AUSTIN PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

W I N D OW SSUMMER 2004

(there must be)ways

to loveyour

liturgy

Check out #19 (on page 6) in the list of “Fifty Ways to LoveYour Liturgy.” It brought me to tears when I experienced it

this year. Our daughter Claire, a confirmand at UniversityPresbyterian Church in Austin, rose from her pew in the darkenedchurch when her name was called one night in early Lent. Shewent to the baptismal font, retrieved a flaming votive candle, andcarried it solemnly to the Lord’s Table around which, one by one,the rest of the confirmands were gathering as each child’s name wascalled. Soon the light from a number of votives bathed the Tableand lit up the faces of those children. Surrounding them in thechancel was a host of parents, elder sponsors, the youth director,and the three pastors of our church. They were all beginning theirjourney toward Confirmation, and we were there that night astheir advocates, their encouragers on the way.

Since we were the only ones gathered for this service, the largesanctuary echoed all the more dramatically as voices spoke. Staringout into the expanse of darkness, with only a bit of evening lightleft to shine through the stained-glass, I imagined balcony peo-ple—Claire’s beloved grandmother and all of the other saints—cheering this little ritual from the heights of heaven.

Later, after weeks of preparation and two weekend retreats, ona Sunday when that same sanctuary was filled to near capacity,those votive candles surrounded the large octagonal font onceagain. At the Confirmation service, the children and all of theirencouragers gathered again at the Table where, when their nameswere called, vows were made, prayers were offered, hands were laidupon them, and another class of confirmands claimed the promis-es made at each of their baptisms. One of those votive candles nowsits in the middle of our breakfast room table, reminding all of usof the significance of that day.

As my friend Ben Sparks, the new editor of The PresbyterianOutlook, has put it: “True worship presents us with God’s holinessand majesty, and with the beauty of Christ’s sufferings, which, nei-ther pretty nor nice, reveal the glory of the God who saves us.”Read on for more glimpses of such true worship. And may we allencounter it over and over again—worship that at its best is neverabout us, by the way, but always about our big, generous, majes-tic, awesome, good God.

Theodore J. WardlawPresident

LOOKING OUTWARD

The President’s Preaching andSpeaking Engagements

June 6 First PC, Atlanta, GeorgiaJune 12 Ordination service, Leland PC, Leland,Mississippi June 25 Keynote Speaker, Pre-General AssemblyConference, Richmond, VirginiaJune 26-30 General Assembly July 25 - Aug. 1 Lecturer and Preacher, GhostRanch conference sponsored by Fourth PC inChicago, Third PC in Rochester, andWestminster PC in MinneapolisAug. 14 Keynote Speaker and Preacher, Mid-LifeConference at Montreat Aug. 25-27 Speaker, Synod of the SunCOM/COPM Leadership Meeting, BishopMason Conference Center, Flower Mound, TexasSept. 11 Centennial Celebration, First PC,Texarkana, Texas Sept. 13 Speaker, Fund for TheologicalEducation meeting with Congregational Partners,Dallas, Texas Oct. 2 Covenant PC, Austin, TexasOct. 10 Bryn Mawr PC, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaOct. 30 - Nov. 1 Gutensohn Series Lecturer andPreacher, First PC, Fort Smith, Arkansas

2-13 What’s new in worship?

14 The Class of 2004

17 Commencement

18 Charge to the Class of 2004

20 Development news

21 Community news

22 Faculty news

24 The dean’s bookshelf

Inside Alumni/ae newsback cover

Back cover Christian leadership education schedule

CONTENTS

COVER: Churches everywhere areeager to reclaim and revitalize theancient rites of the Christian faith.Stained glass and musty incense aremaking way for new light and freshair, as pastors and other worship lead-ers develop innovative ways to enliventhe liturgy. Want to get in on the fun?(With apologies to Paul Simon), justbake up some bread, Fred. Hammer anail, Gail. Sing in a new key, Lee,and set your church free!

Publisher & Mailing Statement

Windows is published three times each year byAustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.ISSN 2056-0556Postmaster: Address service requested

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phone: 512-472-6736 e-mail: windows@austinseminary.edufax: 512-479-0738www.austinseminary.edu

Theological Education Fund(1% Plan)

The theological schools of thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.)no longer receive fundingfrom the basic mission budgetof the General Assembly.Churches are asked tocontribute 1% of theiroperating budgets to thefund, which is thendistributed to the seminaries.

WINDOWSSummer 2004Volume 119, Number 2

EDITOR

Randal Whittington

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

David Gambrell

CONTRIBUTORS

Hannah BeckJohn EvansAmy MeyerGeorgia Smith

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AUSTIN PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

WINDOWSSUMMER 2004

On June 9, 2004, lightning struck one ofthe spires of the Seminary Chapel. In anawe-in-“spire”-ing display of heavenly power,chunks of stone were scattered in everydirection. Here’s the strange thing: the samepart of the Chapel tower was struck bylightning on Easter Sunday, 1976. At thattime, the repairs took a year to complete andcost more than the original construction ofthe Chapel. For more photos, go to:austinseminary.edu/lightning.html.

Lightning strikes Shelton Chapel ... again!

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For answers, we turned to our own working liturgists, AustinSeminary graduates currently serving churches. These pastors had plenty to say ...about worship planning, sermons, sacraments, seasons, art, music, tradition, inno-vation, and the fruits of hard-won experience.

In the pages that follow you’ll find their thoughtful and candid reflectionsabout the practice of worship in the communities they serve. You’ll find a collec-tion of “field notes,” records of the rhythms and rituals that comprise the livingliturgy of the church. We hope you’ll also find ideas and inspiration for the con-gregation where you worship.

What you won’t find are easy stereotypes, cookie-cutter services, or dusty oldroutines. Week after week, these pastors struggle for faithful, creative, and engag-ing ways to glorify and enjoy God among the people they serve. They wrestle withwords, prayers, songs, and sacraments—and seem to have a lot of fun in theprocess.

Unfortunately, there were more stories to tell than room to print them in thismagazine (these are preachers, after all). If you would like to read the full text oftheir contributions, please visit our website: www.austinseminary.edu/worshipfo-rum. While you’re there, add your own voice to the conversation! Share ideas,comments, reflections—notes from your own adventures in liturgy. We look for-ward to hearing from you. —David Gambrell (MDiv’98)

What’s new in the world of worship?What’s new in the world of worship?

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2Worship chatDieter Heinzl (MDiv’98); Ladue ChapelPresbyterian Church, Saint Louis, Missouri

I take my Bible study class each year to a localsynagogue to experience the way our Jewish sistersand brothers study Torah. After their model, we nowstudy the Hebrew Bible (OT) and the ApostolicWritings (NT) together each week in preparation forworship. We scrutinize the sermon text for the coming Sunday. Since the Rabbiworked with the “original text,” they want me to do the same. If I forget to bringthe Greek or Hebrew text, they make me go back to the office and get it.

Studying the Scriptures within a community of faith keeps me honest as apreacher. I know that some people on Sunday morning come with theexpectation to find their voices, thoughts, and hearts reflected in my preaching.If I fail to do that, I will hear about it the next Thursday. It also fostersfellowship and provides all of us with deeper understanding of Scripture. As westudy together and bring our biases, concerns, and wisdom to the task, we learnmore about God and ourselves.

Advance planningKevin Keaton (MDiv’82);First Presbyterian Church,Sugar Land, Texas

Each summer I do annualsermon planning. Thecongregation is given theopportunity to provide inputvia a questionnaire sentthrough the newsletter and e-mail. This is the number onemost effective tool I havefound. It doesn’t mean youcannot change—but at leastsomething is on paper! Andthe church staff / musicpersonnel simply love it.

Worship workshopCarol Merritt (MDiv’98);Barrington PresbyterianChurch, Barrington, RhodeIsland

Each week youth come upwith the design and ideasfor worship in a Sundaymorning worship workshopclass. We study the lec-tionary passages, then thejunior and senior high stu-dents plan the children’ssermons and other parts ofthe service.

Seeing is believingKay Roberts (MDiv’99); KentPresbyterian Church, Kent, Ohio

Each week I meet for breakfast withMary, a member of thecongregation who has an MFA. Wetalk about the Scriptures and thefocus and function of the sermon.She comes up with things that saythat visually, to project during thesermon. Using websites and otherart resources, she creates video clipsand slides. We don’t just use scenesof mountains and rivers, but imagesthat really relate to the themes ofworship.

Worship planning resourcesTracey Davenport (MDiv’99); StockbridgePresbyterian Church, Stockbridge, Georgia

The worship resources I have found mosthelpful are Lectionary Homiletics,LectionAid, and Call to Worship (from theOffice of Theology and Worship).

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seasonsCandles through the yearSteven Buchele (MDiv’99); Foundation United Methodist Church at Lakewood, Temple, Texas

In the back of the chapel we have a 40' high rock wall with thirty-three out-turnedstones. These are for candles and oil lamps, and the configuration changes each week.Only during Easter Season are they all lit; the rest of the year just a handful are. DuringLent only three were lit. Since 9-11 we have kept a red, a white, and a blue candle lit andon our altar. This reminds us to pray for peace and to pray for our troops, and has beenan amazing connection with those who are serving. They come back saying how theythought about those three candles while they were in Iraq, and knew that we werepraying for them each Sunday.

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Holy Week as a spiritual journeyMichael Waschevski (DMin’03); First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth,Texas

Throughout the year, members have a wealth of worship experiences tochoose from, including morning prayer, midday prayer, evening prayer, andthree services on Sunday morning. With additional services during HolyWeek, worshipers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the drama andmystery of the Christian faith through story, symbol, and sacrament.Maundy Thursday services recount Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet, hisnew commandment, the last supper, and his agony in the garden. On GoodFriday, worshipers turn to the scene of Jesus’ death, using the solemnrenunciations of the cross and a Tenebrae service with readings from thegospel and musical responses. Each year some worshipers avail themselves ofthis whole range of liturgy; for them Holy Week becomes a transformativejourney into the heart of Christian meaning.

