“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31: 8
If life had a rewind button, I would rewind back to my first year of seminary and assure myself that everything will be okay. I would try to understand God’s faithfulness in a new way. I would trust my Mom and Dad’s wisdom as they quoted verses like Deuteronomy 31:8 to me on the phone while I stressed about trying to write my first sermon and not being able to get past the initial writer’s block. I would trust that God does come alongside us and is constantly with us in our struggles through Hebrew and Greek, as we are challenged to try to make new friends, navigate our way around a new city, try to explain the Trinity to five year olds in our field education churches, learn to think theologically, and balance life with school demands. The Lord goes before us and we are called to put our trust in Him. But this can be a struggle. Right now, I am trying to trust in God as I am struggling to finish my final papers, pack my apartment, and continue to check things off my Pittsburgh bucket list while hanging out with friends. As I reflect back on my time at PTS, I realize I am still a work in progress and who is learning to rely on God more and more each day with each new experience. This has been something invaluable I have learned in seminary.
While my time at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has challenged my stamina, faith, patience, ideals, and world view; it has also allotted me the space to learn more and prepare for a life-long study of theology and practice of ministry. I’m grateful that I have learned lessons inside and outside of the classroom. I am also thankful for the opportunities provided by WMI and Valentour fellowship which allowed me to travel around the world to see how God is working in and through our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. Seminary gave me the opportunity to meet and live in community with friends.
Thinking about the next step after graduation can be scary. It can be so scary myself and other seniors may not want to talk about it. Graduation will be bittersweet. I will be excited to see what is in store for myself and classmates but I know I will also miss this chapter in my life. I am not sure where I will be next year but I know that the Lord has gone before me and my classmates and I know the Lord will be with us always.
Written by Amanda Maguire, senior MDiv student