Vantage Spring 08

Vantag As I know it with the Spirit’s good help, Scripture is Instructor; Teacher;Tester; Cloud for covering; Guiding fire for despairing nights; Food from heaven; Water of life; Joyful song; Loud lament; Shield; Rescuer; Comforter; and mostly, Holy partner.

spring 2008

A n n e H . K . A p ple ’01

Scriptue

The words of scripture preserved in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are, like Christ, fully human and fully divine.

They are smears of sweat from the brows of clear-eyed, independent-minded Semites and Greeks made irresistibly fragrant and curiously indelible by the Spirit of God. Dav id M . C ame ro n ’ 8 2

Ground-blessing for a new, green residence hall — page 4

President’s Message

Always, Something for Us to Say

In my early years of preaching I had a recurring nightmare:

I ran out of things to say and couldn’t write a sermon! In fact, the dream seemed to come true, because I came to feel that I had preached everything I knew, everything I had learned in seminary.

What was there left to say?

Fortunately a mentor pointed me back to Scripture, and the nightmare went away. In fact, I discovered that as long as I stayed in Scripture, more sermons came than I could preach in a lifetime. Even if the lectionary pushed me back into the same texts every three years, new sermons came as I heard God’s Word out of a different context and found new conversation partners who showed me what I could not see on my own. I learned to listen and heard the texts speaking to one another.

While I am still concerned that I might not capture God’s Word fully or communicate God’s Word in a way others can hear, I have never again worried about running out of something to say, something to preach. On those days when I feel empty, when I am certain I have nothing to say to what is swirling about, when I wonder if God has anything to say to me or to the world, I turn to Scripture and am never disappointed.

The truth is that when I am reading Scripture, God’s Word is reading me, measuring me, showing me that I need to listen, teaching me to lean into what others hear in a world where there is a variety of conversation partners:

Voices of scholars of the past and present Voices of God’s people around the world Voices from all areas of the church’s life, Listening together for God’s Word today.

May that Word continue to read our lives and lead us and all creation into life abundant and life eternal through Christ Jesus, the Living Word.

Laur a Mend en hal l

COVER ART Opening of Psalm 27 from the Victoria Psalter, designed by the graphic artist Owen Jones and dedicated to Queen Victoria in 1861. Each page is surrounded with a different ornamental border.

From the collection of Michael Morgan.

W. Frank Harrington Online Sermon Collection Columbia Theological Seminary is pleased to make available approximately 500 sermons preached by Dr. W. Frank Harrington from 1984 through 1999 during his pastorate at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA. It was Dr. Harrington’s earnest desire that through his sermons God’s Word would address the listener’s needs and concerns. Now a generous grant from the Harrington Family Foundation has made it possible for a broad audience of scholars, pastors, and lay people to learn from and be inspired by his sermons, his biblical insights, and his wit and humor. For details, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Library > W. Frank Harrington Sermon Collection.

W. Frank Harrington William Franklin Harrington was born May 13, 1935, in Shelby, NC. He graduated from Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC, in 1957 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1960 and a Master of Theology degree in 1961 from Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA. In 1961, Harrington was ordained by Savannah Presbytery and became the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hinesville, GA. In 1965, he moved to Fairview Presbyterian Church in North Augusta, SC.

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In October 1971, he accepted the pastorate of Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA, where he served for the remainder of his career. During his years at Peachtree, the congregation grew from 2,000 to 11,000 members. The weekly services were broadcast regionally, and the Christmas Eve service was telecast nationally.

In his ministry, Harrington served the church at all levels. He was also active in numerous civic and educational institutions, including the boards of directors of Columbia Theological Seminary, Presbyterian College, Queens College, and Oglethorpe University. He received honorary degrees from Presbyterian College and Oglethorpe University.

He was the author of The Seasons of Life (Atlanta, GA: Ruralist Press, 1985), Seeking a Living Faith: A Lenten Preaching Series (Lima, OH: C.S.S. Publishing Company, 1988), and First Comes Faith: Proclaiming the Gospel in the Church (Louisville, KY: Geneva Press, 1998).

Frank Harrington died March 3, 1999. He is survived by his wife, Sara Rodgers Harrington, two daughters, and three grandchildren.

God has, God is, and God will continue to speak in and through scripture. J e f f B e eb e ’ 9 4

@

this point

Pamela Cooper -White Called as Professor of Pastoral Theology, Care, and Counseling The Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Pamela Cooper-White as professor of pastoral theology, care and counseling. She will begin teaching at Columbia in July.

Dr. Cooper-White is currently professor of pastoral theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and recipient of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors’ 2005 national “Distinguished Achievement in Research and Writing” award. She holds two Ph.D.s, from Harvard University and from the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago, and is the author of four books, Many Voices: Pastoral Psychotherapy and Theology in Relational Perspective (Fortress, 2006); Shared Wisdom: Use of the Self in Pastoral Care and Counseling (Fortress, 2004); The Cry of Tamar: Violence Against Women and the Church’s Response (Fortress, 1995), which won the 1995 Top Ten Books award from the Academy of Parish Clergy; and Schoenberg and the God-Idea: The Opera Moses and Aron (UMI Research Press, 1985). She also has authored a small-group resource book titled Women Healing and Empowering, which was commissioned by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2000. In addition, she is the author of numerous chapters and articles on pastoral theology, women’s development, and pastoral care of post-traumatic stress.

Previously, she served as director of the Center of Women and Religion at the Graduate Theological Union. An Episcopal priest and pastoral psychotherapist, Dr. Cooper-White is a Clinical Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, a National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC), and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC, Illinois). She is also co-chair of the Person, Culture, and Religion Group of the American Academy of Religion, and is co-editor of the Journal of Pastoral Theology. She has served in congregations in Massachusetts, California, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

During my examination for ordination on the floor of presbytery (more than a few years ago), I was asked about a single sentence in my statement of faith: “Scripture holds the answers to all of our questions of faith and life.”

The questioner read the sentence out loud, and asked me, “Do you really believe that?” I responded “Yes, I do.”

He said “O.K. then,” and sat down. Since then I’ve preached just shy of 500 sermons, buried more than 100 folks, baptized far too few, witnessed great acts of love, justice, and compassion and great acts of evil, prejudice, and hatred.

And I still believe that Scripture holds the answers to all of our questions of life and faith.

Available now, a new issue of the faculty’s free online journal!

www.atthispoint.net

Î The Seductiveness of the Familiar

What enticed a pair of fine young pastors–– Columbia graduates––to abandon their antislavery convictions in the 1860s? Where is the tension between our moral visions and today’s seductions?

Do we even recognize the power of the familiar? How do we make a change in the embedded patterns of our lives and culture?

Join Professor Erskine Clarke, award-winning historian of American religion; professors from Atlanta’s Interdenominational Theological Center, a historically black seminary; and other CTS faculty for a groundbreaking conversation in the spring issue of www.atthispoint.net.

Doctor of Ministry Courses in Montreat

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eginning in fall 2008, Columbia will offer courses in the Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program at the Montreat Conference Center of the Presbyterian Church (USA), in Montreat, NC. Course work will be offered in the “Church and Ministry”concentration, beginning with the introductory seminar in September 2008. Two elective courses in the concentration will be offered in the spring and fall of 2009.

For program details and admission requirements, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Degree Programs > Advanced Degrees. Or contact Charles Raynal, director of advanced studies 404-687-4534 or raynalc@ctsnet.edu.

com ing in ju ly 2008 Feasting on th e Word: Pre aching the Revi sed Co mmon Lectionary David Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, general editors Westminster John Knox Press, in partnership with Columbia Theological Seminary, will publish Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, a new 12-volume lectionary commentary series co-edited by David Bartlett, distinguished professor of New Testament, and Barbara Brown Taylor, adjunct professor of Christian spirituality. The first volume will be released in July 2008.

Feasting on the Word will be unique among lectionary commentary series, containing essays on each of four assigned texts from four different perspectives: exegetical, theological, homiletical, and pastoral.

This series will offer the most extensive new resource for preaching on the market today. When complete, the 12 volumes of the series will cover all of the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with moveable occasions such as Christmas Day, Epiphany, Holy Week, and All Saints Day. Each lectionary year will consist of four volumes: the first will cover Advent-Christmas; the second, LentEaster; and the two remaining, Ordinary Time.

The 12-member editorial board of Westminster John Knox Press includes these members of the Columbia faculty: Charles Campbell, Carlos CardozaOrlandi, Beth Johnson, Kathleen O’Connor, Marcia Riggs, and George Stroup.

Individual volumes of the lectionary commentary series will be on sale at the Columbia Theological Seminary Bookstore beginning in July 2008. You may e-mail advance orders to bookstore@CTSnet.edu or call 404-687-4550.

Kath leen Weller (DMin ’02) There are many ways to hear scripture. Sometimes we need just to listen, without analysis, to what God is speaking to our lives. And the words shape us into the beautiful people we already are. (Lectio Divina.) To m L ewi s (DMin ’00)

As a preacher, without scripture I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. M ary D. D ’ A l essi o ’ 9 2

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GroundBlessing F o r a N ew Student Residence Hall

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o l u m b i a s t u d e n t s , a l u m n i / a e , fa c u lt y , s ta ff , a n d

gathered April 1 on the campus with neighbors and civic leaders for a “ground-blessing” ceremony as the seminary prepares to begin construction on a $9.6 million student residence hall.

The new facility is scheduled for completion by fall 2009—just in time for members of the Class of 2010 to enjoy living there during their senior year.

Designed by the architecture firm Lord, Aeck & Sargent, the residence hall is expected to be one of the first buildings in the city of Decatur, GA, to earn LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. trustees

Building plan “Badly needed by our students, this new building is a critical part of our plan to keep Columbia competitive not only with other theological schools but with other professional schools for the most talented leaders of the 21st century,” said President Laura Mendenhall.

The new residence hall will include studio and one-, two- and fourbedroom apartment units, a recreation/workout area accessible to the entire student body, a community kitchen with indoor and outdoor seating and fireplaces, a laundry area for residents, and mechanical and facilities support spaces.

Sustainable design features The residence hall is expected to use approximately 50 percent less energy than a conventionally constructed facility. To improve energy efficiency, lighting strategies will include motion sensor switching, energy efficient lamps and generous amounts of daylighting.

