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December 2001
Back Issues
Contents
Emmanuel
and Milligan announce new partnership for high schoolers
High
school students will be encouraged to consider the implications of
the Christian faith on their lives as part of a new partnership
between Emmanuel School of Religion and Milligan College. The
program, “A Partnership for Youth in Ministry,” is funded
through a $794,874 grant from the Lilly Endowment of Indiana.
High
school youth will be invited to the Milligan and Emmanuel campuses
to participate in intensive youth summits, theology workshops,
weekend retreats, a summer workshop, and a mentoring program. Each
of the venues provides opportunities for the youth to explore
questions about their faith and its relevance to their lives and
vocational calling.
“The
program is designed to encourage a new generation of young people to
explore their vocational aspirations in the context of spiritual and
theological discernment, and to consider Christian ministry among
their options,” said Dr. C. Robert Wetzel, president of Emmanuel
School of Religion. “Ultimately, we want to encourage a new
generation to enter college and seminary with a goal to enter
full-time ministry of some kind.”
The
grant project called for a partnership between Emmanuel, a
graduate-level seminary, and Milligan, a Christian liberal arts
college.
“We
want young people, and their parents and youth leaders, to realize
that it is Christian leaders in various vocations—not just our
missionaries and pastors—that will make a difference in this
world,” said Donald R. Jeanes, president of Milligan College.
Phyllis
Fox, an M.A.R. student at Emmanuel, has been named program director
for the initiative, which will begin early in 2002.
The
grant is one of 53 grants and $14.3 million that Lilly Endowment
Inc. recently awarded to theological seminaries across the country
to develop and enhance their theological programs for high school
youth. Other schools receiving similar grants include Concordia
Theological Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, Calvin
Theological Seminary, and Duke University. n
Meditation:
Musings
of a Prudish Christian
By Steve
Cuss, MDiv 01
Recently
I met with a family to prepare for their mother’s funeral. She had
married three times, and the person with whom she was living when
she died was not her husband. Ironically, I did not consider her
sister from John 4 until later.
I
believe in grace by which I have been saved, and level ground at the
cross.
I
work at a church that overtly promotes the God of new beginnings. It
is a church that “anyone can come to,” and all kinds of Las
Vegans come.
I
worship a God who makes good out of bad, and who relentlessly seeks
sinners to love.
In
spite of all this, I am still a prude.
I
spent two hours with this family listening to their memories of the
fun they had together, all kinds of fun, including the kind nobody
remembers the next morning. The whole time I was listening, I had to
subdue my rising desire for these folks to live a “tidy life.”
The kind of life where you get married and have kids in the right
order, where church takes priority over boating and where you drink
responsibly. The “beautiful Christian life”—which looks like
my life. The life of a self-righteous prude.
O
God, I thank you that I am not like that
woman.
You
must be thankful too, Lord…
You
never seemed to squirm. You never seemed to hesitate to take your
holy self into the unholiest of places. Wasn’t that the charge
made against you by the religious establishment? When you take away
the legal wording, they basically spat, “You enjoy
sinners!”
I
don’t, generally. Which I think is the point.
O
Well Woman, come to me today and tell me about the man who knows
everything you ever did. I need to learn of him and I know a family
who could use a visit.? n
Clipnotes
GLEN
BASEY (MAR
’70) has been appointed Professor of Christian Education and chair
of the department at San Jose Christian College. Glenn and his wife,
Judi, now live in Morgan Hill, Calif.
TIM
BROKAW (MDiv
’97) preached an evangelistic meeting in Clarkesville, Ga., for
Harvest Christian Church. Tim serves as Senior Minister with
Midlands Christian Church in Lexington, S.C., where he and his wife,
Terri, live.
TIM
CAMPBELL (MDiv
’92) is the senior minister with Evergreen Christian Church in
Everett, Wash. He and his wife, Carline, live in Snohomish.
JEFFREY
BULLOCK (72–74)
received the Master of Arts in Preaching Ministry degree from
Cincinnati Bible Seminary in May 2001. He continues to serve at
First Christian Church of Canton, Ohio, as Minister of Membership.
Jeff and his wife, Pam, live in Canton.
CHRIS
CHAE (MAR
’96) is an active duty chaplain, 1st Lieutenant US Air Force,
stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del., where he leads the Informal
Worship Service. He and his wife, Erin, live in Delaware.
WES
DILLON (94–95)
was recently married and continues to serve on staff at CrossWay
Christian Church in Nashua, N.H., where he serves as the youth
minister. He and his wife, Casey, reside in Merrimack.
JEFF
DYE (MDiv
’95) accepted a position at Fern Creek Christian Church in
Louisville, Ky., as Discipleship Minister. He and his wife, Kim,
live in Louisville.
