My wife recently told me that Russell Moore (www.henryinstitute.org) spoke about his adopted sons (any mention of adoption captures my wife’s attention, though our four small children leave her little of it to spare). He reports that he became quite perturbed when people asked if the two adopted sons — who bore no blood relation — were “brothers.” When he responded that they were certainly brothers, the next question was whether they were, you know, “really” brothers. “Yes, they’re really brothers” Moore is quick to point out, and their brotherhood demonstrates the adoption we have as children of the living God.
When I tell people that I am in seminary, I get sort of the same response: “Are you really in seminary?” I suppose the fact that we have not moved to campus and go about our lives seemingly as usual contributes to the incredulity. (Plus, I still practice law – a profession people apparently consider closer to Poltergeist than Preacher). But then, I’ve always carried about copies of An Invitation to Biblical Hebrew.
“Is Faircloth really in seminary? He’s always read that dry stuff, anyway. I once even saw him reading How to Read a Book, of all things.”
“Yeah, he’s really in seminary.” Wink, wink, nod, nod.
Here’s where I stand now: after starting The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fall, 2007 I’ve completed 21 hours; I’m taking 12 hours for Fall 2008, and the gpa is sure to decline afterward, not because of the work load, but because my “invitation” to Biblical Hebrew seems less like invitation and more like abduction and hostage situation, wherein my captors give proof of life via the screams elicited from scraping my bare chest with a barrel cactus — right to left, of course.
“Daddy, why are your fingers bleeding?”
“I got Hebrew vowel points jabbed under my nails.”
So, anyway, here’s the list of classes I’ve completed:
Elementary Greek
Systematic Theology I
Introduction to Old Testament I
Greek Syntax and Exegesis
Systematic Theology II
Introduction to Old Testament II
Biblical Hermeneutics
Here’s what I’m taking now:
Systematic Theology III
Introduction to Biblical Counseling
Elementary Hebrew
Inroduction to Church History I
Here’s what I’ll be taking in December:
Recovering Your Eyesight I
Advanced Sleep Deprivation
Re-Acclimation to Sunlight
Speed Reading for Dummies