A Little Help From God # 1

After a shipwreck, a man who was the lone survivor managed to reach
the shore.

He asked God for help. After waiting too long for God to answer his
prayers, he built himself a hut for his protection with sabotaged pieces of
a shipwreck.

Few days passed by, each day he spent plenty of time looking for food
and gazing at the horizon for God’s help.

One day, when he returned from his food search, he found his little hut
burnt to ashes.

Losing all hope, he felt helpless and screamed in anger, “Why God? Why
do you never answer my prayers?”

After a few hours, a ship reached the shore for his rescue. The man
asked the captain, “How did you find me?” The captain replied, “We saw
your smoke signal for help.”

The man’s faith in God’s will was restored.

Moral of the Story: Don’t lose hope because bad things are happening to you.
God has his own way of working.
 Two Feet # 2
There was once a mountain climber who wanted to climb every mountain.
Once he was climbing a mountain in the night. He couldn’t see anything
and hence he slipped on a rock.

He kept falling down and down and realized he is going to die. But
suddenly his safety rope caught him and he stopped falling. He stayed
there dangling and praying to god.

Then he heard a voice calling his name. “I am God, son. If you believe
that I can save you, cut the rope you are hanging to.” He looked down
and all he saw was pitch black darkness so he didn’t cut the rope.

The next day he was found frozen to death by rescuers. But they saw he
was hanging only two feet away from the ground. “Only if he had cut his
rope, he would be safe and alive,” one of the rescuers said.

Moral of the Story: Always have faith in God, even if the path looks difficult.
 Students Share: Why Seminary?
Princeton Seminary students reflect on their reasons for attending seminary

To mark the start of a new semester, we asked current students to answer one question:
Why seminary? We hope their thoughtful observations resonate with readers and inspire
others to recall their own reasons for pursuing theological education.
A

"I chose seminary because I had questions about God, life, and myself that felt too
important not to pursue. I didn't come in search of answers so much as the right
way to ask these questions — the most generous and beautiful way. I wanted to
ask these questions alongside others who understood the need for humility when it
comes to thinking about this God we're trying to serve and this world we're hoping
to bless."

—Rachel Rim, MDiv student

I am going to seminary to weave my gifts together while pursuing my calling. After

graduating college, I realized that I needed to pursue my interests in philosophy,
language, and history together with my faith. I believe that a Master of Arts in
Theological Studies will allow me to do just that while equipping me to become a
professor. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me at Princeton!”

—Luke Donner, MA(TS) student

“I came to seminary to learn in a diverse community of worship. Stepping outside

of my tradition has allowed me to grow as a scholar and discover new ways to
experience and share God’s love with others. More than anything else, it was the
people who drew me to seminary — and it is the people who continue to make my
experience valuable.”

—Jonathan Rodriguez, MDiv student

 D

“I have always felt the movement of the Holy Spirit in corporate spaces: after
attending the PC(USA)'s GA as a young adult, I felt a call to continue to be in a
space with other Christians all seeking a common goal of better understanding
God's relationship with humanity. During this process, seminary serves a practical
purpose in terms of ordination, but that corporate call is why seminary is so special
to me.”

—Courtney Steininger, MDiv student

Seminary is where the work of the academy and the work of the church intersect in
a way they don't anywhere else. Students themselves bridge the classroom and
the congregation with their learning and creativity. I see this all the time as a
doctoral student serving local church, as well as a member of a presbytery
Committee on Preparation for ministry. Princeton Seminary students bring the fruits
of their academic work into churches that are deeply enriched by their service, and
these same students bring back the real experiences of congregations in a way
that inform and enliven our teaching.”

—James Klotz, PhD student

“Seminary was the last place I thought I would find myself, but after reading all
these holy stories about a poor homeless man who embraced outsiders, healed
the sick and fed the hungry for free, and lifted the voices of the marginalized so
tangibly that those in power got scared...I mean, how could I not? How could I not
spend the next four years of my life preparing to bring this message to the children
and teenagers who need to hear it?”

—Emma-Claire Martin, MDiv/MACEF student