Monday, April 09, 2007

What do you study?

Yesterday I needed to buy some goodies at Wawa. As I was standing in the cashier queue the woman behind me noticed my PTS sweatshirt:

'Ah, are you from the theological seminary?'

'Emm, yes, ...'

'Oh, wonderful. Good for you. What do you study?'

I've been asked this question before, and I never know the best answer. In this instance I was sure that 'theology' was not the right reply. At a party a few years ago, while chatting to some medical students, I struggled to describe what theology actually was. I didn't think it would be any easier this time round. So, I tried to change the subject, giving the woman the benefit of the doubt that she already knew what theology was:

'Oh, bits and bobs. I'm doing a one year course, doing different courses and modules. I'm from Scotland.'

'Ah, that'll be where you got your accent from.'

Brilliant! I had managed to change the subject using my well tested 'I'm from Scotland...' fall back, always a winner in New Jersey. But I'll need an alternative fall back when I return to Glasgow in June. Although, by then, I'll no longer be a theological student. Instead, I'll be a student assistant minister in the Church of Scotland. 'Eh? What's that all about then?' 'Emm, well, I used to study theology at university...'

This morning I read the first three chapters of Paul's letter to the Corinthians. I think Paul might have experienced something of the same struggle Christians have today in explaining our faith. Paul was not sent to Corinth to administer the sacraments, or to manage the church. He was not sent to help the poor directly, or challenge the powers and authorities directly. Although it was the poor, for the most part, that God called through the gospel proclamation, 1Cor1:26-29. And it was the powers and authorities that were doomed by the revelation of God's wisdom in Jesus Christ, 1Cor2:6-8.

I'm not sure he was sent to teach theology either. He was sent, by Jesus Christ, to proclaim the gospel, to proclaim the foolishness of the cross, 1Cor1:17-25. I once preached from this passage at a midweek bible study in my home church. I got into a real exegetical and homiletical mess. I struggled to explain what Paul was on about. I tried to illustrate the Jewish demand for signs, and the Greek desire for wisdom, in current terms. But I couldn't do it. I still remember the glazed look over the eyes of my audience. I remember giving up, in silent despair, saying, 'I think I'll just leave it there...'

Given my conversation yesterday at Wawa, I'm not sure I'm any better prepared to spread the good news of the cross of Jesus Christ:

'... What do you study?'

'A story about a man born of a virigin, who was crucified at age 33, and who then rose from the dead three days later.'

Who would believe such a thing?

4 comments:

flowerstarkles said...

I just looked at your link to WAWA! It made me hungry! Yum! I could do with a hoagie right now!

It was good to catch up with you briefly at the Tron a couple of weeks ago.

I liked your final answer to "What do you study" - we would certainly get some strange looks, but that is whom we serve, so being so blunt might not be bad! It would be interesting to say that sometime and see what people do!

Sarah

Jenny said...

LOL - I never put two and two together that you got your accent because you're from Scotland. That woman's response is HILARIOUS.

When people ask me what my "major" is in seminary (or what I study, but I've noticed people mostly ask about major), I usually say theology and leave it at that unless they ask further. If they do ask further, I usually say something like it's the study of God or it's the study of Christian religion or something like that. And then I usually get the response "oh," although sometimes I get "oh, are you going to be a nun?"

Anonymous said...

2 Quotes. One for the Shed and one for Jenny:

A liberal is a man so broadminded that he would not take his own side in an argument.

Anon

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny
spinnin' like a spinnin' top
Jenny, Jenny, Jenny
Spinnin' like you ain't gonna stop
The greatest little momma
You oughta see her reel and rock

Little Richard

Jenny said...

LOL, thanks Donald.