My time at Virginia Theological Seminary

I just returned from a 13 day stay at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) in Alexandria, VA. I was there from Sunday, November 3, 2019 to Saturday, November 16, 2019. I was invited to spend a few weeks there during my sabbatical from UNC Charlotte by the Dean and President, the Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D. It was an incredible experience. I learned a lot over these two weeks including things I didn’t even expect. I anticipate writing a few posts reflecting on what I learned. For this one, I want to include some pictures and an overall reflection. I’ll dig deeper later.

First, there are countless people I want to thank. Several members of the Lifelong Learning group took me under their wings and showed me the ropes. This began before I arrived at VTS and continued the entire time I was on campus. Additionally, I chatted with several faculty and staff members about my work and interests, their work and interests, and general logistics. I always felt welcomed and always enjoyed our conversations. I very much appreciated people taking time out of their day to talk and help me.

Second, I need to thank the seminarians who spent time with me. I loved the stories from all of the seminarians I talked to. It was exciting for me to be around people who are on their own spiritual journeys. I enjoyed learning about their previous lives, their discernment process, and their goals/dreams for the future. Truly inspiring people.

Third, VTS is a beautiful and peaceful place. The pictures I have here don’t do it justice. I absolutely loved walking around the campus. It helped that the weather cooperated, at least for the most part. I stayed in a suite next to the dining tent and right off the Grove. I could walk out of my building and sit at a bench. It was incredible. Several pictures below are of Aspinwall Hall. It was beautiful.

Fourth, there were some spots on campus that I loved to write and work. I loved writing at a bench next to the Grove. I also enjoyed writing and working at the Flamingo, the coffee shop on campus. It was in the bottom floor of a house and had a lot of character. Another spot I enjoyed was at a table in the Lifelong Learning office. I felt like part of the group there. My absolute favorite spot to write was in the Octagon room in Immanuel Chapel. That room was incredible. It was such an inspiring room for me. I imagine if I worked at VTS that I would try to visit that room as much as possible.

Finally, some thoughts on my work and the progress I made while I was at VTS. I had the opportunity to talk to countless people about my work on science and religion. This included my book that I’m currently writing, my experiences at my own church, my podcast, and my future goals. I had a breakthrough with respect to my book about a week before I came to VTS and was thrilled with the feedback and support I received from the VTS community. I loved all the questions, personal stories related to science and religion, and perspectives on what I want to do. I finally broke through my writing barrier and just started to write.

As I said earlier, I will probably write more about my time at VTS later. For now, I’m hopeful the people I met will stay in touch via my website, social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), and my podcast. I expect we will see each other again.