Ideas for all seasonsKevin Keaton (MDiv’82); FirstPresbyterian Church, Sugar Land,Texas

For Lent 2004 we used a 16' crossin the sanctuary each week to placeobjects symbolizing who Jesus is(Bread of Life, Light of World,Vine/Branches, etc.) It was drapedin black at end of Palm Sunday anda crown of thorns was placed on itat the end of Maundy Thursday.Nails (with red ribbon streamers)were nailed into it as part of theService of Nails on Good Friday. Itwas then draped in white for Easter.

Maundy Thursday is done withthe table in the center of room withseating arranged in a cross shape,and the service is done entirely fromthe table. The Confession of Sin onMaundy Thursday uses large nails(pole barn spikes) for silentconfession and worshipers placenails in a large, noisy bucket infront of the table. (Noise isimportant because sins are seldomsilent or discreet!)

Good Friday is done by ourlarge youth group which has done aService of Darkness, extinguishingcandles, a Service of Nails, as well asoutdoor Stations of the Crossaround the church grounds.

Best resources for seasonalpreparation: Lent—Stages on theWay; Advent—Cloth for the Cradle;both are from the Wild GooseResource Group (IonaCommunity).

Signs of the seasonCindy Kohlmann (MDiv’99); New Jersey Presbyterian Church, Carlisle, Ohio

I’ve played a lot with art in worship. I design pectoral crosses that coordinate with theliturgical seasons. At Easter we flower a cross as a symbol of the Resurrection. For Pentecost,we fill the sanctuary with red, yellow, and orange helium balloons to signify the tongues offlame.

Wanted: A new lectionaryHollingsworth (Holly) Mitchell(MDiv’58); First Presbyterian Churches,Marlin and Lott, Texas

The lectionary takes no notice of July 4,Thanksgiving, or Labor Day. Whenthese events are on almost everybody’smind (except the lectionary’s), why nottake advantage of all the hype andsuggest that these events may have areligious background and meaning? Ialso happen to think the Bible has muchto say about church and state / nationaldays, thanksgiving, and labor! So whenthese days are in the offing, I cheerfullydepart from the lectionary readings andinfuse my services of worship with thereligious overtones of the upcomingholiday.

Movement in worshipElaine Johnson (MDiv’00);First Presbyterian Church,Tulsa, Oklahoma

On Ash Wednesday, theapproach of worshipers for theimposition of ashes parallels theapproach for communion.After the imposition of ashes,participants may return and diptheir hands in a bowl of water,remembering their baptism.

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EasterRon Holloman (MDiv’76); First Presbyterian Church,Mabank, Texas

At Easter time, we began the morning worship in the sameway that we ended the Maundy Thursday worship—in thedark, with everything veiled in black. The choir began witha solemn song, “Ah, Holy Jesus,” as two girls veiled in blackentered the sanctuary and moved throughout the aisles asthe Scripture was being read. Then as the choir womencontinued “Ah, Holy Jesus,” the men began a very, veryquiet and slow singing of “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today,” as ifit came from a distance. The girls threw off their black,veiled cloaks, exposing their white costumes and began todance, unveiling the communion table, font, pulpit, Bible,and a new Easter banner. To the men in the choir wereadded the women, singing at full voice “Jesus Christ IsRisen Today.” Then the girls ran out of the sanctuary withblack veils following.

It’s not original, of course, but it was a new Easter toFirst Presbyterian Church, Mabank, Texas.

Easter butterfliesBob Willits (MDiv’85); First Presbyterian Church, Wheeling, West Virginia

At my previous church, we decorated the entiresanctuary on Easter with a large flock of butterflies.We made them out of pastel tissue paper in variouscolors for wings, with black pipe cleaners for bodies.Through their simple artistic and symbolic beauty,they provide a joyous reminder of the good news ofthe Resurrection to delight the eye and stir the spirit.

Local traditionsLaurie Barker (MDiv’01); First PresbyterianChurch, Junction, Texas, and HarperPresbyterian Church, Harper, Texas

On Good Friday, we have a very movingTenebrae service. As usual, the church isstripped and everyone leaves in silence. A largewooden cross stands in front of the pulpit. Inthe cross are series of six or so nail holes in theshape of small crosses evenly distributed alongthe wood. The Scripture lesson is read with thecongregation responding in several places with“Crucify him!” Then the collection plates arepassed. There are nails in the plates and thecongregation is asked to take a nail and holduntil later in the service. After a shortmeditation/sermon we have the “Nailing of theCross.” It can be pretty powerful to experience.On Sunday, members of the congregation bringfresh flowers from their homes or ranches andthe cross is “flowered.”

Summertime SundaysCheryl A. Broome (MDiv’02); Hyde Park United MethodistChurch, Austin, Texas

Some people may think summertime is time to take a vacationaway from worship and church events. To help keep themcharged up and coming to church, we are planning some excitingevents:June 13 Chocolate SundayJune 20 Honoring All Men—a worship service led by our

United Methodist WomenJune 27 Gospel Music Sunday with a Soul Food LuncheonJuly 4 Celebrating FreedomJuly 11 Fifties SundayJuly 18 Thankfulness Sunday—bring something or someone

you are thankful for in your life for a special blessingJuly 25 Youth Sunday with auction and luncheon after church

15Great Prayer of Thanksgiving (excerpt)Brian Merritt (MDiv’98); Barrington,Rhode Island

Christ,By resurrecting our passion,putting to death doubt,turning deprecation into praise,fusing our bones with joints,You have raised the dead!Keeping us crocheted together,through faith,You have rooted our genealogies,weaving our stories as your own.

We are the aroma of Christ to God.

The aroma of ChristWalter Lee (MDiv’91); First PresbyterianChurch, Coahoma, Texas

With the availability of bread machines,it is practical to bake the bread in thesanctuary in the hour before worship. Itleaves the odor of baking bread andinvolves another sense (smell) in worship.

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20Where everybody knows your name Lance Jones (MDiv’91); First Presbyterian Church, Clarksville, Arkansas

We began an 8:45 a.m. service in our smaller chapel. We are big on nametags and knowing everybody’s name. Over the years we have morphed intopraise music and weekly communion, using intinction. When people comeforward, break off the bread and dip it in the cup, I say “David, the Bread ofHeaven and the Cup of Salvation.” “Jane, the ...” It truly has become “thejoyful feast of the people of God.” Weekly communion needs to becomestandard at Presbyterian churches—I recommend the joyous, name calling,come-forward intinction method. It works for us. After the initial shock andsome criticism, it will work for you, too.

Called by name Dhawn Martin (MDiv’03); University Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas

As an act by which youth affirm, and claim as their own, the baptismal vowsand credal faith voiced by their parents, confirmation abounds insacramental themes. A naming ritual offers a meaningful beginning to theconfirmation journey. This service—in which the presider names, and thosepresent (parents, pastors, confirmation partners) welcome the one named—recognizes both the individual and communal significance of this faith-act.A concluding presentation of the confirmands to the congregation—complete with a laying on of hands and a blessing—further acknowledgesthem as vibrant participants in the ministry and mystery of the Christianlife.

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The shape of the liturgyTracey Davenport (MDiv’99); Stockbridge Presbyterian Church, Stockbridge, Georgia

For communion on Christmas Eve, we do intinction. I had planned for the few whocome to the 11:00 p.m. service to come and stand in a circle around the communiontable. Approximately seventy people showed up, so that was not possible. Instead wemade a cross, going up into the chancel and down the center aisle. Two of us wentfrom person to person around the cross to offer the bread and the cup. Everyonepresent was moved by the symbolic act of forming a cross.

21Practical adviceKevin Keaton (MDiv’82); FirstPresbyterian Church, SugarLand, Texas

Lessons learned the hard way:Put warm water in the font!Ever reach your hand into amarble baptismal font inFebruary in a church inPennsylvania? Do you reallythink a baby wants that wateron her head?

Summer worshipFran Shelton (MDiv’93); PrestonHollow Presbyterian Church,Dallas, Texas

For ten weeks this summer we arehaving one worship service. We’llbegin with “Advent” and worshipthrough the church year—whichmeans on June 27, I’ll be preachingabout Christmas and we’ll get tosing Christmas carols!

22Earth, water, and fireMatthew Miller (MDiv’03)First Presbyterian Church, Pulaski, Tennessee

We had a rather unique and special event as part of our Holy Week / Eastercelebration. It started with the identified need for a new baptismal bowl. I couldbarely fit my hand into that tiny dish. Pamela Sue Keller-Harris, a member ofthe congregation, active elder, and an art professor at nearby Athens StateUniversity, suggested that we create a bowl and pitcher using clay impressions ofthe congregation’s fingers, and fire the pieces of pottery using a Japanesetechnique called Raku. To include the congregation in the process we held thefiring here at the church using a portable kiln. All this was done on theWednesday of Holy Week. That Easter Sunday we had four candidates forbaptism: a two-month-old baby, two sisters aged ten and twelve, and a sixty-year-old man. The creation of the bowl and pitcher used for the baptism servedas a powerful analogy for the passion, burial, and resurrection of Christ as well asthe cleansing image of baptism.

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25Pastoral liturgiesErin McGee (MDiv’97); First Presbyterian Church, Kerrville, Texas

Worship is the act of the whole people of God. It is a corporateevent, but also an event in which we celebrate the gathering of theindividuals who make up the people of God. We do at times wantto acknowledge within the community of faith personal life eventssuch as a birth, miscarriage of a child, adoption, marriage, or death.We also have the need to acknowledge community events such asthe calling / installing of a pastor. Pastoral liturgies serve thispurpose.

See www.ctsfw.edu/academics/faculty/pless/liturgyhealing.htm(by John T. Pless, Lutheran). There is also a new book fromWestminster John Knox Press, Healing Liturgies for the Seasons ofLife by Abigail Rian Evans.

