Thursday, March 7, 2013

Seminary Papers


I hate writing papers.  Hate is too soft of a word for my feelings actually.  Oh, to go back to writing technical accounting memos that did not have a required length and where brevity was celebrated.

I sit here trying to wrap up paper #3 (of 5) for this seminary class, and I’m just spent.

I must acknowledge, though, that my professor for this course has been amazingly helpful.  He’s given feedback on outlines, advised me mid-paper, and showed a great deal of compassion.  At the beginning of the course, when I expressed my trepidation over the papers in our “get to know you” online class forum, he responded, “I'm not expecting publishable-quality composition. I hope this isn't a generational thing about learning, but I feel that it is important to be able to think through a given topic (any topic, not just biblical), then put those thoughts down on paper in a coherent, concise, and well-written (English composition--grammar, spelling, sentence construction) manner….I'll work with you on this!”

That explanation of his purpose of assigning papers (for our benefit and edification, not just as an arbitrary assignment), was immensely helpful to me.

And I must admit that I am learning an incredible amount more about the God and the Bible through writing these.  I’m getting way more out of these than any paper I wrote for my bachelor’s degree.

But it doesn’t make me like the process of writing them.  Five pages down, two to go.  I want this done before I hit the road for Orange County tomorrow so I can enjoy that free of this dreaded assignment.

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