This is an essay on the need for further preparation of a Methodist pastor. To preach the Word, we need to afford the time for  mastering thorough and fruitful methods of studying and preaching the Word .https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdigitalresources/1184/thumbnail.jp

Buell, Marcus D.

English

Asbury Theological Seminary

a community called ... Tho Capynp 10 .. of "'" Ul\il<d S .. oa (till< 17. thliW>d St-. <0<10) co-no .... makini of phoo~ or .thor "'prod ......... of eopyrip...:! moIcriaI. Under « rIO .. ooroditioa opecifl«l in tho low, tlbnti .. ar.d ""'hi ... .", .l>Ihorito<IlO Iurni .... p/Ioto«>p)' or other roprod"'OOn. Oat of !bose sp«:ir .. conditioDo i. thol tho pboIocopy of".produ::tion .. "'" 10 b< "IoIod rOl' N\y P"'P'* _ Ihan pi ... 0WI!y, oc:bolanilip. or _It.." If I ......... r.queoo for, Of lata ..... I ~boIo "Il or "P" j lioo bl""l"*l '" .. .- of "W ...... _ .- -r lit liable fat copyriaht !Mi"","MOM. TbiJ muMioo! ......... Ibo ri&/II \0 rdaIt 1O..::up I oopy;.,. orde< if, in its i'i • fuIt_ of ........... -W "'''''' .... ~ ofcopyripo law. IJ)' ."Ia, til;' . ... riaI, ~ ............... ;.1 to .bid. "" III" <.p~ ric~' poii<)'. AII)' dlrl"',';'., .. pAd • ., ...... or .. OIIm" ,;o1 of ,h" ..... ri. 1 ... ;,bo . . .. p .... . ·ri .... ...... , f .... Mbl 'Y TIo .. ~J So ... I .. .,. ODd: • • I • •• rlJI"" p.bl;'h« 11 p .... hibj.«I. _ ............. ) .. -............... ----_ ..... ' .. ~e";; Series.] [No. 193. GRADUATION-WHAT NEXT? BY REV., MARCUS D. BUEL,L,-" ~ PI·0/essor 0/ 1"'~1u Testal1unt Greek a1zd Exegesls iJJ the School 0/ Tlu%gy. Boston University. --------.~,-------NElr YanK: I'JllLLlPS &: 'lJUNT. OIlVOINlV.!TI: CRAN'8TON &; ~T{/ lYE. leS'. f ' -., . I .. .. . ... , : ~-,t<;' ,. ' " New Series.] [~o. 193. -GRADUATION-vVHAT NEXrr? To many a pair of eyes scrutinizing this pa.~e . there neyer was a June like this-greener. grass, richer leafage, air more bracing, -birds of the sky ~inging more blithely, the polished hila yens an in tenser hue. It if; all on John's - accOllnt. pe has passed his -final examina-tion, his Commencement oration is ready-lie i~ goillg to graduate. The hilarious brooks, the Illurmuring w::tve>l, and the whispering winds know and tell of it. It js meet that all his friends should rejoice, for the hour of a real .victory draws nigh. John's parents are not .rich-they are desperately puor. I am not quite sure that his-mother (as the mother I: ( '-, 4 GRADUATION-\VHAT NEXT? of a now distingnished Maf'sachusetts judge - did' twenty-~ve years ago) haf! act)lally taken in ,vasI.ling to help him through, but I know 1-that her devotion to him, aUll her deternlina-tiOll that her son should be educated, would not shrink from any sacrifice. And the boy • himself has made a brave fight of it. He has -. faced the terr~rs of a peripatetic book agellcy, he has sawed wood, 'lVol'ked on a farm, bas been waiter at a SUllllller hotel, has tal;ght :-' . school, has done what else I kQow not, anq h!3 . _ wopId not Ii»:e to tell, but a~ a result of it all . J . he bas got through. Nor ha\'c the saClifices , '.,made for him and by him been amiss. He is . not what he was when he began. His college course bas given him the intellectual f;tature:. '/" & of a'Ulan. lIe has been disciplined in the art of " ,.",' ; ". thinking; a fact which destines him to have I ) immeasurably' greater influence in the world t'han he cotlld have had without such me;ltal developrp.ent. He has that thirteenth chance BishoJi Warren telk of in his ed ucatiollal statistics_. \Vith, his college education "11e , gains" one cllance·in thirteen-for the higheJ>t 'No.193.. ' . A-.' • ,,' 1'\..' '-: -~. ~ ~,..~-." GRADUATION-WHAT NEXT? 5 success in ",-hatever department of life he may enter. 