In the sacred journey of seminary education, as teachers and administrators, we continually grapple with a crucial question: how do we challenge our students without overwhelming them with an excessive load of reading and assignments? 

Seminary should be challenging. First of all, the primary subject matter is, after all, God - the One who is holy - wholly other - who is not from here and is not like us. He truly is an overwhelming subject - vast, majestic, powerful, fearsome, wonderful, beautiful, tender, gracious, and kind. He is awesome! We will spend eternity getting to know him, continually overawed and overjoyed at his splendor and glory. We can empathize with Solomon when he prayed, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). 

Secondly, the Bible is not a simple book. Our awesome God has revealed himself to us in this ancient text we call the Bible, a brilliantly complex work of literary art that tells the story of Israel, culminating in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Learning to “rightly handle the word of truth” is critical for Christian leaders, but it is not easy. This is why Paul instructed Timothy to “make every effort to present yourself to God as one who is approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed” (2 Timothy 2:15). 

Thirdly, our 21st-century ministry context is complex and rapidly changing. Massive cultural and worldview shifts are taking place. The Church is in need of continual renewal and clarity about how to be a contrast-community in an idolatrous world. We also need increased fervor, commitment, and wisdom for missionary efforts to reach the unreached peoples and places of the world. 

Lastly, the call to lead like Christ, in any sphere of influence, is a call to die - to sin and to self. It is the path of the cross. It requires an ever-deepening humility, repentance, and renewed faith in the gospel of grace and the power of the Spirit. Seminary is a time for deep reflection on this call and resolve to be conformed at all costs to the character of Christ. 

For all these reasons and more, please pray for our current students who are tomorrow’s ministry leaders. No curriculum, teacher, or assignment and no amount of student effort will amount to anything without the Spirit applying the grace of God to us. The good news is that that is precisely what we have - the grace of God in Jesus Christ made present and powerful to us by the Holy Spirit. Pray for more grace!

At the same time, pray for us as administrators and teachers. Yes, seminary should be challenging but not crushing. God has given the Church a wealth of experience, knowledge, and wisdom. Thousands of pastors, missionaries, and theologians have written thousands of excellent books over the 2,000 years of Church history. To help students meet the challenges above, we want to expose them to the best of these resources and create assignments that foster critical thinking, character development, and real-life application. Yet we know that overburdening students is very counterproductive. Seminary education demands intellectual rigor, but also requires an atmosphere conducive to spiritual reflection and personal growth. Pushing too hard can lead to burnout and diminish the capacity for genuine contemplation. How can we strike a healthy balance?

That balance can be different for each student and course. So far, we’ve hit the mark in some cases and missed the mark in others. Thankfully, students have expressed their thoughts through course evaluations and other means of feedback, and we’re trying to respond appropriately. We’re learning, but by no means have we arrived. Our students matter to God, matter to the Church, and matter to us. Pray for wisdom for us to serve them well as we serve Christ.