Me, a Ph.D.?

A few people that I definitely respect have lately suggested that I may want to consider doing further graduate work at some point. This is not the first time this has come up. It's an idea I've toyed with for several years myself. One person commented that though she believes I have many gifts, which would be great for the pastorate, she just can't imagine me sitting in meetings trying to decide about how best to repave the church parking lot. I also mentioned to a faculty member today that I could spend all day reading about the sacraments. He told me that while he liked that, I should admit that that was "pretty weird." He further added that often the best place for someone who gets as excited as I do about the subjects and ideas (preaching, worship, sacraments, etc.) I get excited about to turn is graduate work. And then, a third one, who holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology and works in the same office I do said she had thought the same thing about me. Notably, she remains hesitant to "push every great student into the academy," because we desperately need thoughtful pastors.

Well, I have a few ideas about what I might get a Ph.D. in. This afternoon, I was checking out Notre Dame's (I may be way out of my league here) program in Liturgical Studies. Here is the first paragraph of their website's description of the program:

"The graduate program in liturgical studies exists to advance the study and understanding of the worship life of the Christian Church in its various traditions. The program is inspired by the conviction that liturgy is the key to the church's identity, ethos, and orientation toward God and world. The program integrates three subdisciplines: liturgical history, liturgical theology, and ritual studies."

There is not one aspect of that that I do not find totally stimulating. So, me, a Ph.D.? What do you think?