Barnabas File

I received my first seminary degree 42 years ago this month.   There is much about that experience that I still treasure.   I studied under some excellent professors, made a number of friends that I encountered occasionally in my subsequent years of ministry, acquired some basic knowledge about the Bible and ministry, and learned to be a lifelong learner.   In reality, the last thing was the most enduring gift of my seminary education—I realized that my education was just beginning. There were some things that were not so great.  Rita and I left family, friends, and ministry roles to relocate to another state.  We moved furniture and belongings over 700 miles. She had to find a teaching job that would help support us during seminary days (I got VA education benefits so I was not a total slacker).  We had to locate a new church where we could serve and be nurtured.   Only some years later did I realize other shortcomings related to my theolog...