thesis for Calvin Seminary finished and mailed in

my thesis for Calvin Seminary has been finished and mailed in (on friday). it's not the end of my work on the topic, but what i've done so far is acceptable enough to be the basis of a conversation with my former OT professors. after that, i revise and hand something in in order to receive a Master of Theology degree. however, i will be struggling and living through the topic for years to come (and am thankful to remain interested in the questions even after all this study, which was not always pleasant).

to give you an idea of what i've learned, the following is my conclusion:(the first paragraph tells you what i've proven academically and the following indicates how it corresponds with what i've learned from living in community)

This thesis has demonstrated that Jeremiah’s feelings are not only his own but also represent those of God and his people. It has demonstrated that, as McConville succinctly states: “The figure of Jeremiah . . . [is] very complex. At once, he represents the people, he represents YHWH, and he remains himself.”192 Through evidence given from the biblical text and dialoguing with secondary literature, this thesis has fleshed out Williams’s claim: "[The description of a prophet includes] the prophetic responsibility to communicate faithfully the message received from the Lord, as well as the responsibility the prophet bears to the community of which he is a member. It involves the prophet’s words, behavior, affections—indeed everything about the prophet as a human being. This perspective of the essential prophetic task that will shape all of our subsequent considerations of his individual, specific actions is that the prophet is fundamentally a representative. He represents God, the community of which he is a part, and, of course, himself in way that are unique to this special office he occupies."(Michael J. Williams, The Prophet and his Message: Reading Old Testament Prophecy Today (Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R, 2003), 71). This representational nature of the feelings is part of the prophetic task and is elucidated and confirmed by other prophets. Furthermore, it provides a fuller understanding of God and a call for the use of feelings as part of Christian witness.

The challenges and joys of participating in the prophetic task was something I personally experienced this year by living in Christian community. The community strives to live out in daily life the prophetic task. This is partially done through displaying the joy of fellowship and celebration to a world that is trying to proclaim that what is valued and sold in Amsterdam’s Red Light District as a source of joy and truth. It is also inviting others to participate fully in the life of community and experience the joys and sufferings in others’ lives. Through doing this, we become all too aware of the fallen humanness in Christians and non-Christians, but we also have the opportunity to represent God to each other. In writing this thesis, I have been given the language to explain why living here matters so much to me. It is also providing me with a better understanding of how I can further continue here as part of fulfilling the contemporary prophetic task.

The participation in Christian community has also shown me that along with the overwhelming aspects of the prophetic task, there is much grace and joy mixed in with the sadness. The joy is found in seeing how a single mother rejected by her strict Christian parents is learning to believe more and more that she and her children are truly loved and appreciated. The laughter is found in watching a blind man shiver when someone anointed his feet with oil after washing them. The grace is found in people being willing to fix your things for you. The comfort is found in having people watch out for you when you are sick. The delight is found in having at dozens of people around with whom to celebrate feasts and holidays properly! In these ways, during the last few days of community life, I have been a recipient of others’ fulfilling their prophetic task in representing God to me. Certainly, I have discovered that the prophetic task is overwhelming but I also experienced the joy and laughter and grace that makes pursuing this life to the fullest.