“We sited the building to enhance its energy efficiency,” said Meg Needle, AIA, LEED AP,

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On the way to the construction site, the community blesses the ground with footsteps as they are led in Gaang-Gaang-Su-Wol-Rae, a Korean dance and chant, by Rev. Young Chul Yu, director of Stony Point Center, in New Jersey.

(Far left) The choir, led by David Hawkins ’09, sang “Locus Iste” (God is in this sacred space).

(Left) Prayers for Columbia’s students.

(Opposite page) Prayers for the church, for donors, trustees, architects, and builders.

(Opposite page) Beating drums and wearing hats from which long ribbons flowed, acrobatic dancers Dong Gyun Go, a youth member of Korean Community Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, and Sung Yong Park moved their heads to form circling ribbon writing in the air.

a Lord, Aeck & Sargent associate who is project manager during design and construction of the residence hall. “We minimized east and west exposures to reduce unwanted glare and heat gain. We will also preserve many nearby trees to provide natural sun shading. With large windows we will take advantage of natural light as much as possible, provide access to views, and use sunscreens to reduce direct solar gain where appropriate.”

Needle said that other design strategies include an exterior building envelope with above-average insulation values, energy-efficient windows, and a geothermal mechanical system that will provide low operating costs and a long lifecycle. Water efficiencies include rainwater collection for landscape irrigation, and water saving plumbing fixtures. Indoor air quality will be protected through the use of low VOC adhesives and coatings.

Recycled and regional construction materials will be used, and construction waste will be recycled or reused to the greatest extent possible.

Architecture draws from tradition and adds new elements “In designing the new residence hall, we drew from historic details on campus, so the facility will complement the campus vernacular but also will integrate contemporary elements that respond to sustainability, such as the engaged, sunshaded entry tower that marks the lobby and the panoramically-glazed community kitchen and fireplace room that overlooks

Scripture is the frame on my kite. M ik e C ap ro n ’ 9 8

Building Stories B u z W i l c o x o n ’08

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ere’s a story some of us have heard before, and some of us may have forgotten. There once was a man named Jeremiah, who lived during a dark time in the land of Judah. His city was under siege by the army of Babylon, yet in the midst of all the turmoil, Jeremiah bought a piece of land.

Everyone thought he was foolish for thinking of the future when the present situation was so terrible.

If we jump a few thousand years later, we find a denomination that seems to be under siege as well. There is threat of a denominational schism and membership is declining. Yet in spite of this, Columbia Theological Seminary has decided to build a new building to accommodate a larger student body because we, like Jeremiah, know that the difficulties of the present aren’t the last word that God has for the future. Jeremiah’s purchase and Columbia’s new construction are both concrete (or is it cement?) gestures that symbolize our faith in God’s providence.

Let me tell you another story. It’s a story that most of us learned as children. It’s a story that goes all the way back to the beginning. God created the earth, and God created all the wondrous creatures of the earth: birds of the air, fish in the ocean, creatures on land, even the mighty sea monsters. God created it all and declared it all “good!” But before it was all through, God charged humans to be the good stewards of this good creation. God charged you and me to be responsible for caring for this earth on which we live.

Now, if we jump many, many years ahead, we find ourselves in an age where this charge to care for creation has been neglected. As a global society, we are polluting the air, water, and land that God created.

We are abusing the creation that God proclaimed good. In the midst of this neglected stewardship, however, Columbia Theological Seminary has decided to build a new building and has committed to building one that honors the beauty of creation. We’re building bedrooms, bathrooms, stairways, and kitchens. We’re building a whole lot of needed student gathering space. We’re doing a lot of building, but we’re doing so as responsible stewards of creation by leading the way among our PC(USA) seminaries in building a LEED-certified green building. In very real, very specific, very green ways, we are responding to God’s gracious gift by building a building that symbolizes our efforts to honor our charge as stewards of creation.

Buz Wilcoxon, from Fairhope, AL, served on the ‘shepherding committee’ for the seminary’s new residence hall for students. He is a graduate of Presbyterian College and a member of Trinity church in Fairhope.

Scripture provides an ethical blueprint from which human beings can build their service to God the Father and Jesus the Savior.

M atthew R . Fu l l e r ’ 0 4 Scripture: the Writings that inspire, guide, and direct one into the Presence of God as one lives in the present moment.

Dav id Swi n da l l ’ 7 2 Through God’s Holy Spirit, scripture opens our hearts to the meaning of ministry, challenging us to receive the divine Word of transformation and empowering us first to experience, and then to share, its resurrection power.

M i ke W i l l iams ’ 0 2 Before I teach or preach from Scripture I have to systematically probe its meaning so that it becomes for me a living word. Only then can I share it in a meaningful way with others.

E r n est R. T u f ft ’ 5 3 The purpose of Scripture is not to tell us how we should be living our lives, but to tell us how we are living our lives and how God is working to redeem us. N i bs St ro u p e ’ 7 5 A sacred community only begins to hear and understand the sacred tradition of holy scripture as it listens to the fresh winds of the Spirit.

Tay l o r H i l l ’ 6 7

a new outdoor courtyard,” said Joe Greco, AIA, LEED AP, project design principal. “The entry tower will be the signature beacon for the building.

Inspired by ecclesiastical bell towers of the region, we designed the tower to help create a memorable three-story atrium space with larger, vertical glass openings punctuated by stepping masonry piers and cast stone detailing.

We also employed modern metal detailing in the top of the tower and in the sunscreen system to relate the building to its time.”

“Lord, Aeck & Sargent has designed a building that will be polite to Columbia’s traditional, brick gothic architecture, and yet inside will provide residents the space and amenities appropriate to their commitment as graduate students and leaders for the future of the church,” said Columbia trustee Jim Philips, who is chair of the seminary’s planning committee for the new building.

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Scriptue

My Adventure with Scripture

So Slippery

Ra ndy C a lvo, Jr. ’81 , Director of Alumni/ae and Church Relations U n t i l t h i s t i m e l a s t y e a r , I p r a c t i c e d the pastor’s weekly ritual of sermon preparation. Monday mornings, religiously, I began with the Common Lectionary’s biblical lessons. During the week I frequently consulted various commentaries, other Bible reference tools, and even well-worn seminary textbooks. I found over time, however, that I stayed pretty close to the scripture during the week.

As I wrestled with its meaning (as I wanted it to be for that particular sermon), that scripture would become slippery, elusive to my grasp. Before I knew it, It would take hold of me. And by the time I stepped up to the pulpit to preach, It had carried me on an adventure, holding me close and taking me to places of the heart and soul that I hadn’t been before.

For this preacher, there has been both judgment and liberation in the divine proposition as [God says,] “I’ve got something to say [to my people] if you are willing to listen…” So instead of a burdensome imposition, I received an irresistibly gracious invitation. Every week I prepared a sermon, I became scripture’s companion on a homiletical adventure into God’s Word. Invited to share a satisfying intimacy, my I-It relationship with scripture became I-Thou.

We pastors can easily gloss over words of scripture, particularly familiar verses, during sermon preparation.

But when we pay attention to the scriptural lesson—its context, content, and

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Every time I open the Bible, I visit a strange and wild and wonderful country. My professors at Columbia gave me the binoculars that I need to see the beauty there, and my job is to describe it with all the passion and the wonder and the fear that such a place can bring.

Neal Neuenschwander ’92

configuration—the less and familiar becomes more and strangely wonderful. Captivated by the wonder of God’s Word, we are led by scripture to places of new creation and life. At that point, writing a sermon becomes no longer digging for something to say, but instead a joyful choosing from among treasures in an open chest.

Then the joy becomes sharing the excitement of our week’s adventure during worship with the faith community. And nothing is better than when we can share destinations of thought and perspective—brand new discoveries about God, life, and the world— that we’ve experienced personally for the first time. Even though we are saying words fixed on the pages of a sermon manuscript, that Word proclaimed by the preacher carries a sense that it is not our grasp of It, but Its grasp of us that matters most.

I will never forget an encounter with Proverbs 8:1-3, 22-31, included along with Psalm 8, Romans 5, and John 16 in Year C of the “Common Lectionary,” Trinity Sunday.

Does not wisdom call, does not understanding raise her voice?

On the heights beside the way, in the paths she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the Earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with

Scripture

The Great, Accessible Gift Dav i d B a rt l e tt , Distinguished Professor of New Testament I wa s a s u m m e r i n t e r n at the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles, and I was asked to preach the sermon for the Sunday evening service. This was my chance to tell the folk pretty much everything I had learned at school, and I took full advantage of the opportunity. Then the senior minister came down with the flu and suddenly I had to preach the next Sunday evening too. Desperately I tried to think of who would be in the congregation that evening and guessed that they would be folk who were notably not notable, at least not in the eyes of the larger world. Then I tried to think of a text I might use to buttress my thoughts on ordinariness and came up with Mark 1:16-20. Because I was pretty much at wit’s end, I decided to start working on the sermon by carefully reading the text.

Astonishingly, the text made claims I had never noticed before and even more astonishingly a sermon began to come together. One line from the text I remember to this day. Jesus says: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” It’s the I will make you that I had never noticed before. This was not a call to self-reliance but a call from God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

From that day until this, I have been convinced that Christian preaching and indeed Christian conversation and moral discourse and decision making begin with Scripture.

Not long after, I found a theological perspective that fit my preaching experience. Karl Barth said that the Word of God comes to us in three forms. The first form of the word of God is the Word incarnate, Jesus Christ; the second form is Scripture; the third, preaching.

This claim by Barth helped me distinguish myself from some of my fellow Baptists and even from some Presbyterians when it came to scripture.

It was not the case that the greatest gift God ever gave us is the Bible.

The greatest gift God ever gave us is God’s own Son. The importance of the Bible is not that it is literally true about everything or that it is an encyclopedia of answers to every possible question. The importance of the Bible is that it points to Christ who points to God. Barth’s claim also helped me understand what had happened to me on that Sunday when I was stuck preaching. The best place to find true witness to the true Christ is in the Bible. I am not as convinced as Barth that there

Captivated by the wonder of God’s Word, we are led by scripture to places of new creation and life.

water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth; before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men.