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Show and tell sermonsHollingsworth (Holly) Mitchell (MDiv’58); First Presbyterian Churches, Marlin and Lott,Texas

Inspired by the examples of the Old Testament prophets and the parables of Jesus, some ofour sermons (not just children’s sermons) have a “show and tell” character. When Ipreached on the yoke of Jesus, someone brought a yoke (worn by some animal long ago).When I preached on wheat and tares, someone brought wheat and tares. When I preachedon the parable of the soils, somebody brought soil samples. (We decided not to try toduplicate or simulate the feeding of the 5,000, or walking on the water). Easter Sundaymorning we celebrated the Lord’s Supper—a dramatic production in itself—connectingthe linen cloths of the Lord’s Table to those of the manger, the cross, and the tomb.

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24Star Wars, Starbucks, and sacramentsKay Roberts (MDiv’99); Kent Presbyterian Church, Kent, Ohio

Our sanctuary was built about the year of the Kent State riots, 1970. Thefont is made of pewter and looks like “Star Wars”—kind of far out. The fontis attached to the side of the brick chancel wall, and represents the rockwhere the water poured forth in the wilderness. Unfortunately it holds aboutas much as a Starbucks coffee cup. So when I do a baptism I take the littlecontainer out of our font and pour it into a larger bowl that has additionalwater. The grace of God is what’s being demonstrated and a couple of dropsof water doesn’t do it.

When I learned to preside at the Table, [Professor] Stan Hall forced meto use the traditional words of the Book of Common Worship. I hated it. Buthe was persistent, and asked me, Can you think of this as the voice of thepeople over time? I listened to what he said, and think of this often.

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26Commissioning a mission teamTracey Davenport (MDiv’99); StockbridgePresbyterian Church, Stockbridge, Georgia

When we commission a mission team, wehave the team line the center aisle, two bytwo. The congregation stands for prayerholding hands—across the aisle—surround-ing the team both physically and spiritually.

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28 31Liturgical spaceMarsha Brown (MDiv’96); SaintAndrew’s Presbyterian Church,Austin, Texas

We have many different quilts onloan from members, hanging onthe walls of the sanctuary—mostly to absorb the sound, butthey also provide a welcomingatmosphere for worship. Weworship in the round, and have asymbol of the priesthood of allbelievers in our multicoloredbatik stoles for adults andchildren who help lead worship.

Our font is a traditionalclosed font, wonderfully renewedby removing the lid and placing alarge glass bowl over the hole andarranged so that all can see thewater and be reminded of God’sclaim on our lives. One of ourmembers, Janet Rice, designedand created a large strip-quiltedbanner with the Micah 6:8passage written in appliquedletters on each side.

Storytelling sermons: ’Postle Jack TalesJack Barden (MDiv’88) and Kathryn Barden; First Presbyterian Church,Fulton, Missouri

’Postle Jack Tales are a collection of original stories, written in the genre of acycle of native Appalachian folk tales called Jack Tales, but based on parablestold in the gospels and other stories from Scripture and the spiritualtradition. The central character of these original tales, ’Postle Jack, is not athinly disguised Jesus; he is an ordinary person struggling to live a moral andethical life.

We discovered early on that children and adults listened differently tothese stories. Several of the children, after only hearing the story once, couldrecite the narrative accurately. The stories stuck with them, and the nexttime ’Postle Jack would appear in a sermon, they would have a frame ofreference for engaging in the sermon.

See KiwePublishing.com; detailed lists from Kathryn Barden c/o Mid-America APCE.

Awakening to the WordKay Roberts (MDiv’99); KentPresbyterian Church, Kent, Ohio

Recently we had an all-ages churchretreat. At the concluding service onSunday I refused to give them aprinted order of service. (Thisfreaked out the church secretary.)Instead, we used an old way oflistening to Scripture: lectio divina.We read the Scripture three times(with three different readers), andeach time I asked them to listen fordifferent things.

After that service at the camp,people commented on howmeaningful that was and howhelpful. A life-long Presbyterianoctogenarian said, with a lot ofenthusiasm, “I was amazed. I didn’tthink this would work. But it wasthe third time when I really gotwhat was important and the thingthat I will take home.

I think we become complacentand we stop listening. We daydreamour way through church. I’malways, always looking for thingsthat wake us up. If every singleweek we had three people read theScriptures, that would becomeordinary, too.

Interactive preachingSteven Buchele (MDiv’99);Foundation United MethodistChurch at Lakewood, Temple, Texas

Right now we’re on a sermon series:Each week right before the offering,we take a five question survey on3x5 cards. The questions are givenon the LCD projector, and I readand explain them. Then the cardsare returned as part of the offering.The answers to these question arepresented the next Sunday in thesermon. For example, a few yearsback I asked a question about creditcard debt and was shocked to seethat we had couples in ourcongregation that had debts of$30,000, $40,000, and one family,$60,000.

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Banner projectsCathy Smith, spouse of Mark Smith(MDiv’95); Elysburg PresbyterianChurch, Elysburg, Pennsylvania

I began banner projects with my highschool Sunday school class about threeyears ago. Our first project was duringAdvent and we made banners on feltusing fabric paint and glitter. Ourproject was to do a banner in each ofthe four weeks of Advent on hope, love,joy, and peace.

After the initial experience, Igathered up some resources on bannermaking, and in our future sessions wecrafted felt banners using iron-on feltpieces. We work on banners two or threetimes a year for two or three Sundays ata time. I always bring some ideas to thekids and let them choose the ideas thatthey want to run with. Sometimes theybring the ideas in themselves now, whichis really encouraging (details online).

When we look around oursanctuary and see the collection ofbanners we have created it is a reallywonderful feeling. Years from now, thesekids might see some of the banners theycreated in class hanging on the wall andit will bring back memories of acontribution that they personally madeto glorify the Lord.

Flexible spaceKevin Keaton (MDiv’82); First PresbyterianChurch, Sugar Land, Texas

We recently constructed a new sanctuary thatfeatures a semi-traditional setting; however, theseating is flexible and the chancel is open andflexible, being able to change from a pulpit-oriented service to a table-focused service to a“stage” set-up for a children’s choir production.

Making space sacredJeanie Stanley (MDiv’99);San Gabriel Church,Georgetown, Texas

Church member Kitty Whitehas developed a number ofitems that brighten up ourelementary school cafetoriumworship space, including aquilt of crosses.

Art in worshipCarol Merritt (MDiv’98); Barrington Presbyterian Church,Barrington, Rhode Island

We have done some interesting things in worship, especiallyinvolving art in our services. We have created a large paintingduring Pentecost worship, a scratch board “etching” duringEpiphany, and a large chalk drawing for Maundy Thursday.

This year, during Maundy Thursday, we chose Colossians2:8-14 as our guiding Scripture passage (especially “nailing it tothe cross”). We gave out nails (large, dirty, square nails) during thefirst Sunday in Lent and asked that they be a reminder of a sin,something that a person would like to change. Then, for MaundyThursday, the youth constructed a big cross out of some woodthat they found in the marsh next to the church. As people leftthe prayer service, they hammered their nail into the cross.

Building an eagle lecternElaine Johnson (MDiv’00); First Presbyterian Church, Tulsa,Oklahoma

When a member of the congregation wanted to commission an eaglelectern for the sanctuary, the leaders of the church were faced withan exciting challenge: to design a new liturgical furnishing. Acommittee was formed and they researched the history of eaglelecterns (a tradition that developed in the Church of England),studied the symbolism of eagles in Scripture and the Reformation,considered the distinctive features of their particular sanctuary, andpondered practical matters: weight, size, materials. The committeedecided to create an eagle with soaring wings, rather than a puffedout, proud chest. Bill Derrevere, a sculptor at Tulsa CommunityCollege, created the finished product. The wooden base for the eaglewas built from a combination of new wood and remnants from anold choir screen. Cracks between the new wood and the old havebeen repaired twice in the three years since its creation—perhaps ametaphor for the difficulty of merging tradition with innovation.

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Bringing the generations togetherJeanie Stanley (MDiv’99); San GabrielPresbyterian Church, Georgetown, Texas

Our two demographic targets in our new churchdevelopment are retired people from Sun City andfamilies with young children. Our retired folkshave plenty of opportunities elsewhere in thecommunity for a traditional service. They chooseto come to us because they want a full age rangechurch and want to bring new people—especiallyyoung people—to Christ. But the rubber hits theroad when we start using less traditional musicand liturgy. For us, it’s our mission to bring thegenerations together—but it’s still a challenge.How do we respect the traditions and the new lifeexperience of younger generations who find ourtraditional words unfamiliar? I hope we have agive and take. One older gentleman does athumbs up to me when we sing the Doxology. Wehave a saying—“generations together.”

Children participateMarsha Brown (MDiv’96); Saint Andrew’sPresbyterian Church, Austin, Texas

Our children help with the mission of thischurch by collecting food for our churchfood pantry during the time for offering. Wehave children’s worship packets forpreschoolers and older children to use dur-ing worship. For a time we have had thechildren (who have their own stoles) bringin the symbols of the church: pitcher ofwater for the font, the cup, Bible, and can-dle for the communion table.

EnthusiatorsJack Barden (MDiv’88); First Presbyterian Church, Fulton, Missouri

“Energizers” are active movements to popular songs, and theyinclude a lot of jumping and spinning around and sillymotions; but the advantage is that everybody is doing themtogether and it builds fellowship. I decided that I wanted asimilar sort of activity that would involve our children andyouth, but in a worshipful way. I found a few favorite praisechoruses on CD and designed hand and body movement to bedone along with the music. I named these “enthusiators” fortwo reasons. First, I wanted the kids to associate them withenergizers, but in a slightly different form with a slightlydifferent purpose. Second, I explained that “enthusiasm” meansliterally “with-God-ness,” and these were a way of involvingour whole selves in praising God, not just our voices or ourminds, but our bodies, too.

We developed about ten different enthusiators. Since then,we have incorporated some of them into our regular Sundaymorning worship, sometimes as an Introit, sometimes as aresponse to a sermon, sometimes as a response to a prayer. Thecongregation as a whole usually participates well in thesebecause they can do them sitting down and because I haveteenagers leading them. I explain that we are not “signing” thewords of the song (since we do have an interpreter for the deafwho signs all our worship services). What we are doing isoffering prayer and praise in a fully involved way.

