1997: A Year of Decision

In 1997 I had a decision to make: heed the advice of my bishop to go to an Episcopal seminary that had no classes on evangelism and apologetics or buck the system and see if I could attend Wycliffe Hall Oxford, England, where Alistair McGrath, a leading Anglican theologian was principal. I chose to buck!

In a recent book, McGrath, writing on theology, says: "Churches that fail to take theology seriously risk turning their backs on a rich and invaluable heritage and diminishing their capacity to engage the hearts and captivate the imaginations of a new generation." Theology explores our understanding of God, putting into words "the moral, intellectual and spiritual vision that is the heartbeat of the Christian faith--a way of seeing things that delights and overwhelms us and leads to worship and adoration rather than mere understanding."

I didn't want to go to seminar simply to understand better. I wanted a place where I would worship and adore my Savior as I prepared for ordained ministry. Wycliffe Hall did not disappoint. Every morning we started with worship and theological reflections on Scripture that delighted my senses and lead me into wisdom, wellbeing, and wonder. Two years later I attended the seminary where my bishop originally wanted me to go. Instead of faithful, biblical theology I found stale worship with clever homilies that made me miss my Oxford experience. Instead of the riches of Christian faith that invited me to reflect on its value and purpose in the here and now, I was left with an esoteric disdain for contemporary worship and orthodox theology.

Each year we have a decision to make as Christians: do we engage our generation afresh with the good news of gospel treasures or do we make our faith into a museum where people can look but not touch? Let's engage our generation that it may know Jesus.