Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures

Well,

This is a new blog I am creating to highlight my experiences with seminary, and help me to process and think through the knowledge I receive in this context.

As far as introductions go, I should say that I am a theology nerd and a natural pastor. I say natural because I think in metaphors, analogies, and parables. Thus, much of my communication and teaching takes the form of making connections between texts, both biblical and non-biblical.

Aside from theology, I read a lot of poetry (Walt Whitman, Gary Snyder, Wendell Berry, Charles Bukowski, and others), Science fiction (Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card mostly).

As far as this whole seminary thing goes, I should say this:

I have been tremendously excited to begin this adventure for the past three years. In contrast to my experience with looking for college, I knew very early in my seminary search where I wanted to go. I shouldn't hesitate to say that I felt the hand of God in this decision in a very real way, and I was also influenced by my professors and my desire to go to a school with moderate theology ((there are a lot of crazies out there-- on both sides)).

My hope is that this blog will help me tie together my learning from classes and other sources of knowledge, including, but not limited to:

The Bible- obviously needs to be the central document for anything faith-related (my apologies to anyone who thinks we need another document at the center of the Christian faith).

EthicsDaily- the Baptist Center for Ethics' news site. This site is not without its biases, but I read it to get a faith perspective I can stomach on the headlines of the day. I reccomend it to anyone who has ever asked the question, "What should Christians think/do about (insert world event or popular headline)?" Also, it provides a perspective within Christianity that largely gets overlooked in favor of the more conservative elements of the faith.

Whatever else I happen to be reading- this can kind of run the gamut from nothing at all to pretty heavy classics. Usually I'm reading three or four things at a time, from fiction to poetry to history books.

With pretty lofty goals, I realize that I may fall short of some of them, but I'll try to keep my updates frequent, or at least regular, whether I have anything profound and drawn out or not.

May the peace of Christ be with you,

Wyatt

Well,

This is a new blog I am creating to highlight my experiences with seminary, and help me to process and think through the knowledge I receive in this context.

As far as introductions go, I should say that I am a theology nerd and a natural pastor. I say natural because I think in metaphors, analogies, and parables. Thus, much of my communication and teaching takes the form of making connections between texts, both biblical and non-biblical.

Aside from theology, I read a lot of poetry (Walt Whitman, Gary Snyder, Wendell Berry, Charles Bukowski, and others), Science fiction (Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card mostly).

As far as this whole seminary thing goes, I should say this:

I have been tremendously excited to begin this adventure for the past three years. In contrast to my experience with looking for college, I knew very early in my seminary search where I wanted to go. I shouldn't hesitate to say that I felt the hand of God in this decision in a very real way, and I was also influenced by my professors and my desire to go to a school with moderate theology ((there are a lot of crazies out there-- on both sides)).

My hope is that this blog will help me tie together my learning from classes and other sources of knowledge, including, but not limited to:

The Bible- obviously needs to be the central document for anything faith-related (my apologies to anyone who thinks we need another document at the center of the Christian faith).

EthicsDaily- the Baptist Center for Ethics' news site. This site is not without its biases, but I read it to get a faith perspective I can stomach on the headlines of the day. I reccomend it to anyone who has ever asked the question, "What should Christians think/do about (insert world event or popular headline)?" Also, it provides a perspective within Christianity that largely gets overlooked in favor of the more conservative elements of the faith.

Whatever else I happen to be reading- this can kind of run the gamut from nothing at all to pretty heavy classics. Usually I'm reading three or four things at a time, from fiction to poetry to history books.

With pretty lofty goals, I realize that I may fall short of some of them, but I'll try to keep my updates frequent, or at least regular, whether I have anything profound and drawn out or not.

May the peace of Christ be with you,

Wyatt

I am serving as Pastor of a small church just outside of Glen Rose, TX.  The church is Rainbow Baptist Church (yes I know all the good and bad that goes with that name), it is a small country church with some of the most rural and real people I have ever met!  I grew up in a small town so this is right up my alley.  I haved as a youth minister, music minister, and Young Adult minister in my time in the ministry.  I was ordained on Novermber 5th, 2005 at FBC Longview.

I did my undergraduate at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.  I graduated with a BA in Religion and minor in music.

After Truett, I intend to do what I am doing now.  I love the pastorate (especially preaching), and I feel like this is my lifelong calling.  I have toyed with doing doctrial work of some kind, but at this point I (and my wife) are ready to be done with schooling (being as we have a 5 year old, almost 2 year old, and are planning on adopting from Africa (possibly as early as this summer).

This course can help me in the study of the latter portion of the Hebrew Bible.  I thoroughly enjoy the OT and feel like it needs to be preached as much as the NT, because it is a unified work that has relevance for all of life!

Brad Reedy!

I grew up with my father being in the Navy, so incidentally we move around a bit, mainly between Florida and Virginia.  But in ‘92 my dad got out of the Navy and we were headed to live in his home town which was a small town close to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Here I graduated high school and then two years later moved to Birmingham to attend Southeastern Bible College.  In my fourth year (it took me five) I met a woman in church who became my wife after both her and I graduated; her with a MSW and me with a BA in BS.  Soon after marriage we moved to Waco where she works as a social worker and I work as a student.  I am current in my third semester at Truett and would like to graduate with a M.Div in Theology. After our time in Waco we would like to move back to the Southeast area but in reality, we are open to where God places us.  Where ever we go, she would like to continue in the social worker realm while I would like to preach/teach.  Preferably teach in a private high school of some sort Bible courses and/or theology.  For me high school was a time when I was the most influenced and I think this is a time that some tough questions need to be addressed.  I would love to be there to help teenagers address the questions. And in this course, I hope to gain a fair knowledge of a section of Scripture that I typically over look; even though when I do sit down and read from this section I am usually fairly intrigued.

