Pursuing Lifelong Learning

Summer reading lists—how I dreaded them! Each June, the list from school would arrive and sit on my desk, slowly buried under stacks of other things until it disappeared. Summer was for vacation, not books! But by August, a reminder letter came, urging us to finish our books and submit one-page reports. Most years, I hadn’t read a single one, so I scrambled to the bookstore for CliffsNotes.

Fast forward 10 years. I had just graduated from seminary and was serving as Associate Pastor at a large church in New Orleans. My senior pastor handed me a copy of Net Results, a magazine on church growth and evangelism. After reading one issue, I devoured the rest. Seminary had trained me well in theology and Scripture, but not in leadership or how to reach those outside the church. I began reading everything I could—on leadership, stewardship, small groups, apologetics, men’s ministry, spiritual gifts, and more. Today, my office and home are filled with shelves of books. What changed? I realized how much I didn’t know. That discovery, combined with a passion to serve Christ and his mission, turned me into a lifelong learner.

Early in ministry, another pastor invited me to join the Board of Ordained Ministry. In our conversation, he said, “I know you’re on fire, Tim, and want to change the Church. I was like you once. But they’ll beat you down until all you want is to make it to retirement.” My heart broke for him. I resolved never to let that happen. Instead, I committed to be a lifelong learner.

What about you? Are you pursuing spiritual growth with abandon? Seeking to become like Jesus, one step at a time? Deepening your faith as a lifelong learner? This is central to the Anglican tradition. The Book of Common Prayer often petitions God for knowledge, understanding, and guidance. Lifelong learning is a way of life.

Dr. Cyndi Parker explains:

“In Jesus’s day, Jewish education was viewed as benefiting the whole person. The Greeks learned to comprehend; the Hebrews learned to revere. The goal of Jewish education was not intellectual achievement but obedience to God, considered the highest wisdom.”

Learners were urged not to blindly accept a rabbi’s words, but to meditate on them and seek deeper meaning.

Luke 2:52 tells us, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

The word for “grew” implies active progress—like blazing a trail. Wisdom comes from God:

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

Jesus himself grew in wisdom, showing us the path. He offers the strength and wisdom we need to become more like him—if we seek it.

Paul echoes this call in 1 John 2, describing stages of spiritual growth: children, youth, and spiritual parents. We all begin as children in the faith, but we are called to mature, as Jesus did. Spiritual growth is not optional—it is essential. Several catalysts shaped my own journey of growth:

1. DAILY SCRIPTURE READING

My first major step came through the Disciple Bible Study, a 34-week survey requiring daily reading. By the end, I had read over 90% of Scripture and engaged its major themes. Reading the whole story transforms how you understand each passage. Daily reading is central to Anglican practice, offered through the Daily Office Lectionary. In two years, it covers all the major passages of Scripture. Resources like Forward Day by Day even make it easy to access on your phone—or to listen on the go. Peter urges us:

“Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation" (1 Peter 2:2).

Scripture nourishes spiritual growth just as food nourishes the body.

2. PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

I grew up in Kansas City, so when I read the Bible, I pictured the flat land of Kansas. But Israel is rugged, rocky, and hilly. Geography and culture are part of the story. As one writer put it, “the land is the Fifth Gospel.” Walking where Jesus walked transforms how you read Scripture and deepens faith in ways words cannot fully capture. Chris Girata is planning to offer a Holy Land Family trip in Spring of 2027.

3. LEARNING THE CONTEXT OF THE BIBLE

We often read Scripture through a Western, modern lens, missing the cultural context the original readers knew instinctively. Restoring a passage to its original setting brings new depth and clarity. For me, this shift reshaped how I read, teach, and preach.

4. THE HAPPENING (YOUTH CURSILLO)

Cursillo, meaning “short course in Christianity,” is a retreat of talks, music, worship, and community. The youth version, Happening, introduced me to a tangible experience of God’s love and grace. It was life-changing and set a pattern of accountability, prayer, and encouragement in faith.

5. WEEKLY WORSHIP

Hebrews reminds us not to neglect gathering for worship, but to encourage one another (10:24–25). Growing up, my father insisted we attend church every Sunday—even on vacation. Though my siblings and I complained, it set a rhythm in my life I’ve kept to this day. Worship recenters me in God’s presence, resets my perspective, and renews my purpose. Without it, something vital is missing.

These catalysts all share one thing: a commitment to lifelong learning. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians writes,

“...attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him...” (Ephesians 4:13–15).

Jesus invites you to be a lifelong learner too—to grow in wisdom, deepen in faith, and join his mission.

**This article was written by Tim Smith and was featured in the 2025–26 Winter Archangel.