Windows, Spring 2011

SPRING 2011

The Bible

America’s least-read bestseller

LOOKING OUTWARD

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The President’s Preaching and Speaking Engagements April 10, Preacher, First PC Temple, Texas April 29, Speaker, Men’s Fellowship, First Baptist Church, Austin May 9-10, The Daniel Nelson Lecturer, Omaha Presbyterian Foundation May 12, Partner Luncheon, Oklahoma City May 15, Preacher, Pines PC, Houston May 29, Preacher (Ordination Service), First PC, Brenham, Texas June 5, Preacher, First PC, Oxford, Mississippi September 18, Preacher, Central PC, Waco, Texas September 22, Host, Evening with the President, Albuquerque, New Mexico September 25, Preacher, University PC, Austin October 6, Partner Luncheon, Dallas October 9, Preacher, University PC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana October 11, Host, Evening with the President, Harlingen, Texas

seminary professor of mine once gave a lecture which began with these startling words: “The Bible is the most dangerous book ever written.” A first-year student in seminary, I was shocked by that statement. I had always associated the Bible with so many of the cultural niceties that padded my upbringing. In those days, Bibles (however dusty and unread) still sat prominently on the coffee tables of some of the nicest people I knew; neighborhood Bible studies were the most effective way that New Church Development pastors started congregations; and leather red-letter Bibles with zippers on three sides were great ideas for Christmas presents. In a world which was, as Flannery O’Connor once put it, “not so much Christ-centered as Christ-haunted,” this notion that the Bible was dangerous was a new one for me. Nonetheless, those words stayed with me—through my seminary years, through my pastoral life, on upending trips to faraway places, and even down to this good day. And I now believe deeply that they are true. The Bible is the most dangerous book ever written. After all, as someone else has said, it’s not just the book that we read; it’s also the book that reads us. Read it carefully, and it will end up reading you—sometimes in ways that turn your world upside down.

Annie Dillard, the poet, grew up in a posh Presbyterian church in an upscale Pittsburgh neighborhood—a church not unlike many of our congregations. Reflecting on that experience in her book American Childhood, she wrote: “If they had read [the Bible] … they would have hidden it. They didn’t recognize the vivid danger that we would, through repeated exposure, catch a case of its wild opposition to their world.”

There is, finally, something about this amazing book that is not nearly as tame as we might think.

What follows in this issue of Windows is a case for why we should take the Bible off of our coffee tables and place it in the center of our life as people of faith. Three members of our Biblical Department—Professors Eugene March, Lewis Donelson, and John Alsup—and Professor Patricia Tull, an Austin Seminary alum, join forces in calling for a faithful re-engagement with the Bible in our scholarship and piety. Their contributions are followed by recaps of this year’s MidWinters, of Dean Cole’s recent inauguration and installation, of various awards announced for students and alums, and the latest news of recent happenings and upcoming events.

So turn the page and get started. There is a holy danger that lies ahead!

Faithfully yours, Theodore J. Wardlaw President

CONTENTS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Cassandra C. Carr, Chair Karen C. Anderson Thomas L. Are Jr. Susan Beaird F. M. Bellingrath III Elizabeth Christian Joseph J. Clifford James G. Cooper Marvin L. Cooper James B. Crawley Consuelo Donahue (MDiv’96) Elizabeth Blanton Flowers G. Archer Frierson Richard D. Gillham Walter Harris Jr. Bruce G. Herlin Roy M. Kim J Carter King III (MDiv’70) James H. Lee (MDiv’00) Michael L. Lindvall Catherine O. Lowry Blair R. Monie Lyndon L. Olson Jr. B. W. Payne David Peeples Jeffrey Kyle Richard Cynthia L. Rigby Teresa Chávez Sauceda (MDiv’88) Anne Vickery Stevenson Karl Brian Travis John L. Van Osdall Sallie Sampsell Watson (MDiv’87) Carlton Wilde Jr. Elizabeth Currie Williams

2 - 13 Biblical literacy 2

Reclaiming the vision Biblical literacy for the church

BY EUGENE MARCH

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Lost in translation

BY LEWIS DONELSON

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Getting to know the Bible

BY PATRICIA K. TULL

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The pastoral context

BY JOHN ALSUP

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Community news Faculty news Development news Alumni/ae news

W I N D OW S SPRING 2011 Volume 126 Number 2

EDITOR Randal Whittington

CONTRIBUTORS Shuhan Chan Laura Harris Sandy Knott Nancy Reese Lana Russell Allie Utley

Trustees Emeriti Stephen A. Matthews Max Sherman Louis Zbinden

Publisher & Mailing Statement Windows is published three times each year

by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

ISSN 2056-0556

Photography on the cover and page 2 by Jody Horton

Non-profit bulk mail permit no. 2473

Austin Seminary Windows Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary 100 E. 27th St. Austin, TX 78705-5797 phone: 512-404-4808 e-mail: windows@austinseminary.edu fax: 512-479-0738 www.austinseminary.edu

Theological Education Fund (1% Plan)

The theological schools of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) no longer receive funding from the basic mission budget of the General Assembly. Churches are asked to contribute 1% of their operating budgets to the fund, which is then distributed to the seminaries.

Reclaiming the Vision:

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Biblical literacy for the church

T

BY W. EUGENE MARCH

he Protestant Reformation had as one of its primary goals providing translation of the Bible into the language of the common people in order that all—not only those trained in the ancient languages—

might read the scriptures for themselves.

German, French, and English translations began to appear wherever groups of Reformed Christians clustered. In 1611 the English translation we know as the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible was produced as part of this vision.

This year we celebrate the 400th year of the publication of the King James Version.

After a good deal of controversy, the KJV eventually won out as the primary English translation. During the first two

Biblical literacy

Nope—not there!

“God helps them that help themselves."

Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanac (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2007), 15

“God moves in mysterious ways.”

Hymn by William Cowper (The Presbyterian Hymnal: Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs, Westminster John Knox Press, 1992), 270

“This too shall pass.”

Old English poem, Deor (c. AD 10th century)

“Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (A Norton Critical Edition, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999), 23.

The Reverend Dr. Eugene March (MDiv’60) is Austin Seminary’s Jean Brown Visiting Professor for 2009-2011. A member of Austin Seminary’s faculty from 1964-1982, he retired in 2004 as the A.B. Rhodes Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Louisville Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, the most recent of which is Genesis from Scratch: The Old Testament for Beginners (co-authored with Donald Griggs, Westminster John Knox, 2010).

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

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Test your literacy!

The following questions were taken from the Bible Content Exam, given to all PC(USA) MDiv students. How many can you answer correctly?

1. According to the first creation story in Genesis, who or what was created last? a. the woman, out of man’s side b. the garden of Eden, in the east c. men and women in God’s image d. the tree of knowledge of good and evil 2. Who was made a leper but then healed after seven days? a. Rachel b. Zipporah c. Miriam d. Lot’s wife

3. Who was the first king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), the one whose sins were said to have been repeated by every king of Israel who followed him? a. Ahab b. Hezekiah c. Solomon d. Jeroboam 4. Which book contains the call narrative of the prophet? a. Ezekiel b. Joel c. Zechariah d. Malachi

5. In which book can the following saying be found: “a living dog is better than a dead lion”? a. Job b. Ecclesiastes c. Proverbs d. Psalms

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hundred years of its existence, there were a number of revisions (mostly in spelling). But since the middle of the nineteenth century, it has remained practically unchanged and has been the standard translation for almost all English-speaking Protestant Christian groups and for many other Christians as well. Even now, the KJV to a large extent stands at the foundation of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) published in 1952 and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) published in 1989. Of course, there has been a plethora of other translations and paraphrases of the Bible to appear in the past fifty years, but the KJV continues to be the translation most purchased in the English-speaking world. For four hundred years it has provided a source for literary style, poetic imagery, and theological understanding for millions of people in countless circumstances.

The KJV has done well as a resource for meeting the high priority set by the early Reformers for placing the Bible into the hands of any and all who wished to read it.

The changing times While the KJV and many other English translations remain easily accessible, the reading and knowledge of the Bible among ordinary people seems as low now as at the time of the Reformation. In September of last year the Pew Research Center released the results of a poll taken as part of the “God in America National Symposium on Religious Literacy” in Washington D.C. To say the least, the findings were sobering.

18%

Only a minority of PC(USA) laity report reading the Bible on their own in the prior week, either “at least daily” (members, 18%; elders, 17%) or “often, but not daily” (16%; 17%).

