I'm sure this looks flat on the computer screen, and I wish that you, the reader, could hear Dr. McClain say this aloud. I'm sure if any of my classmates are reading this, you will remember Dr. McClain's voice proclaiming this maxim.
I confess that at my church, I do not have a study, I have an office. It is a great place for ministry but it is not such a great place to study. The phone is always ringing, there are always people who need something, and before I know it, I have spent two hours troubleshooting without doing anything about the list of things that have to get done.
And yet, I am a pastor who needs to study. Could you imagine going to a doctor who doesn't keep up with new research and technology? Could you imagine a business person who doesn't read market research, journals, and other current materials? Could you imagine a teacher who isn't constantly examining new curriculum, learning new techniques, and reviewing all of the classics?
Pastors do all of these things, or should do all of these things. We are constantly reading, studying, and searching. We are studying scripture and tradition and always discovering new things. We are paying attention to culture and context. We are examining our communities and noting the surrounding trends and shifts. We are learning new technologies, new skills, and new realities that surround us.
And so, I find it necessary to designate a day of the week as my "study day." I like to study in the community, at a coffee shop, at a bookstore, or at the park. I like to be surrounded by people and yet somewhat removed from their conversations. I like to be incognito and yet familiar, when I return to the same place week after week and people learn my name.
Are you studying, learning, growing? How? Where? When? With who?
What a blessing God has given us in the gift of studying!
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