Now, whenever we hear or sing some of the choruses inour youth worship event, the kids do the motions from theenthusiator even if we aren’t asking them to do it.

39 Bridge to worshipJudy Skaggs (MDiv’94);University PresbyterianChurch, Austin, Texas

Adult volunteers lead thetoddlers and preschoolers instory, song, and prayerwhich models the liturgy ofadult worship. The multi-disciplinary lesson planintroduces the children tothe liturgical calendar. SeeSonja M. Stewart andJerome W. Berryman, YoungChildren in Worship.

WINDOWS / Summer 2004 11

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Welcoming the little onesPatti Herndon (MDiv’93); First United Methodist Church, Bastrop, Texas

I borrowedwords from a leaflet from Northwest Hills United MethodistChurch in Austin. We have them tucked into the back of each pew with thehymnals so that the picture on the front hangs out. We have had much lesswhining about children in worship since they went in and many moremembers taking time to pay attention to children around them rather thantrying to ignore them. Here is an excerpt from the leaflet (the rest isavailable on-line): “Always remember that the way we welcome children inchurch directly affects the way they respond to church, God, and Christ. Letthem know that they are participants in this liturgy of praise andthanksgiving.”

Where the kids are ...Leon Rathbun (MDiv’98); TerryCommunity Presbyterian Church,Terry, Montana

Every second Sunday of the month,our students read Scripture, lightour peace candle, take up theoffering, and do the minute formission. Of course they light ourcandles at the beginning of theservice. They seem to enjoyparticipating in worship, and if thekids are there, the parents are there.

A child shall lead themJeanie Stanley (MDiv’99); San GabrielPresbyterian Church, Georgetown, Texas

Our youth are liturgists each Sunday and have anintegral part of our worship (and everything else).They also plan and implement the Youth Sunday.Our Time with Young Disciples coordinatorPatricia Wadsack does a great job with a puppetshow and developing leaders for a creative messageevery week.

PowerPoint vs. printKevin Keaton (MDiv’82); FirstPresbyterian Church, Sugar Land,Texas

We use 11x17 bulletins tri-foldedwith as large of print as is possible.Visibility is an issue in a churchwith wide variety of age groups.Very important: learning-disabledchildren (i.e. dyslexia) cannothandle overheads and PowerPoint!

Blending genres and generationsRon Holloman (MDiv’76); FirstPresbyterian Church, Mabank,Texas

We are a 250-member church intransition, therefore we have fivegenerations sitting in the hundred-year-old pews every Sunday. Mypractice is to blend worship asmuch as I can with music andparticipation.

contemporary / traditional

Traditional (more or less)Steven Buchele (MDiv’99);Foundation United MethodistChurch at Lakewood, Temple,Texas

We work hard to dotraditional things in a mostuntraditional way. We don’tchange things around just tobe different, but to connect tothe past and bring it forward.I envision it as sort of the PTCruiser type of service. One ofthe reasons the PT Cruiserwas so successful is that itlooked like our parents’ firstcar, yet it had all the coolthings we expect in moderncars. Worship can be like that,too—we connect to the pastin ways that make itmeaningful for us today.

We run three services onSunday morning. The firstservice is a meditative servicethat uses Taize music. We havecommunion each week (withflour tortillas) and the messageis given by the laity. Oursecond service, the moretraditional, often featuresGaither-style music, or itswings the hymns. Our thirdservice, the less traditional, hasa full band, horn section, andthree lead worshipers. Oftenthe kids (K-5th grade) comeup and sing with the adultsingers.

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4847contemporary / traditionalSinging a new song?Laurie Barker (MDiv’01) and Jim Barker(MDiv’01); First Presbyterian Church,Junction, Texas, and Harper PresbyterianChurch, Harper, Texas

Whatever we do that differs from theirusual, we do so carefully. The biggestcontroversy we have had since we came webrought on ourselves when we asked tochange the order of worship. We did getpermission from the session first to have a“trial” period. After a few weeks, peoplesettled in and we have kept the order eversince. Our most difficult worship practiceto alter is the music. Our problem is notcontemporary versus traditional, but it ishymns we know versus hymns we do notknow. The choir has a picture posted inthe choir room of the previous interimminister with his name and the caption:“He who picks difficult hymns!” Our goalis not to get our pictures up too soon!

New words for worshipMarsha Brown (MDiv’96); Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church,Austin, Texas

Our congregation consists of many unchurched people and so ourwords for parts of worship are simplified. We use gender neutrallanguage in worship and have adapted music and liturgy in this wayalso. For instance, after the Prayers of the People, we sing the Disciples’Prayer (or Lord’s Prayer). This has become a beloved part of ourworship and helps to provide some familiar structure in the liturgy.

Our worship reflects who we are and how we approach God’sWord in our present lives. We are a church that is not afraid ofchanging things if they are not working. We have worked to make thestories real, to weave the theme into the entire service through music,responses sung or spoken, symbols, art, poems, and the hymns that arechosen or created for our worship. We are blessed to have manycreative people who help provide new ways of embodying the goodnews, so that we may really hear it, perhaps for the first time.

A contemporary traditionalistKay Roberts (MDiv’99); Kent Presbyterian Church, Kent, Ohio

About three years ago, the church went to two worship services: theearlier service is the traditional, the later is the contemporary. Themain difference is the music. The traditional means PresbyterianHymnal, cantatas, and the pipe organ—a typical liturgy according tothe Book of Common Worship. At the contemporary I’m working withthe musical ensemble, training them to do some spoken transitionsbetween songs and spontaneous sounding prayers. We’re taking somethings out of liturgy books, but often the ensemble people are writingtheir own. Some of the ones who think they don’t want things tochange don’t rebel and resist as long as they don’t know ahead of time,and what’s presented is done with quality.

I’m trying to bring the traditions of Reformed worship into thefeel and flow of the contemporary service. For instance, the confessionof sin and assurance of pardon are always in the traditional service; inthe contemporary service, the element of confession—of being brokenbefore God—was missing. Now we’re bringing that back in new ways.

Blending and bending: blessed are the flexibleKevin Keaton (MDiv’82); FirstPresbyterian Church, Sugar Land,Texas

First Church, Sugar Land is agrowing church with an ever-evolving style of worship. We havegone from a very traditional orderto one that has a “structure” butthere is weekly change. We usemore of a “blended” format witheach service having traditional andcontemporary hymns. One thing iscertain: no two weeks in a row arecarbon copies of the previous week.

There is a poster on my filecabinet reading “Blessed are theflexible, for they shall not be bentout of shape.” That is our approachto worship (and much more)! Weare in the process of “bending” theway we approach our early servicein order to make it a totallydifferent worship experience.

Good liturgy is like dancing along the edge of the cliff. It rarelyinvolves playing it safe, and is always an actual risk—that the best plansdon’t work out, that the new idea is a flop in practice, that we look like anordained and berobed fool when the latest initiative in worship just isn’t asgood an idea as it seemed, that, as Annie Dillard says, God might finallyblast this dancing bear act of ours to bits. But taking a chance to act andspeak and touch in the Spirit of Christ, to help one another hear the old,old story with fresh ears—to prepare services and lead the people’s liturgy—this is not safeguarded by just repeating the same thing over and over.

—Associate Professor of Liturgics Stanley R. Hall

G

WINDOWS / Summer 2004 13

SURVEYS, REFERENCE WORKS, AND COLLECTED ARTICLES

Bradshaw, Paul ed., The New Westminster Dictionary ofLiturgy and Worship. 3rd edition. Louisville:Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.

Gabe Huck ed., Liturgy, A Sourcebook. Chicago:Liturgy Training Publications, 1994. The LTPSourcebook series now has thirteen volumes, and count-ing. Worth owning.

Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold,Paul Bradshaw eds., The Study of Liturgy, RevisedEdition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. AnEnglish one-volume encyclopedia. The current editionhas several of the best North American authors included.Longer articles than NWDL&W above.

Blair Gilmer Meeks ed., The Landscape of Praise:Readings in Liturgical Renewal. A LiturgicalConference Book. Valley Forge: Trinity PressInternational, 1996. A large collection of articles gatheredfrom the ecumenical journal Liturgy, written by scholarsand pastors for pastors, church leaders, and real people.(Sadly, it is out of print— but try to find it onamazon.com [used], abebooks.com or alibris.com.)

Frank C. Senn, Christian Liturgy, Catholic andEvangelical. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1997. AnAmerican Lutheran scholar who has paid some attentionto the Reformed and the Orthodox in what is now thebest big survey of the history of Christian worship. TheLutherans, who are very interesting, play a large role…butthe rest of us are there, too.

Bard Thompson, Liturgies of the Western Church,Selected and Introduced. New York: The WorldPublishing Company, 1961. The author was the seniorProtestant historian of worship in his day. The best singlesource for full “script” in English of the historic liturgiesof the various traditions.

Robert E. Webber, editor, The Complete Library ofChristian Worship. 7 volumes. Nashville: Star SongPublishing Group, 1993-1994.Volume 1 The Biblical Foundations of Christian

WorshipVolume 2 Twenty Centuries of Christian Worship

Volume 3 The Renewal of Sunday WorshipVolume 4 (Books 1 & 2) Music and the Arts in

Christian WorshipVolume 5 The Services of the Christian YearVolume 6 The Sacred Actions of Christian WorshipVolume 7 The Ministries of Christian WorshipA very large and eclectic heap of information. Many tra-ditions and worshiping communities for the first timeprovide here a record and interpretation of their prac-tice. A large number of entries that address “contempo-rary” and “blended” worship issues.

LITURGICAL ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENT

Environment & Art in Catholic Worship, NationalConference of Catholic Bishops. Chicago: LiturgyTraining Publications, (1978, 1986) 1993. An inspiringand insightful treatment of liturgical space, grounded intheology of church as worshiping community. It hasnow been replaced by a much more “Roman” docu-ment, Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, andWorship. Guidelines of the National Conference ofCatholic Bishops (United States Catholic Conference,2000).