Presbyterian Panel Survey, August 2006

Of course, those working with youth and adults in the church already have a good idea of what the Pew poll confirmed. Knowledge of the Bible is waning with each succeeding generation. White Evangelical Christians and Mormons did the best, correctly answering seven to eight questions out of twelve asked. White mainline, White Catholic, and Black Protestant groups scored about equally, providing correct answers to slightly less than half of the questions. Atheists and agnostics did better than the three previously noted groups. But, still, as the report points out: [M]ost Americans are able to correctly answer at least half of the survey’s questions about the Bible. For example, roughly seven-in-ten (71%) know that, according to the Bible, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. More than six-in-ten (63%) correctly name Genesis as the first book of the Bible. And more than half know that the Golden Rule—“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”—is not one of the Ten Commandments.

On the other hand, just a few of the observations Stephen Prothero, professor of Religion at Boston University, makes in his book Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know—and Doesn’t (HarperCollins, 2007), illustrate how desperate the situation is. For example: 10% of Americans

Biblical literacy

Why does it matter?

For Christians, and particularly for Reformed Christians, the Bible has a very special place. It is a rich resource of wisdom and challenge. It is a book like every other human book, something that can be studied and analyzed and criticized. It has its sources and its influences. Inspired by God’s Spirit, it was nonetheless written by human beings. At the same time, however, it is a book like no other human book in that across the centuries Christians have testified to the fact that the Bible has proven, most often, to be the place as no other where one may expect to be confronted by the divine. The Bible is in a sense an extension of the incarnation of God’s Word that Christians acknowledge in Jesus of Nazareth. Its words are not the “literal” words of God, but it provides an explicit context for more deeply understanding and encountering God. Likewise, since we believe that language matters, the Bible provides a rich vocabulary for understanding and articulating what we believe, namely, for our theology. To benefit from this vocabulary one must become immersed in it.

The metaphors, the poetry, the narrative, the wisdom insights, and even the ordinances and statutes, inform and guide us as we seek to recognize who God is and what God is doing. These words, then, also provide us with the starting point as we attempt to interpret God’s way in our day, in the modern world so different in many ways from the biblical world. New understandings emerge—God is in no way trapped in the old words—but these interpretations and expressions will necessarily stand in a tension of continuity/discontinuity with the Bible.

A third reason why it matters whether we know the Bible intimately has to do with being able more readily and deeply to understand the culture into which we have been thrust. Much of the art, music, literature, political rhetoric, and even humor, that has shaped the English-speaking world during the past four hundred years has drawn upon the Bible for at least some of its inspiration. From George Frederic Handel’s sublime musical masterpiece “The Messiah,” with its Hallelujah Chorus, to Bill Cosby’s comical take on the Noah story, “How Long Can You Tread Water?” the Bible is one of the primary sources. Shakespearean drama and the Star Wars’ series are each in their own way deeply indebted to the Bible, whether most people know that or not.

Such literary treasures as Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia show clear engagement with the Bible. Indeed, J.K. Rowlings’ extraordinarily popular Harry Potter series likewise engages—whether recognized by her readers or not—biblical themes of long-lasting significance such as death, deliverance, commitment, love, and more. It is important for Christians to understand that our culture has been as deeply influenced indirectly by the Bible, with its language and symbols, as directly by the explicit teaching of Christian theology.

That influence declines, however, with each less biblically literate generaWINDOWS / Spring 2011

6. How is this saying completed: “Blessed are the peacemakers …”? a. “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” b. “for they will be called children of God.” c. “for they will inherit the earth.” d. “for they will see God.” 7. Which is the only miracle reported in all four Gospels? a. Feeding the multitudes b. Healing of blind Bartimaeus c. Healing of the ten lepers d. Walking on water

8. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast” occurs in which book? a. Ephesians b. Colossians c. Titus d. Philemon 9. Paul gives the words of institution for the Lord’s Supper in which of the following books? a. 1 Corinthians b. Ephesians c. Philippians d. Colossians

“‘I am the Alpha and Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” What book contains these words? a. John b. 1 John c. 3 John d. Revelation

Answers: 1. C, 2. C, 3. D, 4. A., 5.

B, 6. B, 7. A, 8. A, 9. A, 10. D

questioned identified Joan of Arc as Noah’s wife; 66% did not know who delivered the “Sermon of the Mount”; 75% believed that the Bible taught that “God helps those who help themselves;” and most Americans do not know that “Jonah” is a book in the Bible. For those of us who believe that it is important for people—particularly for Christians—to know the Bible, we have our work cut out.

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What’s it really say?

“Pride Goeth Before the Fall”

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 16:18

“Money is the Root of all Evil”

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.”

1 Timothy 6:10

“Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child”

“Those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are diligent to discipline them.”

Proverbs 13:24

“The Lion and the Lamb Shall Lie Down Together”

“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.“ Isaiah 11.6

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tion that arises.

And finally, knowledge of the Bible for Christians is fundamental to understanding who we are and what we are intended to do in this world.

Many false interpretations of the role of the church and the place of the individual believer have been successful because of ignorance or confusion about what the Bible does and does not say. “The Bible says …” is one of those phrases thrown about too often by too many who know too little! Gullibility is enhanced by ignorance!

The only counter to false or misleading declarations of what the Bible teaches is accurate information. We owe that to those in our culture, whether Christian or not, who are deluged by assertions that we know are not true to the Bible.

To know the Bible is not something easily accomplished. For most of us it is a lifelong process. But simply because one cannot know everything instantly or without effort does not excuse one from the task! If we want to know who we are as God’s people, it is important to know where we have come from, to know our beginnings and the many important stops along the way. If we want to serve God faithfully as Christians, it is crucial for us to become thoroughly knowledgeable of the biblical record, for that is the best source for our understanding. I know that for those reading this article I am probably “preaching to the choir,” but sometimes even the “choir” needs to be reminded of its primary purpose and task.

So what are we to do?

Now comes the hard part. What can we do to turn this great ship in the sea of misinformation and “missing” information in which we now sail? Can we do anything, or is our destination already set, our crash on the shoreline of ignorance inevitable? I, of course, think that there are some steps we can take to improve our situation or I wouldn’t be writing this essay, but I am also well aware that it will not be an easy task.

Let’s consider some small steps first. Every week we prepare bulletins to guide our congregations in worship. Each place we use a scriptural reference or quotation we should identify what it is and where it is located in the Bible.

Most of our people do not know that Psalm 19:14 is the source for our oftenused prayer: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” How many know where the Lord’s Prayer is to be found? They may know that it is somewhere in the New Testament (at least we hope so!), but could they find it if they wanted to read it at home? The bulletin can be an effective tool in our efforts to overcome biblical illiteracy.

Let me illustrate. Recently in a worship service I attended, the “Call to Worship” was based on Ephesians 1:3-6, either quoting or paraphrasing these verses. The first hymn, “Praise the Lord, God’s Glories Show,” echoes Psalm 150. The “Call to Confession,” slightly paraphrased, was based on Romans 5:8. The “Assurance of Pardon” was a paraphrase of Romans 8:34. The hymns used in the service also had a foundation in scripture: “All Glory Be to God on High,” reflects Luke 2:14; “What Star Is This, with Beams So Bright,” draws on Matthew 2:1-12; “All Hail to God’s Anointed,” is based on Psalm 72. The benediction was the often-quoted words of 2 Corinthians 13:13: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” This was then followed by a solo response,

Biblical literacy “Within Your Shelter, Loving God,” based on Psalm 91, to conclude the service. This information could have been used in the bulletin to point out how thoroughly our worship is guided by and draws upon the Bible.

Likewise, when we read the lectionary texts (or whatever biblical passages we may use), we need to remember that most of our people actually have little idea of what we are reading or why we are reading it. They—and the polls make this clear—have little awareness of what is in the Bible and great uncertainty about why the preacher insists on reading from such an arcane source.

We need to educate them concerning the place of the Bible in our Reformed tradition. I knew one pastor that always had the congregation rise and read aloud in unison the passage on which the sermon was based. It was not an efficient way to read the scripture, but the members of that congregation had a better-than-average knowledge and appreciation of the Bible.

In the congregation whose liturgy I described above, the normal practice of the pastor is to read two of the biblical passages assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary. That was not the case on that particular Sunday. Why? What prompted the change? What an opportune time to have offered a word about the use of the Lectionary. We need to educate our people. We don’t have to be pedantic about it, but to identify the sources of our words, and the reasons we use these words and not others, can help them become better informed. We can no longer afford to assume that most of the people know much about the Bible. They do not!

