Hiatus Over! What I've Been Up To

For regular readers of my blog you may have noticed the sound of crickets the past few months – my apologies. Life has been busy but I intend to get to more regular blogging. So what better way to break the silence than by telling you what has been filling my time!

Hudson

My wife and I welcomed our fourth child on March 19. Pregnancy is always tough on my wife, but as usual she was a trooper. There were some further health complications during the birth and after, but I'm happy to say that everything is great now. He brings joy to the house, and one thing I really enjoy is seeing my older children interact with Hudson, as well as them seeing how hard their mother works for her children.

 

Ordination

During my MDiv & MA at ADC I worked towards my ordination during my field education, but I did not complete the process, as I began working on my PhD immediately. Now that I have my PhD behind me, I have returned to completing my ordination process. It has been a great time working at my home church New Minas Baptist Church, and this August I go before the convention council. It has been an enjoyable process and I have appreciated working with my pastors and with my intern mentor.

 

Parallel Passages in the Pauline Epistles

In 2015 I pitched an idea to Logos Bible Software to create a parallel pauline reader. Logos had a parallel reader by Rick Brannan just on the pastoral epistles. I was happy to have Rick Brannan champion the project, and I spent many hours on this project. I was also most grateful to have a handful of grad students at ADC assist me with this project. The module is now published. Currently it is confined to Logos Now subscribers only, but I suspect it may be part of Logos 7, or purchasable on its own, at a later time.

Surviving and Thriving in Seminary

Many of you know that I self-published a small eBook a couple of years ago that has done quite well, but I really wanted to get some wider distribution for it. I am now under contract with Lexham Press to revise the work under the title Surviving and Thriving in Seminary: An Academic and Spiritual Handbook, and I am happy that Ben Forest has agreed to co-author the book with me. It should be out by the end of the year.

Young Scholars Summit

The Ellis Foundation has for the last 5 years hosted a young scholars summit, an annual meeting at Tyndale House. It was an honor to be asked to participate in the discussion on how Matthew makes use of Isaiah with several other young scholars from the states. Being in Cambridge was a wonderful experience, filled with great things to see, new friends, great conversation, and the wonderful atmosphere of Tyndale House. Out of the summit will come a presentation at an IBR session during SBL as well as a publication. 

Job Transition

As many of you know, Craig Evans transitioned to Houston Baptist University at the end of 2015. This meant some additional work for me last semester, particularly in the form of thesis supervision. I'm happy to report that I have officially been made the Assistant Professor of New Testament, beginning July 1. In addition, my role as go-to guy for technology has ceased, as I assume two new roles as the Director of the Hayward Lectures and Direct of Online Education. As part of our new online education initiative, I spent several weeks preparing and recording lectures for ADC's Interpreting the New Testament course. Part of coming into this new teaching position is the teaching of courses I have never taught before, which means I will be creating several new courses over the next few years. As I am deep into the Gospel of John, I suspect I will spend some time on John related issues in blog posts.

Psalms of Solomon Commentary

I'm currently in the midst of writing  brief commentary on the Psalms of Solomon for a one-volume commentary on the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha being published Eerdmans. Ps. Sol. 17 and 18 were the focus of my MA thesis, so I am appreciating the chance to revisit this important pre-Christian work.

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

I am currently in the midst of a major revision of the Greek Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. The Greek text and English translation was published by Accordance over a decade ago, back when I was just Craig Evans' TA. I am extremely grateful to numerous grad students who have assisted me in the revision process, and I look forward to completing this massive project and seeing this updated edition come to print.

I've Just Discovered the Perfect Word to Describe Myself

I came across the word Edupreneur two weeks ago in a random comment somewhere on the internet and I instantly new that this was the perfect label to describe myself. In the online world, I never quite knew what niche I fit it, and often knowing your niche is important for getting lots of readers for a blog. But I like to talk about a lot of things: productivity, technology, education, biblical studies, parenting, etc. There aren't a ton of blogs that cover that range of topics (if you know of any, please let me know in the comments!).

Beyond just blogging, I have also published traditional and self-published books, publish apps, as well as online courses. As far as where I spend most of my online reading time, it is usually in leadership, entrepreneurship, and productivity, and my book reading time is devoted to my academic specialty. All of these things mix into the big pot that is me.

And that's why EduPreneur is the perfect word to describe me. I am a teacher. I believe teaching is my spiritual gift, and I am so very blessed to be in a full time position where I can use my gift to teach and mold future leaders of the church. But I am not merely content to only teach those who come to Acadia Divinity College. Nor am I content to only touch a handful of academics through exclusively academic publishing. My entrepreneurial heartbeat affects my desire to educate well beyond the classroom setting as well. All of my apps, video courses, and blog posts flow out of my passion to educate and equip others — and of course my entrepreneurial heartbeat is happy that some of these ventures help to pay the bills.

