have just started in my studies for a Master of Religious Studies degree with Nations University.
I figure that there are many people thinking of studying at or with a Bible College or Seminary, and yet wonder what this kind of education can do to help in their (our) spiritual health and growth as believers in Christ.
People may also be wondering what it is like to study online in distinction from studying on campus. Also, the cost of education may disuade some from beginning their studies at all.
I am not writing to plug my particular school of choice, as much as I appreciate the gracious availibility of teaching in God's Word
and literally praise God for their commitment and service in providing such a wonderful educational opportunity.
I am writing to share with others the lessons learned, the struggles involved, the dedication and commitment necessary (or my inability to do so), the possible conflicts and confusion ....involved in this journey.
So, today, a little about myself, and why I wish to learn.
I live in Canada, on the West coast of the country in the province of British Columbia. I received the Lord Jesus into my life when I was a teenager. Both my parents were Australian, and migrated to Canada in the late 1950's. Both I remember dearly, as they have both passed away.
I went to Bible College right out of Highschool and earned a bachelor degree by the time I was 21. I had a deep desire at the time to serve the Lord and God's people through pastoral ministry.
Without going into all the details I became ill a few months shy of my 25th birthday. I will probably share more about this at some
other time.
Unfortunately, no longer able to work I had to leave the ministry, and spent the next seven years battling a severe illness without proper and appropriate medical treatment.
Close to the end of those seven years however, through the advocacy of my Dad, the doctors who were treating me realized that all the standard treatments simply weren't working. So they started treating me with a medicine that had not quite yet been approved for use in BC. I saw huge improvements with this treatment, though
of course I still had to work through all the thoughts and emotions involved with feeling like I had been completely ignored for seven
years.
Yet, my caregivers stuck it out with me, and didn't give up. They were my good samaritans, and respected me and my beliefs. I began to recover, and starting working again, though there were quite a few stops and starts, until I found I could work part time, in short shifts.
Then about eight or nine years ago I was recommended to work at a local labour pool as an employment coach. After two years I
started working as a Volunteer Coordinator for a local non-profit. A job which I loved, and enjoyed and as time went on I found myself taking on more and more responsibilities.
After five years though, I began to see myself burning out once again, and prayerfully had to leave the job.
I'm not disappointed about leaving, I really sensed that it was time for me to move on, to take time to recharge, to rest and do
the things that I really enjoy doing.
In the last year, I have been typing through (I never recall what I simply read, other than really general impressions) Thomas Manton's book on The Lord's Prayer, and several others as well (Livy's History of Early Rome, Hawkes Great Civilizations, Columbia's World History,) and am part way through Charnock's Existence and Attributes of God, John Calvin's Christian Institutes, FF Bruces Basic Christianity, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Spurgeon's Power in Prayer, MacLeod's The Person of Christ, Walter Kaiser's The Old Testament in Contemporary Preaching, and I am onto Numbers in the Old Testament as well.
I don't expect people to understand why I do this, and I know it makes me eccentric. I guess that its because that even if my brain isn't always with me, at least in a small way I feel like I'm accomplishing something.
The truth is I just love to learn. I do still and always will love God, and there is so much that I know that I don't know, that
I want to know and hope to know, and I honestly hope, think, and pray that I can learn and grow through a Seminary like education.
So, thank you NU for your ministry. Let's get to work!
I figure that there are many people thinking of studying at or with a Bible College or Seminary, and yet wonder what this kind of education can do to help in their (our) spiritual health and growth as believers in Christ.
People may also be wondering what it is like to study online in distinction from studying on campus. Also, the cost of education may disuade some from beginning their studies at all.
I am not writing to plug my particular school of choice, as much as I appreciate the gracious availibility of teaching in God's Word
and literally praise God for their commitment and service in providing such a wonderful educational opportunity.
I am writing to share with others the lessons learned, the struggles involved, the dedication and commitment necessary (or my inability to do so), the possible conflicts and confusion ....involved in this journey.
So, today, a little about myself, and why I wish to learn.
I live in Canada, on the West coast of the country in the province of British Columbia. I received the Lord Jesus into my life when I was a teenager. Both my parents were Australian, and migrated to Canada in the late 1950's. Both I remember dearly, as they have both passed away.
I went to Bible College right out of Highschool and earned a bachelor degree by the time I was 21. I had a deep desire at the time to serve the Lord and God's people through pastoral ministry.
Without going into all the details I became ill a few months shy of my 25th birthday. I will probably share more about this at some
other time.
Unfortunately, no longer able to work I had to leave the ministry, and spent the next seven years battling a severe illness without proper and appropriate medical treatment.
Close to the end of those seven years however, through the advocacy of my Dad, the doctors who were treating me realized that all the standard treatments simply weren't working. So they started treating me with a medicine that had not quite yet been approved for use in BC. I saw huge improvements with this treatment, though
of course I still had to work through all the thoughts and emotions involved with feeling like I had been completely ignored for seven
years.
Yet, my caregivers stuck it out with me, and didn't give up. They were my good samaritans, and respected me and my beliefs. I began to recover, and starting working again, though there were quite a few stops and starts, until I found I could work part time, in short shifts.
Then about eight or nine years ago I was recommended to work at a local labour pool as an employment coach. After two years I
started working as a Volunteer Coordinator for a local non-profit. A job which I loved, and enjoyed and as time went on I found myself taking on more and more responsibilities.
After five years though, I began to see myself burning out once again, and prayerfully had to leave the job.
I'm not disappointed about leaving, I really sensed that it was time for me to move on, to take time to recharge, to rest and do
the things that I really enjoy doing.
In the last year, I have been typing through (I never recall what I simply read, other than really general impressions) Thomas Manton's book on The Lord's Prayer, and several others as well (Livy's History of Early Rome, Hawkes Great Civilizations, Columbia's World History,) and am part way through Charnock's Existence and Attributes of God, John Calvin's Christian Institutes, FF Bruces Basic Christianity, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Spurgeon's Power in Prayer, MacLeod's The Person of Christ, Walter Kaiser's The Old Testament in Contemporary Preaching, and I am onto Numbers in the Old Testament as well.
I don't expect people to understand why I do this, and I know it makes me eccentric. I guess that its because that even if my brain isn't always with me, at least in a small way I feel like I'm accomplishing something.
The truth is I just love to learn. I do still and always will love God, and there is so much that I know that I don't know, that
I want to know and hope to know, and I honestly hope, think, and pray that I can learn and grow through a Seminary like education.
So, thank you NU for your ministry. Let's get to work!
