Tuition Applied?

I’ve learned a lot my first year at Perkins. Mostly, what I have taken away has little to do with factually information and more to do with theological skill. Anybody can pick up a commentary and find out facts—something I’ve done a lot of so far. There’s nothing harmful with that. Little by little I find myself learning more how to think through issues theologically. Yes! That is one of the goals of seminary.

The question I’m wondering about myself after this first year is what has changed in me, my understanding of ministry and/or preaching? I’ve thought for a while and I don’t think I’ve come up with anything extraordinarily different. There are two things that stand out to me, however:
1) With regard to preaching, I am more serious about the text. I don’t think I was negligent, necessarily. I’ve always tried to match the text with the sermon. That is, I want the text to make sense to someone listening. I still do, but more now I am trying to match the sermon to the text. I’d be interested to hear someone’s feedback that has heard both older and more recent sermons of mine.
2) This may not seem like much, but it’s something to me. It is a practice that helps me keep my wonder. Please don’t make it into anything it’s not. I try to refer to God as God instead of my default “Him.” No, I’m not taking away God the Father. It helps me, however, to consider more how God transcends who and what we are by thinking to call God ‘God.’ Let’s face it; there are going to be times when ‘he’ is just the easiest, best thing to say. It may be a practice I won’t pursue at a later time.

If I think of anything else I’ll let you know. A week into my second year, however, means anything new now would have to be credited to that year. Stay blessed…john