Now why was it such a big deal to find this word EduPreneur? Well, I like labels. And for some reason, when I stumbled across this word, it helped me to understand myself a little more, and it made my whole world make a little more sense. I hope you can find that description for yourself too.

Challenging Yourself to Read Over Your Head

It may sound backwards at first, but even people who read a lot of non-fiction can become stuck intellectually on the same speed. They continue to learn new things of course, but they are a bit stuck on a single lane of learning. The cure for this, I think, is jumping into the deep end and occasionally reading over your head. Let me tell you my story to illustrate.

My Jump Into The Deep End

I few weeks back I completed a book by the philosopher Edward Feser called The Last Superstition: a refutation of the new atheism. It was fantastic and I highly recommend it. But this post is not about the content of that book. I mention this book because I really felt in over my head.

This particular book by Feser was 312 pages — so really only about 275 or so pages of reading when you discount the front matter and endnotes. Despite being 275 pages, it took me a LONG time to read. Why? Because it was philosophy. Feser was re-introducing me to my intro philosophy class that I took over a decade ago, and pushing me beyond that. I was reintroduced to Aristotle and Plato, final and efficient causes, and introduced for the first time to Thomas Aquinas.

This was very unlike most books I read. The lion's share of my time is reading biblical studies, particularly New Testament. When I do read fiction for enjoyment, I generally fly through it quickly. Reading in my area of New Testament, I'm fairly quick too. For instance, the book I read immediately after Feser's was 220 pages and with note-taking and creating chapter abstracts for my reference manager, it still only took me a few hours. But this philosophical work by Feser was one that I would have to stop, reread paragraphs or pages, and sometimes reread them again. I would have to at times look up definitions as well. This was a SLOW process, a mountain climb.

Brain Exercise

In short, this was brain exercise for me. And that was a very good thing. As a seminary professor and friend to many pastors, I often get concerned with the reading of my fellow ministers and former students. First, most pastor friends and former students are readers - and that is a fantastic thing, because leaders are readers and readers are leaders. But...the reading often becomes just the next best-seller by one of the US mega-church pastors. Much of the reading is fodder for sermons or strategies for growth, etc. This is excellent and much needed (so don't stop!). My concern, though, is the same concern that I have for myself: Am I exercising my mind and pushing the boundaries of my knowledge to grow and learn more in order to become a better reader and gain further wisdom? Am I intentionally jumping into the deep end?

Pause and think back to your first college class, or perhaps the first time you read Shakespeare. I recall, for instance, reading a book by Sire called The Universe Next Door. I remember finishing that book and having no idea what the book was about. Now I consider that a good but fairly basic book. As we jump into the deep end and read over our heads (or listen to lectures that are over our heads) you not only exercise your mind and learn something new, but you also expand your own personal reading level. In short, this brand new area of reading has a domino affect on your reading level everywhere else.

My Challenge To You

So let me challenge you — continue your vigorous reading schedule. But don't just stay in your comfort zone. You as a leader are very often asking those you lead to go outside their comfort zone. Challenge yourself to do the same, by intentionally adding every once in awhile into the rotation a book (or listening to a lecture) that is outside your area of expertise. Jump into the deep end and exercise those mind muscles!

photo credit: The little house on the praire via photopin (license)

Not Just For Kids: Why You Should Nap

You might consider adults napping to be a sign of laziness – you're wrong! Increasingly, it is being seen as a sign of enhanced productivity. Numerous benefits to napping have been recognized, and has long been a practice of humanity in general (check out the infographic below). I highly recommend this practice for anyone who is able to do so. While I still struggle to remind myself to take a nap, on my good days, I turn off my office lights, silence my iPhone, turn off my desk phone, lean back in my chair, and set an alarm for 25 minutes. This quick siesta reinvigorates your body and mind, and will help you to work strong for the remainder of the day.

If you're thinking to yourself that you just can't do this in the job that you are in – take the time to really think about whether or not this is indeed the case. Perhaps you can lay back in your car seat. Perhaps there is a quiet room somewhere in your building. If you're a stay at home mom, you can nap when the baby is, rather than doing the dishes. Perhaps you need to sell your boss on the idea - I think the infographic below will help on that front, so share it with them. Perhaps you can have a shorter lunch break so that your afternoon break can be a longer siesta-time. You may even be able to change your company culture such that your boss starts to encourage others to do the same thing!