With the sermon there is also much that can be done. We do not have to

57%

A slim majority of Christians (57%) correctly says that the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” is not one of the Ten Commandments.

U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, September 28, 2010

teach everything we know about the origin of a given text every time we preach, but we need to be doing a lot more than most seem to be doing.

When we pick a text from Jeremiah or from Matthew and begin to expound upon it, we need to remember that there are probably a fair number of people in the congregation who do not know whether Jeremiah was a disciple of Jesus or whether Mathew was one of the prophets or when either of them lived in relation to last year’s Super Bowl. We need to admit the ignorance that exists and regularly and systematically find ways to address it. It does no good to blame the denominational curricular materials or the previous pastor or the competition from the local softball/soccer/or whatever teams. We have a problem that needs fixing and we are the ones who have to make the effort.

Don’t preach from the Bible as if it is a magic book, the words of which can simply be used to get what one wants. Help your people see the Bible for what it can truly be: a source of inspiration, instruction, and challenge, but also a book that must be understood in its original context before it can be “applied” to the current one.

We really do have to approach the teaching/preaching ministries these days as those trying to teach a “second language” to people with little clue as to why they need to learn it and little motivation from their wider culture to make the effort.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

Teaching the Bible

Bible Teaching Program.com http://bibleteachingprogram.com /courses.html Kerygma Program http://www.kerygma.com/default .html Bethel Series http://bethelseries.com/home.as px Teaching the Bible Series Logos http://www.logos.com/product/5 936/teaching-the-bible-series Train Bible Teachers.com http://trainbibleteachers.com

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Study tips

My only advice for reading scripture is simply to read scripture. Make a regular habit of reading the Bible. One practice that has worked for me is beginning the day by reading: before I check my voice mail, before I check my email, I read for five to ten minutes. Work slowly through books of the Bible, particularly those books that you don’t gravitate towards naturally.

Read scripture and you’ll be surprised by it. When we are no longer surprised by the Bible, we’ve lost the ability to read.

David Jensen Professor of Constructive Theology and Associate Dean for Masters Programs

We can no longer count on the public schools to teach our children the Bible. We know that many of our adults have little knowledge about the Bible. So a wider, proactive strategy needs to be developed. Pastors need to single out people we think are capable of serious study of the Bible and challenge them to begin the process. There are a number of good courses designed to help with this project. The better ones are shown in the sidebar (page 7).

There is also a relatively new online resource called The Thoughtful Christian that Westminster John Knox Press is developing. From this Web-based source numerous biblical and theological studies can be downloaded for use by people trying to improve their knowledge of the Bible and their capacity to function as responsible interpreters.

Further, we can no longer, in my opinion, leave the enrollment in these courses to individual choice or self-selection. A cadre of qualified people needs to be developed; particular people need to be selected and enlisted in these classes. They need to understand that they are part of a wider educational goal. What’s more, their own enlightenment is not enough. They are to be part of a concerted effort to educate the congregation about the Bible. They are to accept the responsibility of becoming examples and instructors in the struggle to overcome biblical illiteracy. They will not be “ordained” in a formal way, but they will be commissioned with an important, critical task: an effort to replace ignorance with knowledge! Is this a two-week crash program?

By no means! It will take a serious commitment on the part of the “volunteers” and ongoing support and encouragement on the part of the “professionals.” And as they develop their knowledge, they need help to see how they can now view the world through their “biblical eyes.” Is it actually possible?

The early Christians thought so, but can we do it?

We don’t really know because it hasn’t been widely tried in recent years.

There are, no doubt, many other approaches that have been made and other possibilities yet to be discovered. The bottom line, the place to start, is with the pastor(s) and other congregational staff. If the leadership is not seen to be knowledgeable about the Bible or utilize the Bible in its work with the congregation, it will be difficult to enlist others in the project. Yes, I know that many congregations want “activity leaders” rather than “teaching elders.” I know that personal counseling with others can be more gratifying. I am aware that many ministers— particularly of smaller congregations— are expected to do everything from the Sunday sermon to making certain that the lights are out and the bathrooms are clean. But if the Reformers were correct in their conviction that perhaps the most important task of church leaders is to make the Bible available in a responsible way to those in the pew, we seriously need to change our “job descriptions” and reset our priorities.

A concluding remark The task is fairly clear. If the aim of the Reformers was not off mark, then we need to reclaim their vision and commitment to making the Bible available to the everyday folk who seek to love God and follow Jesus Christ. Translation into the common vernacular is not the problem any longer. There are any number of translations (sometimes I think too many!) to read. Now the challenge is to teach them how to “read,” how to “interpret” the Bible.

Those of us who live in North America find ourselves in the most reliContinued on page 17 8

Biblical literacy

Lost in translation

Study tips

BY LEWIS DONELSON

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n some ways, the question of why Christians should know the Bible has an obvious and rather simple answer. Most Christians would say that a necessary aspect of being a Christian is to be shaped by the commands and stories and images of the Bible.

To be a Christian is not the same as a being a good person, a nice person, a fine citizen. To be a Christian is to be Christ-like.

To follow Jesus we must have some idea of who Jesus was, is. There is something particular, even peculiar, about being a Christian that can only be found by reading the Bible.

Of course, once we start reading, the question emerges not only of how we read but which version of the Bible we should read. The many issues involved in this would take us far beyond what can be addressed in this brief note. However, the issue of translation is important, as one brief example should show. The four different translations, given below, of Matthew 5:4, produce quite different reading experiences. And, of course, there are many more versions than these four.

19%

About one-fifth of all adults participated in a small group for Bible study, prayer, and Christian fellowship (19%).

Barna’s Annual Tracking Study, May 2007

THE NIV The most common and familiar translation is represented by the New International Version (NIV) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

They read, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This reading is probably as literal a rendition of the Greek syntax as we can manage in English. In a way, to read this sentence well, we need the entire canon.

The language of blessing connects to the many other biblical blessings. In the Bible, mourners are those engaged in public lament for tragedies and injustices to nations, neighbors, and family. And, of course, the language of comfort connects the reader to all the images of divine comfort in the Bible.

It is a text, translated this way, that pulls us into the rich world of the Bible.

Biblical literacy is more like exercising a muscle than storing knowledge in a jar. Using a muscle is work: we must keep reading the Bible to stay “in shape.” So, Kindle people read the Bible on your Kindle. Book people, read the Bible in a book.

Because Christians believe that the Bible is God’s word to the world (and not just to me!), improving biblical literary should include studying with other Christians. You need to find some who share your desire. For many of us, the biggest barrier to biblical literacy is our use of time.

The resolve to take time to read the Bible is one key to increasing biblical literacy.

Timothy Lincoln Associate Dean for Seminary Effectiveness and Director of the Stitt Library

THE CEB The new Common English Bible (CEB) reads, “Happy are people who The Reverend Dr. Lewis Donelson is The Ruth Campbell Professor of New Testament Studies at Austin Seminary. The author of five books including I and II Peter and Jude: A Commentary, From Hebrews to Revelation: A Theological Introduction and Colossians, Ephesians (all from Westminster John Knox Press), he is also the editor of Horizons in Biblical Theology, an academic journal published by Austin Seminary.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

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Study tips

I would recommend including a Jewish commentary on the Old Testament, especially the Torah, the first five chapters.

The text is a Jewish text before it is a Christian text. I like The Torah: A Modern Commentary, (New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981), but there are others.

Whit Bodman, Associate Professor of Comparative Religion +++

We all use a lectionary in the broadest sense of the term: a pattern for reading biblical texts.

I tend to follow the Revised Common Lectionary, an ecumenically shared pattern of reading the texts. Many denominational calendars include the RCL Sunday texts. But not as many people know this: there are daily readings that flow out of the previous Sunday’s texts (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) and daily readings that take a turn to look toward the upcoming Sunday RCL texts (Thursday, Friday, Saturday). For a daily lectionary that corresponds to the RCL Sunday readings, see Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, Proposed by the Consultation on Common Texts (Fortress Press, 2005). Or type “RCL daily readings” into your computer search engine.

Following this common lectionary means I keep reading company with many Christians globally and ecumenically.

Jennifer Lord, Associate Professor of Homiletics

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grieve, because they will be made glad.” Happy is nice, accessible word to modern readers. We know what the word happy means as opposed to the little-used term “blessed.” Thus, the sentence seems easier to read. Of course, to be happy is not the same as blessed. “Happy” seems to belong more to the powers of the individual. Happiness is mine. A blessing is a gift from outside.

