You can Read My Mind while I leave

The Killers: Read my Mind, from the album Sam's Town

This song has everything I love: A bluesy, melancholy feel, vaguely hopeful but nebulous lyrics, a soothing lead singer and an exotic. Although there are certainly breaths and flashes of spirituality in the lyrics; "the Promised Land" "the Chosen One" "slipping in my faith" being the most obvious, it seems that the reason the song resonates is that it speaks to a very common human experience (duh!) It seems that it's the end of a relationship, but not in a bitter, fighting way, that we often see, but a cordial, regretful way. "I have enjoyed working/living/sharing with you, but the time for this is done."
This is what I'm experiencing with school. I'm going to miss it. I don't ever really want to leave. Not because I love writing papers, or reading Millard Erickson, or stressing about grades, but because of the relationships I've been privileged to forge over the last 2 years. It's hitting me now as I look for a job, and stare at my resume. I've had 5 jobs that I've had the chance to build relationships at, but none were very fulfilling; they were simply there to pass the time. The closest I have had was summer jobs with friends, because I already had the relationships. But at MTS, I was able to build relationships with people that I had never known before around the truth of God's Word. It has been so precious. Often agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, sometimes arriving at similar places through vastly different paths, but always with respect, always in safety and always with the Word as a center and boundary.
Even as I leave, I have a tremendous amount of hope. Lakeside has introduced a model, called Healthy, and I am privileged to sit on the planning committee. It is similar to the best classes I have had at MTS in all of the important ways. Learning is occurring, we are moving toward a goal, there is safety, people care about each other and God is being glorified.
So while I regret leaving MTS, I see the opportunity to build similar communities in other places. I will always treasure my time in seminary, but what I’ve learned about both doctrine and community will serve me for the rest of my life.