When Jesus was dying on the cross, He cried out “It is finished,” signifying that He had completely paid for our sins (Jn. 19:30). The Greek term that is used in that verse has been found on first century receipts, where it means “paid in full.” Given that yesterday was Good Friday, you might think that the title of this post is a reference to that event, but actually I am writing about something much more mundane.

Last week I mailed off the final version of my D.Min. dissertation. It is finished! Finally! Thank you to all of you who have prayed for and encouraged me in this project. Looking back, it has been a long road. I have been thinking about and researching this topic for years, and writing in earnest since last summer. According to MS Word, my dissertation has 57,976 words, although that includes some notes that I have made in a hidden font which do not appear in the final product. Still, it is a sizable work with 233 numbered pages, not including the “front matter” (contents, preface, etc.).

My graduation will be on June 22 in Los Gatos, CA. As my final graduation requirement, I will be giving a public presentation of my research on Saturday 4/19 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at CFC. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend. Since several people have asked, I will try to have the presentation recorded.

People have been asking me what I will do with all of my “free time” now that I have finished the dissertation. I usually tell them that for the past two years I have often said “I will do X when my dissertation is finished.” I think that by now I have at least 200 things on that list, not to mention my usual church responsibilities. Now I can begin to slowly work though that list.  One of the things that I want to do is to write more regularly here.  I realize that my posts have been few and far between the past few months.

I also hope to find a way to get my research published. I have begun to learn about the world of publishing and what it takes to have a book accepted by a publisher. I will probably write more about that process as I explore the options in this area.

Have a blessed Resurrection Day tomorrow!

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5 Comments

  1. Congratulations on completing your degree. I hope that you will be able to record your presentation and make those contents available in a written and/or electronic form. It is great to see more people researching on the Chinese church, especially on English ministry.
    By the way, my article on “Preaching in a Multicultural World” is published in the Mar/Apr ’08 issue of Preaching: The Professional Journal for Preachers and available on-line at http://www.preaching.com/resources/features/11569912/

  2. Thanks for the encouragement, and the link to your article. I plan to record the presentation, and will post a link here when it is available.

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