3 Reasons I Do NOT Want to Become a Female Seminarian
I've been putting a lot of thought into going to seminary after I graduate. These are some things I am definitely not trying to get out of a seminary education and a Masters of Divinity- just to clarify.
3. Women in the Priesthood
Granted, this is not something that has been brought up by any Orthodox person I've mentioned it to, but the fact that I am seeking female ordination is assumed by others (mostly Protestants) when my career plans come up in conversation.
This has lead to a few awkward explanations of how I am not being tricked into submission by the male hierarchy.
WHY doesn't your church let women become priests? How discriminatory!
 |
| Ohhh, I see now. Carry on. |
The short answer here is, I can feel called to a degree in Pastoral Theology without wanting to serve at the altar. There are quite a few things I could do with this degree, not least of all learn how to put my faith into practice.
That leads me to my next point...
2. Indecision
I have had some problems with choosing a definite career path. I have not been one of those people who has always known what they wanted to do. I have many skill sets and I'm good at a lot of different things, so I've never been eager to specialize. Nevertheless, as I have to keep reminding my mother, this is not a means of escape!
I just devoted my life to Christ.
No more responsibility!
The thing is, I don't think I HAVE to know exactly what I want to do. Maybe we know immediately what we are called to do, and maybe it is only revealed to us a few steps at a time.This is how I approach going to seminary.I think the discipline would be really good for me, I think I would enjoy the education, and I think I would love all the possible careers that could come out of it.
I could go on to get my PhD and teach, I could go into counseling or hospital chaplaincy, if called I could become a missionary. Heck, I could even use the education to home school ten children, and there is nothing wrong with that.
1. Finding a Husband
There is nothing wrong with thinking ahead to raising children and having a family and there is nothing wrong with wanting to get married.
However, meeting a nice guy is NOT my reason for thinking about going to seminary. Actually, it's been a deterrent. For someone looking to be a priest it's a good bet that there won't be many women around to distract you, but for a woman attending seminary it might be a bit more of a problem.
Keeping this in mind, try not to think I'm a hypocrite when I say I'd still be open to finding a husband there.
Who could blame me when they all look like this?
This is a good place to emphasize the main reason I'm thinking of going to seminary: trying to be open to God's plan for me.
Being open is hard. Being open means, even after publishing this post and sincerely thinking seminary is the right place to be, accepting that God might have yet an even better plan for my life.
One reason I do want to become a female seminarian is as an act of trust, but I understand that God knows better than I do.
- Alethia