From that day until this I have been convinced that Christian preaching and indeed Christian conversation and moral discourse and decision making begins with Scripture.

is no other way to get to God than through Scripture, but I am entirely convinced that there is no better way. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, the biblical words point us to Christ more powerfully and consistently than any other resource.

Yet it is not scripture by itself that bears witness to Christ. It is Scripture as interpreted. As Barth did, I have often found witness to Christ in scripture as preached.

But sometimes it has been in Scripture as discussed in Bible study, or as the basis for a decision by the Board of Deacons or as the text for a hymn.

What bears witness is Scripture embodied in the life of the community.

Some people naively suggest that at Christmas or Easter we should just read the Lukan birth narrative or the story of the empty tomb in Mark and faith will abound. If we had just those stories without the conversations, sermons, and prayers and hymns that interpret them, they would be entirely bizarre and incomprehensible.

Scripture is a great gift because it points to Christ. Scripture is an accessible gift because we are invited to talk about it, interpret it, claim it.

David Bartlett, who joined the seminary faculty in 2006, had served previously as dean of Yale Divinity School. He is the author of numerous articles and books and is general editor (with Barbara Brown Taylor) of Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary. See article on page 3.

That scripture grabbed me and tossed me around. Wisdom says, “I was right there when God threw all the creation into place.” Wow! I bet that was something to behold! Think about it . . . Wisdom declares “I was there . . .” Now, you say that. Read that out loud to yourself. “When he established the heavens, I was there. . .”

You may think that I have not understood clearly the meaning of this text. But I will tell you this: I am still held in Its grasp, still a willing, wondering adventurer in that place of new creation where God’s Word takes me.

Randy Calvo joined the seminary’s staff in 2007. He had served previously as pastor of Atlanta’s Northwest Presbyterian Church.

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My Broken Bible (and how I got a new one) Adam C o p e la nd ’09 M y B i b l e b r o k e . In some ways, this happening was exciting, the culmination of many years of prayer and reflection. I admit, some small part of me exalted when I noticed the significant split in the spine. After all, a faithful church member I know says we should wear out a Bible every three years. But don’t throw it away then, she says. After that, cut it up and use the parts when traveling.

Another part of me mourned. I loved that Bible and it had been with me for years (eight, I checked). I literally traveled around the world with it.

I read through it cover to cover. It survived, years ago, a full cup of water being spilled on it. It was a good size, shape, and feel, that Bible. And I will miss it dearly.

Mostly, however, I’m struck by the cruel irony. These last few months were the least taxing ever for that Bible. While in Scotland, I kept it in my briefcase, but pulled it out seldom. I receive (and usually at least skim) daily e-mails with suggested daily Bible readings. And though I left it in the car for the first few weeks of pastoral visits, I’ve never used or needed the Bible on a visit.

It’s this last point that bothers me most. I’ve never used a Bible on a pastoral visit.

Sure my visits have been made in light of the Bible. After all, a presbytery committee has been convinced of my “thorough competence of the Bible,” but shouldn’t the Bible be discussed and consulted at least occasionally by the pastor on visits?

So, I had to buy another Bible. Not difficult, you might think considering the Bible is the best-selling book every year and has been since records were kept. People buy it up like marmalade at the women’s coffee hour. Strangely, though, a suitable replacement Bible was very difficult to find. After hours of searching online and several trips to local book shops, I could not find a good pocket NRSV anywhere. So what does a young blogger do when faced with a problem? Search for blogs.

Well lo and behold, I came across a fantastic blog on Bibles run by Mark Bertrand. This guy is amazing and has an entire post on NRSV pocket Bibles—with pictures, no less. Even so, Mark had bad news: nobody prints a great NRSV pocket Bible that’s actually pocket-sized and a worthwhile printing. Since my Bible broke, I wanted something that would last me. St. Mark says they don’t exist. (Do check out his site though, it’s really fascinating.)

But, Mark did send me a curious link to RL Allan, a Bible shop in Glasgow that has been making handcrafted Bibles since 1863. So I stopped by their office—not a retail store, an office building four floors up through

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I loved that Bible and it had been with me for years (eight, I checked). I literally traveled around the world with it. I read through it cover to cover.

two buzzer-equipped doors—to check it out. There I found two very kind Scots (actually, one was English) who talked me through their binding process and gave me some options.

Sadly, even fancy Bible makers don’t do NRSV pocket Bibles.

But RL Allan did have a beautiful calfskin handcrafted regular size Bible that’s just a beauty and sure to last a lifetime. Sure, it’s not cheap (ok, it’s ridiculously expensive), but it’s bound by the Queen’s binder and, as they say, an investment (also, it was after Christmas and I had the money).

My new Bible has gold-edged pages, marking ribbon, and initials.

But the real quality is in how it feels to the touch.

But I still need a pocket NRSV, you say? No siree, because the kind man at RL Allan gave me a free pocket Bible he had lying around.

It’s nothing to write home about (ironic), but it will do the job.

Adam Copeland is completing a year-long internship as assistant minister at St. Columba Church, Ayr, Scotland. Adam blogs on church and culture, life in Scotland, marriage—as long as his wife, Megan, approves—preaching, the emerging church, technology, and sundry items that strike his fancy.

Visit his blog at http://adamcopeland.wordpress.com.

Scripture serves as the library of God’s providence that is available to us for our journey.The more we know, the more we are aware we have yet to learn. Still, as we turn to it, its comfort assures us that we are not alone and we do have a purpose.

T y l e r D own i n g ’ 8 3

Words,

Words,

Words!

M ichae l M o rga n, CCM I n t h e n a rt h e x o f C a m p b e l l C h a p e l there used to be a striking, dark-toned print of a preacher, standing in the pulpit on a typical Sunday morning. The text of the sermon emanating from his lips was simply an endless string of “words, words, words . . .”

That picture mysteriously disappeared a few years ago, and we’ll probably never know what happened to it. I like to think of it hanging in a preacher’s office somewhere across our General Assembly as a reminder that every word we speak is a significant and honest reflection of what is in our minds and hearts.

Presbyterians have been called “people of the Word,” because we put such stock in what Scripture says to us. Our worship is founded on “Word and Sacrament,” putting the Bible right up there with Eucharist and Baptism as the cornerstones of our faith. We believe the Bible in our hands is divinely inspired, rendered into words we can understand by scholars, theologians, saints, and martyrs, yet ever vulnerable to an evolving culture with its archaisms and prejudices. Just consider these examples: • T wo centuries ago began a series of translations which rendered baptizo as “immerse” instead of “baptize”—a challenge to how we approach half of our Sacraments!

• T he King James Version tells us it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven —a strange image indeed, especially for early 17th century English scholars who probably never even saw a camel! George Lamsa, in his translation from the Aramaic, argues that similar words can mean either “camel” or “rope.” Certainly the analogy of a rope is much more feasible than a camel!

The New Testament title page to the first edition of the King James Bible, 1611.

This edition is known as the “He” Bible, because of the use of the masculine pronoun in Ruth 3:15 (later editions used “she”).

The King James Bible has been called the noblest monument of English literature, and is the most influential book in the English language. This is one of about 90 copies which survive. From the collection of Michael Morgan.

• A ll Protestant Bibles use the imagery of a shepherd in the 23rd Psalm, but Catholic Bibles, drawing on the Vulgate Latin, begin their translation, “The Lord ruleth me”—no allusion to a shepherd at all.

• T he Revised Standard Version of the New Testament in 1946 caused considerable furor with its description of Mary as a “young woman” and not a “virgin.” The translation was denounced by many, and Bible burnings—reminiscent of the early Reformation when William Tyndale’s New Testament was burned at St. Paul’s Cathedral— testified to the heresy many attributed to it.

Some Christians adamantly affirm: “If the King James Version was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me!” But are they talking about the first edition of 1611, the subsequent revisions of 1616, 1629, 1638, 1675, 1762, 1769, or any of the altered texts up to the Twenty-first

We believe the Bible in our hands is divinely inspired, rendered into words we can understand by scholars, theologians, saints, and martyrs, yet ever vulnerable to an evolving culture with its archaisms and prejudices.

First page of the “Genealogies” by John Speed, bound with the first edition of the King James Bible, 1611. The “Genealogies” trace the lineage of Christ from God, through Adam and Eve, and eventually through Joseph (by law) and Mary (by nature). From the collection of Michael Morgan.

VANTAGE Spring 2008

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Century King James Bible? (Surely they are not considering the notorious “Wicked” edition of 1631, which omitted the negative from the seventh commandment, reading, “Thou shalt commit adultery”!)

An equally disturbing slogan is, “God said it; I believe it; that settles it.”

Our Scriptures, inspired by God, are communicated through human beings who, like us, cannot avoid letting their personal beliefs influence their efforts.

The 20th century humorist, James Thurber, was once approached by a woman who remarked, having read his books both in English and a French translation, that she preferred the translation. To this, Thurber replied, “My work always suffers in the original!” Indeed, if all we had before us were the original texts—Hebrew scrolls, Aramaic and Greek codices—there would be little value in reading the Word in our worship.

The old Italian proverb, “Traduttore traditore”—“The translator is a traitor”—may sound harsh, but obviously speaks an element of truth.

So the best we can do is to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to whatever version attracts our attention, fosters our understanding, and strengthens our faith. “Sola Scriptura” was a critical byword of the Reformation and our Reformed faith—all we believe is based in Scripture, and that Scripture is not so much the “words” of God as it is the “Word” of God—the embodiment of who we perceive God to be. What may be “words, words, words” to some of us may indeed be the Law and Gospel to others, and we may not know where the two diverge and coalesce until, as Benjamin Franklin reminded us, “we meet the Author face to face.”

Seminary Musician Michael Morgan is an avid collector of English versions of the Bible, the New Testament, and the Psalms, which he displays at the seminary and at church music and Bible conferences around the country. He has generously made his library accessible to others, including the staff of Vantage for this issue. Also the organist for Central Presbyterian Church, in Atlanta, he is a Certified Church Musician and a member of the executive board of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.

We are grateful to Professor Emeritus Char Vantage. “Charlie” taught a course on Galat students: (Front, L to R) Sydne Check ’10, Co Pam Anderson ’10, Tim Dodenhoff ’10, Diane H

Left: The general title page from the Great Bible of Henry VIII. The woodcut border shows at the top King Henry VIII, giving the Bible (the first English version allowed to be read in the churches) to Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and to Thomas Cromwell.

