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Above the Fog
PLTS Newsletter
March 2010 |
| Greetings!
Blessings to you from the PLTS community, with wishes for a rich observance of Holy Week and Easter! |
| Dr. Aune Receives Lilly Grant |
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Dr. Michael Aune, Professor of Liturgical and Historical Studies, received an ATS [Association of Theological Schools] Lilly Research Expense Grant for a project entitled "'All for Love': Conversations about Liturgy and Christology in the Early Twenty-first Century." He will be exploring the liturgical implications of what has been called Martin Luther's "conceptually daring form of Cyrillian theopaschite Christology, with its affirmation of a crucified God and the life-giving, deified flesh of Christ." Such a Christology proclaims that "one of the Trinity was crucified in the flesh." In addition to reading and research, Dr. Aune is planning to engage in a series of one-on-one conversations, modeled on community organizing and David Tracy's model of "conversation," with some of the leading scholars who have been at the forefront of the efforts to repossess the content and meaning of classical Christology, especially those discussions on "divine impassibility" expressed in the Theopaschite confession - "One of the Trinity was crucified in the flesh." He is most interested in deepening his understanding of that "exquisite dialectic" of Jesus' divine glory and his having assumed the condition of a slave - a God who is truly Emmanuel - God with us, suffering with us, fully embracing the human condition - All for Love." |
| Foremothers of Church and Society |
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Honoring our Foremothers
On March 10, 2010, we honored women who started us on our journeys toward the full participation of women in church and society: Marge Wold and Fran Burnford (former ALC), Dr. Martha Stortz (former LCA) and Christine Grumm (former AELC).
Please visit our website for the full text of our foremothers' remarks, as well as President Phyllis Anderson's sermon. |
| The Power of Endowments |
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 Come to PLTS to learn how an endowment can be a transformative power for your congregation's stewardship program. The Rev. John D. Kautz, Senior Pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West, Arizona, will be on campus to inspire you with his congregation's story. This program is a presentation of the Endowment Class at PLTS, and is open to all who are interested in making the most of their congregational stewardship programs. Congregational leaders and pastors are encouraged to attend. Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - Sawyer Hall
9:00 am Continental Breakfast 9:30 am Presentation by Pastor Kautz and class members 10:45 am Adjournment 11:00 am Worship with Holy Communion (optional) 12:15 pm Lunch on campus (optional) There is no charge for the breakfast or the program. Lunch is $5 at the door. Seating is limited. Kindly register HERE so we can be sure to have enough food.
The Endowment Laboratory at PLTS is funded by a grant from the Lutheran Community Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota. |
| Hein-Fry Lecture 2010 |
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On Wednesday, April 21, 2010, PLTS will host the twentieth annual Hein-Fry Lecture. The lecture series continues to engage with the Book of Faith initiative. This year, the topic is "Hearing the Word: Teaching the Bible in the Parish and Beyond."
 The lecture at PLTS will be given by the Rev. Dr. Richard P. Carlson, Philip H. and Amanda E. Glatfelter Professor of New Testament Language, Literature, and Theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg. His presentation will consider how God's saving plan unfolds first as divine utterance and then as divine enactment in the gospel of Luke. In particular, three crucial texts, Luke 1:26-38; 5:1-11; 24:1-11, will be examined to discover how the announcement of God's actions seem like silly, impossible nonsense from a normal human perspective, and yet what divine agents utter will be enacted no matter what."
A response will be given by Dr. Carol R. Jacobson, PLTS Associate Professor of Practical Theology: Youth and Family Ministry and Christian Education. The day will begin at 9:30 am.
The fee for early registration is $20 ($10 for students). On-site registration is $25. You can register early and pay online here. |
| A Week of Renewal: Summer 2010 |
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Come to a Week of Renewal at PLTS
June 28 - July 2, 2010
You are invited to a week of renewal, including classes, worship, stimulating conversation and restorative time in the company of old and new colleagues in ministry and lay people interested in theology. Set between the Bay and Tilden Park, the Week of Renewal at PLTS is summer school with stimulating classes in the morning and more.
COURSES
"Luther's Dilemma: The Struggle Between the Truth of the Gospel and the Bonds of Christian Love" Jane Strohl, Associate Professor of Reformation History and Theology "Ecology and Faith: How Green is the Gospel?" Mark Brocker, parish pastor, Bonhoeffer scholar, and lecturer, PLTS faculty "Theology from the Margins in the United States" Moses Penumaka, Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology, and Director of the TEEM Program
"Unleashing the Power of the Bible for Teaching and Preaching" Steed Davidson, Assistant Professor of Old Testament
For more information about costs, housing, and the schedule, for the full course descriptions, and to register, please visit our website. |
| Keeping Up with Marty Stortz |
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Lutheran Woman Today published Dr. Stortz's article "Parts of the Whole" in its March, 2010 issue (volume 23:2), available online.
