The muscle memory of going back to school

Twelve years since my last class, here I go!

Two weeks ago, I sent one child off to second grade and another off to seventh grade. The school calendar defines the shape of my year, and not simply because I have school-aged children. I find that school schedules dictate much of what we do in the church. I have always lived in university towns, and student traffic patterns and football games determine how year-round town residents arrange their time. This year feels different, though, because I myself am going back to school.

I calculated, and it has been nearly 12 years since I have been in a classroom. I attended orientation for the Duke Divinity School Doctor of Ministry program this past Friday, which included master’s and doctoral level students—those who had been engaged in theological study before and those who were brand new—and I had forgotten the excitement emanating from first year graduate students. It was sweet and invigorating to feed off their earnest energy because the energy does not last. The “real world” beyond t…