Meeting House Essays. No. 1-10. Chicago: LiturgyTraining Publications. A series of excellent booklets ontopics involved in building and renovating—and under-standing—space for worship. Roman Catholic, but use-ful for all of us, too.

Michael E. DeSanctis, Building From Belief: Advance,Retreat, and Compromise in the Remaking ofCatholic Church Architecture. Collegeville: TheLiturgical Press, 2002.

Richard Giles, Re-Pitching the Tent: Re-Ordering theChurch Building for Worship and Mission. Revisedand expanded edition. Collegeville: Liturgical Press,2000.

Marchita Mauck, Shaping a House for the Church.Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1990.

James F. White and Susan J. White. ChurchArchitecture: Building and Renovating for ChristianWorship. Nashville: Abingdon, 1988; Revised edition,Akron Ohio: Order of St. Luke Publications, 1999.

the great amen (references)

Our thanks to Stanley Hall, associate professor of liturgics, for compiling this bibliography and advising on this feature. Formore worship resources—including Internet sites, journals, books on specific traditions (cultural, denominational, and litur-gical), theology, music, art, children, pastoral liturgy, and more—visit our web site: www.austinseminary.edu/worshipforum.

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Franklin William Attah ofTarkwa, Western Region, Ghana;Evangelical Presbyterian Church;pastor, Tarkwa E.P. Church,Tarkwa, Ghana

Brenda Bullock of La Romain,Trinidad; Presbyterian Church ofTrinidad & Tobago; minister,churches in Claxton Bay PastoralRegion, Claxton Bay, Trinidad

Johnny L. Celey of Odessa, Texas;United Pentecostal Church;assistant administrator, UnitedPentecostal Church, Odessa, Texas

Brian Edward Fitzgerald ofHouston, Texas; UMC; will pursuefurther graduate study

James R. Jorden of Horseshoe Bay,Texas; PC(USA); lay ministry,Horseshoe Bay Protestant Church,Horseshoe Bay, Texas

Joyce M. Kelley of Austin, Texas;UMC; seeking a position as achaplain or spiritual director

Mi-Sook Lee of Seoul, Korea;PC(USA); seeking a non-ordainedposition

MASTER OF ARTS IN

THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

Ila Purcell (posthumously) of NewBraunfels, Texas; Community ofChrist Church

The Class of 2004

MASTER OF DIVINITY

Helen Plummer Almanza ofAustin, Texas; UMC; part-timeassociate pastor, Tarrytown UnitedMethodist Church, Austin

Amanda Powel Ayars of Fresno,California; PC(USA); associatepastor, First Presbyterian Church,Champaign, Illinois

Jacqueline Udden Baker ofAustin, Texas; Christian Church(Disciples of Christ); associateminister, Central Christian Church,Austin, Texas

Mally Baum of Dallas, Texas;PC(USA); seeking a call to achurch

Spencer Carlton Bogle ofOklahoma City, Oklahoma;Church of Christ; missionaryservice in Jinja, Uganda

Selena Martin Brinegar ofHouston, Texas; PC(USA); willseek a call in a church pendingcompletion of candidacyrequirements

WINDOWS / Summer 2004 15

Anne M. Cameron ofGeorgetown, Texas; PC(USA);associate pastor, First PresbyterianChurch, Fort Smith, Arkansas

Christopher Lee Campbell ofDallas, Texas; PC(USA); will seek acall in youth ministry pendingcompletion of candidacyrequirements

Scott K. Campbell of Austin,Texas; PC(USA); one-year C.P.E.resident program, Seton HospitalNetwork, Austin

Richard O. Carroll of Brenham,Texas; PC(USA); will seek a call ina church pending completion ofcandidacy requirements

Patrick Earle Cobb of Helotes,Texas; PC(USA); director ofstudent ministries and assistant tothe pastor, Forest Hills PresbyterianChurch, Helotes

Rebecca Lee Corkill of Houston,Texas; Christian Church (Disciplesof Christ); one-year C.P.E. resident,Seton Hospital Network, Austin

Shelby Robinson Dies of Austin,Texas; UMC; one-year C.P.E.resident, Seton Hospital Network,Austin

Joaquin Jake Gonzales of TheWoodlands, Texas; PC(USA); CPEresident, Memorial HermannHospital, Houston, Texas

Tanya Marie Huber of Austin,Texas; UMC; associate pastor ofChristian education and musicministry, First United MethodistChurch, Elgin, Texas

Jonathan P. Hughes of Edmond,Oklahoma; PC(USA); pastor,Christ Presbyterian Church,Oelwein, Iowa

David Paul Jahnke of Mankato,Minnesota; PC(USA); associatepastor, First Presbyterian Church,Corpus Christi, Texas

Brian James Johnson of Las Vegas,Nevada, and Caldwell, Idaho;PC(USA); associate pastor, FirstPresbyterian Church, Sheridan,Wyoming

Elizabeth Maria Kevilus of SanAntonio, Texas; UMC; pastor, FirstUnited Methodist Church, CarrizoSprings, Texas

Kent Joseph Landry of Aiken,South Carolina; PC(USA); pastor,Leland Presbyterian Church,Leland, Mississippi

Melodie Long of Mandeville,Louisiana; PC(USA); pastor, TrinityPresbyterian Church, Jonesville,Louisiana

James Robert McClurg ofFlorence, Texas; UMC; pastor,Florence/Jarrell United MethodistChurch, Florence

THE CLASS OF 2004

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Robert Paul Stewart of Dallas,Texas; PC(USA); will seek a call ina church following C.P.E. summerinternship, Baptist HealthcareSystem, San Antonio, Texas

Terry McLellan of Tupelo,Mississippi; PC(USA); pastor,Covenant Presbyterian Church, Carrollton, Texas

Susan Wyatt Phalen of Bryan,Texas; PC(USA); will seek a call ina church pending completion ofcandidacy requirements

Jennifer Janelle Rogers of Vian,Oklahoma; PC(USA); militarychaplaincy, U.S. Army ChaplainCenter and School, Ft. Jackson,South Carolina

David A. Slyter of Stafford, Texas;PC(USA); seeking a call to achurch in youth ministry

Howard W. Pettengill Jr.,ordained deacon—Roman CatholicChurch, Indialantic, Florida;doctoral project: “Towards APreaching Manual for theDiaconate ”

Yolanda Tarango, director,Visitation House—TransitionalHousing, San Antonio, Texas;doctoral project: “Latina Narratives:Creating Meaning Through Story”

THE CLASS OF 2004

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

John R. Evans, who served AustinSeminary for sixteen years in the

Offices of Admissions andDevelopment, returned in March asAustin Seminary’s vocation andplacement officer. Reporting to thepresident, Evans will work alongsideVice President for Student AffairsAnn Fields with seniors completingordination requirements andpreparing for their first call.Additionally, he will serve as a liai-son between pastor nominatingcommittees and Austin Seminaryalumni/ae.

A 1968 graduate of AustinSeminary, Evans served as AustinSeminary’s director of vocation andadmissions from 1984-1991 whenhe became vice president of devel-opment and church relations.During his tenure he raised funds to

construct the McCord CommunityCenter which was dedicated in1997. Evans resigned from AustinSeminary in 2000 to become aregional development officer for thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.)Foundation. He has returned toAustin after serving as interim vicepresident for seminary relations anddevelopment at McCormickTheological Seminary in Chicago.

“We are thrilled to have JohnEvans back in our midst,” saysPresident Wardlaw. “He has alreadyestablished himself as an advocatefor students and pastors seekingcalls, and as a first stop for church-es—within and beyond our con-stituency—searching for pastors andassociate pastors. John loves theSeminary and the church, and itshows!” ▲

Old friend returns to lead placement office

John Evans fields a call from a pastornominating committee.

WINDOWS / Summer 2004 17

Christian Century editor John Buchanan delivers inspiring commencement address

Commencement exercisesat Austin Seminary are

always a grand and joyousoccasion. With commence-ment speaker John M.Buchanan, thirty-six graduateswill benefit from the insightsof a life-long servant of thechurch as they prepare fortheir own careers in ministry.

The Reverend John M.Buchanan is pastor of FourthPresbyterian Church inChicago, a position he hasheld since 1985. In 1996, heserved as moderator of theGeneral Assembly of thePresbyterian Church (U.S.A.).Buchanan is editor and publisher ofThe Christian Century, a leadingnational magazine on faith and con-temporary culture.

The Class of2004 is comprisedof twenty-sevenreceiving theMaster of Divinitydegree; seven, theMaster of Arts inT h e o l o g i c a lStudies; and two,the Doctor ofMinistry. They hailfrom places aswidespread asSouth Carolina,C a l i f o r n i a ,Minnesota, Ghana,Trinidad, andKorea.

Three specialawards were givento graduating stu-dents: The CharlesL. King Award forexcellence in

preaching, to Ann Cameron(M.Div., Austin); the John SpragensAward, to fund further training inChristian education, to BrianJohnson (M.Div., Las Vegas,Nevada); and the Rachel HenderliteAward for contributions to cross-cultural and interracial relation-ships, to Susan Phalen (M.Div.,Bryan, Texas).

President Wardlaw, reporting onactions taken by the Board ofTrustees at its spring meeting, madethe following academic announce-ments: • Michael Jinkins was appointed toa five-year term as academic dean,effective January 1, 2004.• Lewis Donelson was elected tothe Ruth A. Campbell Chair in NewTestament, effective July 1, 2004.•Associate Professor of PhilosophicalTheology William Greenway wasgranted a one-year sabbatical, begin-ning July 1, 2004.• David Jensen was promoted toassociate professor of Reformed the-ology, effective July 1, 2004.• Arun Jones was elected to a sec-

ond three-year termas assistant professorof mission and evan-gelism.• Whit Bodman waselected to a secondthree-year term asassistant professor ofworld religion.• Laura BrookingLewis was elected toa one-year term asresearch professor ofChristian education.• C. Ellis Nelson wasreappointed to a one-year term as research

professor of Christian education.• Michael Miller was reappointedto a one-year term as research pro-fessor in the church and higher edu-cation.• Monya Stubbs was elected to afour-year renewable term as instruc-tor in New Testament, effective June1, 2004.• Wesley D. Avram was elected to afive-year term as associate professorof homiletics, beginning in 2005.