CHIP
FOWLER (MDiv
’78) recently received the Master of Strategic Studies degree from
the US Army War College. Chip now serves as the Post Chaplain at
Fort Sill, Okla. He and his wife, Lou, live at Fort Sill.
ALEX
JACK (MDiv
’97) has been selected by the Air Force to begin active duty as a
Chaplain in October 2002. Alex and his wife, Christine, live in
Tippecanoe, Ind.
SAM
LUBAG (MDiv
’91, DMin ’99) was chosen as a member of the Board of Trustees
for Ministry for Church Development, Inc., a ministry to assist more
than 164 new churches established in the Philippines. Sam lives in
Baguio City with his wife, Juanita.
JIM
MASSAY (MDiv
’84) received a Master of Science of Education in Counseling at
Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., this spring. Jim now
teaches part-time at ODU and serves as a Chaplain in the Virginia
Army National Guard. He lives in Yorktown, Va.
CAROL
PIERSON (MAR
’97) will be concluding two years of service at Rogersville
Presbyterian Church as the Program Director and will begin working
as the Christian Education Director at Cumberland Presbyterian
Church in Greeneville, Tenn., in January 2002.
JAMES
SAUNDERS (MDiv
’69) concluded a four-year ministry with First Christian Church of
Mount Washington, Ky., and is now serving as Senior Minister at
Hales Chapel Christian Church in Gray, Tenn. Jim and his wife,
Mollie, live in Gray.
RICH
TESKE (MDiv
’92) and his wife, Connie, announce the birth of a son, Isaac
Carrol, on Oct. 20, 2001. Isaac joins his sisters Abby and Anna.
Rich serves as Director of Reach Out, a campus ministry for the
University of Ohio. He and his family reside in Athens. n
Book
Review:
Sabbath
and Jubilee: Understanding Biblical Themes
By Richard H.
Lowery
St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2000
Reviewed
by Dr. Rodney A. Werline, Assistant Professor of Old Testament
Lowery’s
book appears in a new series, Understanding Biblical Themes,
established by Chalice Press, a press which overall has dramatically
revived itself. The series treats prominent biblical themes, traces
their development and appropriation in both Testaments, as well as
explores their value for the church. This book, published in 2000,
was an especially timely book as churches united together in the
Jubilee 2000 campaign to pressure western governments and the
International Monetary Fund to cancel the debts of poor countries.
According
to Lowery, the religious institutions of Sabbath and Jubilee, with
their origins in the Hebrew Bible, “provide a lens through which
to focus theological reflection on the spiritual, ecological, and
economic challenges that face us in this era of globalizing
economy” (p. 3). Sabbath, as the observance and recognition of an
“ordained cosmic order … critiques the oppressive consequences
of a royal-imperial system built on tribute, forced state labor, and
debt slavery” (p. 3). With such recognition of the economic and
religious facets of Sabbath and Jubilee, Lowery begins his study by
examining aspects of Hebrew social life, economic systems, and
political structures. In a significant portion of the Bible, YHWH is
depicted as householder and king of the people. When the people
suffer — especially the poor — because Israel’s leaders fail
to provide for them, the shame of the situation reflects on YHWH,
just as a king would be shamed when his people suffered. In essence,
such neglect of the poor becomes blasphemy against God.
Lowery
follows these analyses with an examination of specific issues
related to Hebrew servitude and debt. In both instances, YHWH
expects and demands justice, and biblical authors connect these to
Sabbath and Jubilee. While regulations related to the two
institutions may seem “utopian,” they establish the theological
principle that God demands a just world.
The
book’s methodology is of special value. The author recognizes that
language and metaphor have a social and political context.
Nevertheless, he explores the value of language associated with
Sabbath and Jubilee for contemporary life. Thus, while he is not
proposing that one might follow Sabbath and Jubilee to the letter
(if the latter was ever followed to the letter!), Lowery understands
them as metaphors that argue for an ethic of “social solidarity,
abundance, and self-restraint, and concern for the long-term
survival of families” that should be used for new economic and
political situations.
Whether
for a laity, clergy, or professors, this book — and the series as
a whole — is recommended as a successful translation of scholarly
ideas for life in the church. n
A
message from the Clipboard editor
By Jeff McNabb, Editor
I
have had the opportunity of late to visit several winter graduations
of nearby universities. The ceremonies have all been better than I
expected, especially the addresses which, to be frank, I had
dreaded. Every effort was made to move things along and with music
and other additions a meaningful ceremony was created. I was also
able to attend a community dinner in which the speaker, a prominent
businessman in my community, established a foundation entirely from
his own funds to enable needy high school graduates to attend
college. The speakers carefully and thoughtfully laid out the
responsibilities and privileges of being a graduate of their
institution or the reasons why a foundation was needed. I couldn’t
help but be impressed not only with the style but also with the
substance of what was said at each occasion.
One
speaker, quoting from John Wesley, summarized well what a good life
consisted of, “Do all the good you can, by every means you can, to
every person you can, for as long as you can.”
