Finding My Voice

As some of you know, I made the decision to go back to school. I am part of a new degree program for the Master of Arts in Public Leadership at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). For those of you that know me well, you are likely wondering how this fits with my current work. Simply put, it doesn’t – and that is just the way I like it! I’ve realized that creating software applications has been great, but perhaps this isn’t my last call. I don’t know where this experience will take me, but I can tell you that I’ve already had my mind opened up to several possibilities in the brief time I’ve been at LTSP.

My first course at LTSP was “Introduction to Public Theology”. I can only describe this as 12-day “boot camp” introduction to life as a seminary student and as a public theologian. Working full time and attending evening sessions for 12-days straight (including Saturday and Sunday) was physically and mentally taxing. The primary goals of the course were to help students “get on their feet” and begin to “find their voices”.

So much happened over those 12 days that I can’t begin to describe what all took place, but it was transforming. Part of what I learned through this class is that we all have a voice and that we are all responsible for using them. The first challenge is to find that voice. I also learned that writing is a skill that I’ve ignored lately (like since college), and yet will be important in my student career and as I continue into my new role as a public theologian.

So my hope is to leverage my blog to write more and, with help from all of you reading this now, to continue finding my voice. I think it will be fun for both you and I, and possibly meaningful as well. I will make mistakes, but I’ll also accept that as a consequence for trying. There are some really, really important issues in our world today that need to be discussed – and I’m ready to add my voice to the discussion.