To grieve is a powerful thing, but the word “grieve” does not connect the reader to the role of public mourners in the ancient world. Gladness is quite different from comfort.

To be comforted is not always to be glad. Again, gladness, like happiness, is an emotion that belongs to me, while comfort, like blessing, comes from outside. The sentence seems to fit more easily into the world of the modern readers, but in doing so it loses its biblical echoes.

THE NIRV New International Reader’s Version (NIRV) reads, “Blessed are those who are sad. They will be comforted.” This translation lies somewhere in between the other two. It keeps the language of blessing and comfort and thereby evokes other biblical images. But the word “sad” suggests more of a private emotion than a public one. The dismantling of the causative syntax of “for” and “because” into two independent clauses softens, at least a little bit, the theological logic of deed and promise.

THE MESSAGE The Message reads, “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” At this point, we are no longer in the realm of what most people would consider a translation. We would describe this reading as a paraphrase, even a loose paraphrase. It keeps the language of blessing and some sort of sequence of something bad followed by something good. The language of feeling that “you’ve lost what is most dear to you” does not connect to the same range of feelings and tragedies that the language of public mourning does. Again, as does the language of sadness, this language feels more personal and private.

Nevertheless, there is some overlap here with the other translations. On the other hand, I hardly know what to say about the image of being “embraced by the One most dear to you.” This is a clever phrase and nice image, but it is far removed from the narratives and imagery of comfort in the Bible. And, the language of “only then can you” transforms and confines in a rather puzzling way the causative sequence of “for” and “because.” Finally and most importantly, this translation does not need the larger images of the Bible in order to make sense. It is like a proverb that can travel alone, without other texts, into the private lives of private people. This sentence is not a moment in the biblical narrative.

I think all of these readings have things to commend them. The privatizing of the biblical stories and sayings enables people to connect the Bible to their own lives. However, in becoming more accessible, these translations strip out the complex biblical echoes that give these texts their richness and power. I would argue that, first, we should read the more literal translations which force us to trace the voices of the canon that the text needs in order to speak.

Then, as a form of play, as a way to explore the range of these texts, we might move these sentences into more familiar and accessible syntax.

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Biblical literacy

Getting to know the Bible

BY PATRICIA K. TULL

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ur ancestors in the previous two centuries lived in a biblically literate culture, where it was widely assumed that scripture contained divine messages that were immediately applicable to readers. Today, however, many find themselves distant from the Bible. Its words no longer surround our daily lives. What we hear in popular culture does not concern scripture’s meaning, but its disputed position in schools and public spaces, or its supposed revelations explaining science or the world’s future. Such encounters with the scriptures our ancestors revered can be baffling.

Most mainline Christians think we ought to know the Bible better, but are intimidated by its complexity. Obstacles we face are informational (What

Despite the generational decline in many Bible metrics, one departure from the typical pattern is the fact that younger adults, especially those age 18-25 (19%), express a slightly above-average interest in gaining additional Bible knowledge.

This compares with 12% of those who are 45-63 and 9% of those over 64.

Barna Update, December 2009

19%

is this strange practice?), ethical (Why is the psalmist saying horrid things about others?), cosmological (Do I have to believe in demons to understand Jesus’ healing stories?), and literary (What can I get out of these genealogies or detailed ritual descriptions?). Even familiar Gospel narratives raise questions some hesitate to ask in church. Dashed hopes for easy enlightenment or pleasure from reading scripture may only discourage us more.

It can be helpful to set aside, at least for the moment, expectations about how the Bible will speak to us, and instead to approach it as we would a person we would like to know better—with curiosity and interest. If we do so, we will find that scripture welcomes our attention and rewards our inquisitiveness. Before we know it, we find God speaking to us in unexpected ways through our reading.

In general, three tools are extremely helpful: 1) A good study Bible (such as The New Interpreter’s NRSV Study Bible or the HarperCollins Study Bible); a one-volume Bible dictionary (such as the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary), and a blank spiral notebook for recording information, thoughts, and quesThe Rev. Dr. Patricia K. Tull (MDiv’85) is A. B. Rhodes Professor Emerita of Old Testament at Louisville Seminary. Her books and Bible studies include the commentaries Isaiah 1-39 (Smyth and Helwys, 2010) and Isaiah 40-66 (forthcoming), Esther and Ruth (Westminster John Knox, 2003), and the 2001-2002 Horizons Bible Study Esther’s Feast. She regularly writes, preaches, and teaches on biblical interpretation and ethics and leads groups to Israel and Palestine.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

The best time to read scripture is early in the morning— before you start the day! If it means that you need to wake up thirty minutes early, then, do so.

1) Begin with a short prayer asking the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes.

2) Read the same passage slowly, three times (Father-Son-Holy Spirit). Your third time should be slower than the second and first.

3) Now, go back to the previous chapter and the succeeding chapter of where that biblical text is situated (if it is Gen. 1, turn to John 1 as the previous chapter).* 4) As you read, pay particular attention to the “verbs” (if you are reading the Old Testament) and “prepositional phrases,” and words like “therefore,” (in the NT letters). As for the parables in the Gospel, locate Jesus (christology) and the church (ecclesiology)-keys to unlocking the spiritual meanings of all the parables. As for other parts of the Gospel, read them literally, as the WORD of GOD speaking to you.

5) Close with prayer, incorporating the “new” that the Holy Spirit has revealed to you in your reading.

Now, live out that WORD throughout the day—for it’s not just about reading but “living out” and “living in” that revealed Logos of God.

Study tips

John Ahn, Assistant Professor of Old Testament

* Since there is no previous chapter for Genesis 1, my suggestion is to turn to John 1. (I think John wanted his Gospel to be placed at the beginning of the Gospels, not as it is placed in the NT Canon.)

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Study tips Join a study / discussion group for the long term. Compare at least two—maybe three—different translations for the given biblical passage being studied (if you have facility in a foreign language, translate that language’s rendering of the text into English as enrichment to the discussion).

Since every translation is an interpretation (a commentary of sorts) of an original ancient text and since all translations fall into two basic groupings of “literal” (e.g. New Revised Standard Version or the English Standard Version study Bible) or “paraphrase” (e.g. the Good News Bible or Peterson’s The Message), it makes sense to select one or two from the two options for comparative purposes (read the introduction to determine if the translator’s goal was to favor one option over the other). Keep notes on the differences and bring them up in discussion with your study group, perhaps also email them to a trusted friend with some expertise in wrestling with biblical interpretation.

I still like J.A. Bengel’s advice (in 1734): “Apply thyself wholly to the scripture text, then apply that text wholly to thyself!”

John Alsup The First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, D. Thomason Professor of New Testament Studies

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tions. Other helps may be a recent introduction to the Old or New Testament and a couple of recent commentaries, such as the New Interpreter’s Bible OneVolume Commentary or Westminster John Knox’s Interpretation series.

Reading from more than one commentary helps a great deal, since their approaches differ.

If you like to organize information, begin by sorting out the Bible’s major sections and genres. If you want the large picture, begin with an introduction to scripture’s historical background or the history of biblical composition. The NRSV HarperCollins Study Bible offers brief and helpful introductory essays along these lines. Another excellent resource is the well researched 2008 Nova program “The Bible’s Buried Secrets” (www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/).

Some find a schedule for reading through the Bible from front to back helpful, but many lose heart over mystifying passages that occur in scripture’s first few books. Since learning is most engaged when it connects with knowledge and passions already possessed, many do well to begin with particular books or themes they find themselves drawn to. Those interested in prayer may begin with Psalms, while those seeking wisdom may begin with Proverbs, Job, or Ecclesiastes. Are you fascinated by politics? Try the books of Samuel and Kings. Are you named after a biblical figure, or do you live in a town

Most Presbyterian ministers and one-third of laity prefer the New Revised Standard (pastors, 55%; members 31%, elders 30%) or Revised Standard (8%; 24%; 31%) Versions.

One in six members prefer the King James or New King James Versions (17%; 13%).

Presbyterian Panel Survey, August 2006

55%

named after a biblical place? Find out when and how this person or place appears in the Bible. Do you like to cook? Start looking for descriptions of what was cooked and eaten, what food preparation methods were used, how food was grown, what meals meant. Do you enjoy learning about ancient cultures, such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, or Rome? Are you interested in social justice? Childbirth? Poetry? A Bible dictionary or concordance may help you locate particular topics and themes.

