I have always loved church. I love to worship and be in fellowship with others. I love the music. I especially love to dive deep into God’s word and help others gain an understanding of God for themselves.
I discovered early on that I had a talent for public speaking. That coupled with my love of reading propelled me to be the spokesperson for our youth department. At the time, I thought nothing of it. I was just being obedient to the adults around me, and I was good at it (I won competitions and awards). Let me just say that the Lord will prepare you for his purpose in your life even when you think you are only having fun and winning trophies.
However, after one particular conversation, I wanted to stop speaking. We were in Sunday school and our teacher decided to take a moment and speak words of encouragement to each young woman in the class. One girl was pretty and could be anything she wanted. One girl was smart and could be anything she wanted. One girl could sing, her talent could take her far, and then it was my turn. The teacher looked at me, pointed, and said, “Baby you can read!” The entire class exploded into laughter. Who could not read? That was nothing special. Back then, I did not know she was not speaking of merely reading but of having the ability to understand and breakdown The Word for others.
Now whenever I connect with the women of that class, even though it is some 30 years later, we all laugh and thank God, that “I can read.” Today, because “I can read,” my sisters and I have started a Bible Study. Our weekly Bible Study started out because a young woman wanted to learn more about scripture, but felt embarrassed to ask her questions at a church. She felt because she grew up in church that she should just know some things. Our Bible Study is a safe space for our sisters to ask questions and learn together.
This Bible Study has not only brought together members of our church, but it has encouraged me to stop running and finally accept my call to ministry. I am thankful for Stark, because taking Methods of Biblical Interpretation has expanded my mind and knowledge about the Bible. I am constantly being pushed and stretched to gain something new each time I open my Bible. This has helped me so much as I speak in our Bible study. The faculty and staff of this great institution are truly gifts from God. From my very first inquiry, I have felt the excitement and love for the Lord and for teaching and learning. I am and will forever be grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and develop my ministry. I am grateful that God is expanding my ability “to read” at Stark College & Seminary and calling me to share that knowledge with all of my sisters in our Bible study.
This article was written by La Tonia Brock. She is a Certificate student at the SCS teaching site in San Antonio, Texas.