Brian Ediger
Journeyman Theologian, Scholar and Engineer
My Testimony
I grew up in a Christian household with a preacher for a dad. I learned a lot from him, including to always have a healthy skepticism of what I was being taught. I started scrutinizing Christianity when I was 14. That is I kept hearing objections to Christianity, and questions that seemed difficult to answer, which I then looked into. Through this scrutinizing I grew closer God and fell in love with Him and His Word (the Bible). At the age of 17 I felt called into ministry, though at that time I did not know exactly what He had planned.
My senior year of high school I applied to Ozark Christian College, and was accepted. I attended OCC from the fall of 2003 to the spring of 2008, working toward a Bachelor's of Theology and majoring in the Old Testament. I did not finish that degree, though I hope to go back and do so some day since I only have about 20 credit hours left. To be honest, God and I had a falling out. Much like the older brother of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) I felt entitled to certain blessings, which I felt I had not received. I told God that I still believed in Him, but that I didn't want anything to do with Him.
He left me alone for about 2 years. At that time I moved back to Colorado, living with my mom, sister and uncle to help with rent (and it was easier for me than finding an apartment). My mother asked me if I wanted to go to church with her on Sunday. I agreed to go, but secretly didn't want to. While attending Southeast Christian Church in Parker, CO, I took what I had learned at OCC and turned it into a weapon to shred the sermons (but only in my head and not to anyone else, why mess with their faith if they want to believe it?).
After about 2 months, I felt like something was very different about me. Like something was wrong. It was a Sunday, we were in church, the songs were about to end, and it hit me. I was spiritually starving. It took me a couple years to realize that I had been acting like the prodigal son's older brother, but I immediately started diving back into scripture, searching for sermons, seminars and debates to listen to and articles to read. I have grown in knowledge, using what I learned at OCC, and now feel called into ministry once again.
I still have no idea how God will use me, but I hope to serve Him well. Not to me, but to Him be the glory (Psalm 115:1 - paraphrase).