'Without it he would have but one in thirtt'en hundred." Yes, reader, \r hethel· your intel·pst in the graduate be that of parent, pastor, brother, sister, or that of "an-o.ther, not a f;ister," your Commencement , Day joy is altogether reasonable. It is a' great day for John. And what next? John has a call to preach. The Lord b~ praised! The joy of his little' knot of friends is thereby widened out into a cO'c1e that numbers tens of thousands, if .the attendants on hi" future ministry be included. l'hanks to his four ~ears' COllrse, there is a clearer head for the close and deep work of I the study, and a heart not a whit le:-s 'Warm for pulpit, pra,yer-meeting, anrl revival meeting. But after graduation-what? A flimple question to John's roolIl-mate. Th~' law 1:'chool, He thinks of no alternative . . The profession of the iaw is one that' must I 'fina,lIy he learned by aetnal experience, in-deed, 'out all are ag,·eed that ti!l1e spent \~ith­lega~ spccial~Sts, le~kipg ove1: the w,hole field , . . No. $If, '. :"." , ; _6 G~ADU-ATION--':'WHAT NEXT? - : of jurisprudence through their practiced eyes; · is time sayed. Indispensable as college is l1-S , a preriaration for the law school, it is not a school of law. A simple question, too, to J ohTJ's other intimate fl'iel)d and classmate, thB Latin salutatorian. A medical school. But has he not in college studied physiology, chemist.ry, botany, Latin? And is not prac-tice what ll. doctor needs? Yes, but the old " - physicians tell him that the time he spends in getting, with the aid of specialists, a bil'd's-"eye view of the whole round of medical sci-ence, will prepare him to make the wisest Ilse -, _ of his actual practice and best serve the in- ' tere&ts of his future patients. And J"ohn? _, "",Does his allotted work call for less skill than that of either of his friends? Has he not a " ' Book of law , to interpret grander in the sweep of its principles, profoundel' and .sub-limer in el-el'Y respect., than that which is ex-pounded by the occupant of the legal bench? Is he. not charged with a ministration to something more intricate, and fraught with a finer and more mysterious life, and demand-No. 1~3~ : ' . ... '.. . • ' . . .. . - ;- . t '/ ' GRADUATION-\YHAT NEXT? 7 , ing more intelligent skill, than ever did' cir·,' ' ciIlatory, nervous, or muscular systems;7" namely, the hnmansoul ? John is a Methodist. His Church has neyer been without methods of special preparatory training fOI' her ministry. \Yhere was there' ever, since the time when Paul took Timothy with him, a better training school for preach-ers than that which her jllni~r preaehers en-joyed under the circuit system? \Vhat id~al _ unIon of precept and example, what close personal dealing with one's faults, what ilD-selfish communication of all the hoal'lled secrets of ripe experience, what rapid and effectual initiation into approved methods of church work, what delightful absence of the full responsibilities of the pastorate, and, _ what'incentives to thof'ough appli9ation in the intellectual and Rpiritual fellowship of a Rupe~ rior mind! TiLe world will never see a better' theological sen!inary than Methodism had in the days' of her mightieSlt aggressiveness. Bitt how inferior the method of pastoral train-ing- that followed t.he downfall of the circuit-,No.i93. , \ , "'. , . .; I system! ,A little pile of books, :l. hasty four hours' examination once a year, the Solil ude of a station and the multifarious il'ltelTuptio)ls : and distractions of full pasroral cares. Method-ism was ~ise enough to see the gravity of the (,hange for her )'oung ministers, and hel' pl'l~­,'ision for the new regime is the theological , sehool. MethodlsIp thinks these schools offl'r John peculiar advantages, and consequently in her Discipline instructs her bishops, pre-,siding elders,' and pastors to acquaint him with the fact. Her standard-bearer!,! are agreed that although souls are perishing foi' the want of the Gospe'l, yet it is 'actual econ-,omy of time and increa:;e of efficiency for 1 he' future winller of souls first of all to calmly study that G08pel and the best methods of its' presentatioI} under the guidance of thorough and consecrated :;cholar~hip. Every day of - ~ho' year in every great city f'mgicalpatiel1ts lie WOUl1de}l ancl hlJOleding in imperative l1e-e,d of treatment; but- the Latill Rallltatorian knows that his shortest Cllt to the .skill th:lt can impart the, ne.ed~dt.J:ell<lJ,uent ii ~.hrouib NQ.l... ' " ~-' , ', ~. " ."" ~ . ,-; " I ~ .' lecture-room and clinic. There- are a half~ ~ .. dozen churches that need the graduating John of thisJ nne, but there will be two dozen that --will, lleed the keener, broader, wiser, more eloquent John of a June three years hence. ,And if he takes.the Disciplinary hint the Lm'd ' , , will somehow pl'{)vide for the churches mean-~ while. ' . .. ',L'hElman 1Vith the broken leg needs not the to-day's Latin salutatorian, but him of fifteen year~ ago. , The pulpit in the mining. town is small, but there is plenty of room ill it for ~ Greek Testament and a H ebl'ew Bible. To , i:!ateh yondel' grizzly minel' in the Gospel net lind to feed this lawyer 'will lay under conll'i-bution all tbat the preaeher knows of men;-of books, and of God's word. 