Wesley Student Journal

WESLEY STUDENT JOURNAL

reflecting and refracting Meet Our New dean

south korea learning trip

November 2023

Student reflections

FROM THE EDITOR Thanks to Wesley's culturally, ethnically, and generationally diverse community, we are blessed with the opportunity to learn from and grow with others who hold different perspectives. My hope is that through community and sharing our stories we will not only learn together but hope, dream and cast vision for the future together. This semester we have seen deep grief around the world and we are learning to grieve together but we must also hold fast to vision with and for one another.

When the hard work of facing injustice leaves us tired and weary, it is our visions of peace that keep us going. We share these reflections of life, love, transformation, and growth to remind ourselves and each other of what God has done before and what They will do again. May this issue of the Wesley Student Journal act as a prism through which all the colors of light, hope, and life are made more clear and beautiful to us.

Keep the faith, Kiry Murray "If your hope is waning, find those who can sustain it. And when the time comes, you will carry someone else's hope for them. No individual can resist despair on their own. We steady each other. We can't afford despair."

- Black Liturgies

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NOVEMBER ISSUE

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Meet the team Wesley's New Dean Of Sacred Worth chapel service Forgive us as we forgive South Korea Reflection Ed Crump Thank you

MEET THE TEAM Editorial Director Kiry Murray They/them

Associate Editor Katherine Ki She/her

Associate Editor/ Student Body President Allison Schwartz She / Her

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WESLEY'S NEW DEAN Writen by Kiry Murray

Dr. Carla Works has been teaching at Wesley since 2009 and says she felt she was coming home the moment she set foot on our campus.

Those who have taken Dr. Works' classes on the Pauline epistles or the broader New Testament have enjoyed not only learning the class material but also learning from Dr. Works herself as she models the pastoral heart of Christ. When asked about what is central to her ministry Dr. works replied, "Discipleship. God has entrusted us with making disciples—forming people who listen to God’s call, who embody a prophetic voice, and who live out God’s reign in our world. It is our task to make a few quality disciples who can change the world."

Our new dean is passionate and enthusiastic about the culture at Wesley that prioritzes experiencing God, not just studying the faith. As she stated in her own words, " The real transformation happens in the interactions along the way, the people whom we meet, the friends we encounter, the chapel service that shook us to our core, the quiet meditations, the “aha” moments that linger with us for years after graduation. In those moments, the seminary becomes a “thin space” with the divine where the Spirit encounters us and recreates us. We simply are not the same. The people who graduate from Wesley are not the same as they were when they matriculated in their first class. Those thin space moments are where the real empowerment happens. Those moments transform the rest of the “to do” list into the work of equipping saints for bold callings, wherever God may send them."

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Before I came to Wesley I was told by many Alumni and others familiar with Wesley that this is the place to go if you want to learn from great pastors, not just great professors. Dr. Works has proven to me the truth of this statement and I look forward to witnessing all the ways she will continue to shape the culture of Wesley not only as a professor but now also as dean.

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OF SACRED WORTH

By Erik Slingerland (he/him)

"Yes, the change, the loss, and the struggle is real.

Yes, stay calm anyway, stay still anyway, and stay peaceful because God is still parting those waters and God is still making a way."

- Rev. Billy Kluttz

Near the end of the Spring 2023 semester, Chapel Elder Na approached Of Sacred Worth (OSW) with the idea of having our group (which, after being dormant for several years, had restarted just months before) collaborate to plan one of the weekly chapel services in recognition of LGBTQ+ History Month (October). We excitedly accepted this invite and began discussing who we would invite to preach. Thanks to Dr. Elgendy, our faculty advisor, it did not take us long to find someone who a) was already connected to Wesley, b) was a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and c) lived in the DMV: Rev. Billy Kluttz. I extended the invite to Rev. Billy in August, and he accepted.

OSW met with Rev. Billy in September to discern a theme for the service and what sorts of scripture readings would fit with that theme. In our discussion, the theme of recognizing the history of the struggle for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Christianity naturally emerged; Rev. Billy then suggested our scriptures (2 Kings 2:1-18, the passing of the mantle from Elijah to Elisha, and 2 Timothy 1:3-9, drawing on the faith of our ancestors to remind us of our calling).

