Dr. Vreeland is a professor at Northwest Baptist Seminary, and that is just the latest of many places of ministry for him. He has been at Northwest for 4 years, and his courses in Old Testament literature have had a profound effect on my approach to Scripture.

At last Thursday's senior banquet when all the professors were asked to share what they were thinking when they graduated from seminary as well as a "pithy bit of wisdom" Dr. Vreeland shared the following.

Last Words to the Class of ‘05

Northwest Baptist Seminary

Graduation Banquet

(G. D. Vreeland, Ph.D.)

1. What did you think the world held in store for you on the eve of your graduation from seminary? 

For you M.Div.s, I sat in your place in June of 1981.  I was barely 22 when I started seminary and despite cramming a three year program into four years, I was still pretty young when I finished – even by comparison to my compadres.  You know the story: I finished classes in March, graduated in June, got married in August and had my first church 1200 miles from home in PhoenixAZ in January 1982 at the age of 26. 

Despite my age and most probably because of my associations I had very few utopian ideals about entering ministry.  All of my friends had been hurt in ministry – some irreparably damaged – and I was never too ashamed to observe the obvious: “If it can happen to them; it can happen to me.”  I recognized then what I recognize today: the only earthly thing you can depend upon is God’s Word.  The degree to which I knew the Bible – globally and microscopically – was the degree to which stability was possible in an ever-changing world, amidst fickle people and leadership with vacillating loyalties. 

I had no grandiose expectations when I went into the ministry . . . I expected to be treated with the dignity befitting another human being – the way my father raised me – and that was about it . . . .  There again, I was sadly mistaken.  However, always and only giving my attention to the knowledge of the Holy and the knowledge of His Word repeatedly proved to be the victory in life.  Perhaps that is why I teach in biblical languages and literature now: I am still just naive enough, at nearly 50, to believe that the answers to all the really interesting and important questions of philosophy, theology and human interaction are buried in the pages of Scripture begging for us to exhume them. 

2.         What pithy bit of wisdom or counsel would you share with us this evening that is the product of your experience and growth in light of your expectations (when you graduated)? 

My life proverb is: “It could be that your life was merely to serve as a warning to others.”  A couple of years ago, Sara Mattison – one of my spunkier students! – went on public record and said of me, at this very event, that I was possessed of a Spirit-Tempered Cynicism.  Maybe you wouldn’t think so; but this is one of the highest compliments I’ve been paid yet in this life.  One woman’s cynic is another man’s realist – and whatever you call it, as long as it is tempered by the Holy Spirit, it cannot be all bad!  The Spirit-Tempering of a Realist will serve you well if circumstances, events and/or people lose their sweetness. 

As a negative example, it needs to be said: I think that it is neither necessary nor possible for you to walk the long winding path upon which I’ve trod.  I do think, however, that your knowledge of biblical truth – both the big picture as well as chapter and verse! – will be the best offense and defense you can have in your pilgrimage here on earth and the battlefield upon which you may find yourself.  The Spirit-Tempered Realist finds him- or herself often in the pages of Scripture.  We are often told that God does His best work in graveyards.  I think rather that God the Holy Spirit does his best work – the work of Spirit-Tempering – when the hammer of idealism is shattered on the anvil of reality and the disillusioned saint finds encouragement and wisdom in the pages of the Bible.  It is the guide book; it is the rule book; it is the greatest story ever told; according to the classical definition, it is science; it is story, history, prophecy, wisdom, poetry, government, law, justice, ethics, morality, mortality and life.  May you live long to peruse its pages and fall in love with the gracious God they portray.  Should this be the case, you will certainly be successful according to His definitions. 

My prayer for you is that you find yourself in a sweet spot early . . . as I have lately.  Blessings!

gdv.