For specific orientation, begin with the study Bible’s introduction to the book you plan to read. As you read passages, be sure to consult the study notes. Jot down questions that seem important. They may be as mundane as Where is Jericho? or as complex as Why does Paul seem to be advocating slavery? Why does God treat Job so badly? or What does the bizarre imagery in Revelation mean? When you know the question, it is easier to watch for the insight or information you wish to probe—in the study Bible notes, in the Bible dictionary, or in conversations with a pastor or scholar you know.

When you complete one inroad, choose another. No matter which route you choose, the more you read, the more you will discover, and the more a mental map of scripture’s contents and themes will emerge. You will find yourself reading more easily as you become accustomed to scripture’s writing strategies. And you will soon know why the Bible continues, even in our day, to top the bestseller list, and why it continues to be revered around the world. L

Biblical literacy

The pastoral context

The Bible or Hamlet ?

BY JOHN ALSUP

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uring incarceration in a Nazi prison at Flossenbuerg that ended in his execution, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was granted his wish: the companionship of his Greek New Testament. His request was anything but peculiar when one reflects on the centrality of scripture in all aspects of pastoral ministry in our classical Reformed heritage: pastors engage in a firsthand dialogue with the Bible in the original languages. Bonhoeffer was continuing to cultivate, in the context of suffering unto death, this conversation that had shaped the course of his life and ministry.

So why did it matter so much to him and, potentially, does it or ought it to us? Well, when retired classics professor James Dee wrote recently in the Austin American Statesman: “No modern translation can convey more than a fraction of an ancient original, and it’s sheer hypocrisy to say you know what a text says when you can’t read its language … my bumper-sticker phrase … is: ‘The Bible doesn’t exist in English’,” Austin Seminary graduates resonate, even if they might not go so far when it comes to the bumper-sticker. In another article in the same newspaper, AP writer Mark Humphrey assesses the controversy over the “gender-neutral” changes to the NIV in the 2011 version exposes the tensions between “literal” and “paraphrase” translations. Again, Austin Seminary grads are prepared to make constructive proposals because they understand the exegetical dynamics of crossing over the “hermeneutical bridge” leading from a rough to a smooth translation.

This heritage offers a lifelong encounter with a distinctive voice of guidance on virtually every aspect of God’s summons to serve as ordained clergy, but maintaining this conversation with the original-language text continues to be a challenge. The place of Greek and Hebrew in the curriculum of theological education is not to be (as I once heard it described) a unique form of torture inflicted upon seminarians, but an enrichment of the pastor’s life. In retrospect students concur that the effort is worth it, and I frequently receive notes from them, thanking me for helping them learn the tools to make the appropriate connections with the Greek text.

For some, to be sure, the cultivation of the original-language dialogue with scripture seems easier than for others; yet, given the demands of the pastoral office, it is a formidable challenge to discipline. We need to cultivate local collegial support groups through which we can practice the art of translation and can encourage and challenge one another. Geographical separation need not be an obstacle in today’s technological world. (A Greek refresher course and examples of rough translations are available at www.encounterscripture.net; login and password required, contact jealsup@ix.netcom.com).

Continued on page 18 The Reverend Dr. John Alsup is The First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, D. Thomason Professor of New Testament Studies. He has written commentaries on I Peter and Revelation and articles in the New Harper’s Bible Dictionary and is currently working on a commentary on the Gospel of Mark.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

Apple of his eye

Deuteronomy 32:10

Blind lead the blind.

Matthew 15:14

To thine own self be true.

Hamlet, 39

And there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

Can the leopard change his spots?

Jeremiah 13:23

Eat, drink, and be merry.

Luke 12:19

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Hamlet, 37

Out of the mouths of babes Psalm 8:2

By the skin of my teeth Job 19:20

[A] house divided against itself cannot stand.

Matthew 12:25

The Bible quotes are from The King James Version; Hamlet citations: William Shakespeare, The New Folger Library Shakespeare (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003)

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COMMUNITY NEWS

This page, top to bottom: the Austin Seminary Bookstore is dedicated and Stitt Library Director Timothy Lincoln and Dixie Anders (MDiv’01) lead the liturgy; the welcome dinner; Board Chair Cassandra Carr, President Ted Wardlaw, Dean Allan Cole, and Professor Cynthia Rigby pay tribute to former Dean Michael Jinkins and his wife, Deborah; Glen Sampayan (MDiv’10); Laura Grice (MDiv’08); Trustees James Lee (MDiv’00) and Consuela Donahue (MDiv’96) visit with Matt Miles (MDiv’99); Cindy Richardson, Laura Walters, and Ryan Richardson at the ASA Banquet; and Tom Tickner (MDiv’84) and Caroline White visit during a break.

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Clockwise from above left: deans of Austin Seminary: Dick Junkin (MDiv’61), Michael Jinkins, and Allan Cole; ASA Board President Belinda Windham (MDiv’91) and Lana Russell, director of alumni/ae and church relations; fellowship winner Caitlin Deyerle and Professor John Alsup; Lecturer Timothy Tyson and gospel singer Mary D. Williams (inset); Lecturer Marcia Riggs; and Juan Herrera (MDiv’07) trying out a Presyterian-seal cookie provided for the coffee fellowships by Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, Austin.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

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COMMUNITY NEWS Seniors receive fellowships at ASA Banquet

Senior students Clare Lozano, Caitlin Deyerle, Mari Lyn Jones, Laura Walters, and Amy Wiles are honored with student fellowships for their exemplary work and promise for ministry.

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ne of the most anticipated moments at the ASA Banquet each year is the awarding of fellowships to members of the senior class who have excelled in the area of scholarship, leadership, and exemplary Christian character. The recipients for 2011 are Laura Walters, Caitlin Deyerle, Mari Lyn Jones, Amy Wiles, and Clare Lozano.

The Janie Maxwell Morris Fellowship, which carries a grant of $2,000, was given to Laura Walters. A member of Central Presbyterian Church, Austin, Walters received a BBA (accounting) from The University of Texas at Austin and a JD from the University of Texas Law School.

Before entering seminary, she worked as a lawyer and a director of women’s ministries. Walters has been accepted into a year-long CPE residency program at Seton Family of Hospitals; she will be seeking a call in the Central Texas area. She and her husband, Mark, have three children, Katie, John, and Jane.

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The W. P. Newell Memorial Fellowship will provide a grant of $3,000 to Mari Lyn Jones. A member of Grace Presbyterian Church, Round Rock, Texas, Jones received a BA (history and math minor) and an MS in Library and Information Science, both from The University of Texas at Austin.

Before entering seminary, she worked as a high school math teacher and elementary school librarian. She is currently serving an internship at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas, and is particularly interested in leading worship, congregational care, evangelism, and teaching.

Married to Austin Seminary graduate Kevin Jones (MDiv’06), Mari Lynn is seeking a call as either a solo pastor or an associate pastor.

The recipient of the 2011 Alsup-Frierson Fellowship, which carries a grant of $4,000, is Caitlin Deyerle. She is a member of Sandia Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and received a BA (psychology and reli-

gious studies) from Rice University.

She is currently serving an internship at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Austin, and representing the senior class on the Student Senate. Caitlin has been chosen to be a Lake Fellow at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. She is married to James Deyerle.

The Pile-Morgan Fellowship, which provides a grant of $8,000, was awarded to Amy Wiles. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University and taught music in public schools for five years prior to entering seminary. Upon graduation she will be ordained by First Baptist Church, Austin, where she did her internship and served as interim minister to young adults and college students. She also served a joint internship with the Christian Life Commission and the Baptist Standard. She is currently serving as the director of Children’s Ministry at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Waterloo, Iowa, where she and her husband, John, now live.

The David L. Stitt Fellowship carries an award of $10,000 and the recipient for 2011 is Clare Lozano. Clare received a BA in sociology from Trinity University.

While attending Trinity, she worked for Divine Redeemer Presbyterian Church, a small Hispanic congregation. She and the congregation founded the House of Teens, a community-based youth development program, and she served as its coordinator until she began seminary in 2007. She is currently serving in an internship at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, Austin, and has been called to be the pastor of Heritage Presbyterian Church in Olathe, Kansas. She and her husband, George, have one daughter, Maya.

Reclaiming the vision Travel Seminar Austin Seminary students Kelly Updegraff, Amber Reber, Chang Choe, and Jeff Saddington spent the January term learning about the Protestant Reformation from Professor John Alsup. They are pictured here in front of the Berliner Dome Church, a German Lutheran church where they gathered for a Sunday morning worship service. Other students traveled to Trinidad and Tobago on a study tour led by Professor Whit Bodman.