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our worship service by Chip and friends of Rev. Dr. Hardman-Cromwell, we quickly learned how she spoke in favor of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the UMC long before the more widespread acceptance that is present today.

Much could be said about the impact of this worship service, but I will keep it brief. The fact that Dr. Na and other Wesley faculty and staff supported this service in the first place is significant for LGBTQ+ folks called to Christian ministry, both here at Wesley and elsewhere. A number of people, many of whom had not previously been involved with OSW, told me how much they appreciated the service and how important it was to have such a service, especially given the changes in the UMC over the past few years. Although there is no way to know what the future holds for OSW as a resurrected organization, we know that students, professors, and administrators at Wesley are working in various ways to ensure all of God’s children experience the love of our Creator. If you wish to watch this worship service, you can find it on the seminary YouTube channel as the October 31, 2023 service at Oxnam Chapel.

In the weeks between that meeting and our worship service, the remaining details were primarily handled by Sarah Chambers, an active chapel planning team member and the Vice President for OSW for this academic year. She found a wonderful liturgy from Rev. M. Jade Kaiser, a nonbinary pastor and co-director of the spiritual resource website enfleshed, to use as our call to worship. She also worked with Jessie Houff, a Wesley staff member, to design the visual and interactive elements of the service (including the bulletin graphic, based on a physical art piece previously made by Jessie, and time of remembrance, reminding worshippers that the light of God lives within all of us).

Chip Aldridge, who has been a member of the Wesley community since he arrived as a student in the 1980s, recounted some of what LGBTQ+ folks like him have done at Wesley over the past 30+ years. He also approached OSW asking if we could make time in our service to present an award to retired professor Rev. Dr. Youtha Hardman-Cromwell on behalf of the Reconciling Ministries Network, an advocacy group of United Methodists working since the 1980s to promote full inclusion of LGBTQ+ folks in the UMC. Although none of us in OSW had taken a class from Rev. Dr. Hardman-Cromwell, through what was said at

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Created by Jessie Houff (She/Her)

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"FORGIVE US OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US."

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FORGIVE US AS WE FORGIVE

By Abby Butler-Cefalo (She/her) I learned The Lord's Prayer by reading it over and over again in my college dorm room sophomore year. In my NIV Bible, it read "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us." It's so much easier to use the word trespass, at least to me. That feels foreign; I don't feel like a "trespasser" so praying this line has become more or less just ritual. Tonight during our prayer time, we focused on this line but with the word "sin" instead of "trespass" and that deeply changed the meaning of the prayer to me.

What does it mean to forgive those that have harmed me? Harmed the people I love? Surely, it's easier to write them out of my life instead of forgiving. It's easier to walk away than to face pain head on.

But what if we did? What if we chose to forgive those that have caused us harm and heartache?

That's what Wi'am does. Today in the afternoon, we met with a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonviolent resistance of Israeli occupation through reconciliation, acknowledging mutual harm done, working in Palestinian homes to end the cycle of violence created by this occupation, and through transformation. Zugby, the head of this organization, was enrolled in Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding Institute and that shaped how he views the current conflict, as a Christian, as a Palestinian, and as a human.

Zugby had two Biblical concepts he called on during our meeting: the story in Matthew when Jesus says, "whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done for me" and the belief that everyone is made in the image of God, and God's image is good. Wi'am isn't advocating for just Palestinian liberation, but liberation for all. He shared a heartbreaking statistic with us, that two of the highest suicide rates in Israel come from IDF soldiers that are raiding the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and the soldiers that have to patrol the Walls that divide the two peoples. In order to liberate Palestine, they must also liberate Israel.

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"And I think we can learn a lot from this; to hope for our oppressors to heal just as much as we hope to heal."

Abby Butler-Cefalo

A few days after we met Zugby & the folks that run Wi'am, a friend and I were walking through downtown Bethlehem and found myself at a Stars & Bucks - Starbucks doesn't do business in Palestine, so this is Palestine's cheeky response to that - and I got to talking to one of the local store owners. He didn't want to share his name with me because he was afraid that if we got stopped by the IDF on our way out of the airport, they could find his name and his family’s safety would be in jeopardy.