On Saturday, May 22, a bac-calaureate service was held atUniversity Presbyterian Church,Austin. The Reverend Dr. David W.Johnson, director of the SupervisedPractice of Ministry and Certificatein Spiritual Formation programs,preached; the Reverend Dr. EllenBabinsky, professor of church his-tory, and the Reverend Dr. ArunJones presided at the Lord’s Table.

David Johnson’s baccalaureate sermonand John Buchanan’s commencementaddress are available on-line atwww.austinseminary.edu ▲

Cameron

Phalen

Johnson

President Wardlaw and commencement speaker John Buchanan prepareto greet graduates and guests after the ceremony.

18

Meryl Streep, one of my all-timefavorite actresses, gave the

baccalaureate address a few years agoat Vassar, and in it she said, “You’regoing out into the real world. Donot expect the real world to be likecollege.” She paused for a moment,and then went on to say: “It’s morelike high school.”

I believe she’s right. The cultureinto which you are headed—inwhich you will be called upon, ifyou take your vocation seriously, tobe sense-makers—is a culture that isa lot like high school. There is sense-less competition, and conspicuousconsumption, and acquisitivenessthat doesn’t satisfy, and a certain self-absorbed swagger as we stomparound the rest of the world, and awhole lot of what I like to call “cul-tural adolescence.”

It is a culture that is a lot likehigh school—a culture which makesit all too easy for an attractiveblonde soldier with a girl-next-doorsmile to find pleasure from havingher picture taken next to a pile ofnaked enemy prisoners while sheflashes the “thumbs-up” sign. Thatphotograph, by the way, prettymuch sums up what much of therest of the world these days thinksabout us. The world sees in us—andyou will see, if you have keenenough pastoral and ecclesial eye-sight—a lot of evidence like thatthat will make you think of nothingquite so much as that clunky theo-logical word that most of you heardhere for the first time in your lives,the word “depravity.”

It’s not like college out there; it’smore like high school.

And what the world for themost part wants from the church—

not “needs,” but “wants”—is noth-ing quite so much as entertainment.

This, in a nutshell, is what I tryto say to the numerous pastor nom-inating committees who are forevercalling me and all the other semi-nary presidents for suggestionsregarding candidates they shouldengage in conversation. I tell themthat every church in the worldwants two qualities in a pastor—substance and passion—but thattoo many churchesare willing to settlefor passion if theycannot find sub-stance. I beg them notto settle. Eventhough, in our enter-tainment-driven cul-ture, simply choosingpassion without sub-stance has the ring ofa good “sale.”

The world, and the church, sooften want nothing quite so muchas entertainment. The world willtake you more seriously if you find away to make it laugh on Sundaymorning; the world will like, whenthe news gets bad out there, tocome to church in hopes that youwill change the subject; the worldwill like for you to show the world,in as winsome a way as possible, aGod who loves, coincidentally, thevery same political and social agen-das that the world loves, and whosevery favorite project is Western civi-lization. This is the sort of captivityof the church which the world willpay you good money to buy into;and my charge to you today is: forGod’s sake, don’t.

This captivity I’m speakingabout—this captivity which preach-

ers are so often prone to—is not anew thing, although it’s an awfullyscary thing in these present times.But no, it’s not new. It’s been aroundfor a long time—at least as far backas King Herod, who, when he heardthe news of the birth of Jesus, asMatthew writes, said to the wisemen, “Go and search diligently forthe child; and when you have foundhim, bring me word so that I mayalso go and pay him homage.” Once in a while, the world soundsthat sincere, so much so that it willtake real discernment on your partto spot what is insincere about thatrequest. The gospel of Jesus Christ is

the best evidence I know of of howdifficult it is, in every age, for theworld to “give the scene” or to bendthe knee to any God who insists onoffering so much more than mereentertainment.

Just a couple of days ago, I hada conversation along these lines withJohn McCoy, of Highland ParkPresbyterian Church in Dallas—oneof our trustees here—and herecalled into my presence a wonder-ful quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer,from his book Ethics. “The Churchconfesses,” wrote Bonhoeffer, “thatshe has taken in vain the name ofJesus Christ, for she has beenashamed of this name before theworld and she has not striven force-fully enough against the misuse ofthis name for an evil purpose. Shehas stood by while violence and

Charge to the Class of 2004by Theodore J. Wardlaw, president of Austin Seminary

YOU WILL BE A LIVING REMINDER

THAT GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD,

THAT GOD GAVE THE ONLY SON—

NOT BECAUSE THAT GIFT WAS WHAT

THE WORLD WANTED, BUT BECAUSE

IT WAS WHAT THE WORLD NEEDED.

WINDOWS / Summer 2004 19

A painting of Shelton Chapel by TrusteeJim Bruce, left, was reproduced and givenas a parting gift to retiring Trustees JayDea Brownfield, right, Betty WilsonJeffrey, and David McKechnie.

New trustees electedThe Board of Trustees of AustinPresbyterian Theological Seminaryelected three new members at theMay 2004 meeting.

Dianne Edwards Brown(MDiv’95) is pastor and head ofstaff at First Presbyterian Church,Texarkana, Arkansas. Brown hasserved on the Austin SeminaryAssociation board of directors andthe oversight committee of theCollege of Pastoral Leaders.

Cassandra C. Carr is senioradvisor at Public Strategies, Inc., astrategic communications firm.Carr was senior executive vice presi-dent for external affairs at SBCCommunications, Inc. and workedas a congressional staff assistant tothe United States House Ways andMeans Subcommittee on Trade. Sheis a member of UniversityPresbyterian Church, Austin.

William Powers Jr. is dean ofthe University of Texas School ofLaw. A nationally prominent lawprofessor, he is considered one ofthe leading authorities on torts andproducts liability. Powers recentlycompleted a seven-year major proj-ect on legal liability for theAmerican Law Institute. He is amember of WestminsterPresbyterian Church, Austin.

wrong were being committed undercover of this name. And indeed shehas left uncontradicted, and hasthereby abetted, even open mockeryof the most holy name. She knowsthat God will not leave unpunishedone who takes [God’s] name in vainas she does.”

You will have numerous oppor-tunities to take that name in vain, toleave uncontradicted often the mostcompelling, sweet-sounding argu-ments for what the world wantsmost in our time; and my charge toyou today is: For God’s sake, don’t.

For God’s sake, don’t. For wesend you into the church this day forGod’s sake. And you will serve thechurch for God’s sake. You willpreach for God’s sake, you will teachfor God’s sake, you will serve in thecommunity for God’s sake, you willstudy for God’s sake, you will saywords over that one who has diedfor God’s sake, you will comfort thebereaved for God’s sake, you willdemonstrate compassion for God’ssake, you will speak the right wordin the right way at the right time forGod’s sake, you will break bread andpour wine for God’s sake, you willbaptize and will remind those withwhom you serve that they are to livein the world as baptized people—marked by the sign of the One towhom they belong—for God’s sake.And as you do all of that for God’ssake, you will be a living reminderthat God so loved the world, thatGod gave the only son—not becausethat gift was what the world wanted,but because it was what the worldneeded. Spend the rest of your livesmeditating on the differencebetween what the world wants andwhat the world needs—for God’ssake.

Last Sunday, I preached atSecond Presbyterian Church inLittle Rock—one of the largestchurches in this seminary’s con-

stituency, and such a good model forleadership and service in the world.It was my privilege on that day towitness the baptism of a beautifullittle baby named Annabelle. Youwill always need to remember, bythe way, that even when a baby isn’tbeautiful—and not all of themare—you have to say they’re beauti-ful. That’s one of the keys tolongevity in the parish. But thisbaby, Annabelle, was beautiful. Andso was her baptism, straight out ofThe Book of Common Worship—except for one thing, the thing thatthe baptizing pastor said at the veryend of that ceremony as she intro-duced the child to the congregationand as she carried her up the centeraisle of that church. “This isAnnabelle,” she said. “For AnnabelleJesus Christ came into the world; forAnnabelle he preached God’s king-dom in Galilee; for Annabelle he sethis face toward Jerusalem; forAnnabelle he endured the lonelinessof Gethsemane and the agony ofCalvary; and for Annabelle Godraised him from the dead…and yetAnnabelle knows none of this. Weremember the words of the apostle:‘We love because God first loved us.’

“So we remember the promiseswe have made, and Annabelle’sdependence upon us to be faithfulto those promises. I charge you tokeep the vow you have made,” shesaid, “to share the good news of thegospel with Annabelle and her par-ents, and to help them know andfollow Christ.”

This world of ours—fascinatedunto death with itself, and so awaremore of what it wants than of whatit needs—will come to you fromtime to time, and will beg you toprovide not substance but entertain-ment. My charge to you is: Don’tsettle for that. For God’s sake…andfor Annabelle’s. ▲

20

Graduating seniors tend tospend a lot of time reflecting

on how we got here and where weare going when we leave. My storyis not unlike many who came toAustin Seminary as second careerstudents. I grew up in the Catholicchurch and experienced theSouthern Baptist church while astudent at Baylor University. Mywife, Lisa, and I met while I was astudent at Texas at A&M and mar-ried in 1990. We attended churchonly sporadically and spent evenless time thinking about God’s willfor our lives. I enrolled in lawschool and graduated in 1993 withmore than $40,000 in debt. Afterworking as a law clerk for a DistrictCourt judge in Houston, we movedto Aiken, South Carolina.

It was in Aiken that we firstbegan to attend a Presbyterianchurch. We were attracted by thevitality and spirit of the church andbecame members in 1995. Inalmost no time, we found ourselvesdrawn into the life of the churchcommunity, and our lives havenever been the same. Through acombination of events, I began tofeel a growing sense of call to theministry that has never left me tothis day.