NEWS BRIEFS On February 8, Dr. Rose Niles, assistant director for the Committee on Theological Education, preached the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service.

United Methodist Bishop James Dorff preached in community worship and members of his cabinet and the Southwest Texas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry visited with UMC students on February 22.

Artist Jai Cochran’s landscape paintings lined the Seminary walls during February and March.

Dr. Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, professor of Global Christianities and Mission Studies at Perkins School of Theology at SMU, delivered the Settles Lectures April 5 and 6.

The Committee on Theological Education of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (COTE), chaired by Austin Seminary President Ted Wardlaw, met on the Austin Seminary campus March 22. The Committee (pictured below) advocates for seminaries in particular and theological education in general.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

continued from page 8 giously diverse nation in the world.

Increasingreasingly Christians are coming into contact with those of other, different religious commitments. In this aspect our situation is somewhat like that of the first generations of Christians. They lived in small communities representing very small minorities within their surrounding contexts. They read the Bible—and in some instances helped write the Bible—from the position of the powerless, the sometimes oppressed, and often as the least of the least. In their study of the Bible they found themselves transformed, vitalized, enabled.

Aided by the Holy Spirit, the earliest Christians found ways to live faithfully within and even to challenge their social settings. They had neither the aim nor the capacity to “rule the world,” but they could be and were the “salt” that made their communities better. They could not be and didn’t try to be the “light of the world,” but they could point to that One whose light the world will never overcome. And according to their witness, part of their capacity to have such an impact, though small in numbers and power, came from their commitment to study and live by the Bible.

Our task is to kindle such an enthusiasm, such a vision, among our people. Pastors must lead the way, but there are many lay people who can and will assist in the effort.

We need to remember who we are and why we are.

The stories of God’s people preserved in the Bible continue to have the power to uplift, encourage, and guide, but they can do little to the extent that they are unknown. L

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FACULTY NEWS

Good Reads Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Vocation and Ethics of Ambition by Brian J. Mahan; San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2002; ISBN-10: 0787956333; 209pp, $10.54; Reviewed by David White, The C. Ellis and Nancy Gribble Nelson Associate Professor of Christian Education

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ou have just learned that a classmate has rejected a rare offer to attend Yale Law School in order to spend a few years in the Peace Corps: Would you be happy for her or would you suspect that she may not have really been accepted into Yale and is trying to save face by joining the Peace Corp? Are there days when you would trade your beloved vocation for a brownstone apartment with a garden or, like former White House counsel John Dean, for an office near the president? In exploring such questions, Forgetting Ourselves on Purpose: Vocation and the Ethics of Ambition reveals the hidden workings of our idiosyncratic “programs for happiness” that inhibit us from living as we really want to live. Drawing from such diverse figures as William James, Walker Percy, and Thomas Merton, author Brian Mahan insists that despite our Christian theological values, each of us is “caught” by self-seeking that distracts us from love of God and neighbor.

We yearn for love and justice, but we harbor secret desires to be seen as famous, rich, or even holy. So long as we remain unaware of our own scripts for happiness, they can determine our ambitions; yet, according to Mahan, we can resist them by “studying” them and our relationship to them.

In this book, readers will encounter neither academic thought experiments nor preachy moralism, but instead the hard-won insight of a thoughtful scholar with heartfelt yearnings for God. Mahan’s analysis and recommendations are born of his close attention to his students over many years, across various learning contexts. He recommends such practical experiments as his “distraction diary,” by which he attends to his daydreams—for example, of pleasing his mother, proving himself worthy to colleagues, for financial safety in retirement years—that distract him from preoccupations of love. Such spiritual practices Mahan deems crucial if we are to awaken our “shadow governments” of compassion.

While this book is informed by solid scholarship and illuminates a serious topic, Mahan’s puckish humor (similar to Walker Percy) makes this book a delightful read. The story of his own childhood aspirations to sainthood—including his erstwhile plan to sacrifice his body on the altar when the communists invade the Catholic Church—remind us of our own yearnings to love God and our sadness at having them obscured by “respectable” ambitions and programs for happiness. While mainline religion focuses on external issues of justice, and conservative religion focuses on interior spirituality; this book bridges these emphases by attending to psychosocial tricks that inhibit us in living fully and compassionately.

This book has become something of a minor classic, appreciated by scholars and relished by lay people, and I heartily recommend it.

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Faculty publish new books!

Three new books by Austin Seminary faculty are rolling off the presses and onto bookstore shelves—some quite far from home. Published by Westminster John Knox are David Jenson’s Living Hope: The Future and Christian Faith, which came out in September, and Allan H. Cole Jr.’s A Spiritual Life: Perspectives from Poets, Prophets, and Preachers, which appears late April. Eugene March’s Grandes Temas da Bíblia (Paulus) is a Portuguese translation of his Great Themes of the Bible, Vol. 1.

Pastoral context Continued from page 13 Small group Bible study with church members is also very rewarding when the pastor’s Greek New Testament and/or Hebrew Bible are part of the equation. Explore possible meanings of the biblical text for preaching or a Lenten study series with Bibles in hand that represent the literal (e.g. the New Revised Standard Version) and the paraphrase (e.g. Eugene Peterson’s The Message) styles of translation.

All of these can help bring us to an engagement with scripture that springs from the generative power of the original text behind the English translation. Undoubtedly, Bonhoeffer would concur.

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Texas House of Representatives Photography

Allan Cole inaugurated as full professor and installed as academic dean Professor K.C. Ptomey delivered the prayer at the Texas Capitol on April 1.

FACULTY NOTES David Jones, director of the Doctor of Ministry program, presented two systems theory seminars for Mission Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry and Pastoral Care Team and for the session of Divine Redeemer Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, Texas. He preached at the 150th anniversary worship service for First Presbyterian Church in Clifton, Texas, on January 23.

Jennifer Lord, associate professor of homiletics, served on the Executive Committee, overseeing twenty-three seminar workgroups, for the North American Academy of Liturgy’s annual meeting in San Francisco. She wrote the centerpiece article, “Preaching Now: Paying Attention in a Gadget World,” for the 2010 issue of Communitas, the Publication of the College of Pastoral Leaders (available at austinseminary.edu) and presented the Christian Leadership Education seminar “All Creation Rejoices: The Journey of the Great Three Days” on March 24.

David White, The C. Ellis and Nancy Gribble Nelson Associate Professor of Christian Education, gave a paper at a conference for directors of theological programs for high school youth sponsored by the Lily Endowment in Indianapolis. His topic was also the working title of his forthcoming book, The Purposes of Youth as Pathways to Vocation.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

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r. Allan Hugh Cole Jr. was inaugurated as a full professor in the Nancy Taylor Williamson Chair of Pastoral Care; he was also installed as Austin Seminary’s seventh academic dean in the institution’s 106-year history during a ceremony on March 7.

In his new role, Cole is exploring options to meet the changing needs of those seeking an education at Austin Seminary; his vision includes offering additional degree options and certificate programs.

The Seminary currently offers a dual degree program with The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work, a program begun through Cole’s initiative. He also has hopes to offer Professor Allan H. Cole Jr. shares his special course options for those who are day with his wife, Tracey, and his parents, unable to access a traditional full- Jeri and Allan H. Cole Sr. time educational track.

His inaugural address, “A Spiritual Life,” drew from themes developed in his book, A Spiritual Life: Perspectives from Poets, Prophets, and Preachers, forthcoming from Westminster John Knox Press.

Cole joined the faculty of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2003 and was appointed the first holder of the Williamson Chair in 2007. He serves as editor of the Journal of Childhood and Religion. Cole is author or editor of several books, including The Life of Prayer: Mind, Body, and Soul (Westminster John Knox, 2009); Good Mourning: Getting through Your Grief (Westminster John Knox Press, 2008; recommended for “Take and Read” by the Christian Century); Be Not Anxious: Pastoral Care of Disquieted Souls (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2008); an edited volume, From Midterms to Ministry: Practical Theologians on Pastoral Beginnings (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2008); and Losers, Loners, and Rebels: The Spiritual Struggles of Boys (co-authored with Robert C. Dykstra and Donald Capps, Westminster John Knox Press, 2007). He has forthcoming books on the subject of boys’ faith and friendships, confession, and fatherhood.

A South Carolina native, Cole received a BA from Davidson College, an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, an MS from Columbia University, and the PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary. He has been a scholar-in-residence at the Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey. Cole is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a Licensed Social Worker. He served pastorates in Upstate New York and on Long Island before coming to Austin Seminary. He and his wife, Tracey, are parents to two little girls, Meredith and Holly.