As this man spoke, I listened intently- he had such a way with storytelling. He was born and raised in the West Bank and was taught to be fearful of the IDF. He told us a story where he woke up with no power as Israel had disconnected their electricy again. He left for school, on foot, as he did every day. Once he was near his school, he ran into soldiers. He explained to us that he was respectful and kind, as he had been taught, but being Arab put a target on his back. They yelled at him that the West Bank was under curfew and he was not supposed to be out, but before he could explain that he had no power and no way of knowing the curfew, they beat him, broke both of his legs, and arrested him and put him in solitary confinement for 6 months, rejecting him medical care and even his own mother’s plea for connection. He was just 16 years old. As he told this story, I was speechless, yet he told this story with a casual coldness, as if he's experienced this countless times.

He then switched gears and asked if he could tell another story. I silently nodded, worried that my speaking may disrupt the tension between the three of us. At the beginning of the pandemic, his store had to close down. He depended on Christians coming to the tourist area where his shop was, but there were none as the pandemic raged on. He was so tired of all the pain he was seeing, so every day during lockdown he would pick wildflowers and go to Israeli-occupied neighborhoods in the West Bank. He'd stand in the middle of the neighborhood - a huge danger for Palestinians - and offer Israelis flowers as they passed by.

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He explained to us that he had experienced everything from being called slurs, to threatened, to spat on, just for existing in one of the occupied neighborhoods. He didn’t stop showing up.

Finally, someone took his flowers and they got to talking. He explained they are still friends to this day; all because of his insistence on being in community with those who harmed him. His insistence on bringing joy to those who harmed him.

“I’m so grateful I caught him on an off day for him.” he explained at the end of our meeting. “He told me that usually, he brings his gun with him. He said that he would have shot me if he remembered it that day.”

At RISE, my home church, we have a saying that is "mending God's creation together." In my evening reflection, I had this saying percolating through my head, and I realized that if you emphasize a different word in this saying, it has an entirely different meaning.

Mending God's creation together; mending God's creation together; mending God's Creation together; mending God's creation Together.

My biggest take away from today, and maybe even this trip, is that often in the West, we place most of the focus on God. We place so much emphasis on "are you a good Christian?" first rather than "are you a human with dignity and needs?". However, just as Zugby explained to us, and just as I experienced with the nameless man, the only way through this conflict is together. Zugby explained that placing blame on Israel does nothing but perpetuate the cycle of harm and violence. Rather than focusing on blame, he calls on Palestinians to focus on reconciling with Israelis, which mirrors so beautifully with the shop owner. He explained to us that in Islam, Muslims, Christians, and Jews are seen almost as step-siblings as we all stem from the Abrahamic beliefs. His biggest hope is that these step siblings may one day combine homes instead of being homes divided.

And I think we can learn a lot from this; to hope for our oppressors to heal just as much as we hope to heal.

May God forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

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SOUTH KOREA IMMERSION TRIP " The immersion trip to South Korea opened my eyes to multiple aspects of culture, faith, and religion. I did not know a lot about Korean culture and was overwhelmed by the abundant hospitality showered upon our group. It was a privilege to meet Wesley graduates and pastors for meals as well as worship at Kwanglim Church and Methodist Theological University.

I found God was journeying in our midst as we toured this faithful country. It was moving to see so many pastors who love Wesley continue to support us from afar.

Many continue in prayer for Wesley and spoke highly of our school. " -Allison Schwarz

""One of the takeaways I gleaned from my immersion trip to South Korea was the shared passion of the United Methodist Church and the Korean Methodist Church for local and global missions. I was reminded that kin-dom work starts within one's heart, is carried out into the community, and then into the world through the conduit of love."