As we began to contemplateactually going to seminary, theimportance of the need for financialaid grew exponentially. In lawschool, I was signed up for as manyloans as it took to finance mytuition and fees with the attitudethat “you will be able to pay it backonce you graduate.” By comparison,financial aid at Austin Seminary ispart of the ministry of the church,

and students are not encouraged totake out loans. The only way thatsuch an option exists is through thesupport of individuals and churchesthat are willing to fund the manyscholarships and grants that areavailable at Austin Seminary.

Through the generosity of peo-ple that I have never met andchurches where I have never wor-shiped, we will be graduating with-out having to take out a single stu-dent loan. My wife’s home-basedbusiness, Creative Memories, hashelped pay the bills, while scholar-ships and grants have paid for myeducational expenses.

It would be difficult to over-estimate the importance of scholar-ships to seminarians. Most Austin

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

After three years in Seminary housing, Kent and Lisa Landry and their children, Kyle,Jason, and Jessica, will make their new home in Leland, Mississippi.

Church scholarship support confirms student’s call

Seminary students would be unableto seriously contemplate a call tofull-time ordained ministry withoutthe significant support we receive.The availability of scholarships andgrants is part of the confirmingvoice of the body of Christ thatencourages prospective students totake that step of faith to enroll inseminary.

My family and I are sayingfarewell to many dear friends as weleave this special place and I answerGod’s call to serve as pastor ofLeland Presbyterian Church. Welook forward to the challenge ofministry, filled with gratitude for thesupport of so many along the wayand a peace that only God can givein these times of change.

An enthusiastic crowd of more thantwo hundred attended a luncheon inHouston to learn how they can supportand represent Austin Seminary throughthe new Ambassadors program.Similar events were held this spring inSan Antonio, Dallas, and Amarillo;future events are scheduled for locationsthroughout the Synod of the Sun.

Kent Landry was student body presi-dent and a finalist for the 2004David H. C. Read Preaching Award.

WINDOWS / Summer 2004 21

The ReverendDr. Susan

A n d r e w s ,Moderator of the215th (2003-2004)General Assembly ofthe PresbyterianChurch (U.S.A.),paid a visit to theAustin Seminarycampus on Tuesday,April 27. The visittook place as part ofthe Moderator’sNational MissionTour.

During hersojourn at AustinSeminary, Andrewsshared reflections on the challenges and opportunities facing the PresbyterianChurch. “I’m very hopeful about our denomination, and I’m very worriedabout our denomination,” said Andrews. She cited declining membership, aclergy shortage, and theological differences as primary concerns facing main-line churches. Nevertheless, Andrews expressed hope for the future with a newvision of spiritual and institutional growth: “We’ve got to help people talkabout their faith. We need to learn how to do evangelism in a Presbyterianway and a modern way.”

The visit also afforded Andrews the opportunity to hear from AustinSeminary students and local Presbyterian clergy and laity. The events of theday included a meeting with local Hispanic pastors, a conversation with cur-rent seminarians, and a luncheon, featuring a question and answer sessionwith the Seminary community.

The highlight of the day was Andrews’s preaching and leadership in aservice of worship in Shelton Chapel; her sermon was titled “Detectives ofDivinity.” W. C. Brown Associate Professor of Theology Cynthia L. Rigbypresided at the Lord’s Table.

Although this was Andrews’ first visit to Austin Seminary as Moderator,to several members of the community she is no stranger. “What she brings usas Moderator is her genuine enthusiasm for the church of Jesus Christ—herlove for it, her dedication to it,” remarked Professor of Church History EllenBabinsky, a longtime friend of Andrews. “She is exceedingly energetic, articu-late, forthright, and authentic…and has always been that way.”

Andrews is pastor of 700-member Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church inBethesda, Maryland, and the first woman pastor serving a congregation everelected to lead the denomination.

Moderator Andrews greets student Hannah Hooks after worship.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Moderator brings message of healing and hope

Mona Eagle, center front, hasworked in the Stitt Library fortwenty-five years. Helping her cele-brate this milestone in May werelibrary colleagues Lila Parrish,Helen Kennedy, and Kathy Fowler.

Ethicist deliversHeyer Lecture

Dr. Paul Woodruff delivered the2004 George S. Heyer Jr. Lecture onMay 12. Woodruff is the Hayden W.Head Regents Chair in the Plan IIHonors Program, the Darrell K.Royal Regents Professor in Ethicsand American Society, andDistinguished Teaching Professor atthe University of Texas. A specialistin ancient Greek philosophy,Woodruff is also an accomplishedauthor of plays, libretti, poetry, andshort fiction.

Named in honor of AustinSeminary Professor Emeritus of theHistory of Doctrine George S.Heyer Jr., the Heyer Lectures seekto encourage interdisciplinary con-versations and the sharing ofresources between the Seminary andits next-door neighbor, theUniversity of Texas at Austin. Thiswas the ninth year of the lectureship.

22

FACULTY NEWSIN BRIEF

An article by Allan Cole, assistantprofessor of pastoral care, willappear in the journal PastoralPsychology. Cole recently joined theexecutive committee of the TexasSuicide Prevention Partnership,charged by the state’s StrategicHealth Partnership to develop andimplement a suicide prevention planfor presentation to the TexasLegislature.

Arun Jones, assistant professor ofmission and evangelism, has hadtwo articles published in TheEncyclopedia of Protestantism. Thisspring he has taught or preached inseveral Presbyterian and UnitedMethodist congregations and was aworkshop leader at the Synod of theSun’s Multicultural Conference andMo-Ranch Men’s Conference. Joneswill be a participant at the WabashCenter Workshop for Pre-TenureProfessors of Religion and Theologyin June.

David Lee Jones, director of thedoctor of ministry program, deliv-ered a four-part sermon series thisMay at the Austin TaiwanesePresbyterian Church.

Academic Dean Michael Jinkins’sninth and latest book, Christianity,Tolerance, and Pluralism: A

Donelson appointed to newlyestablished chair in New Testament

Inspired by Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and makedisciples of all nations,” Ruth Campbell sought ways

to extend the gospel message far and wide. A strong sup-porters of overseas missionaries during her lifetime,Campbell, who died November 26, 2001, left a bequestto fund a faculty chair in New Testament studies atAustin Seminary. At their May 2004 meeting, the AustinSeminary Board established the Ruth A. Campbell Chairof New Testament Studies and appointed ProfessorLewis R. Donelson as the first holder of the chair.

Campbell was a lifelong Presbyterian and a member of First PresbyterianChurch, Corpus Christi, Texas. She was a longtime friend of Austin Seminary;through the years, her other contributions have included an endowed schol-arship, a gift for the construction of the McCord Community Center, and adonation to the Centennial Campaign. For Campbell, good Christian stew-ardship was a family tradition; her sister, Virginia Campbell Joslin, was also agenerous donor to Austin Seminary.

A member of the Austin Seminary faculty for more than twenty years,Donelson is a beloved teacher and accomplished New Testament scholar. Heis the author of a number of books, commentaries, and articles, and has servedas president of the New Testament section of the Society of Biblical Literature.Donelson is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and amember of Arkansas Presbytery.

“Biblical studies remain at the core of Austin Seminary’s curriculumbecause we believe deeply that every pastor should preach from a rich knowl-edge of Scripture,” says Professor Michael Jinkins, academic dean. “I am espe-cially pleased that Lewie Donelson has been named to this new chair. Lewie’squiet and profoundly faithful exploration of the New Testament has formedgenerations of pastors, and has been an inspiration to his colleagues in min-istry. He is a model of Christian scholarship and teaching.”

Austin Seminary is grateful to God for the life, witness, and ongoing min-istry of Ruth Campbell, whose generosity and vision will facilitate the sharingof the good news of the gospel to all the world.

Would you care forsome theology with that burger?

Faculty members Michael Jinkins,Arun Jones, David Jensen, andTed Wardlaw join Vice PresidentAnn Fields at the grill for theannual staff appreciation daypicnic in April.

WINDOWS / Summer 2004 23

Theological Engagement with IsaiahBerlin’s Social Theory, was publishedby Routledge Press in May, 2004.Based on research begun in 1999 atOxford University, the book ana-lyzes the application of IsaiahBerlin’s “value pluralism in commu-nities of faith.” Jinkins dedicatedthe book to his faculty colleagues.

Jinkins led a retreat for one ofthe College of Pastoral Leaders’ co-hort groups, May 17-18 and willteach at Regent College inVancouver in July.

Offering a consultation sponsoredby the American TheologicalLibrary Association (ATLA),Timothy Lincoln, director of theStitt Library, met with Golden GateBaptist Theological Seminary inMill Valley, California. In MayLincoln taught three sessions onIslam at Westlake Hills PresbyterianChurch, Austin.

Kathryn Roberts, associate profes-sor of Old Testament, attended the198th Synod of the ReformedChurch in America in an advisorycapacity as Moderator of the synod’sCommission on Theology, June 3-9in Chicago.

Louis Zbinden, professor of pas-toral ministry and leadership,offered the opening prayer at thespecial called session of the TexasLegislature on April 20.

Monya Stubbs tojoin faculty

Austin Presbyterian TheologicalSeminary is pleased to announce

the appointment of Monya A. Stubbsas the newest faculty member in thefield of New Testament.

An ordained elder in the AfricanMethodist Episcopal Church, Stubbsreceived a B.A. in English (with a minorin religion) from Spelman College in1993 and a M.T.S. (with a concentra-tion in biblical studies) from VanderbiltUniversity in 1995. She is a candidatefor the Ph.D. in religion/NewTestament at Vanderbilt University andexpects to graduate in December 2005.Her dissertation addresses “Subjection, Reflection, Resistance: A Three-Dimensional Process of Empowerment in Romans 13 and the Free-MarketEconomy in the Age of Globalization.” Previous publications include AContextual Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew and its Readings (co-author,Abingdon Press, 2003) and an essay on “Healing Through Touch” in My Soulis a Witness (Beacon Press, 1995). A member of the Society of BiblicalLiterature and the American Academy of Religion, Stubbs was a Fund forTheological Education Dissertation Fellow in 2002-2003. Her teaching inter-ests include a wide range of New Testament subjects as well as African-American Christianity, theological themes in contemporary novels, theologyand economy, and the Book of Job.