I went to Presbyterian church in South Korea. After I came to USA, I go to Baptist Church. I went to the First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, and I go to the Columbus Avenue Baptist Church and the Korean United Methodist Church in Waco. In South Korea, I played piano and synthesizer at services and Sunday schools for eight years. I studied Computer Music which composes by computer in University in South Korea. At Truett, I want to have different experiences about Church music ministry and relationship with other students. After Truett, I plan for music ministry in church, performing church music, and teaching in university.

In two of my undergrad classes and in one course at Truett I have had professors assign the task of pretending that something historically noteworthy did not happen or that someone did not exist as it is traditionally understood.  For example, I was asked to imagine in research format what the future of the church would have been if Benedict had not been born.  This often requires more intense investigation and reflection than direct study.  This was an interesting experiment for me as a class discussion direction when I taught Baptist history for Howard Payne as my internship experience. As I reread Genesis, some of the most familiar and some of my favorite passages, I am using this technique to look at the narratives in a different light.    What if Cain had simply turned away from God and the family instead of killing his brother?  What if Abram had not acknowledged God’s sovereignty and had refused to “sacrifice” his son?   What if Isaac had resisted fought his father and turned away from God in anger? This can be enlightening and frustrating but it allows me to consider God’s timing, creativity and force me to look at more difficult issues such as election and the preordained sovereign presence of a God I do not completely understand.

What is your religious/denominational background? Briefly describe you level of participation in a local church. Include any ministry experience, ordination, etc.

My first real encounter with church was Southern Baptist when I was a teenager.  Since becoming a Christian and accepting a call to ministry, I currently consider myself a just a Baptist.  I am currently the minister of youth at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.

What is your educational background (e.g. your undergraduate major, other degrees, etc.)?

I have a Bachelor’s degree in “Christianity” (Christian Studies) from a small Baptist school in Georgia – Brewton Parker College.

What are your career plans for after Truett?

My long term goals are to pursue further education in Old Testament studies and Hebrew.  I love studying Wisdom Literature, particularly in a post 9/11 world, as pop culture seems to have offered many interpretations on wisdom, God, and suffering in the last few years.  This is a certainly a long term goal – I am not in my current ministry to simply pay the bills and I will be in the position for many years to come and my wife may want to pursue further education in her field (egalitarianism is more than a hyphenated name), so we’ll see if my long term goals ever come to fruition or change their form.

How can this course best serve you?

I think that pastoral and academic study of scripture do not have to be mutually exclusive.  I love intelligent and well read discussions of scripture that do not ignore potential applications.

What is your religious/denominational background? Briefly describe you level of participation in a local church. Include any ministry experience, ordination, etc. My family were members of the Evangelical Free Church and Christian Missionary and Alliance Church until I was seven.  At that time we started attending an SBC church.  So I have been a Baptist for as long as I can remember.  It was in the Baptist church that I made a decision to follow Christ, was baptized, discipled and sensed the call to ministry.  I am currently the pastor of FBC Bartlett.  My previous ministry experience: Youth Intern-Dogwood BC summer 2004, Pastor-Georgetown EFC 1995-1998, Youth/Education Pastor-FBC Rockdale 1998-2001, Pastor-Williams Creek BC 2001-2005, Pastor-FBC Bartlett 2005-present.  I was licensed my senior year of high school (1993) and ordained in 1999. What is your educational background (e.g. your undergraduate major, other degrees, etc.)? I graduated from UMHB with a BA in Religion and Psychology. What are your career plans for after Truett? I hope to continue in the pastorate. How can this course best serve you? Deepen my understanding of the OT so I might more faithfully teach and preach from it.  I have spent much more time in the NT, and want to use the OT more than I have up to this point.

I am a baptist minister currently attending Truett Seminary for an MDIV with a concentration in Theology. My family and I have been a member of The Church Without Walls (Dr. Ralph D. West, Sr, Senior Pastor and Founder) in Houston, TX since February 2001. On June 25, 2002 I surrendered to the calling on my life for ministry, and received my license as a minister on November 30, 2006 under the leadership of my pastor Dr. Ralph D. West. I have served in various ministries at TCWW including the roles of Coordinator and Facilitator of the Men’s Discipleship Ministry. Since attending Truett, my family and I joined Antioch Missionary Baptist Church (Dr. Delvin A. Atchison I, Senior Pastor) in December 2008. I serve in the college ministry at Antioch. I have a B.S. in Computer Science from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. As for career plans after Truett, I am open to whatever and wherever God desires for me to serve. I believe God has called me to the pastoral ministry. Yet I know God works in mysterious ways and he has the final say so in such matters. I believe this course can best serve me by digging into the theological, social and cultural issues of the text. I desire to grasp the intention of the text intended for the original audience, the ability to identify the differences between the biblical audience and us today, identify the theological principles in the text and finally make the transition to application of those theological principles to Christians today.