Stop saying, “They didn’t teach me that in seminary.”

Seminaries (and all institutions of learning) don’t exist to predict future events; they work to equip students for the challenges of an unpredictable future. No, as a student at Wake Forest Divinity School, I never had a class that covered the specifics of a pandemic that couldn’t have been imagined. They also never said anything about what to do when the baptismal breaks on Sunday morning, or how to liquidate the assets of an estate left by a congregant, or which rubber stopper would fix the running toilet in the men’s room. Not one word was spoken about these things. And yet, I (and we!) learned everything I (and we!) needed to learn.

Vocational discernment exercises and spiritual gift inventories helped (and are still helping) me discover and channel new skills and abilities; Summer internships allowed me to decode spiritual languages in different contexts and settings; Theology, Bible, worship, pastoral care, and history classes all shared examples of innovation, not to mention inspiring, real stories of the Spirit’s work in unchartered waters. We learned to think. We learned to process. We learned to respond with and trust in our gifts.

More than two decades after my days as an undergraduate business major at Furman University, I think back to a time when educators did seek to map the future for students in the most specific of ways. During three semesters between 1998-1999, we devoted ample time to both learning about and responding to something called Y2K, a code glitch that would render systems useless when ’99 changed to ’00, and machines would mistakenly believe it was 1900. (Watch Office Space to learn more!).

As you now know, the world didn’t end, and the crisis was resolved before many of us even entered the workforce. It’s funny though, it’s not those specifics (which seemed so important and so crucial in the moment!) that steer me today. I still think back to two pieces of broad advice that equipped me for success, first in business, later in ministry. In Managerial Accounting, Dr. Arnold told us, “Hey guys, there’s gonna come a time when you are asked to do something, and you are gonna be able to do it!” And from Dr. Patterson in Human Resource Management: “Bob, do you think an ironed shirt, or at least one that’s tucked in, might be more appropriate attire when you present, even if it is just for an afternoon class?”

If you are pastoring a congregation in these days, you have been equipped and trained for the work ahead. Your seminaries, not to mention your congregants, friends, and other supporters, have helped you discover both the person you need to be and can be. And if you are unable to hear it from yourself, please hear it from me: “You are ready! You can do this! We believe in you!!!”

Friends, the Spirit is moving in these difficult days. Lean into it, and you may just discover some knowledge that is useful, especially in a pandemic.