In addition to her scholarly credentials, Stubbs has had experience work-ing with theological students engaged in practical aspects of ministry. In2002-2003 she directed Bonner-Campbell Religious Studies Institute, a min-isterial training school for the Eighth Episcopal District of the AfricanMethodist Episcopal Church. Stubbs has also served as a faculty team mem-ber for the field education program at Vanderbilt University, where she facil-itated students’ theological reflection on events in ministry.

“Monya Stubbs is an exceptionally insightful biblical scholar, because herrigorous exegetical study is driven by the concerns arising from her AfricanAmerican context, the economic and cultural issues resulting from globaliza-tion, and the theological and social problems with which her students strug-gle,” says Dr. Daniel M. Patte, her dissertation advisor at VanderbiltUniversity. “Monya Stubbs is an inspiring and vibrant teacher, because herteaching starts with her students’ interpretations of Scripture and demandsthat they bring strict rigor to their interpretations by assuming responsibilityfor the textual, theological, and contextual choices involved in each of theirinterpretations.”

Stubbs will begin teaching at Austin Seminary in the fall of 2004 as aninstructor in New Testament and will be advanced to the rank of assistant pro-fessor upon completion of her doctoral studies.

Stitt Library Director Timothy Lincolnhas added new books to the collection insupport of the College of Pastoral Leaders.

24

In Antonio Skármeta’s wonderful novella, Il Postino(The Postman), the world-famous poet, Pablo Neruda,

scolds the postman, Mario Jiménez, for shamelessly pass-ing off one of Neruda’s love poems as his own in anattempt to woo a lovely young woman with whom thepostman is smitten. The postman argues, “It’s your faultI fell in love.”

“No way, my friend,” says the poet, “It’s one thing togive you a few of my books, and quite another to give youpermission to plagiarize them. Besides, you gave her thepoem I wrote for Matilde.”

“Poetry,” counters the postman, “belongs to thosewho use it, not those who write it!”

I agree with the postman, but I am stumped a bit bythe phrase “poetry belongs to those who use it.” If he hadsaid, poetry belongs to those who need it, or love it, orsomething like that, I would not stumble over the pas-sage. But what does it mean to use poetry? And should itbe used?

In our utilitarian society, I have to wonder. Several years ago Tom Currie wrote a wonderful

book reflecting on the uselessness of the gospel. It was apowerful antidote to the notion that God and all thingsrelated to God are valuable only inasmuch as they con-tribute to some goal of our own choosing. For many peo-ple, it is an unimaginable leap to consider the idea, forexample, that the goal of the worship of God is the wor-ship of God. So, when I reflect on the value of poetry, thefirst thing I want to say is that poetry matters becausesaying things well matters. Simply allowing language topeel back the layers of ordinary existence to reveal life’stextures is itself something worth doing well. In otherwords, a lover does not have to be wooed in order forpoetry to matter.

Seeing life through the lenses of human words is aworthwhile end in itself. Indeed, to take things one stepfurther in the direction of poetry’s use-lessness: even ifpoetry is nothing but the poet’s expression of his or hervision of the world (and I mean “the world” in the senseof the most mundane, ordinary, concrete particulars ofdaily existence), poetry matters, because it matters forhuman beings to express themselves creatively to others.Human expression through the various media of words isone of the truest and most basic reflections of the imageof God (the God who is revealed in and through the cre-ative self-expression of the Word God sent).

Beyond this, however, poetry matters for two otherreasons, beyond whatever uses we may put it: because of

the way in which poetry exegetes the human heart, in itsrich variety of experiences from joy to torment, andbecause of the way in which it provides entirely new anddifferent ways of understanding the world, evoking pre-viously unimagined intellectual and emotional structuresfor our experience of God’s world.

Great poems sometimes do both. For example, read-ing Elton Glaser’s poem, “And in the Afternoons IBotanized,” I am forced to look at my hands holding thebook of poetry I am reading, the most prosaic observa-tion transporting me to a reflection on life itself, as hewrites: “Where others might trace lifelines in the palm, Iread, on the back of my hand, liver spots like annotationson a last draft.” My imagination is directed from thislevel of reflection through explicit allusions to T. S. Eliotto W. B. Yeats and to St. Augustine as the poet ushers mefinally toward “a stand of asters and the late mallow”

where we satLike monks gone blind in the margin of

manuscripts, and heardThose arguments whose laws lead to the great

Therefore, our handsStretched and met, both of us ghostly in the pale

stains,The mineral wastes of moonlight, deep dredge of

shadows beneath our feet.You said, Is there no way out of this helpless

evidence?And I put my shaken fingers to your lips, that

woundThe words come from, worn down, drifting, like

leaves in a sleepy wind.1

Maybe the highest and best use for poetry lies in ouraligning ourselves with the vision of the poet, lying onthe ground to catch the exact angle of the sunlight as itplays on an Irish bog with Seamus Heaney, or sitting withWilliam Blake in his bedroom as he attempts to sketchfrom life the aspect of the ghost of a flea. Surely no sum-mer field will ever again look the same if we have walkeda peat marsh with Heaney, and we will never again batheour dogs without a twinge of mercy for the souls of fleashaving casually conversed with one’s ghost in Blake’sLondon home.

—Michael Jinkins

1 Rita Dove, editor, The Best American Poetry 2000 (New York:Scribner Poetry, 2000), 69-72.

THE DEAN’S BOOKSHELF

Poetry, and why it matters

CLASS NOTES

1970sA new book by Bob Lively(MDiv’73, DMin’79), Waiting forBluebonnets…and Other Letters toMy Daughter About God’s Love(Abingdon Press, 2004), was writ-ten after he was told he was dyingof congestive heart failure. An epi-logue explains Lively’s dramatic andfull recovery following a woman’sdecision to pray for him.

1980sDaryl E. Johnson (MDiv’86)married Beth Dishman on May 2,2004.

Charles R. Traylor (MDiv’87) waselected executive presbyter of thePresbytery of Northern Plains onJanuary 23, 2004.

John D. Williams (MDiv’87)received his Ph.D. in religiousstudies from Southern MethodistUniversity on May 15, 2004.

2000sMelissa Lin (MA’00) was sent bythe China Christian Council towork on her Ph.D. at the GraduateTheological Union in Berkeley,California

Matthew B. Morse (MDiv’03)married Judith I. McMillan onMarch 20, 2004.

WELCOME…To Austin Harrison Norris Lane, son of Wesley A. Lane and VirginiaNorris Lane (MDiv’99), born March 30, 2004.

To Sloan Brianne Leischner, son of Brenda and Robert W. Leischner(MDiv’01) born April 21, 2004.

…and a correction:

Thomas Benjamin Hendrickson (son of alums Alex and BrettHendrickson) was born in 2003 and not 2002 as was previouslyreported.

ALUMNI/AE NEWSTheological EducationSunday is September 19Please call Georgia Smith at 1-800-777-6127 or 512-404-4801 toschedule a student, faculty member,or administrator to deliver a sermonor minute for mission about theimportance of theological educa-tion. Don’t wait; last year, fifty-onechurches participated!

2005 reunions on the wayDon’t miss out on the fun! Gradu-ates from the Classes of 1955,1965, 1995, 2000, and 2002 willgather during MidWinter Lectures,January 31-February 2, 2005.

And the winner is…The Austin Seminary Association isseeking nominations for the 2005ASA Awards for Service. If you wishto nominate an Austin Seminaryalumnus/a, please write a letter ofrecommendation describing his orher distinguished service to theSeminary or the church and mail itto David Evans, director of semi-nary relations, or visit our website(www.austinseminary.edu/nomi-nate.html) to nominate electronical-ly. Your suggestion must be receivedby September 17. Winners of theaward will be honored at the 2005Association’s Annual Banquet andMeeting following Midwinter Lec-tures.

you@who.com?The Office of SeminaryRelations sends occasionalelectronic notices of newsand events of interest tograduates. Please visit thealumni/ae page of austin-seminary.edu to provide /update your email address.

NECROLOGYA. Frank Musick (Diploma’68)Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil,February 2, 2003

Martin H. Thomas (MDiv’55)Denton, Texas, March 14, 2004

Carolyn Rene Dailey(MDiv’99) Kyle, Texas, March26, 2004

Kenneth L. Mauldin (ThM’56)Denton, Texas, April 18, 2004

Susan K. Longley (MDiv’01),Killeen, Texas, May 11, 2004

One of Austin Seminary’s old-est living graduates,Guadalupe Armendariz(Cert.’30), died on May 26,2004, in San Antonio. Part of afamily of faithful Presbyterianpastors and Austin Seminarygraduates, he was the brotherof Rubén Armendariz(Cert.’30) and father to RubénP. Armendariz (MDiv’61).

WINDOWSAustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary100 East 27th Street, Austin, Texas 78705-5797

Address Service Requested

Non ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDAustin, Texas

Permit No. 2473

Summer 2004

Commencement

2004Summer and Fall 2004CHRIS T IAN LEADERSH IP EDUC AT ION

July 5-9 Beth Watson“Open the Eyes of My Heart: Sensing

God’s Call” (youth work camp)

August 2-6 Michael Waschevski“ Religious Education, Theory,

and Practice”(Christian Educator’s Certification Course)

September 21-22 James Graham“Getting in Shape, Fiscally!”

September 24 Ellen Babinsky“Confessions”

Oct. 18-20 Gláucia Vasconcelos-Wilkey“Children and Worship”

October 28 Lewis Donelson & Cynthia Rigby

“ Teaching and Preaching Advent”

October 22 Molly Jensen“When Borders Become Boundaries:Theological Perspectives on Post-9/11

U.S. Immigration Policies”