Dr. Stortz leaves for El Salvador to visit Santa Clara University's immersion program, Casa de la Solidaridad, from March 19-26, 2010, as the final leg of the pilgrimage/ immersion grant she holds with Lisa Fullam at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley. You can follow their progress on their blog. |
| Teaching Parish and New Experiences |
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A Reflection by Second-Year Student Carmen Miranda
 I started seminary in Fall 2008. At that time, I was working 20 or more hours a week. I lived in San Francisco, which meant commuting to Berkeley each day I had class. I was so excited to study at PLTS, but it seemed things would not work out in the long run. I prayed to God every night asking Him/Her for patience and strength to continue in this path.
Spring 2009 was a little bit better. I started working fewer hours but still was living in San Francisco. I began thinking that living in Berkeley would be a better option and decided to look for places near PLTS. In the middle of fall 2009, I finally moved to PLTS. I have never lived inside a school before and wasn't quite adapting to my new way of life. It took me the rest of the semester to get used to this life-changing experience.
My experience since the spring semester started has been, in a word, "Great!!!" I realize now that it's one of the best things that happened to me since I came to this country [from El Salvador]. I don't have to commute anymore to get to classes and also, my jobs are located a few steps from my place. I have extra time to do things that I love to do, like taking walks, riding my bicycle, just standing outside at the seminary to see the Bay Bridge, reading books, watching movies, and going to the gym.
Life at PLTS is wonderful. This semester, everything is more organized in my student life. I just began my Teaching Parish in February at a bilingual congregation in San Francisco. Every Sunday, there are two services, one in English and one in Spanish. The congregation is small and the main focus is Latino people.
There are two other seminarians at this teaching parish site. We are a team. One of our duties is teaching First Communion classes. I have never taught anything in my whole life before. I was a little nervous. The first class was three weeks ago, and there were only two kids. The first time went okay. I noticed that with kids that age, the class has to be dynamic and energetic; if not, they get bored in fifteen minutes. Because of that, we decided to include different activities in the following weeks in order to catch and keep the kids' attention. With three seminarians supporting each other and, of course, a supervisor, it seems it will be an easy task.
As a kind of conclusion, changes and new experiences are already a part of my life. Most of the time, they represent a way to learn something new. If God brought me to some place, He knows I'm able to do it. I think the way that you learn to do things is doing them. The deal is going forward and trying to be a better person each day.
Peace and blessings in your life!
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| The Young Clergy Women Project |
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Katie Yahns (MDiv 2005) serves on the board of The Young Clergy Women Project, a resource for young women clergy.
The project publishes an e-zine and a monthly newsletter, and sponsors meet-ups and online communities, all in the name of fighting isolation and burnout among young clergy women and supporting their ministry. Duke's Faith and Leadership recently wrote about us, so you can learn more about them here.
They are holding a pastoral leadership conference in Atlanta in June with presenters from the Center for Congregational Health. A conference flyer is available here. |
| Summer Greek |
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BS 1100 - BIBLICAL GREEK PROGRAM
Summer 2010
The course operates with the two demonstrable assumptions: that learning Greek in an intensive, concentrated setting (3 hours in class plus homework, 5 days a week) has many advantages and that "People learn to read Greek by reading Greek." After an introduction to the basic elements of Greek grammar, students are soon learning by reading the Greek New Testament itself, building vocabulary while honing grammatical skills. Extensive portions of the Gospel of John will be read during the course. Students successfully completing the 6-week intensive program will earn 6 units of credit.
Tuition is payable to PLTS and is $1670 for 6 credits (6 weeks). A $500 tuition deposit must be paid to PLTS no later than 6/1/10 and is non-refundable. The remaining $1170 is payable the first day of class and is non-refundable after the first day of class. Tuition is $1008 for 3 credits (3 weeks). A $500 deposit must be paid to PLTS no later than 6/1/10 and is non-refundable. The remaining $508 is payable the first day of class, and is non-refundable after the first day of class. [Auditors with Faculty permission] Class meets weekdays, 7/12/10-8/20/10, from 8:45 am-12:00 noon, in PLTS Giesy Hall Classroom 1.
To register, contact Cheryl Heuer at [email protected] or 510-559-2754. |
| Updates |
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Edi Bickford (MDiv 1996) and her husband Harold are serving churches in southeast Nebraska. Edi has also been been working on a Doctor of Ministry at St. Paul School of Theology.
Pastor Laura (Smith) Gentry will be offering a continuing education opportunity for pastors and lay ministers: LAUGHTER MINISTRY! This retreat will be held April 9-11 in Wisconsin. A brochure can be found here.
Phil Hausknecht (former board member) completed a three-year interim pastorate at St. Paul International Lutheran Church, Tokyo, Japan this past December, a ministry in English and Japanese. Currently, he is completing his final teaching semester of Japanese History at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Then, in June, approaching his 75th birthday, he intends to start some other activities.
Jennie Lightfoot (TEEM 2009) was ordained August 13, 2009, and has been installed as Pastor of One in the Spirit, an intertribal ecumenical word and sacrament ministry with and among American Indians and others in the St. Paul Area Synod.
Julie McNitt (MDiv 2008) and her h
usband adopted a baby boy, Louis Joseph McNitt, from Haiti in February.
Your Name Here -- please keep us up to date with your whereabouts and happenings here. | |
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