Isaac & Abigail

This weekend marks a transition that has felt like a long time in the making. It probably feels like that because it is. This weekend I graduated with my Master of Divinity degree. Some may read that who have completed one or more 30 credit hour masters programs and think, “Ok, you completed a master’s program, what’s the big deal?” An MDiv is a degree that is about 100 credit hours depending on your institution, and I have worked on this on and off for 8 years while I have served in full-time ministry. I actually took my first seminary course in the spring of 2008, so it’s really been 11 years that I have been taking masters level courses.

It has been an investment in time, energy, and finances. I want to thank the churches that have supported me in this both financially and in prayer over the time that I have been working on this as well. I do believe it has been a great investment as each course I have taken has been applicable at the time and place I have been in ministry.

Oddly it feels weird to close this chapter. For these years I have always had this as something that I was moving toward in the background. It never took center stage, and I was never a full-time student after 2011. It has always been on the horizon. It was something I was nearing, but just ever so slowly. Now it has arrived, and in one fell swoop of a weekend, passed. At commencement, they talked about how the term commencement is about launching into something. It feels a little different for me though as I’m not really changing much. I’m not changing jobs. I’m not changing churches. I’m not taking a promotion. I’m not setting out on some grand new adventure. But it is a transition. I now will forever hold this degree. I have reached an academic achievement that is noteworthy.

However, I want to be careful about that. I have often thought about the topic of identity, and our commencement address was even on this very topic. I want to make sure I am not finding my identity in some academic achievement or title. I want to make sure that as I consider what I have achieved that it is for the purpose and focus of glorifying God. I want to make much of Him, no matter the endeavor in life.