And it's down to the final wire...!
I'm in the last two-week session of my basic Course of Study classes, and this has been a long road, just to here now and through the overall journey.
To quickly explain, Course of Study is a series of 20 classes that United Methodist Licenced Local Pastors must complete. Full-time pastors have eight years to complete all the classes, and part-time pastors have up to 12 years. The classes involve receiving the information on your class (syllabus, schedules, etc) sometime before the class (suppose to be about a year prior, but some schools do not get the information out until a few months before the classes start). The pastors then have to order the books and complete the pre-class assignments, all while still serving their Charges, trying to have a life, and everything else that happens in between.
Then the pastors converge on whatever school they signed up to take their classes at (there are 5 in the country, plus "extension" schools off of those) and live the next 2 to 4 week, eating, breathing, and living everything from Administrative to Wesleyan Heritage.
Finally, after you have competed the 20 classes, you get to line up during a short "ceremony", get your certificate, go home, and go back to work.
BUT, you go knowing that you've worked hard and successfully completed some very hard work that in most cases is taught by the same seminary professors who teach the same full-time students.
So there is your quick lesson on Course of Study.
Now I'm the final stretch of my coursework, and as I sat back and reflected upon a timeline that I had to make for one of my classes, I thought about the "road" that I had to travel to get to this point.
The many bumps, potholes, rough patches, as well as the smooth straight-a-ways. I think about those who supported me so much. I have to admit that I can't help but to also think of those who didn't care either (and no, I'm not being mean or ugly... they simply would say that they didn't care - but that's ok. Bless their hearts). But I also think of the stacks of books and paper that have been used through the process.
Let me tell you something - if someone says "write a 4-6 page paper", find a way to say everything in 4 pages. If someone says "you need to buy these books for class", immediately go find good used books, or shop at as many locations for the cheaper rates. Amazon may seem alright, but it is NOT always less expensive. (Even this trip, I saved over $25 ordering through the campus bookstore instead of Amazon, and all of my books were new).
So off to class I go. Hopefully, I won't have to pull any "all nighters" this time. I already know that I have to do some essays and I have a quiz at the end of one of my classes, but the Professors are really nice and the sessions are fun!
And so blessings to you and yours until the next ramblings... =)