The woodcut was done by Hans Holbein, who was the court artist to Henry VIII. Right: The first complete translation of the Bible by an English-speaking Jew, Isaac Lesser.

From the collection of Michael Morgan.

While Sola Scriptura may have been an appropriate reaction to the Roman Catholicism of the pre-Protestant Reformation period, can anyone today honestly defend Sola Scriptura, without a thousand qualifications, and ignore the just-as-important roles of experience, reason, and tradition? All sources for theology are problematic, including the Bible. Actually there is a fine line between scripture, experience, and tradition. In some respects, the Bible contains canonized experience and tradition. Basically we seek understanding as we live and learn in the community of faith and have to settle on, and depend on, faith and grace.

10 VANTAGE Spring 2008

C hr is Ay e rs ( D. M i n . ’ 9 7 )

I h loo con opi ren wo par me as ori ori thr

Conservatives are engaged in worshiping scripture. Liberals are intent on neutering scripture. Both views miss the point of scripture.

Scripture is an invitation into a relationship with our creator—just an invitation, not the relationship.

Jesus said that when his incarnate relationship with us on earth was done, he would send the Holy Spirit—not scripture—to continue our relationship with him. Who among us lives in the Spirit? Please, come tell me about your Jesus!

A p r i l L ov e -Fo r dham ’ 0 6

In my life and work, scripture is like the rudder of a ship guiding me as I attempt to follow the risen Christ in his continuing ministry.

S te v e n H . Rho des ’ 8 2

rles Cousar who suggested the theme for this issue of tions during January term and is pictured here with his ousar, Laura Palmer ’10; (Back, L to R): Steven Andrews ’10, Hunter ’10, Todd Reinschmidt ’10, Brian Powers ‘10

have used only the lexicon, and, of course, have oked up the King James translation, but I have nsulted no commentators. It was not man’s inion that I wanted as to construction or ndering, but the literal meaning of every Hebrew ord and that I wrote down, supplying nothing and raphrasing nothing, so everybody may judge the eaning for himself by the translation, precisely those familiar with the Hebrew may construe the iginal . . .I wanted every reader to see the exact iginal and nothing else through my rendering as rough glass.

•

A l e a d e r i n t h e w o m e n ’ s s u ff r a g e m o v e m e n t , Julia Smith (1792–1886) is the only woman to translate the entire Bible—and she published the translation herself. According to her biographer, Emily Sampson (With Her Own Eyes, The University of Tennessee Press, 2006), Smith’s work “has been alternately ignored or disparaged by subsequent biblical scholars. This is in part because no English translation other than the King James Version attracted significant attention until the appearance of the Revised Standard Version in 1952.” To describe Smith’s method and intentions, Sampson quotes Smith herself, from a late 1875 interview with a reporter from the New York Sun: This image of Smith (left) seated with her sister is from the collection of the Historical Society of Glastonbury, Connecticut, and was published in Sampson’s biography.

Scripture is the guide and inspiration of our lives so that increasingly we see our life stories in and through the stories of scripture.The power of scripture by which the Holy Spirit works is in that power of story.

It is not a set of rules and regulations; it is a holy story through which we see the hand of God, the ways of God, the leading of God, and the very voice of God. C a r r i e Sc ott ( D M i n ’ 0 0 )

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record For the

Class of 2007 calls

Ryan Baer, pastor intern, Conyers church, Conyers, GA John Brock, supply pastor, First church Hartselle, AL Tom Bryson, pastor, First church, Columbus, MS Claire Butler, associate youth pastor, First church, Charleston, WV Catherine Cavazos, associate pastor, E. Brentwood church, E. Brentwood, TN Caleb Clarke, director of church growth, First church, Atlanta, GA Sarah Walker Cleaveland, ThM program, Princeton Seminary, Princeton, NJ Deidra Crosby, pastor, Rocky Springs church, Laurens, SC Bill Davis, program assistant, Calvin Center, Hampton, GA Ashley DeVore, admissions office assistant, Columbia Seminary, Decatur, GA Frank Eldridge, director of congregational care, North Avenue church, Atlanta, GA Chris Erde, pastor, First church, Quincy, FL Lynne Frech, CPE resident, Crossroads hospice, Roswell, GA Elizabeth Gabbard, youth minister, Heritage church, Acworth, GA Cheryl Gans, section interim director of American Camp Association, Roswell, GA James Goodlet, associate pastor for campus ministry, First church, Tuscaloosa, AL Keith Gunter, youth pastor, First church, Marietta, GA Leslie Hand, associate pastor for youth, Stockbridge United Methodist Church, Stockbridge, GA Morgan Hay, associate pastor for youth, St. Andrews church, Tucker, GA Chris Henry, associate pastor, Morningside church, Atlanta, GA Chris Hill, associate pastor for pastoral care, Bethel church, Cornelius, NC Daren Hofmann, associate pastor, First Federated church, Peoria, IL Glen Hunihan, organizing pastor, Legacy new church development, Frisco, TX Keith Jones, pastor, New Hope church, Chattanooga, TN Toni Kemp, chaplain resident, VA hospital, Decatur, GA Sandra Lacey, associate pastor, Evergreen church, Dothan, AL Daniel Loffredo, associate pastor for youth & outreach, Miami Shores church, Miami, FL Kim Losee Justice, chaplain assistant, Methodist Children’s Home, Decatur, GA Mike Manaugh, pastor, Manchester church, Manchester, IA Ashley-Anne Masters, CPE resident, Northside Hospital, Atlanta, GA Sheena Mayrant, business systems coordinator, Columbia Seminary, Decatur, GA Rob McClellan, interim associate pastor, Bryn Mawr church, Bryn Mawr, PA Rachel Parsons, regional office of the National Council of Churches, Atlanta, GA Kendall Pearson, CPE resident, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, Atlanta, GA Nick Reed, associate pastor for youth, First church, Lebanon, TN Andrea Roche, year-long internship, Fairview church, Lawrenceville, GA Kyle Schmidt, year-long internship, First church, Morristown, TN Sharon Schuler, pastor, Monticello church, Monticello, FL Sheryl Sumlin-Barclay, hospice chaplain, Halifax medical center, Daytona Beach, FL Jill Tolbert, campus minister, Emory University, Atlanta, GA Scott Tucker, executive director, Horizons student enrichment program, Atlanta, GA Sara Varnado, media services assistant, Columbia Seminary, Decatur, GA Kim Wadlington, co-pastor, Middle Spring church, Shippensburg, PA Kelly Walsh Hostetler, associate pastor, St. Charles Avenue church, New Orleans, LA Reggie Weaver, Lake Fellow resident, Second church, Indianapolis, IN Monica Wedlock, director of recruiting and admissions, Columbia Seminary, Decatur, GA Jeremy Wilhelmi, associate pastor for youth and family, Canyon Creek church, Richardson, TX

CTS alumni/ae gathered for lunch at the annual meeting of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE), February 13-17, San Diego, CA. Rodger Nishioka, associate professor of Christian education, was the keynote speaker. Kathy Dawson, assistant professor of Christian education, presented two workshops. Nishioka and Dawson also hosted the CTS alumni/ae lunch, attended by 40 graduates, friends of the seminary, and prospective students.

12 VANTAGE Spring 2008

To enjoy God is to enjoy the stories, poetry, wisdom, and instruction of Holy Scripture.

S id B u rge ss ’ 9 0 Sola Scruptura (My Latin may be rusty but the English is Only Scripture). B i l l C ar r ’ 7 4 “In reading the Bible, everything depends on how we smuggle ourselves into its words.” (mostly from Eugene Peterson) D o ug K e l ly ( D M i n ’ 0 5 ) Wade Huie’s comment about one sentence is splendid advice to sermon preparers. Somewhere along the way I learned that it was a helpful discipline to try to complete this sentence before writing a sermon: “[The purpose of this sermon is] to get the congregation to _______________.”

Phi l N o b l e ’ 4 5 Scripture can open a new vista of insight into our own lives and struggles, our own context, our own foibles and gifts. J o h n C a roth e r s ’ 7 5

“In a missional church, the Bible...is not what we think or talk about, but what we think and talk with!” (George Hunsberger) Dan M i l f o rd ’ 9 3 To follow Christ, we must seek to know Him. There is no more definitive means to catch a glimpse into the mind of Christ than through the Scriptures. In them we find God’s truth and life.

Chan d l e r M . W i l l is ’ 0 0 Scripture is that holy ground upon which we tremble like Moses at the burning bush and listen for the Word of the Living God. G e o rg e Wate r s ’ 8 7 My understanding of scripture, from Genesis to the Revelation, is God’s act of love to us—and our response of love to God and to others as our life in Christ inspires and controls us. B . E. P e tt i t ’ 6 2 I believe that scripture is the LIVING WORD of God, full of truth, relevant significance, passion, opportunity for growth and challenge, conviction, empowerment, encouragement, and intimate relational time spent with the Living God. Sa n dy H i l l ’ 9 7 Believing in a teaching or doctrine doesn’t mean that we affirm it only because the Bible says it’s true.Yes, we accept all of Scripture as authoritative witness. But true witness always points to something else, to something bigger, to the real deal—and that real deal is God. B ett i n a K i lb u r n ’ 0 1 I think Jesus spoke as good a word as any about scripture, as recorded in the Gospel of John: “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf.” Truly, all other words are commentary. B i l l Ow e n s ’ 9 2

record For the

Alumni/ae 1950s Rob Roy McGregor ’57 announced that his translation of John Calvin’s Sermons on the Acts of the Apostles—Chapters 1-7, was published in 2008 by The Banner of Truth Trust.