'Vell dill the far-seeing and now sainted Simpson say: "'What the Methodist Church needs now' is not more. ministers, hut hetter-trained ministel's ;" I to ~hich may 'be ~Ilded the sayin,~ of BishOp . Foster: "A can to the ministry mean:,; a " -, . " ''' . 'call to the lUost thorough preparation for thft , ~iIli~try." . BOo 1.92. ' , / : ~ i , , ' I I ' .~, ~" '.' 10, G&ADUATION-WHAT :NExT? ' John wiJI speak well on Commencement , - Day, no doubt, bnt it is plain to all; except, : - '._ pel'haps, to his mother alld olle othel', that 'he , has obvious defects as a public speaker which . onght to be, and conhl , well enough be, re-~. -' 'moved by cal'efnl training, If he enters the pastorate now, none of his congregation will evel' venture to gi \'e him the benefit of th(~ ir <;riticisms , on his pecl11ial' faults of delivery, though they will involuntarily discuss them in ltis absence. These defects are not, ' of course, obstacles fatal tosnecesf', but they al'~ weights whidl ought to be laid aside. In. a thcoltlgical school his classmates and his pro-, {essor will ,tell him some plain and true things , about, himself-things that nobody conld tell him by and by~things very humiliating, but ' . most wholesome ,to hear at the very outset of his course. None of his fnture hearers will , _. ', say to him what they will say to one another on the way home from ch.urch, tllat his sel'- " mon and his text do not belong together-- ' but his keen-eyed professor will. John has ne,'er heen a pastQl',and there are. -Q.eliclI,tQ... No.l93.; ~~~ . -" ~~!t.~.~ .. :::· , ·: :".,' ~-"; ~ ; : ~. /;. # '" .. -. . ' . ' " .. . ..:, .... ;~ 1 .>._~ '~" " , - - -GRADUATION"':"'VVHAT NEXT? and vital :details of administration in that unique and influential office which he has ' -, neVI:!l" thought ot~ but the mere suggestion of which by his instructor in advance would in· stantly make him. possessor of many a golden hint fi)l' future action. lie will h\l.ve to learn enougll from his own mistakes at best; he, . bad hettin' learn as many things in advance as . possible. '. John has read a little of his New Testament in Greek, and he has had one term in Hehrew " in c<>llege Qt. in a summer school. But, if the . truth must be told, he reads both with a ,hes-itation Dot born of reverence for the sacred lext. ,A thorough drill under a skillful i~~ structor would make the reading . of eithei- : Testament in the original for the rest of hi,s " ' ministerial life a matter of ease and delight: . . It wouIeI seem as if, inasmuch as the Bible is ' . -the book he is to expound three or four times .- , ~ a week during. his entire effective ministry;, . " 'such facility would be not only desirable, but almost indispensable.. J 'ohn has pJ:eached . . lIe h!l.d aJ~~t. of ~Ol;l~:~~. ~~ \"asan odd text, . . • . . No. 1113. " ",- ":.' ~ ., '" i.'" , , " 12. Git-ADUATION-WHAT NEXT,? "" whose- sound had fascinated him: He built' a , ' , whole' ser~on upon it without !'tudyillg its' ' connr'C i ion~. John does not know ,it, for no- , '- ' Lody has told him, but what he ga\'c the _ , people . ~f God wa~ not the ' inspi red thought of tne word, but his OWlI thoughts about . , men and the kingdom of heaven in general. It is true he shower! no neglect of the Iettt-r 'of his text. He made as many divisions as tltere were sep"rate words, gave equal emph:l,sis ::~ ' •. to , e:lcl1 in its turn, and at the close spoke feelingly.' about the fullness ,0. Scripture. " J o11n is 'not tramnwled by the c,mtext; he , simply ignores it-it is too apt to be hostile / t-o the plan I)f his sermon. He , has studied ' lqgie" hut he haR never taken the trouhle to , follo\v Paul stl'aight on through one of his epistles. He has studied them piecemea'l, ~ . , as h e would the Pl:qverhs. And yet there, is no flaw )n John's l'e:J.~ollillg powel's. " He simply has klfl no training ,in exegesis. It' " ,' ~ ' woulJ seem that if ,he iR reallyeaUed to ' , ; .pI:each the word . he could ',well 'afford the ' timl:{ for mRltel'in£ thel;&~gh: and. ' fruitful ~ ,Jlo:-J.IJ; " " . 1,. " ' - 't -, <- : ;' ,: ,~ , ..- .