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS Tax-free IRA giving

Use your IRA account for tax-free gifts!

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 extended the IRA Charitable Rollover through December 31, 2011. So if you are age 70½ or older, you can now use your IRA to make charitable contributions to Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary—without it being counted as taxable income.

What does this mean to you?

Say you have $500,000 in an IRA and will be required to withdraw approximately $25,000 this year.

You can authorize the administrator

of your IRA to transfer all or a portion of the withdrawal to Austin Seminary. If you decide to contribute $20,000 and have $5,000 distributed to you, the $20,000 will count toward your annual minimum distribution, but will not be subject to tax.

Qualified distributions can total up to $100,000 for tax year 2011. If your spouse has a separate IRA account, you can each contribute up to $100,000 in tax year 2011. You cannot claim a charitable deduction for IRA gifts.

How can your gift qualify?

For your IRA withdrawal to qualify as a tax-free gift: You must be age 70½ or older at the time of the gift.

Transfers must be made from a traditional or Roth IRA account.

Transfers must be made by your plan provider from your IRA

"Religious or Spiritual?

Faith Practices for Living in Anxious Times"

May 15-16, 2011 @ Pines Presbyterian Church, Houston

This year we are expanding Austin Seminary’s on-the-road model to include events for congregations as well as our alumni/ae and their colleagues. We will be asking the critical “So what?” questions as we explore creative ways to preach, teach, and think about being the church in the world.

On May 15, President Ted Wardlaw will lead worship and Allan H. Cole Jr., Academic Dean and The Nancy Taylor Williamson Professor for Pastoral Care, will give a free public lecture. On May 16, Dean Cole and Lana Russell, director of alumni/ae and seminary relations, will have a lunch-hour presentation for Houston-area clergy.

For more information about Thinking Outside the Box events, contact Lisa Holleran at lholleran@austinseminary.edu.

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account directly to Austin Seminary. Funds you withdraw and then contribute do not qualify.

Gifts must be outright.

Distributions to donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, or life-income arrangements such as charitable remainder trusts and gift annuities are excluded.

Make your gift today!

Tax-free gifts from IRA accounts are a simple way to support Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s mission to: “educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God’s people.”

Contact Lisa Holleran at lholleran@austinseminary.edu or 512-404-4803 to learn more.

Employee giving up, waaaaay up!

Austin Seminary’s Employee Giving Campaign, February 14-28, yielded an 81% increase in giving. Now, fifty-eight percent of faculty and staff are making financial contributions to the Seminary.

“We are very proud of the commitment and dedication Austin Seminary staff and faculty have for the mission of educating and equipping men and women for Christian ministry,” says Lisa Holleran, senior director of development. “Their financial support is another example of their belief in the work we all do.”

ALUMNI/AE NEWS

Reunions!

Graduates from the “aughts” gathered under the tent on the Monday evening of MidWinters. Above, from left, David Shaefers (MDiv’07), Paul Burns (MDiv’07), Dean Allan Cole, Richard Powell (Dick’s son), Dick Powell (MDiv’08), Michael Brundeen (MDiv’08), Renee Roederer (MDiv’08), student Esther Kim, Matt Falco (MDiv’10), Cameron Allan (MDiv’07), Margaret, Talbot (MDiv’09), and Sarah Demerest Allan (MDiv’07).

Part of the fun of MidWinters is getting together with former classmates. Alumni/ae celebrated their forty and fifty year reunions over lunch on Tuesday.

Left, from the Class of 1971: Lonnie Dillard, Beckie Lewis, E. W. (Bo) Lewis, and Fred Morgan.

Below, from the Class of 1961: Lynn and Gene March, Dick and Nancy Junkin, Joe and Pat Turner, Mary and Mike Murray, Reuben Armendariz, and Clark and Wanda Williams.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

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ALUMNI/AE NEWS Staying connected with Austin Seminary is now even easier! Introducing ASAP (Austin Seminary Alumni/ae Portal), your password-protected site for helpful, relevant resources for your ministry (austinseminary.edu/portal), and the Alumni/ae Facebook Group. Keep an eye on your mailbox for your login information to access ASAP!

Available on the portal: suggested reading lists, class notes, alumni/ae directory, seminary news and events, ways to update contact information, and region representatives. The resource library will be continually stocked and suggestions are always welcome!

Are you already on Facebook?

Join in the conversation on the Austin Seminary Alumni/ae Group page.

Request membership for this group through the Austin Seminary Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/austin seminary).

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Ham and Richardson receive ASA Award

T

he Reverend Dr. Carlos Ham (DMin’99) and Retired Col. Gilley Richardson (MDiv’86) received Austin Seminary Association’s (ASA) 2011 Distinguished Service Award for their outstanding dedication to the church and community during the annual ASA Banquet on Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Carlos Emilio Ham has been a pastor in the Distinguished Service Award winners Carlos Presbyterian-Reformed Ham (DMin’99) and Gilly Richardson Church in Cuba for more (MDiv’86) than twenty-five years and People.” served as its General Secretary for Carlos and his wife, Tania, eight years (1993-2001). He was have three children, Frida, Emil, appointed president of the Student and Patricia. His father, Dr. Adolfo Christian Movement in Cuba in Ham, a Cuban Presbyterian pastor, 1989, elected co-president of the was on hand for the ceremony.

Caribbean Conference of Churches Chaplain (Colonel) Gilley G. (CCC) in 1997, and vice-president Richardson was born the youngest of the Caribbean and North of four children to Sally and The America Council for Mission Reverend L.A. “Tony” Richardson (CANACOM) in 2000. He joined (Cert’47) in Hillsboro, Texas. He the World Council of Churches’ was reared in San Antonio, Texas, staff in March 2001 as Program and Lake Charles, Louisiana, where Executive for Evangelism. He his parents served Presbyterian served as the coordinator of the churches. Graduating in May 1976 Mission and Ecumenical Formation from Vanderbilt University, he was Team and is currently the commissioned a second lieutenant Programme Executive for Diakonia in the Army (Infantry) and served and Latin America-Caribbean. at Fort Lewis, Washington. As an Ham studied theology at the Army company commander, Gil Matanzas Theological Seminary in wrestled with the call to ministry, Cuba where he graduated in 1984. and resigned his commission to In 1999 he earned his Doctor of attend Austin Seminary in 1983.

Ministry degree at Austin Seminary.

Ordained in 1986 by He is currently pursuing PhD studPresbytery of South Louisiana, he ies with the Free University of reported back to the Army as a Amsterdam in the field of chaplain in January 1987. His first Diakonia, working on the topic: assignment was a military police “Building Capacity of the World unit at Fort Hood, Texas, where he Council of Churches’ Local was pastor to the inmates at the Congregations in the Global South, stockade and resurrected the Chapel for Serving the Needs of the

Youth program. His next assignment, Camp Page Chapel in South Korea, was awarded “Chapel of the Quarter” under his leadership.

Later assignments included Fort Benning, Georgia, where Gil was a pastor in Airborne, Ranger, Officer Candidate, and Infantry Schools; Northern Virginia, where he served as Protestant pastor of Fort Myer and later as Senior Army Chaplain of Arlington National Cemetery, where he conducted over 300 military funerals; he then returned to Korea.

Richardson was considering retirement when the 9-11 attacks occurred. Instead he became the first division chaplain in the Global War on Terrorism to train chaplains and assistants, deploy for a year with them to the war zone, then return to conduct reintegration training. His Iraq team consisted of nearly one hundred chaplains and chaplain assistants serving 27,000 soldiers in three provinces north of Baghdad. They served alongside soldiers doing humanitarian missions such as reopening schools, hospitals, and pharmacies; re-establishing emergency services and utility services; and building good relations with local Islamic and the few Christian leaders in the three provinces.

Retiring after thirty years of active commissioned service in the fall of 2009, Richardson has been serving as a chaplain at Air Force Village II, a retirement community in San Antonio; he has also been active with veterans groups and his daughter’s high school. He and his wife, Cindy, have three children, Ryan, Joseph, Grace, and a daughter-in-law, Ashley. _______________ If you have someone you’d like to nominate for the 2012 ASA Award, please contact Lana Russell at alum@austinseminary.edu.

WINDOWS / Spring 2011

Global Views Brice Rogers (MDiv’03) is serving in Christian ministry in Luxor, Egypt. Windows asked him about his views of the recent political activity in that country.

What is your perspective on the attempt for democratic transition in the country?

There is a real sense of positivity among the youth, but a great deal of concern on the part of older generations, especially Christians.