1960s Bob Armistead ’63 completed 10 years in the synod mission project Living Waters for the World. He and his wife, Estelle, were invited to be at-large members of the board…..Charles Landreth ’66 is interim pastor of Rumple Memorial church, Blowing Rock, NC…..Bob Moss ’67 retired from Providence Presbytery last June and serves as part-time interim pastor at Tirzah church, York, SC. 1970s James Watson ’72 serves Columbia International University as a professor in the graduate school. He teaches classroom assessment, educational research, and organizational behavior in the Ed.D. and M.Ed. programs…..Victor Hanson ’73 retired from Fulton County-Juvenile Court several years ago, has a farm in South Georgia, and has organized a ministry called To Grow In Jesus Ministry Inc. which distributes Christian education material. He has written two books, To Grow In Jesus and A Journey Together in Christ, which are study courses for new Christians and new church members…..Rick Neldon ’73 retired last year after 30 years with the U.S. Government, Library of Congress, and Copyright Office…..Bill Carr ’74 is a therapist in the Gainesville/Hall County Community Service Center, stated supply of the Church of Saint Andrew, Sandy Springs, GA, and is in private practice at Lakeside Counseling, Gainesville, GA. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2006…..Charles Ligon Evans ’78 is retired after 20 years as a missionary in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

1980s Gwin Pratt ’82 was installed as pastor/head of staff at St. Luke church, Wayzata, MN…..Jim Wooten ’84 is pastor of Federated church, Columbus, NE…..

Jae Heung Chung ’85 resigned from First church, Greensboro, NC, to serve as a missionary in China…..Julie Cline ’85 has four books available at amazon.com: Heating and Air: Vents and Drafts About Dealing with My Parents and Their Aging, and three picture books for children: Thank You, Momma Charlie; Hardpan Puffs Up; and Today in San Jose…..Page Shelton (DMin ’85) has a newly published book, Salt & Light…..Lee Holliday (DMin ’87) is pastor of Brooklyn Heights UCC, Cleveland, OH.....Ed Cooley ’88 is stated supply at First church, Pampa, TX. He and wife Loralee just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

1990s James Fisher (DMin ’93) is interim pastor at Enslow Park church, Huntington, WV…..Paul Lang ’93 will enjoy a 14-week sabbatical funded by the Lilly Clergy Renewal Program in the summer of 2008…..Bobby Fisher ’94 is chaplain at the Pomfret School, Pomfret, CT…..Lou Ann Sellers ’94 is associate pastor at First church, Tuscaloosa, AL, after several years serving a church in Germany …..

Martin Lifer ’94 has been called as pastor of Providence church, Hilton Head Island, SC…..Beverly Ostrowski ’95 is interim associate pastor at Pleasant Hill church, Duluth, GA…..Scott Ramsey ’98 is pastor of Germonds church, New City, NY. 2000s Barry Jenkins ’00 is pastor of Church of the Good Shepherd, Anniston, AL…..

Adam Flynt ’01 is the Director of Family Ministry at the Access Church, Jacksonville, FL…..Bobby Williamson ’01 is completing PhD studies at Emory University and begins this summer as assistant professor of biblical studies at Hendrix College, Conway, AR…..Kyle ’99 and Shelaine ’03 Segars are copastors at St. Andrews church, Beulah, MI…..Stephanie Boardman Anthony ’02 is pastor of First church, Hudson, WI…..Cindy Benz ’03 is interim head

of staff at Fairfield Glade Community Church, Fairfield Glade, TN…..Steve deClaisse-Walford (ThM ’03) is pastor of National Heights Baptist Church, Fayetteville, GA…..Pen Peery ’03 is pastor of First church, Shreveport, LA…..

Dan Stephens ’04 is Associate Executive for Missional Development at the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley…..Paul Hackett ’05 has accepted a call to be pastor of the New Hope Church of Dunwoody, GA. New Hope is a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church, headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI…..

Francis Njoroge (ThM ’05) is Deputy Secretary General of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa…..Francesca Debora Nuzzolese (ThD ’05) is assistant professor of spiritual formation and pastoral care at Palmer Theological Seminary, Wynnewood, PA…..Scarlette Bostick ’06 was ordained and installed February 24, 2008, at Lavonia church, Lavonia, GA…..Keonbae Kim ’06 is associate pastor of Korean Community church, Duluth, GA…..Michael Woods ’06 was ordained October 28, 2008, at Northminster church, Pensacola, FL. He will serve as pastor of First church, Elberton, GA…..Glen Hunihan ’07 is the organizing pastor of Legacy church, Frisco, TX. He was ordained December 2, 2007…..

Sandy Lacey ’07 is associate pastor at Evergreen church in Dothan, AL…..Jill Tolbert ’07 was ordained January 27, 2008, at Fourth church, Greenville, SC. She is campus minister with Emory University’s Presbyterian Campus Ministry Board, Atlanta, GA.

In Memoriam C la r k Dav id B e ns o n ’ 4 0 February 20, 2008 W i l l iam H . B oyd ’ 4 3 January 23, 2008 J oh n L . Fai n , J r . ’ 4 6 February 11, 2008 he r b e rt ba i l e y ’ 5 8 December 1, 2006 Dav i d B . P e de rs e n ’ 5 9 November 17, 2007 D o na l d B . Sm ith ’ 6 0 October 8, 2007 Cha r l es H o l l i ngswo rth ’ 6 2 July 15, 2007 Rob e rt E . T em p l e ’ 6 2 August 29, 2007 W i l l iam P. B oy l e ’ 7 5 December 14, 2007 M ichae l G . W i nga rd ’ 8 2 December 25, 2007

Blessed Events Tom ’94 and Julie Watkins

Son, Jackson Lee, June 5, 2007.

Mary Cunningham Gause ’02 and Bill Gause

Son, Harrison (Harry) McCall Gause, October 9, 2007.

John ’03 and Catherine Boulware

Son, Trez Sumner Boulware, February 12, 2007 Chris ’03 and Christy Ham

Son, Matthew James, January 21, 2008.

Barnabas ’03 and Emi Sprinkle (former CTS employee)

Son, Matthew Gabriel Sprinkle, August 28, 2007.

Cameron ’04 and Cader ’05 Howard

Son, Isaac Cader Howard, January 23, 2008.

When I was in high school, Wade Huie was a minister in Macon, GA, and “adult advisor” to the Synod of Georgia youth, of which I was elected treasurer. Dr. Huie had a wooden cross erected on the corner in Macon, with one sentence from Lamentations: “Is it nothing to you all who pass by?” That affected my whole life and ministry.

Joe Greer ’59 VANTAGE Spring 2008

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record For the

Faculty and Staff

Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus of Old Testament, released the book The Word Militant: Preaching a Decentering Word, published by Fortress Press, Minneapolis, MN; for the Journal for Preachers wrote an Advent article titled “Advent: Departure and Homecoming;” in Sojourners 36 published an article titled “What Would Jesus Buy?”; preached at Swarthmore church, Swarthmore, PA, and at Duke University Chapel, Durham, NC; lectured at two conferences during the January Adventure on St. Simons Island; interviewed Frederick Buechner at the inauguration of the Buechner Institute, King College, Bristol, TN…..Leon Carroll, associate professor of supervised ministry, led a group of M.Div. students in their “alternative context” course in Jamaica as part of the United Theological College of the West Indies in Kingston; serves as chair of the board of Our House, Inc., Decatur, GA a non-profit organization providing child care and parent support to homeless families; participated in the annual consultation of the Presbyterian Theological Field Educators at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Austin, TX; attended the annual meeting of the board of the Appalachian Ministries Educational Center (AMERC), Berea, KY…..Erskine Clarke, professor of American religious history, attended a Lilly Foundation conference on theological education, Pittsburgh, PA; lectured on the religious life of the Gullah people at a symposium on “The Atlantic World: African Americans and the Georgia Low Country,” Savannah, GA, and was invited to appear on WSB TV, Atlanta, GA, in connection with the symposium; lectured on “The Landscape of Slavery” at the University of Virginia, Department of Art History, Charlottesville, VA; participated in a panel discussion of his book Dwelling Place at the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion…..

Mark Douglas, associate professor of Christian ethics, writes weekly editorials for The Sunday Paper (Atlanta, GA); presided at a session of the “Character Ethics and Biblical Interpretation” section of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL); responded to a set of papers at the annual AAR/SBL Conference, San Diego, CA; presided at two sessions of the annual Society of Christian Ethics conference; taught a two-week Doctor of Ministry seminar at the United Nations Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) New York, NY; preached at the installation of Garrett Hoffman (DMin ’07) in Colorado…..Jerry Gladson, adjunct professor of Old Testament, preached at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Garden Grove, CA…..Steve Hayner, Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, gave a plenary speech on “The Future of Global Missions” at the Association of Presbyterian Missions Pastors, Louisville, KY; taught a new class series titled “Advent Hopes and Realities” at Peachtree church, Atlanta, GA; attended the InterVarsity National Staff Conference, St. Louis, MO, as former president and seminar leader; served as a trustee and committee chair at the World Vision US board meeting, Federal Way, WA; spoke at Peachtree church’s Covenant Class Retreat, Pine Mountain, GA; spoke on “The Missional Church,” at the Presbyterian Pastors’ Covenant Group meeting, Malibu, CA; presented one of the Jarboe Lectures at Grace church, Houston, TX…..Beth Johnson, J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament, published the book A Modest Proposal in Context, The Impartial God: Essays in Biblical Studies in Honor of Jouette M. Bassler, for Sheffield Press; taught Bible study at Metro State Women’s Prison, Atlanta, GA…..Tom Lewis, director of the Certificate in Christian Spirituality program, led a seminar on “Life Giving Ministry” at the Pastors in Tropical Florida Presbytery Retreat, Boca Raton, FL; preached at Glades Memorial church, Boca Raton, FL….Laura Mendenhall, president, attended the board of directors’ meeting of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation; preached at the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta; met with other PC(USA) seminary presidents and General Assembly leaders; preached and taught at First church, Franklin, TN; attended the Synod of Living Waters annual meeting…..Michael Morgan, seminary musician, for Call to Worship, the journal of the Office of Theology and Worship, wrote two articles titled “Reflection on Global Music” and “Reflection on Marriage”; commissioned hymns for the Covenant Network of Presbyterians national conference, for World AIDS Day Call to Worship service, and for Florence Irwin’s 100th birthday; led worship at Clairmont Place Retirement Center; taught Bible study at Trinity church, Atlanta, GA; was a conference leader at the University of Alabama Church Music Conference; attended the national Executive Board 14 VANTAGE Spring 2008

