I have loved teaching. I taught in a graduate counseling program that was lodged in a progressive Christian seminary. By progressive I mean that this seminary was one of the few I know of that is Christian in tradition and that is open (radically open, some would say) to those of a variety of spiritual paths (and no path as well). The inclusiveness of this seminary is in large part due to two programs and degrees/certificates. One is a masters degree program in clinical counseling (the one I taught in) that sought to integrate spiritual awareness and psychological counseling skills. The second is a broad set of programs that offered certificates in spiritual direction and formative spirituality. The work that we did in teaching, supervising, and mentoring students in both of these programs was sacred. Students often are drawn to a seminary for study in theology, ministry, chaplaincy. But few seminaries offer programs in spiritual formation (duh? why not? but ’tis the truth). And no one I know looks for a counseling degree leading to licensure in a theological seminary. So it was always a struggle to get enough students and our classes were small.
But what occurred in those cohorts was sacred, mystical, transformative.
We graduated Muslim students, Buddhist followers, a Hindu priest, and many flavors of Christian. Some of our students had not been in church since childhood. The programs, however, renewed a quest in our students and many returned to their spiritual roots or found other paths that nurtured them in more fulfilling ways. Throughout the program, students began to change the lenses with which they saw mental illness or life challenges. They began to see how depression, loss, joy, illness were not just diagnosable using the DSM5, but were also spiritual problems. They began to see more deeply into patients/clients, and into themselves as well. They began to attune to the emotions of their patients/clients, and use their own feelings as potential cues to what was happening inside the Other (what is called countertransference in psychodynamic therapy).
I had not expected to write about my teaching or the program I taught in — just to say that I loved seeing the changes in students and felt that in answering God’s call to this work that I was walking the path to which I had been called.
I am now beginning retirement and am starting to experience a blissful feeling of freedom. For although I truly loved what I did, I am now realizing the burden I carried with me constantly. . .the burden of always knowing there was something I could be doing to stay on top of teaching, grading, mentoring. I have let go of this burden, and it is an experience of feeling lighter, more confident that what comes next is something that I can handle or survive, that I can dwell in a place of delight in being present to experiences without having to pull away and check the to do list of class prep or reading.
I know this won’t last forever and that there will be blips and bunders, but for now . . . bliss it is!
Pilgrimages and Paths 