Introductions: Asking Good Questions

My first week of seminary classes has come to a close, and I'm still inspired.  Hurrah!

As I think back over these classes, I think of the task of introducing ourselves.  In every class, we've done the basics:  name, type of degree we're pursuing, and where we are in relation to the end of our degree.  But we've also done more.  In one class, it's a fun fact or something unexpected.  In one class, it's why we signed up for that particular class.

In the second half of Church History, we had this additional prompt:  "First, in one sentence, what does the term or idea 'Protestant Reformation' mean to you? And second -- again, in a sentence -- when you hear the three-part tag or slogan Sola gratia, sola fide, sola scriptura ('By grace alone, by faith alone, by Scripture alone'), what does it mean to you?"

Here's how I answered that part:  "For years, 'Protestant Reformation' meant Luther and 1517, so imagine my surprise to discover that others had spearheaded other elements of reformation, although often with different motives (I'm thinking of Henry VIII, for example). When I hear the three-part tag or slogan Sola gratia, sola fide, sola scriptura ('By grace alone, by faith alone, by Scripture alone'), I think of all the ways that people have justified their departure from doctrine--or their adherence to doctrine."

In the class that takes a deep dive into the book of Luke, a class taught by Zoom (so we're all online but meeting at the same time), our teacher asked us to describe a class we'd like to teach.  I thought of a class that I did teach, my all-time favorite.  It was a creative writing class, but we did a number of other creative things too, processes that hopefully led us to the writing.  We collaged, we worked with watercolors, and now I can't remember the other activities.  It was great, and if I could teach those classes every term for the rest of my life, I'd be happy.

I like introductions that have us do more than tell our names and our student details.  I like getting to know a bit more about the people who will be my compatriots in the journey which is a seminary class.  Let me remember these techniques, since they'll be useful in more settings than just seminary class.