meeting of Presbyterian Association of Musicians; commissioned a hymn for the 150th anniversary of Central church (Atlanta)…..Martha Moore-Keish, assistant professor of theology, published the book Do This in Remembrance of Me: A Ritual Approach to Reformed Eucharistic Theology for Eerdmans; for pastors, professors, and presbytery staff as part of the Re-Forming Ministry project of the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship, convened a meeting at Columbia to foster conversation about the identity and mission of the PC(USA); convened the Liturgical Theology Seminar at the annual meeting of the North American Academy of Liturgy, Savannah, GA…..Cam Murchison, dean of faculty, executive vice president and professor of ministry, attended meetings of AAR/SBL, San Diego, CA; for Trinity church, Atlanta, and online for Riverside church, Jacksonville, FL, taught the course Christians and Their Money…..Rhonda Weary (MATS ’04), staff associate for contextual education, sponsored the first Worship and Arts Scholarship Awards Program for Triumph Enterprises, a non-profit, Christian mission which she founded; was guest preacher for the United Methodist Women’s Day Service at Wesley Ray United Methodist Church, Angie, LA…..Christine Yoder, associate professor of Old Testament language, literature and exegesis, published four lectionary articles in Workingpreacher.org; gave a presentation on Proverbs to the adult education class at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Atlanta, GA; attended the national AAR/SBL meeting in San Diego, CA, and presided at a session hosted by the Wisdom in Israel and Cognate Literatures Section; charged Christopher Henry ’07 at his ordination and installation at Morningside church, Atlanta, GA; gave eight lectures at the Kansas Pastors and Educators School, Wichita, KS; met with the confirmation class at Central church, Atlanta, GA.

Students

Sarah Chamberlain ’08 and Whitney Wilkinson ’08 with the help of Christopher Hooker ’07, led and were keynote speakers for a multicongregational youth retreat on “relationships,” at the Calvin Center, Hampton, GA…..Mary Lynn Dell (DMin ’09), associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and faculty fellow in clinical ethics at Emory University, has been awarded a Christian Faith & Life Grant by the Louisville Institute. Her project is titled “Guide Us Waking and Guard Us Sleeping: A Practical Pastoral Theology for Autism Spectrum Disorders” (to read her project abstract, see Vantage Online at www.ctsnet.edu > News and Events > Vantage)…..Karen Fleming ’08 is on the steering committee and led worship for the Southern annual recreation workshop at Bethelwoods Camp and Conference Center, York, SC…..Mary Beth Hamburger, a part-time MATS student, served as youth advisor, secretary of the Religious Education Committee, and lay service leader at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett County, GA; led the Coming of Age program, was a member of the Weekday Ministries Committee and worked with Presbyterian Women at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Marietta, GA; served as co-chair of the Publishing Company at Arcado Elementary School; and was a member of Spectrum, Gwinnett County’s support group for families affected by autism…..Erin Kobs ’09 is serving as full-time pastoral intern at Laurel church, Laurel, MD; taught a five-week adult Sunday school class on the meaning and practices of Sabbath; preached twice at First church, Greeneville, TN…..Michael McLaughlin ’08 preached at the Atlanta Taiwanese Presbyterian Church’s English ministry service; preached and twice led worship at Ebenezer church, Hogansville, GA…..Nancy Meehan Yao ’09 is working as a chaplain resident at Northside Hospital; preached at Henry Memorial church, Dublin, GA…..Zachary T. Roberts (DMin ’09) is serving as interim associate pastor for education and spiritual formation at First Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC, and is planting an emergent community, Dogwood Abbey, in Winston-Salem, NC. I have been known to ask this question: Can you tell the story of the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 in 25 words or less, remembering that a story has a beginning, middle, and an end, and is told with verbs? And here is my answer, in all its inelegance: Humans broke the peace with God and one another.

God re-inaugurates the peace through Jesus. God will reestablish perfect peace with the Second Coming.

Ro b Roy Mc G r eg o r ’ 5 7

record For the

Fifteen students traveled to Mexico for the January term course “Explorations: Alternative Context for Ministry.” They were accompanied by Nan and Erskine Clarke (professor of American religious history) and Beth Johnson (J. Davison Philips Professor of New Testament Language, Literature, and Exegesis) and her husband, Pete Paulsen. Other venues for the course this year were the Appalachian region of the U.S., Jamaica, and Central Europe. Altogether 35 students were enrolled in the course.

Transitions Welcome

Carol Boe has joined the staff of the Office of Communications.

She has more than 20 years experience as a communications professional and taught English in South Korea from 1995-1999 and from 2003-2006.

Flint River Presbytery, in south Georgia, and the seminary are building a partnership that will help prepare new pastors for ministry in congregations with potential for growth. In February, the presbytery hosted nine students, who preached and taught in nine congregations. The students were accompanied

by Alumni/ae and Church Relations Director Randy Calvo ’81. Paul Luthman, Executive Presbyter, organized the event. Host churches and pastors included Dawson–David Felton ’05; Dawes (Thomasville) and Cairo–Jim Huffaker; Boston–Donald West; First, Donalsonville–Morgan Whitfield; Carver Heights (Columbus)–Virgil Marshall; Cuba (Blakley) and First, Cuthbert–Gary Keown; and First, Quitman, which is currently without an installed pastor.

Pictured here (L to R) are students Steven Andrews ’10, Drew Marshall ’08, and Diane Hunter ’10, who participated in the event.

Scripture sparks alive in a variety of ways. One way that has opened my heart, enlivened my spirit, and energized me for service is lectio divina.This meditative process guides us to listen generously to God, to ourselves, and to others in a way that helps us connect God’s word with daily life and work. K ate T hore s en ’84 The most important element of scripture in one’s life and work is carefully paying attention to the questions it asks of you and the questions you are compelled to ask of it. Let those questions become conversation and in that conversation you will find the Spirit of God dancing, moving, living, speaking.There you will find what God had you looking for all along. Aimee Wallis Buchanan ’96 “Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear.”

(William H. Parker) Lucy Youngblood ’01

Pam Cottrell has been named director of annual giving. She comes to Columbia from Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC), where she was major gifts officer. She has also served as director of financial development for the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the American Red Cross and as associate director of the Annual Fund for Georgia Institute of Technology.

Rachel Ezzo has joined the staff of the Advancement Services office as director of information and prospect research. Before coming to Columbia, she was information technology manager for the Atlanta Opera.

Paul Huh officially joined the faculty in January 2008 as assistant professor of worship and director of Korean American ministries. Paul comes to Columbia from the United Graduate School of Theology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, where he was the assistant professor in liturgy and homiletics. His appointment was announced in the spring of 2007.

For more information, please see the news release about his appointment at www.ctsnet.edu > News and Events.

Karen Hawkins has joined the staff of the Advancement Services as seminary receptionist/staff associate. Karen is originally from Germany and recently worked there as an administrative assistant at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain. Before that she worked as a branch office administrator for Edward Jones Investments in Atlanta, GA, and Grand Junction, CO. Anna Louise Murchison has joined the seminary as staff associate for the Center for Lifelong Learning. She previously worked as a supervisor at Tower Records, with a focus on world music. Before moving to Nicaragua several years ago, she had served in several part-time roles at Columbia.

Christopher Ann Paton has joined the staff of the John Bulow Campbell Library as the full-time archivist. She comes to Columbia from the Georgia Division of Archives and History where she has been a reference archivist and, earlier, reference services manager. Before her work with the Georgia Archives, she spent 20 years in the Special Collections Department at Pullen Library of Georgia State University.

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L i f e l o n g

M o n t r e at s u mm e r s e r i e s 2 0 0 8

Religion in Appalachia J u ly 2 1 - 2 5

This free afternoon lecture series, with two free evening programs, is part of Columbia’s program in Presbyterian and Reformed History and Theology.

Lectures are from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Convocation Hall of the Assembly Inn at Montreat (NC) Conference Center. Evening programs are in the same location at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday only.

M o n day, J u ly 2 1 Charles Lippy, Martin Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. One of the leading historians of religion in the South, he is the author or editor of more than ten books on religion and the American South, including Appalachia. With Sam Hill, he is editor of the Encyclopedia of Religion in the South. His lecture is titled “Holiness and the Holy Spirit in Central Appalachia.”

T u e sday, J u ly 2 2 Freeman Owle, Western Carolina University. A citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation, he is an accomplished storyteller and Cherokee historian.

He recently received the Preserve America Presidential Award at a White House reception honoring the authors of the Cherokee Heritage Trail Guide Book. He will tell the Cherokee creation narratives. He is also an accomplished stone carver and will have an exhibit and demonstration in the evening.

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Guthrie Scholars, October 29–November 2, 2007 (Participants, clockwise, from back, with each person’s focus of study): George Waters ’87, assistant public defender, Maryville, TN, and stated supply, First United church, Maryville (salvation, study of Paul’s letters and John’s gospel, with attention to Bultmann’s interpretation); Greta Reed ’91, Decatur, GA, teaches, preaches, leads retreats and serves on presbytery pastoral care team (faith for people of intelligence); Karla Fleshman ’99, church planting program specialist for Metropolitan Community Churches and founding pastor of Imago Dei MCC in New Jersey (church planting, leadership development, and world Christianity); Eunice Yang ’00, pastor Adelphi church, Adelphi, MD (In a multicultural setting, who is the pastor?); Janet Su, dean of students, Taiwan Theological Seminary, spending a sabbatical year at CTS to complete courses for the Certificate in Spiritual Formation (spiritual formation and its application in her ministry context).

The Guthrie Scholars Program is offered twice a year on an application basis.

The spring event is reserved for graduates of a designated class year from the seminary; the fall opportunity is open to all applicants. Guthrie Scholars are invited to the campus to pursue a topic of their choice that engages a pressing issue of the church from a Reformed perspective. All costs, except travel, are covered by the seminary. Application can be made through the Center for Lifelong Learning.

For more information, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learning > Special Programs. Or call Azizi Awolana at 404-687-4562.

W e d n e sday, J u ly 2 3 Denise Girardina, West Virginia State University. A novelist who has written powerful stories of the struggles of coal miners, she is a graduate of the Episcopal Theological Seminary, in Virginia, and is particularly sensitive to the role of religion in Appalachian struggles. Her best known Appalachian novels are Storming Heaven and The Unquiet Earth.

