The 29th of this month would have been our parents’ 75th wedding anniversary. This year, along with the last 10, they’re celebrating in heaven. I’ve written before about what a blessing it was to have Christian parents who loved us and set godly examples. While they were not perfect, they sought to glorify God in their daily living and encourage us to do the same.
Since becoming a pastor, people have asked me occasionally where I went to seminary. Although I was a little ashamed at first to admit that I hadn’t done so, I now confidently answer, “I graduated from the seminary of Jimmy and Violet. “
After earning my Agriculture Education degree from Virginia Tech, I began teaching soon after and continued to do so for the next 17 years. I had considered seminary but that was before the days of online courses, so I completed three years of night classes for bi-vocational ministers offered by the Church of the Brethren.
Although this training has proven valuable, the upbringing from mom and dad provided my main preparation for ministry. Each morning, they led our family in devotions by reading a portion of Scripture, sharing a short devotional, and then kneeling in prayer. In the evening, we had another Bible story and prayer before bedtime. Over the years in their home, we covered most of the Bible and discussed how to live it out.
These times of daily worship were so important to them, they took the phone off the hook so as to not be interrupted during our times of talking and listening to the One they loved most. Their devotion to Jesus demonstrated by this faithful discipline spoke volumes to us about the Christian life while teaching us enormous Biblical content. Of course, they took us to Sunday School and Worship each week to supplement what we learned at home and made sure we heard good solid preaching both at our home church and as we visited others for Revival services.
Mom and Dad also lived out what they read in the Bible. Dad organized and ran his business according to Biblical principles of honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect. Mom managed our home with kindness and love and their combined generosity and concern for the least of these were the practical demonstrations of their faith. I guess one could grow up in that environment without being significantly impacted by the Gospel, but I don’t know how.
Both of them were active in the Valley Pike Church teaching Sunday School and serving in other roles. Dad was the Church Board Chair for several years and also served on the Pastoral Commission while Mom took us to visit the sick and elderly with treats and gifts.
Our parents also truly loved each other and that love was apparent in their interactions with one another. Their frequent kisses, endearing comments, and acts of care for each other made it obvious that their marriage vows were more than wooden promises laying the groundwork for my counseling of those with troubled relationships. And when Dad’s health began to fail late in life, Mom was by his side throughout it all.
So I had the Biblical course content from their devotions. I had the practical application through their daily examples. And I had the preaching and teaching seminars. The only part I lacked was the Greek and Hebrew. Thankfully, we have many reliable translations and study tools that have been developed by foremost scholars with accuracy and precision. I don’t write all this to discount the value of seminary, nor to elevate our parents, but God does have other ways.
As I remember their anniversary and reflect on the Seminary of Jimmy and Violet that I attended, I’ve tried to copy their model, and I encourage every parent and grandparent to open a seminary in their own home to train up children to love and serve Jesus. Blessings, George