Those who have experienced periods of repression in the past know that things could move in any direction in the future, but generally people expect that they are moving into a more democratic period than the past. There is a lot of concern among those involved in tourism that continued instability could really devastate their means of livelihood.

Tell us about the people you serve there. Who are they? What are their dreams, their fears, their challenges?

I’m serving a big variety of people—Muslim and Christian students, teachers, congregants in various churches, and area residents in general.

Their dreams are similar to those of all people—freedom to live as their conscience and religion guide them to live, good education and opportunities for their children, and prosperity for their country. They fear the unknown, and those who are different from them (be they Muslim or Christian, domestic or foreign) who may intend ill for them rather than their good. The challenge for all people in Egypt, regardless of creed or religion, is to come together and help each other to overcome sectarian and class divisions for the good of their nation.

How is it for you personally to be serving in a place where there has been this level of political unrest?

Honestly, I’m happy to be here at this historic moment and to have the chance to remain in country and watch all this happen from the inside.

I’ve been impressed with the patience and self-control of the “average Egyptian” during all the events of the past few months. It makes me proud to live here and serve with them!

How has your faith informed your work?

In a great variety of ways! As this part of the world is where the story of our faith begins, living here has opened my eyes to many important elements of the scriptures (such as cultural issues, the environment of the parables of Jesus, etc.) I feel in a tangible way that as I serve here I am part of the ongoing story of the Faith in this part of the world!

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ALUMNI/AE NEWS New ASA Board members announced During the ASA Banquet and Annual Meeting the following alumni/ae were elected to serve on the ASA Board: Richard Culp (MDiv’93, DMin’01), president and Judy Baskin (MDiv’02) vice president; Lynn Barton (DMin’96), Timothy Blodgett (MDiv’07), Valerie Bridgeman (MDiv’90), Alonzo Campbell (Dmin’94), Aquanetta Hicks (MDiv’08), Karen Greif (MDiv’92, DMin’06), Andrew Parnell (MDiv’05), Nancy Taylor (MDiv’05), and Leanne Thompson (MDiv’06).

WELCOME… to Abigail Hope Meyer, daughter of Christopher J. and Amy L. Meyer (MDiv’06), born on January 12, 2011.

Joseph Moore (MDiv’09), co-pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Austin, was featured in a story on the CNN Web site. The church was a music venue during the SXSW festival, March 12-19.

Happy Birthday Ellis!

Research Professor C. Ellis Nelson (MDiv’40) celebrated his 95th birthday in March.

His birthday gift to Austin Seminary has been to sift through nearly forty years’ worth of files from his Stitt Library office for treasures to donate to the Seminary Archives.

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to Benjamin James Hudson, son of Laura Hudson (MDiv’09) and Keith Hudson (MDiv’09), born on March 21, 2011.

CLASS NOTES 1960s

Bob Moon (MDiv’61), pastor emeritus of First Presbyterian Hillsboro, Texas, was named Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year on February 21, 2011.

Kenneth “Kenny” Jack (MDiv’68) has retired from First Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Texas, where he was elected pastor emeritus.

1970s

Raymond Fancher (MDiv’77) was installed as interim senior pastor of Southminster Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, North Carolina, on January 11.

Follow Austin Seminary on Twitter @austinseminary

ORDINATIONS Melissa R. Koerner Lopez (MDiv’09), ordained on September 18, 2010, to serve as a Lilly Pastoral Resident at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas.

Lindsay A. Hatch (MDiv’10), ordained on September 1, 2010, to serve as pastor at Mount Zion Presbyterian Church in Sandy Springs, South Carolina.

NECROLOGY Cecil H. Lang (MDiv’52), Brenham, Texas, January 22, 2011 Charles J. King (MDiv’68), Katy, Texas, December 8, 2010 Don Vinzant (DMin’84), Edmund, Oklahoma, March 10 Luther S. Hollowell II (MDiv’96), Abilene, Texas, February 27, 2011

1990s

Valerie Bridgeman (MDiv ’90), associate professor of Hebrew Bible/Homiletics and Worship Scholar of Theology and the Arts at Lancaster Theological Seminary, was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. International Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Mike Wakeland (MDiv’91) is serving as an Army chaplain in the Illinois National Guard in the Multinational Force and Observers, Sinai, Eqypt.

Christena Alcorn (MDiv’94) has been appointed as the new Ombuds for the Houston Community College system. She serves as a resource for about 3,500 faculty, staff, and administrators; HCC is the third largest community college system in the country.

Al Staggs (DMin’96), who performs dramatic monologues based on important theological figures as well as stand-up comedy and interpretation around the theology of humor, gave three performances during Maryville College’s 2011

February Meetings, February 7-8.

In April he will present two one-act plays based on the works of Martin Luther King Jr and Dietrich Bonhoeffer for the annual Stark Lectures at Dakota Wesleyan University.

Kathy Anderson (MDiv’97) has accepted a call to be the executive director of John Knox Ranch, a camp and conference ministry of Mission Presbytery.

Dean Pogue (MDiv’05) was installed as pastor / head of staff at Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church in Katy, Texas.

Danny A. Spears (MDiv’05) wed Richard Lofstrand on October 16, 2010, at Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities (Davenport, Iowa).

Leanne and Scott Thompson (MDiv’06) will be moving to Highlands Camp and Retreat Center where Scott will serve as the program director and Leanne will join the staff as office coordinator.

The Academy of Parish Clergy has selected Carol Merritt’s (MDiv’08) book, Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (The Alban Institute) as a Top Ten Books for Parish Ministry published in 2010. (See Carol’s article “A New Look at Being Church,” in the Winter 2011 issue of Windows.)

Merrit was the featured preacher January 30 on “Day 1,” the nationally syndicated radio program also accessible by podcast at Day1.org.

Send your news to windows@austinseminary.edu

2000s

This fall Brett Hendrickson (MDiv’02) will become an assistant professor of religious studies at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Judy Pistole (MDiv’03), pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Alva, Oklahoma, was a lecturer at the Science and Religion Forum at the Northwestern Alva Campus and the Northwestern Enid campus of Northwestern Oklahoma State University on February 12 and 13.

Alice V. Plotts (MDiv’05) married Stephen Tondora on August 14, 2010.

Sharon Bryant (MDiv’03) and Derek Forbes (MDiv’08) are both leaving this spring to be PC(USA) Mission Co-workers; Sharon, to Thailand and Derek, to Zimbabwe.

WINDOWS Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary 100 East 27th Street, Austin, Texas 78705-5797 Address Correction Requested

Bob Marley, as visualized by embroidery artist Barbara Lugge, whose work is on display in McCord and the Stitt Library through May.

Upcoming …

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Austin, Texas Permit No. 2473

Spring 2011

“Juvenile Justice in Texas: Scandals and Saving Children” The George S. Heyer Lecture

David W. Springer, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of Social Work, UT, Austin April 27, 2011 @ 4:00 p.m.

Dr. Springer will be discussing the trends—past, present and future—of the juvenile justice system in Texas. He will cite past scandals that have shaped the current system; outline the move from punishment to rehabilitation; and provide insight into the issues being discussed in the current legislative session and how it will influence the direction of the state’s juvenile justice system.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

“Being Christ to the World: The Imperative to Love as God Loves” Annie Bullock, Adjunct Professor, Austin Seminary

May 7, 2011, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., lunch included

All Christians know the Great Commandment: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Christians have been trying to figure out how to live this since the words were first spoken. In this workshop we will turn to the teachings of monks and nuns who went to the Egyptian desert in the fourth century to learn to love self and other as God loves and, in doing so, to love God most fully. The Desert Mothers and Fathers have wonderful wisdom for us.

Log onto: www.austinseminary.edu/cle2011 to register.

2011 Austin Seminary Baccalaureate and Commencement

May 21, 6:30 p.m., and May 22, 2:30 p.m., University Presbyterian Church, Austin The Rev. Paul T. Roberts, President-Dean of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, Commencement Speaker; The Reverend K.C. Ptomey, Baccalaureate Preacher, and The Reverend Dr. Jennifer Lord, Baccalaureate Celebrant.

The public is welcome to both events.

“Program, Polity, and Mission” APSCE / SCRAPCE Ceritification Course

August 8-12, 2011 Susan Penrod, Certified Christian Educator and Christian Education Consultant Judy Ferguson, Certified Christian Educator and Director of Church Vocations, Schreiner University

To register, contact Mary Marcotte at mmarcotte@pbyofnewcovenant.org or 713-526-2585 ext. 224.