The Learning Continues...

Pastor Emmy Isaackson offers insight on being a lifelong student. Emmy is one of Trinity's six pastors.

Driving home from church on Sunday, I noticed students moving into their dorm rooms. Memories of my first weeks at college flashed through my mind. The days were filled with meeting people, eating my fill at the campus dining service, staying up late, taking naps and studying. I thoroughly enjoyed student life, both in college and seminary. Most days, I enjoyed sitting in class, stretching my mind to grasp new thoughts, and putting words to my learnings in papers. Of course, there were days when I wished to be doing something else or just to be doing nothing at all, but all in all the life of a student brought me great joy. Learning took effort, but the energy and effort were very rewarding for me.

As summer draws to an end this year, I'm reminded that even though I am no longer a student headed back into the classroom I am still a student. In fact, we all are. As disciples of Jesus--followers of Jesus--we are invited to continue to learn from our teacher. Most clearly, one of the ways we learn from Jesus is through digging into the Bible. The stories in the Bible teach us about how God has been at work in this world and how we are invited to share in God's work in the world. Just as learning in college and seminary took effort on my part, learning and growing as a follower of Jesus doesn't just happen. It takes effort.

As the routine of fall begins and children and adults head back to school, we might all do well to take pause and think about how our life as followers of Jesus is taking shape. I share with you some questions that I have been asking of myself.

-When do you read the Bible, just for the sake of reading it and hearing what it is saying?
-Who do you read the Bible with? Who could you be reading the Bible with?
-What might you need to take out of your life or change in your life, in order to have time for reading the Bible?
-How do I feel fed and encouraged when I read the Bible? What’s keeping you from experiencing that more often?

Over the coming months, keep your eye out for further invitations from Trinity to share in reading and learning about the Bible, our book of faith. In the meantime, enjoy the life of a student! Dig into your Bible. Continue to learn about the Good News. Let me know what you are reading about! I would love to hear.