Do you take a nap? Tell me about your siesta time in the comments.

source: http://visual.ly/napping

photo credit: danielfoster437 via photopin cc

Mentoring Memories: my first big TA assignment for Dr. Craig Evans

A while back I was listening to a podcast about mentors by Michael Hyatt (one of my favorite podcasts) and it had me reflecting on people that have had an influence on me. One of the things Hyatt talked about was finding mentors and learning from people you don’t necessarily even know - learning through podcasts, books, etc. There are a number of people I would point to as being mentors in my life: people I try to continue learning from. From time to time on this blog I want to take time to reflect on some things I’ve learned from my mentors.

I have been privileged to have as one of my main mentors New Testament scholar Dr. Craig Evans. Being mentored by Craig was no accident. Near the end of my undergrad studies, I knew that I wanted to pursue graduate and PhD studies in New Testament. I also knew that I wanted to try and stay in Canada; I wanted to find a top-notch scholar; and I wanted a believer. Dr. Evans fits all of those criteria - and in my opinion he is a cut above top-notch. I originally planned to head to Trinity Western University, but after talking to Dr. Evans via email I learned he was moving to Acadia Divinity College, so I came here instead, and haven’t left!

Once I was here, I was very methodical. Not only did I want to learn from Craig, but I wanted to understand his work ethic and tricks of the trade. If you know NT studies at all, you know the name Craig Evans and you know that he is prolific. I’ll share about some other things I’ve learned from him, but today I want to focus on one thing in particular.

So, as soon as I arrived, I asked if I could be his TA. The spot was taken, so I TA’d for another professor for a year (which was great, as I was TAing for Greek). The following year I jumped into the TA spot for Craig. Two months into this new position, my baptism by fire came.

I remember it very clearly because it was so comical. I was sitting in one of our small classrooms with a few students, having just finished Greek class with Craig. Craig left the class and then swiftly came back. He had in his hand a 576 page manuscript for a book he had edited with Bruce Chilton called The Missions of James, Peter, and Paul (great collection of essays by the way). This behemoth paper stack was tied together with some string. He dropped it in front of me (almost cracking the table), and said: “Danny, here’s the manuscript we talked about. Brill really wants to have it ready for SBL. They would like the index to be done quickly. You have 72 hours."

After a bit of a chuckle, the reality sunk in that the next 72 hours of my life would be just this manuscript. I was shocked at the timetable (that was news to me), but fortunately I had mentally prepared – in particular I had figured out a way to do the indexing a little more quickly using a spreadsheet (I’ve since worked out an even quicker way - check out my guide, Scripture Indexing on a Mac).

I set to work immediately. Fortunately this didn’t set me back homework wise, as I generally worked ahead (check out my homework tips in Surviving and Thriving in Seminary). I worked on this non-stop. The first night, I went to bed pretty late. The next day I felt I was really behind and not going to make it - but I kept pushing. At home I sat at my desk and got to it. While I sat at my desk working on this, Craig was in his home office working as well. We were emailing back and forth every half hour or so. He encouraged me along. By 4am he decided to get a few hours of sleep. At 7:30am, I finished the index. I felt pasted to my desk chair. I got up, took a shower, and headed to class. As I sent it to Craig, I got an email back from Craig. He said that I was a mensch, in German a “real man."

I learned something about myself and Craig that day. First, I learned that sometimes you just have to burn the midnight oil. There are times when you just need to keep working. Craig knows how to work hard and long hours - that’s part of the reason why he is so prolific. And I also learned that when I’m focused and under the gun, I can work very fast. I know I have the fortitude to get stuff done when I need to. Craig really taught me the value of hard work.

From that assignment, I also learned the value of utilizing technology. I had talked to some previous students who had done similar work. They talked about days and weeks of doing these indexes. I got it done by myself in 72 hours. It wasn’t because I necessarily worked harder, but because, as soon as I learned I had to do this, I thought to myself “there’s got to be a better way beyond copying and pasting into a Word document.” A little bit of planning went a LONG way.

One other thing I learned is that it is good to “pay your dues.” No one likes to do indexing, but it is part of the publishing business. It builds character to “start at the bottom” so to speak. I did more indexes after that - I taught others how, and now I edit books and write them. Scripture indexing a book is a huge labor with little reward - but somebody’s got to do it. It makes the book much more usable for users.

So there you have it. My first assignment taught me 1) the value of hard work, 2) the value of utilizing technology, and 3) that it builds character when you “start at the bottom."