“As the liturgical year goes on every day of our lives, every season of every year, tracing the steps of Jesus from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, so does our own life move back and forth between our own beginnings and endings, between our own struggles and triumphs, between the rush of acclamation and the crush of… Read More The Church Calendar and Ordinary Life

Americans are notoriously anti-ritual. At least we think we are.  However, just as one cannot escape being a theologian, one cannot escape rituals and rhythms in life. This is true in our personal lives and in the life of local churches.  Ritual and rhythmic activity in the life of a congregation is often associated with… Read More The Liturgical Calendar for the Local Church

In the beginning, God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; (Gen 1:14, NASB).” From the beginning, we were creatures that needed markers, boundaries, and signals. God knew our weaknesses… Read More Ancient Rhythms for a Modern Church

Editorial Introduction At Humble Orthodoxy, we value the place of theology in each of our lives. We also recognize that theology is set apart from other studied disciplines. Theology has a quality that paleontology, biology, or philosophy don’t have: it is the truth about God woven into our heads, hearts, and hands. Not mere knowledge,… Read More Hands of Love

Editorial Introduction At Humble Orthodoxy, we value the place of theology in each of our lives. We also recognize that theology is set apart from other studied disciplines. Theology has a quality that paleontology, biology, or philosophy don’t have: it is the truth about God woven into our heads, hearts, and hands. Not mere knowledge,… Read More The Christ-Formed Heart

Editorial Introduction At Humble Orthodoxy, we value the place of theology in each of our lives. We also recognize that theology is set apart from other studied disciplines. Theology has a quality that paleontology, biology, or philosophy don’t have: it is the truth about God woven into our heads, hearts, and hands. Not mere knowledge,… Read More How Can We Love God with Our Minds?

There have been many things I’ve found to be valuable in theological education. I graduated from college in 2016, thinking I’d put all the classroom time and papers behind me. But as some years passed, my love for Christ and theology grew steadily stronger. I desired to teach God’s Word to anyone who would listen,… Read More The Making of a Pastor: How Seminary Equips & Forms

Why might a layperson with no aspirations for the pastorate pursue credited, academic theological training?  It’s not uncommon for someone to ask me this question or some variation. If it comes up in conversation that I’m pursuing a graduate degree and my area of study is discussed, people don’t always know what to think. Oddly… Read More Theological Credentials are for Laypeople Too

For years I had thought about attending seminary. I craved a deeper and more rigorous look at God’s word and being challenged in a fresh way. I wanted to become a better teacher in the local church, and I also wanted to get to know others in my community who were just as passionate.   The… Read More How the Option to Audit Serves the Church

Perhaps you’ve heard objections that further theological training can benefit someone already laboring in full-time Christian ministry.  There can be the presumption that once someone has already “made it” into ministry work, there’s no need to pursue further training.  Having “done the time” to get the diploma, theological training may be considered a thing of… Read More The Value of Further Theological Training in Full-Time Ministry