaplain. I am happy for them and I look forward to hearing about the great and wonderful things God is doing in their lives.

Others have transferred to other schools where they continue their work. Still others have dropped out, taking a break to deal with the mess that life can throw at us, or leaving the ministry entirely.

I do miss them so.

With only half of us left, our cohort is small but strong. We have settled into our spiritual identities and we have learned to cope with the balance of life - work and family - as well as our online classes. We frequently chat through social networks and on our smartphones, keeping tabs on one another and encouraging each other not to let up when the going gets tough.

Over the years we have become family, fiercely devoted to one another and our well being. We recognize that we possess different gifts for ministry, and we try and lift each other up in that ability.

The light at the end of the proverbial tunnel can be seen easily enough now. I don't need to squint to see a faint dot in the distance, but rather, I squint because the light is bright.

With that light comes choices that I will need to make. This is a career choice, after all, and I can't be expected to stay right where I am in my current ministry position. In the Presbyterian Church, we refer to this career destination as a "call to ministry", quite literally calling us to move to do God's work in one place or another. I love my church family in the place where I have been a member for over 20 years and where I currently am the Director of Youth and Family Ministries. There are few things that would make me happier. I will also add that the Presbyterian Church has certain rules in place that don't make that prospect an easy one.

And so, the future is uncertain. But then, it is uncertain with all of us, and we have only the present. To quote a great man:

"Do not worry about tomorrow - tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough trouble of it's own." - Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 6:34)

Peace and grace to all of you. Enjoy the journey.

-Beau