This is a common refrain of clergy as we encounter the weird and wonderful world of ministry where any given week might include a mental health emergency, a vandalized window, an under-performing snow removal contractor, finger-painting children, a rogue Bible study leader, and a jammed photocopier. And, on the surface at least, it’s true. Neither the deep dive seminar into the Book of Job nor my paper on the Christology of Julian of Norwich seem to be of much use when faced with these situations. At a deeper level, though, seminary did teach me everything I need to know.

My years at Dio, starting with my summer in the Montreal Ministry Challenge (the precursor to today’s Montreal Mission Internship), taught me that everything can be considered from a theological perspective. Everything can be brought into conversation with what I find in Scripture or in our church’s teaching or in my experience of God in the world.  And while that may not unstick the photocopier, it helps me bring the photocopier (and my frustration) into a different kind of focus. The work of theological reflection reminds me that everything is held together in God and gives me tools for returning to that foundational truth when I am distracted or resentful or despairing.

Seminary will never be able to cover every skill needed by ministers, lay or ordained, in our church. What seminary can do – and what Dio does do – is shape Christians to be people who can look at the world and formulate answers to the questions: Where is God in this? What would God say about this? How does God what us to respond to this?

I support Dio because this is important, sacred work and because I am grateful for the wealth of what seminary taught me.