Christians

Today while shoe shopping, a young clerk commented on my Last Supper belt buckle and Mary Magdalene tattoo.  Intrigued, he asked "why do you have that stuff, are you just really interested in Catholicism?"  I explained that no, I am a Lutheran vicar.  He said "I'm studying for the ministry too" "Oh really" I said "Where?" (There are 2 seminaries in town) To which he replied "Victory Outreach Center, they have college accredited classes and I go every week."

My standard reaction set in, which I am in no position to defend, namely that I immediately thought, OK, not really the same thing buddy.  I have an BA in Religion and have finished 3 years of post-graduate work in Theology....and GREEK, did I mention GREEK???

That is part "a" of my standard reaction.

Part "b" is that when I meet Christians from places like "Victory Outreach", or any other church that places itself outside of the church catholic (small c), what I hear them saying is that "The Gospel is:  there is an in-group (the saved....meaning us) and there is an out-group (the lost)" 
The problem is that what I believe is that "The Gospel is: because of Christ there no longer is an out-group", so this makes it super hard to do the Christian *wink*wink*,  which is why I always threaten to start wearing a shirt that says "I'm not that kind of Christian"

I don't really want to be this way, because it basically just lacks generosity. 

Comments

[Mak]

I guess I'm not sure what the point was because I heard that she was annoyed that this guy said he was in ministry when CLEARLY he's not because he's outside the church catholic. That was what I heard.

I'm not sure what you mean about venom toward you. I know evangelicals who don't like mainliners but not because they have seminary degrees. Remember, most denominational evangelicals have to have a seminary education. The non denominational folks don't have to of course.

I'm not mainline or evangelical fwiw

I'm sorry that you all don't feel respected as professionals - that's unfortunate and unfair because clearly you are and I respect that wholeheartedly.

I have no problem with seminary education.

All I'm saying is that one does not need a seminary education to be a pastor and one is not a better pastor off the bat for having had a seminary education.

[Marcus DiMarco]

It's time to repent and change.

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. psa. 141

Jesus laid his life down to save and justify those who the Father has given Him.

He prayed to the Father that we would be one.

Jesus said he would build His church on the rock of the realization and confession of: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

There is nothing else the church is built upon.

The time has come to repent and lay our lives back down at His feet.

We are not professionals and shouldn't be looked at like doctors and lawyers because we are not of this world.

God Bless you and let us continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

In Love,
Marcus

[Mak]

ok all, so I think maybe we're approaching this issue from different angles and I'm also finding myself getting defensive so I just want to say my final words - the pastorate is important, and for you who have upper level degrees and ordinations and such, you certainly should be viewed as the trained professionals you are. I hope I haven't offended anyone with my strong statements. I still am not at ease with the views expressed and hold my views but I don't think going rounds is going to be beneficial at this point :)

[Nadia]

My original post was in no way an attempt to defend my reactions but to confess them

[Jason Emerson]

Is it possible to learn everything I learned both Academically and Pastorally(whatever those words mean) outside of seminary? Yes. Indeed the majority of the stuff we read is so old its in the public domain so you wouldn't even half to pay for it. However, while people can get the information of seminary outside of seminary one can not get the formation of seminary in as short a time as a full-time seminary student does.

Seminary was basically three years of doing nothing else...reading seminary stuff, writing seminary stuff, praying, thinking, reflecting. Even when we were hanging out socially we were talking about church stuff, and priest stuff, and what we thought about this and that church/faith related thing.

You can't get the formational experience of seminary from part-time work, simply taking the occasional class at a university, or online. All these are great forms of learning, but not in the same category as Seminary.

The Barefoot Priest