~: . .. • '''' -.' _ - " -: ' ~'.. ... . ", , ::.;.., ',; :'~_~ ".;:- 1,,-' ;·~· ·~""~··.'~ :t<;;,:; '\ ' "·';Jh c",- .-t~ ~ \~. GRADUATION-WHAT Ni:xf? 13-methods of studying and preaching the wOI:d., ,/, It is lllore than doubtful, ho~vever, if, in t,he - , ,.",-pressllI'e of always having two sermons to get, ready for the next Sunday, he will, a'ftel'he 'has entered the pastorate, tr~il1 himself in' habits of careful exegesis, or even in 'those well-known principles of sei'monic constructJon which have been more or less consciously obeyed by all successful preachers, The ; " \tiIt,. " , ,humblest of his readers can pick out a text, but they cannot follow the intricate and""'" ,brilliant argument of au epistle, They think . ,a college graduate like him, however, ollgh( , to be able to do so. John needs training,. too, in systematic theology. If he goes intd his work without it, the lawyers and doctors will now and 'then wonder why he don't 'givE\ in a plain senten<;e or two the gist of a book or acomprehellsive statement or ~'l doctrine. '.:" They have been trained ,to make compr6111~n- I / sive stat~lnents in their sciences, why should :I~ not,he in his? John has l'turlied secular history; lIe _took a prize ~n Roman history, in fact. Rehas II; ',' - No.l93. , c/ ... -~ ~~~~-, ~ , : .. :..... . ; f . 14, GRADUATION-WUA'; NEXT? taste for it. But what a deep impression art able lecture co~i'se in Church hjstol'Y would make upon his trained milld now! ' How he " would ply the professor in pl'iYate with in-quiries and discus!'.ionsabont Jerome, Origen, ' St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas; about the begin.ning and progress of Christian art in catacomb, basilica, and storied cathedral, and -the not less imposing, harmonious, and slowly rising e~jfices of ' Christian doctrine! ,What , large pi.-opot·tions the fight agatnst the world, 'the 1iesh, and the devil would take on as his trained ' instructor should lead him to s~cces-- , , ~ive strategic pinnacles of observation com-manding the hattIe· fields of the centuries! " , : ,' Is it said that John's ministry will he for : , ' the most part to plain people? ~rhen it must b~ replied, that he, particularly nerds a', special trainiJig. It was to a eritical edition of . the New Testament that John W'esl<,y prefaqed the word~, " I design plain truth for _'. plain peopJe." "It takes nil om: learning," /' ," said Archbishop t Isher, "to be siinple." It , ', ' " was our own Bishop Simpson who -said .he ~' Y " No; 193. ;_:' ~ : 'y 1 ~' ... . ," .. '-"':." ' . ; . 1 worilci rather, preach ten years witb an educa- i "',' ~L fion than thirty year5 without one. ' , - No.1' can it be said that John cannot afIqrd a theological trainiJlg. Each one of our theo-logical sehools offers him, free of charge, ad-vantages in tuition, rooms, and librarie':>, which cost them not less than $1,000 in casil ' ~'­for the three years' course, and so reduce _the , ;" cost of board as to make it aetually cheaper for him to attend a theological school than_ to stay at home. , 0, you, who gave unutt.erable thanks ' fo / -:_' God for an unspeakable girt when John, w!1s " ': born to you; and you, man of God, whO led _ " him ,to Christ; aud you, college professor, who disciplined his mind; and )-ou, leadei·s , ~ and ' stewards, who voiced to him yom part ' - ' f of the threefold call to preach and 'gaye him- " his fj/st license; and you, - brother presid~ illg eldm·, who kno\v what the churches to- , day l1eed; ,and you, fair-eyed maiden, who have. seen a Hght i~ J ohn'.s ~ eye nQ ~ otl.-::cr . ,, -woman ever saw, to wHom JohiVs tuture.Sl,c:J-c-e~s is as precious as life- itself to you, i:;, i~ - " ~ lilo. :1}l!l.- :~ ~_ ' - '. -f:' j , .. " ~, : ;" . , .. . , .... . " . . " \ ":. ' Gl£A~irATION..,...::WHAT NEXT? -, notprah,ticable for ~Tohn to lay at the feet ", '.' 'of · his Lord tIle fruits of three years-' stnoy .~ ;;: . "'" . arid training . in orie of OU1' Methlldist tbeo- '-logical schools-by tbe e~panse of ,~at(:t;.'S· at EVlJ.nstoll, in the classill shades of Drew, or on Beacon lEll in the heart of Boston? ~ If < , ' 8,0, ye s~all see a June more notable an,d t -· _ jubilant than even this. No. 103. , / I . -.-~ ~ . ':" ~~ .. ~ '. l, ..... / . " , " ' #~ 

Graduation - What Next?

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Graduation - What Next?

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