Jane Spencer. From Bishop, GA, this native of western North Carolina is an avid participant in and teacher of shape-note singing. Her evening presentation and performance are titled “Shape-note: America’s Earliest Music—Still Alive and Singing.”

T h u r sday, J u ly 2 4 William Turner, chair of Appalachian studies, Berea College, Kentucky.

He is chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities Appalachian section and will focus his lecture on a particular religious group such as the Old Regular Baptist.

F r i day, J u ly 2 5 John Kuykendall, former president and professor of American religious history at Davidson College. One of the most distinguished and respected educators in the Presbyterian Church (USA), he will address the role of Presbyterians in higher education in Appalachia.

This event is sponsored by Columbia Theological Seminary, Montreat Conference Center, Montreat Adult Summer Club, and the Presbyterian Heritage Center at Montreat.

sums om John 1:1 fr s o g lo o d h han re conceive e w An arcane e W . e well for m and it up pretty this word, in d e in a t r, n d, co my mento o t s in this wor k n a h T this word. ’8 0 continue in ip G o l d il Ph . ie u Wade H

Lifelong Learning’s Learning Together in Ministry, February 26-28, “early call conference” included ’04, ’05, and ’06 graduates: (L to R, beginning with back row): Glen Kohlhagen ’05, chaplain, Hospice Care Options, Milledgeville, GA; Jaina Anderson ’05, associate pastor, First church, Athens, AL; Derek Wadlington ’06, co-pastor, Middle Springs church, Shippensburg, PA; Casey Thompson ’05, associate pastor, Idlewild church, Memphis, TN; Sue Riggle ’05, pastor, First church, Jonesboro, GA; Jerry Long ’06, pastor, First church, Andalusia, AL; Susan Smith ’04; (currently seeking new call); Kaye Florence ’06, chaplain, Charis Healthcare, Johnson City, TN; Cory Stott ’06, pastor, Trinity church, Meridian, MS. Next year’s event is March 10-12, 2009, for the classes ’05, ’06, and ’07.

In a world of competing narratives, scripture is our chosen story. It is the narrative by which we choose to orient our lives, build our character, and form our communities. It is both a comfort and a challenge.

A nd r ew Ri chards o n ( D M i n ’ 0 7 )

16 VANTAGE Spring 2008

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Bookstore Gift Cards

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Available Now

The Bookstore at Columbia Theological Seminary is delighted to announce that we will have bookstore gift cards available in time for graduation! These cards can be used just like a debit card for all bookstore purchases.

Gift cards may be purchased for any amount by completing the form below or by contacting the bookstore via phone at 404-687-4550, via e-mail at bookstore@CTSnet.edu, or by fax at 404-687-4658.

GIFT CARD ORDER FORM Columbia Theological Seminary Bookstore

PERSON TO RECEIVE CARD

Baptism and Eucharist Ancient Practices in a Time of Renewal

j u ly 2 8 – 3 0 fo r wo r s h i p p la n n e r s , leaders, and pa r t i c i pa n t s

Celebrating the sacraments from a more holistic understanding of the human person, human community, and the earth . . .

•H ow Jesus’ practices become our sacraments • How sacraments nourish us for life in the world •H ow sacramental practices lead us to Christian public commitments

NAME ADDRESS

with PERSON PURCHASING GIFT CARD NAME ADDRESS

Samuel E. Torvend, Pacific Lutheran University author of Daily Bread, Holy Meal: Opening the Gifts of Holy Communion Kimberly B. Long, Columbia Theological Seminary editor of Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching & the Arts

PHONE AMOUNT OF GIFT CARD MASTER CARD OR VISA NUMBER EXPIRATION DATE

Register by July 14.

Information/registration online at www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learning > Courses and Events

Then click on July 28, 2008

may co n f e r e n c e a i m s to s t r e n g th e n r u r al m i n i s t r i e s

Practices in � 8

May 6–8, 200

Columbia minary lo Theo gical Se Decatur, GA

The first annual “Strengthening Rural Ministry” conference at Columbia Seminary is slated for May 6-8, 2008.

“We recognize the special gifts and challenges of ministry in a rural context,” says Dent Davis, dean and vice president for Lifelong Learning. “Through our new initiative designed to strengthen the efforts of pastors serving rural congregations, we want to support and enhance the continuing education of clergy in such settings.”

Keynote speaker will be theologian and ethicist Jung L. Shannon Jung, an ordained Presbyterian pastor who is

m

Scripture introduces us to Jesus. Ji m Watkin s ’71 (DMin ’75)

Professor of Town and Country Ministries at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO. Eight people have been granted scholarships to attend the conference as Rural Ministry Scholars: Phillip Blackburn (Lincoln, IL), April Chlumsky (Manter, KS), Penny Frame (Canton, IL), David Garth (Charlottesville, VA), Marina Gopdanze (Buchanan, VA), Joe Hester (Benson, NC), Sherrie Hofman (New Haven, WV), and Geoff Hubbard (Roanoke, VA).

Besides the conference, the new program offers a year-long Rural Ministry Fellowship to one pastor or commissioned lay pastor serving a rural congregation. Supported through gifts from individuals and congregations, the fellowship will honor and draw upon the experiences of a pastor who has shown commitment to, and leadership for, rural ministry.

This year’s Fellowship recipient is Marilyn Wullschleger, who serves a three-congregation parish near Marysville, KS. For more information about the rural ministry initiative, contact Associate Director Sarah Erickson, ericksons@ctsnet.edu or 404-687-4526.

Scripture is God’s active and irrepressible word teaching us about God, our world, and ourselves.

Don Frampton ( D M i n ’ 8 2 ) VANTAGE Spring 2008

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or more information about opportunities listed below, to register online, or to download a registration form, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learning > Courses and Events. Then click on the dates of the courses and events you wish to attend. You may also call the registrar, Pat Roper, at 404-687-4587, for more information or to register by phone. Unless otherwise noted, events take place on the seminary campus, in Decatur, GA. Some events listed below require registration through the Presbyterian Board of Pensions. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for most events. Inquire at time of registration/event sign in.

May 6–8 Creative Practices in the New Rural (Strengthening Rural Ministry Conference). Join pastors and church leaders engaged in rural ministry, for

the inaugural Strengthening Rural Ministry Conference. Keynote speaker is L. Shannon Jung, Professor of Town and Country Ministries at the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO. Jung serves on the Rural Ministry Staff Support team, a national committee of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The conference includes a lecture by Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann, and case study discussion groups in which participants will explore creative practices in rural ministry. Workshop topics and leaders include Christian education in the rural church (Assistant Professor of Christian Education Kathy Dawson); new paradigms of parish leadership (Chuck Traylor, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of the Northern Plains in Fargo, ND), and parish redevelopment in rural settings (Rural Ministry Fellowship Recipient Marilyn Wullschleger, Marysville, KS). Register by April 22. $150 (includes 2 lunches; housing not included).

July 13–18 Earth Community and End of the World Spirituality (Certificate in Spiritual Formation). This course examines the earliest Christians’ “end of the

world” and “new creation” spiritualities, particularly as they pose problems and possibilities for engaging the earth as an integral element in Christian spirituality.

We will also explore theological dimensions of ecological issues facing this generation of the church. Occasional students are welcome; enrollment in the certificate program is not required. Leader: Stan Saunders, associate professor of New Testament. $350.

July 21–25 Religion in Appalachia (Montreat Summer Series 2008). This free lecture

series is part of the seminary’s program in Presbyterian and Reformed History and Theology. At Montreat (NC) Conference Center. Lectures are 2:30-3:30 p.m. daily. Stone carving exhibition and demonstration on Tuesday evening. Shape note singing on Wednesday evening. Details on page 17.

July 21–July 24 Character Ethics in the Gospel of Mark. Explore how Mark develops characters

—Jesus, the disciples, the crowds, the enemies, and God. What do the combined sets of characters—with their virtues and vices—convey about the character of a follower of Christ? Examine how the narrative develops what a follower’s character should be. Learn how to study a Gospel using character ethics. Leader: Steven Kraftchick, New Testament scholar and director of advanced studies at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Cost TBA.

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July 28–July 30 Baptism & Eucharist: Ancient Practices in a Time of Renewal. A celebration

of the sacraments from a more holistic understanding of the human person, human community, and the earth, this course considers how Jesus’ practices become our sacraments; how sacraments nourish us for life in the world, and how sacramental practices lead us to Christian public commitments. Designed for pastors and other church professionals, worship planners, lay leaders, and anyone interested in this theme. Leaders: Samuel E. Torvend, Pacific Lutheran University, author of Daily Bread, Holy Meal: Opening the Gifts of Holy Communion; and Kimberly B. Long, assistant professor of worship and editor of Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching & the Arts. Register by July 14. $175 (includes Tuesday lunch).

July 28–August 1 Jubilee! Luke’s Gospel for the Poor (2008 Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study training, morning course). At Alpharetta Presbyterian Church,

Alpharetta, GA). The Gospel of Luke contains stories that show the mission of Jesus to be the revelation of the beginning of the Messianic Age—a celebration of God’s jubilee for all people. In this course, authored by Dale Lindsay Morgan, we will examine the idea of jubilee, and the response Jesus received in his ministry.

With instructor Rebecca Parker, begin to consider our own responses to Jesus and the call to be witnesses to the gospel in our own churches, in our communities, and in the world. Explore the texts, make personal connections with the themes, and receive practical ideas for teaching this series. Designed for women who will be teaching this series, this workshop is open to anyone interested in the topic.

Register by July 21. Leader: Rebecca Parker. $90 ($85 for members of Alpharetta Presbyterian Church).

NOTE: This workshop is also offered two other times this summer, on the seminary campus in Decatur: August 4–6 (weekday course) and August 8–9. See below for more information.

July 31–August 3 An Invitation to a Deeper Spiritual Life (Certificate in Spiritual Formation – Weekend Immersion Experience). Join us for this feast for the soul.

Explore the origins of the Christian spiritual tradition. Participants will study the formative elements of biblical, monastic, and Reformed spirituality. There will be the opportunity for personal reflection through guided meditative journaling, exploring one’s own unique journey with the living God. Community and practical application of acquired knowledge are also part of this experience.

