Goals for the Next Chapter

 I believe it is important to set goals. No, we don't always meet them. Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn. However, without goals we find ourselves living only for a moment, and sometimes just surviving or trying to 'get through.' 

I don't believe I ever sat down and wrote out a complete set of life goals.  Some things 'just happened.'  Yet that makes life interesting.  You don't always know what is coming.  True, it may turn out to be a tragedy. But it may turn out just as easily to be an acc
omplishment.  And out of the tragedies may come new opportunities, or new insights. As a Christian I believe with Paul that "all things work for good for those who love God." 

Just before turned age 50 I turned a page in my life and decided to go back to school.  It was in the works for many years, but time and money and other responsibilities made it more difficult to pursue until about 10 years ago.  I had two degrees at Nashotah House to choose from: The Doctor of Ministry and the Master of Sacred Theology.  The D.Min is considered a 'professional degree' and one of my goals was to some day teach.  I knew that some who taught went for the STM degree, which is an 'academic' degree.  So I applied at Nashotah and for the next six years worked my way through the degree, culminating in a 124 page thesis.  Within a year I was offered a position as an adjunct professor for the Specific Ministry Program teaching homiletics.  Now admittedly the last preaching course I took was in seminary in the 80s.  Still, I had been preaching for many years as a practitioner of the art, and my advanced degree helped me advance in the area of biblical exegesis, upon which preaching is built.  This summer I completed my fourth summer with a record class of 10 men.  This winter I was also offered a position as an adjunct teaching at my other alma mater, Concordia University - St. Paul.  So, all told, I have taught a total of 17 weeks this year involving 30 students.  I'm ready for a rest. 

My eldest daughter just successfully defended her doctoral dissertation this past Friday, and I'll admit that it got me thinking once again about going back.  It's tempting. Always tempting. At almost 60 years of age one might think: Why go back now?  But assuming decent health, this decade could prove to be quite productive.  I think that I have ruled out pursuing a Ph.D. Not because I can't do it; simply because it involves more time and money than I want to devote at this point in my life.  So, the Doctor of Ministry seems the more logical choice.  I haven't really decided to go down this road - yet.  Stay tuned. 

My more immediate goal, one I had some time back, is to write.  Specifically, to write a book. When I was trying to narrow down my thesis topic for my STM I had to set aside a number of potential topics.  But that limit is lifted.  The tentative title is: PREACHING THE APOCALYPSE OF ST. JOHN.  I think now that I have taught homiletics for a number of summers I have an added qualification in authoring such a book.  My thesis involved the Apocalypse of St. John (which is documented elsewhere in this blog, for those interested), so academically I have already gathered a number of resources that can be used.  I have always been fascinated by the fact that the book of Revelation seemed largely omitted from the historic lectionary, and thus from much preaching.  So I will investigate the canon questions on that issue first.  A bulk of the book will provide useful tools for those wishing to preach on the Apocalypse.  I have a fairly good collection of commentaries on this book, thus, I believe I have enough material to work through the variety of exegetical questions associated with the Apocalypse.  I predict that the book will be a multi-year project, and I am not in a rush to have it finished. 

This goal feels like a capstone to my academic pursuits, and therefore a logical goal for the coming years.  

I would still like to teach, but I think I discovered that teaching at both the university and the seminary is a bit much for my life right now.  Too many 'irons in the fire,' as they say. So I will continue with my seminary work (in which I am very much invested and enjoy a lot), and keep developing in other areas as well.  I began a year or more ago to help the city of Antigo establish their first chaplaincy program.  So I'm committed to that work for the immediate future.  I have 17, going on 18 years, with the Town of Antigo VFD, and find my work there developing in different and interesting areas as well. I am committed to assisting the new chief and think that my experience may be especially helpful. My work with the district as the District Secretary will be coming to the completion of my first term.  It looks like the district president will likely run again, and I would be open to continuing in my current position for another term. In some ways you feel like you are just learning the job in the first term.  I enjoy being involved with the broader work of the church. 

As I anticipate turning 60 at the end of December I realize that I am approaching a bench mark for possible retirement at 65.  So much can happen between now and then (look at the pandemic!), that it's only a somewhat loose goal at this point.  I will have put in 38 years by the time that date arrives, a long career.  But retirement for me has never meant leaving the ministry. I will always continue to preach and assist the church.  It simply means being able to shift some of my time and energy to other projects and goals which I do not have sufficient time at present. 

Well, that's enough for now.  I needed to simply put all this in writing.