A
life well spent is one in which we can look back with satisfaction
at the good we did for as many as we could. May God grant to you and
yours this upcoming year, a rebirth of God’s presence in your
life. n
DMin
Quote of the Month
By
Greg Key
“When
I stated the DMin program, I was looking forward to the academic
training. I was looking forward to some practical instruction in
ministry. I have not been disappointed. What I did not expect,
though, was the camaraderie. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know
and spending time with the other DMin. Students.”
For
information about Emmanuel’s Doctor of Ministry degree program
contact Melissa Noble at 1-800-933-3771. n
Dr.
Holland to teach
counseling class in Oregon
Emmanuel
School of Religion will hold an extension class in Christian
counseling at First Christian Church of Madras, Oregon. Dr. Jack
Holland will be teaching this class January 7–12, 2002, titled,
“Basic Christian Counseling for Church Leaders.” The course
offers a study of basic counseling theories with an emphasis on
skill building and practice.
This
class is offered for three hours of graduate-level credit. Students
may also audit or attend only the evening sessions. Cost is $450 for
credit, $300 for audit, or $150 for the evening sessions.
For
more information, please contact Mary Ann Jobe at 1-800-933-3771 or
(423) 461-1520.
n
Faculty
News
PAUL
M. BLOWERS participated in the Stone-Campbell Dialogue in
Nashville, Tenn., December 2–3, 2001. Dr. Blowers also published
an article titled, “The Passion of Jesus Christ in Maximus the
Confessor: A Reconsideration,” Studia
Patristica 37 (2001): pp. 361–377. He also published an
article titled, “A Response to Richard Hamm’s Paper on Disciples
Polity,” Mid-Stream
40 (2001): pp. 39–45 as well as, “Neither Calvinists nor
Arminians, but Simply Christians: The Stone-Campbell Movement as a
Theological Resistance Movement,” Lexington
Theological Quarterly 35 (2000): pp. 133–154.
ELEANOR
A. DANIEL attended the Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools annual meeting in New Orleans, La., December 8–11.
JACK
B. HOLLAND will be teaching an intersession class January
7–12 at First Christian Church of Madras, Oregon titled, “Basic
Christian Counseling for Church Leaders.” Dr. Holland reviewed Character
Forged From Conflict by Gary Preston for the most current
issue of Leaven. He
also volunteers as a member of the Advisory Board for Christian
Children’s Home of Tennessee.
THOMAS
F. JONES, Jr. continues to teach a Sunday school class at
First Christian Church in Johnson City, and consult with the South
Carolina Evangelizing Association as well as the Louisiana
Evangelizing Association.
FREDERICK
W. NORRIS delivered the baccalaureate address at the
winter graduation ceremony for Milligan College in December.
ROLLIN
A. RAMSARAN is teaching lessons on the Sermon on the
Mount for the Koinonia Class at Grandview Christian Church.
CHRIS
A. ROLLSTON delivered a series of lectures on Islam and
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at Carter Christian Church during
November and December. At the Annual Meeting of the Society of
Biblical Literature, Dr. Rollston was recognized as a contributor to
the forthcoming Festschrift honoring Harvard professor Frank Moore
Cross (emeritus). He also had reviews which recently appeared in Old
Testament Abstracts and Stone-Campbell
Journal.
BRUCE
E. SHIELDS attended the annual meeting of the Academy of
Homiletics in St. Louis, November 29–December 1.
Development
& Recruitment on the Road
DAVID
FULKS to Atlanta Christian College, Georgia Institute of
Technology, Auburn University, Berry College, Dallas Christian
College, Hope International University, and San Jose Christian
College in January. He will be at Boise Bible College, Puget Sound
Christian College, Northwest Christian College and the University of
Oregon in February.
DAN
LAWSON to Nevada in December; to Washington in January;
to Houston, Texas, in February.
JEFF
McNABB will speak at the Christmas Eve service at First
Christian Church of Erwin, Tenn. December 30 he will speak at First
Christian Church of Greeneville, Tenn., and will also tour North
Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and East Tennessee through
December. In January he will tour Kentucky, Southern Illinois and
St. Louis and in February he will tour Arkansas and Mississippi as
well as East Tennessee.
JERRY
RUDBERG to Northwestern Idaho, Western Oregon and to
Washington in December and January.
C.
ROBERT WETZEL will preach December 30 at Kingsport
Christian Fellowship in Kingsport, Tennessee. Dr. Wetzel will attend
the Fellowship of Evangelical Presidents Meeting January 3–6, and
then will preach at Fort Carolina Christian Church in Jacksonville,
Fla., the evening of January 6. He will preach at Fairmount
Christian Church in Mechanicsville, Va., January 27. On February 19,
Dr. Wetzel will speak at Ozark Christian College in Joplin,
Missouri. n
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