This course is the starting place for the Certificate in Spiritual Formation.

Occasional students are welcome. Leader: TBA. $300.

August 4–6 Jubilee! Luke’s Gospel for the Poor (2008 Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study training, weekday course). See description for July 28-August 1 event.

Register by July 12. Leader: Dale Lindsay Morgan, author of the 2008-2009 Horizons Bible study. $90 (includes 3 lunches).

August 8–9 Jubilee! Luke’s Gospel for the Poor (2008 Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study training, weekend course). See description for July 28-August 1 event.

Register by July 25. Leader: Rebecca Parker. $70 (includes lunch).

nd n’t fi a c e eon n the If som n story i ow ren’t a t s u their j , they tion. ’63 Bible atten old g n n i r y A pa Pack e Jo

18 VANTAGE Spring 2008

When the storm of life rages, I am glad to have Scripture in my hand, in my soul, and in my memory as a rock to which I cling.

B a rnabas Sprin kle ’03

August 22–23 Programming with a Plan: Intentional Youth Ministry. This Youth Leadership

Ministry Initiative (YMLI) event will explore a very practical side of youth ministry. Participants will examine various aspects and approaches in program planning and participate in a session during which they can assess their own programs. Leaders: Lynne Turnage and Eric Dillenbeck. Facilitators: Sarah Erickson and Neema Cyrus Franklin. $150 (includes 2 meals).

When I read the Scriptures, it is like an echo of God calling me back to what is basic, redemptive, and profound. I read, and I discover that God is calling me to become what He intends for me to be. To m You n g ’ 5 2

Van tage

Vol. 99, No. 3, Spring 2008 Published quarterly by Columbia Theological Seminary Periodicals postage paid at Decatur, GA Circulation: 13,000 The Office of Institutional Advancement

R evie ws

The

Edi to r : Genie Addleton Ass ista n t Edi to r s: Carol Boe, Sarah Chamberlain ’08, Karen Fleming ’08 Photo Edi to r : Ben Beasley ’10 De sig n : Lucy Ke Con tr i buto rs Anne H. K. Apple ’01 Joe Pack Arnold ’63 Chris Ayers (DMin ’97) David Bartlett Jeff Beebe ’94 Sue Boardman ’90 (DMin ’97) Aimee Wallis Buchanan ’96 Sid Burgess ’90 Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81 David M. Cameron ’82 Mike Capron ’98 John Carothers ’75 Bill Carr ’74 Kim Clayton ’84 Adam Copeland ’09 Charles Cousar ’58 Sue Crannell ’05 Mary D. D’Alessio ’92 John Doubles (DMin ’08) Tyler Downing ’83 Sarah Erickson ’03 Don Frampton (DMin ’82) Matthew R. Fuller ’04 Joe Greer ’59 Philip Gold ’80 Sandy Hill ’97 Taylor Hill ’67 Doug Kelly (DMin ’05) Bettina Kilburn ’01 Tom Lewis (DMin ’00) April Love-Fordham ‘06 Rob Roy McGregor ’57 Laura Mendenhall Dan Milford ’93 Michael Morgan Linda Morningstar (MATS ’98) Neal Neuenschwander ’92 Phil Noble ’45 Bill Owens ’92 B.E. Pettit ’62 Barbara Poe Steven H. Rhodes ’82 Andrew Richardson (DMin ’07) Jean Rodenbough ’93 Carrie Scott (DMin ’00) Barnabas Sprinkle ’03 Nibs Stroupe ’75 David Swindall ’72 Kate Thoresen ’84 Ernest R. Tufft ’53 Andy Walton ’92 George Waters ’87 Jim Watkins ’71 (DMin ’75) Monica Wedlock ’07 Kathleen Weller (DMin ’02) Buz Wilcoxon ’08 Mike Williams ’02 Chandler M. Willis ’00 Tom Young ’52 Lucy Youngblood ’01 Postmaster: Send address changes to Vantage Columbia Theological Seminary P. O. Box 520 Decatur, GA 30031-0520 please r ec yc l e After you read this issue of Vantage, pass it along to a friend or colleague, or take it to your neighborhood recycling center.

Corrections/acknowledgments

For the record, the article on improvisational theater that was published in our winter issue should be attributed to Marc Van Bulck, Karen Fleming, and Genie Addleton.

books

At of Scripture

The B o o k of Ps alm s an d D o o rposts b y T i m oth y R . B otts In both books, Timothy Botts uses expressive calligraphy and watercolors to create beautiful word pictures of passages from the New Living Translation of the Bible. His creative expressions are both informative and interpretive and have been very meaningful for anyone seeking spiritual inspiration. These books are wonderful gifts for anyone who is in love with scripture and seeks to view it from a different perspective.

The S a i nt J o h n ’s B ible has been called the “American Book of Kells.” Using tools and materials employed by scribes for thousands of years, Donald Jackson and an international team of artists and scholars embarked on a monumental seven-year journey: to create the first handwritten illuminated Bible commissioned since the invention of the printing press. With feathers, eggs, calf skins, and hand-ground inks along with gold, silver, and platinum, the seven volumes of the Saint John’s Bible were created with the intention of putting readers in communication with the Infinite. There are seven volumes: Gospels and Acts, Pentateuch, Psalms, Prophets, Wisdom, Letters and Revelation, and the Historical Books. Price per volume ranges from $55.25–$63.75 (retail $65 –$75).

The B ible: G en es i s , E x od us , S o n g o f S ol o m o n includes 130 pages of extraordinary illustrations by the artist Marc Chagall. Chagall began illustrating the Bible in 1931, and it became his lifelong passion. His illustrations reflect his Jewish heritage and his view of the complex relationship between God and humans. Originally published in France, this chunky, hand-sized book is a combination of the popular artist’s evocative style alongside the most familiar stories from the Bible. $17 ($20 retail).

avai l ab l e f rom th e C TS Book s to r e No. of Copies Retail Price

Timothy R. Botts

The Book of Psalms $25.00

Doorposts $19.99

Columbia Price Prices subject to change $21.25 $17.00

Donald Jackson

The St. John’s Bible Calligraphy

Price per volume ranges from $55.25 – $63.75 (retail $65–$75). Please call the Bookstore for information.

Illustrations by Marc Chagall

The Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Song of Solomon

$20.00

$17.00

TOTAL AMOUNT FOR BOOKS

SHIPPING AND HANDLING: Orders under $20, add $4.50; orders from $20 to $49.99, add $6; orders $50 and over, add $7.50.

$1.00

Add $1 for residential deliveries.

All books shipped United Parcel Service.

Georgia residents: add seven percent (7%) sales tax on books and shipping.

TOTAL DUE METHOD OF PAYMENT (Please check one):

O Check payable to CTS Bookstore (included with order)

O Visa

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Please print information below: Visa/MasterCard/Discover # Exp. Date Name (as it appears on card) Street address for UPS delivery City

State

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Telephone

Please send this completed form to: CTS Bookstore, P.O. Box 520, Decatur, GA 30031 | Fax 404-687-4658 | E-mail bookstore@ctsnet.edu

VANTAGE Spring 2008

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Invest ing i n Le ade rsh i p f o r Chr ist’ s Ch u rch Monica L. Wedlock ’07 | Director of Recruiting and Admissions T h i s i s a n e x c i t i n g , b u s y t i m e at C o l u m b i a as next year’s entering class takes shape! Almost every day prospective students are here for campus visits and admission interviews. Meanwhile, faculty and staff are painstakingly reviewing applications for admission and for financial aid. As we go about this work and meet those who will begin studies as early as this summer, we are filled with enthusiasm and hope for the future of the church. At the same time, we are challenged to listen closely to the Holy Spirit: we know that our decisions affect the lives of those responding to God’s call to ministry and leadership for Christ’s church.

Among our responsibilities to these prospective students is helping them find financial resources to support themselves during their theological studies without increasing their education debt.

As an alumna, and now a staff member, I am grateful for the financial assistance Columbia offers its students. I also know that those of you who read Vantage make that possible: you give to the seminary, and daily I see your gifts at work in the lives of our students.

We ask you now to continue your support for Columbia and as we seek out and attract women and men who have the strongest potential for leadership in Christ’s church. We are increasing the size of our student body and its diversity with one of the most aggressive recruiting programs in this institution’s history. At the same time, we are increasing the size of our faculty, strengthening resources for student financial support, building a new residence hall, and dramatically improving our technology capabilities. All of this is to ensure that those God calls here to prepare for ministry have the best possible living and learning environment.

Your support of Columbia’s Annual Fund is critical to our mission of preparing imaginative, resilient leaders for Christ’s church. Please make a gift today.

Scripture reminds us of our human qualities, demonstrates through story and song the possibilities of being more than we are because of the power of God and the truth to be discovered through Jesus Christ.The stories are about God, or about Jesus, who insist upon our inclusion in the power of divine love.

J ea n Ro d e nb o u gh ’ 9 3

Scripture is the intersection of Divine Way and Humanity Road, wherever we find ourselves.

Scripture is words telling us about The Word.

The inspired word that leads us to be “in spirit.”

John Doubles (DMin ’08)

Yo u ca n make a gif t to th e Annual F und at

www.ctsnet.edu > Supporting the Seminary > Ways You Can Give

VA N TA GE

spring 2008

From the collection of Michael Morgan.

Contents

President’s Message: Always, something for us to say. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Harrington online sermon collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 More news. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Doctor of Ministry courses at Montreat. . . . . . . . . . . 3 Ground-blessing for new residence hall . . . . . . . . . . . 4 About Scripture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–11 For the Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Lifelong Learning events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 From the bookstore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Scripture is the ever evolving cross-section of life where the Eternal, Infinite, and Mysterious meet the temporal, finite, and mundane; where Divinity meets humanity; Holy meets profane; Imagination meets language; and The Word becomes words.

An dy Walton ’92

Scripture is the dusty, familiar place we go, hunting for answers—preferably ones that prove the point we are trying to make—only to be surprised by the terrifying grace of new questions.Thanks be to God. I think.

S u e B oa r dman ’ 9 0 (DMin ’97)

P.O. Box 520 Decatur, GA 30031 404-378-8821 www.ctsnet.edu

Periodicals Postage Paid at Decatur, GA Publication No. 124160