I am a Regent College Graduate! To Life!

If you asked me one word to describe my journey through Regent, among the plethora of words I learned, it would probably have to be LIFE.

Life abundant.
Life in the kingdom.
Life worth living.

And as I absorbed the richness of our graduation celebration on May 2 at the Chan Centre, it was pure pleasure as I looked back on life, and looked forward to the life to come.

As I was ready to shake hands with Dr. Dennis Danielson, he gave me a hug. Wonderful moment!

One of the highlight moments was when I walked across the stage, ready to receive my graduate degree from Prof Dennis Danielson, the Chair of the Board of Governors at Regent College. Back in my 4th year at UBC for my undergrad, I took a class on Milton's Paradise Lost with Dr. Danielson. He also guest lectured a few times at Regent. Through the years, I've sent a few emails to him, but I did not expect to see him recognize me. That was a great surprise and probably captures why I loved the graduation celebration so much. Although it was tempting to think that I was there to receive my piece of paper for academic achievement, it was in fact a celebration of life together, as flourishing image bearers who reflect God's love. That moment with Dr. Danielson reminded me that we were there to celebrate life. The entire night of celebration was relational, and deeply moved me to anticipate life.

It was not only a milestone; it was also a celebration of life.

Shaking hands with President Rod Wilson

Dr. Iain Provan delivered an immensely powerful charge to the graduates on being "dangerous" as we unmask the false idols of our age and proclaim that Jesus is Lord.

I could go on about the convocation, but allow me to respond to 3 questions. These are questions that I need to remind myself of when the going gets tough.

How have I changed as a person in the process of being at Regent?

When I first came to Regent in 2010, I thought I knew everything about the Bible, and simply needed a degree to "become a pastor." How young and naive I was. Yes, it is true that a person does not have to go through seminary to "become a pastor" because there are those without a graduate education who are great pastors and are shaped to be pastors. However, as I opened my eyes to study the course of history in the past 2000 years (3000+ including the Old Testament), I realized how little I knew about the whole people of God. And as I opened my eyes to reading Scripture the way it was written for its original audience, I realized how limited my perspective was. Journeying at Regent has been a humbling process, showing me how much I need other people. 

Perhaps the South African idea of Ubuntu expresses this well:

A person is a person through other persons.

And I believe this has opened my eyes to witness how I am one little part of God's kingdom here on earth. Theologian Scot Mcknight reminds me this: 

Ubuntu teaches us that life society works only when humans live out their connectedness, and that kind of connectedness with God and others, and with our past and our future, is what Jesus means when he says 'kingdom.'

So thankful for friends

So thankful for family

Which things have I learned during my time at Regent that I would like to continue cultivating in my life?

Listening. At Regent I have learned to listen well--to God, to the Bible, to history, to culture, and to all that the Holy Spirit reveals. As I participate in God's work through pastoral ministry, I need to be listening continually, instead of thinking that I have all the answers to solve the world's problems. As Henri Nouwen reminds us in In the Name of Jesus, we will constantly face the temptation to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful. In the face of these temptations, I believe I must be grounded in a lifestyle of listening to, and following Jesus. 

Keeping Sabbath will keep me grounded in listening well and resting well. I remember what Dr. Rod Wilson said once about Sabbath: 

Do you think that God's plans will fail when you rest for 24 hours? Do you think that God cannot work without you?

What a bullet to the heart! Yes, I know that God uses me in his ways, but when I rest by keeping Sabbath (which is Biblical!), God will have something else planned. It's okay to rest! There is no shame in rest. In fact, it is much needed!

What kinds of things am I most in need of as I journey on?

I wouldn't say that there are things as much as there are attitudes that I constantly need to nourish. As Scot McKnight shows in The Jesus Creed, we need always to remember what is most important to Jesus himself: "Love the Lord your God" and "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:29-31). 

As I journey in this path of making disciples and being discipled, I know that--in addition to the joys that come with ministry in God's kingdom--there will also be times when I feel rejected, hopeless, and unnecessary to people. I must keep myself grounded in remembering that everything begins with loving God and loving people. As Eugene Peterson and Marva Dawn observe in The Unnecessary Pastor, pastors respond to, but are not defined by culture or ego or congregation. Rather, a pastor is one who follows Jesus, loves our neighbours, and participates in God's kingdom.

Amen!