-Rev. Janis Mercadante Phillips (She/Her)

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"Our Wesley Theological Seminary group visited the Ewha girls high school, studied Christian missionaries, attended a Methodist service. Although our daily close associates were Christian, we traveled through multiple cities in a country that seemingly lived peaceably in tandem with a large percentage of Korean Shamans, Buddhists, Confucianists, Hindis, some Daoists, Jains, Muslims, Catholics amongst other traditional or religious groups. Even amongst Korea’s multi-religious cultures, my daily experiences and excursions emphasized biblical themes of communion, excellent spirit, gratitude, harmony, and rest. In the traditional tea ceremonies and all meals, there was togetherness; in the process of building and in the final products, there was perfection & evidence of excellence in education, service & hard work; in meeting & greeting others as well as the use of both hands when serving others, there is showmanship of thankfulness and respect; in places where there was stark contrast between historical buildings and advanced structures and also various historical sacred practices, there exists an ancient honor for both the old and new; in the removal of shoes, kneeling at some meals and enjoying natural beauty, there is a peaceful rest."

-Tara Smith (She/Her) 14

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STEPS OF FAITH

by Ed Crump (he/him) For those that do not know me, I am a 4th year part time MDiv student on the 5-year plan. I am in the process of responding to God’s call to full time, set-apart ministry in retirement after over 35 years of federal government service. As I have worked through my MDiv coursework, I have been given an opportunity to do some wonderful things in my primary ministry setting at Foundry UMC in DC. I have had the opportunity to put my seminary training to good use teaching Sunday School, Bible Studies, New Members’ Class, and participating in Social Justice ministries over the years.

But my primary ministry is as a spiritual friend to fellow LGBTQ+ recovering addicts and alcoholics. I came to faith in Christ after working the 12 Steps in recovery from addiction and have been an active participant in 12 Step Programs for most of my adult life. So, in addition to my work at Foundry, I am also an active participant in the LGBTQ+ recovery community in DC. A reality I have observed over time is that one of the biggest obstacles for folks in recovery, particularly LGBTQ persons, is what is often referred to as “the whole God thing” in the Steps. So many in the queer community have been hurt by the church, religion, clergy, church members, family, etc., that there is a real lack of trust in religion, and by extension God. Many really view being Christian and queer as incompatible.

In God’s providence, my home-base at Foundry is also just a couple blocks away from two very queer-friendly recovery clubs – unmarked and in buildings most people walk right by without even knowing it. In those spaces, I have found God using me to help introduce folks in queer-friendly recovery to different methods of prayer and meditation. That has taken the form of formally and informally inviting members to seek a “Higher Power” or “God, as we understood him” through exploring prayer and meditation. I have experimented with prayer and meditation meetings and workshops and worked one-on-one or in small groups as a spiritual friend. It has been truly amazing to see God work in people’s lives.

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I would like to share just one of many daily miracles with you. One of the young men I have worked with is a millennial named John. John is a recovering crystal meth addict and alcoholic. He came to 12 Step recovery after seeking help and going to rehab two years ago. When I met John, he was really struggling with the crippling mental and physical withdrawl symptoms from crystal meth. John described his mind and emotional state as chaotic, and he was desperate for peace and sanity in his life. After watching him struggle for months, I asked him if he would be willing to try something that worked for me – daily meditation and prayer (which is suggested in the 11th Step).

He accepted my offer and we have meditated and prayed together virtually every day for over a year. One-day-at-a-time, I literally watched John blossom in front of my eyes. He recently celebrated one year of continuous sobriety – a true miracle – and is beginning to find the God of his understanding as he explores where that might take him in terms of a faith community. The Holy Spirit is working powerfully in John, and he is now starting to help other addicts just coming into the program. He hasn’t figured it all out yet, as if any of us ever do, but he talks about God now and prays for the opportunity to help others like him.

His last text to our prayer group text was this quote, “...first of all we shall want sunlight; nothing much can grow in the dark. Meditation and prayer is our step into the sun.” May the light of God in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, shine in the dark and work for building God’s kin-dom.

Watching miracles like John has inspired me, and I have a vision of expanding my ministry as I graduate from Wesley in 2025 and move into retirement. I see that ministry as a natural evolution of what has started in our little corner of the world as I am able to offer more of my time to organizing prayer and meditation meetings, workshops, and retreats, building community, and working one-on-one with fellows in recovery.

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THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS

WRITERS Abby Butler-Cefalo Allison schwarz Dr. Carla Works Edmund Crump Erik Slingerland Rev. Janis Mercadante Phillips Tara Smith

PHOTOGRAPHY Simon Lee

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Wesley Student Journal