LTSP News and Media

Report from the LTSP Board of Trustees - Spring 2013

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:51:21 PDT

Communication to the Seminary Community:

Decisions and Recommendations of the Board of Trustees of
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, April 22-24, 2013

The Dean of the seminary was awarded an Endowed Chair.
A balanced budget proposal for the year 2014 was approved.
The Board learned that LTSP meets all the standards required at this time by the Middle States Commission of Higher Education.

These were among the highlights of the spring meeting of the Board of Trustees held on campus April 22-24.

In a joyful celebration with the seminary community, the Board participated in the chairing of the Rev. Dr. J. Jayakiran Sebastian as he received the H. George Anderson Chair in Mission and Cultures. The Dean's chairing lecture was entitled "The Always-Generous and Ever-Ready Church." For a complete pictorial, written, and video account of the ceremony, visit LTSP.edu. Don't miss it!

The Board approved a balanced budget for fiscal 2014, beginning July 1, 2013.

It approved a process to explore the sale or development of some of the perimeter properties that the seminary owns.

It approved a second reading of the seminary bylaws that restructures the Board and established term limits for members of the Board. Six members whose terms expired were thanked for their distinguished service at a special luncheon and the community Eucharist. They are Lynn H. Askew, Dr. Addie J Butler, the Rev. Rolf Hedberg, Sonja Hegymegi, the Rev. Dr. Marjorie H. Keiter, and the Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Krommes.

The Board elected the following retiring and former board members to emeritus status: Lynn H. Askew, Dr. Addie J Butler, John Heck, the Rev. Rolf Hedberg, Sonja Hegymegi, the Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Krommes, Dr. Earl Marsan, Carl Phelps, Bishop Roy Riley, and Dr. Nelvin Vos.

The Board learned with pleasure that the draft report of the recommendations from the focused visiting team to the Middle States Commission of Higher Education indicates that LTSP meets all the standards. The Board thanked the Rev. Louise Johnson, Vice President for Mission Advancement, for her leadership in the successful outcomes, and all who worked so hard on the report and the visit.

In various committees, the Board also assessed the outcomes of the four goals of the strategic plan and heard a summary of goal four, which is the new "Flexible, Affordable, and Relevant" curriculum.

The Faculty sabbatical reports and applications for sabbatical were approved.

Upon the recommendation of the Faculty, the Rev. Dr. John Nunes was elected as the St. John's Summit Visiting Professor for the spring semester 2014. Dr. Nunes is the President and CEO of Lutheran World Relief. He attended the Urban Theological Institute at LTSP and has helped to teach the O. Frederick Nolde Human Rights course.

The Board approved 85 LTSP candidates for graduation on May 21, 2013, pending completion of their requirements.

The Board also rejoiced in the exciting outcomes of Project Sponsor, a new initiative of LTSP led by Don Johnson, Vice President for Student Development. This initiative has a goal to minimize two of the most significant obstacles facing those considering a seminary education. One is the issue of student debt; the other is helping students sustain the confidence that their efforts to prepare for public ministry will truly lead to their helping church members grow in faith.

The Board also made a motion to thank all those who participated in the President's Evaluation, and the Board is taking the information under advisement.

How to be ‘the always generous and ever-ready Church of today’ described by seminary Dean

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:55:08 PDT

(scroll to the bottom of the story to view a video and slide show of the ceremony and lecture)

Jayakiran Sebastian gave his remarks during a ceremony conferring on him the H. George Anderson Faculty Chair for Mission and Cultures on April 23, 2013. He joined the faculty in 2007.

Do Christian antiquity or the Protestant missionary expansion to India in the 18^th century have anything to teach those of us living through what some regard as a “bad” time to be the church?

Dr. Sebastian with Dr. Karl Krueger (L)
and LTSP Board Chair Dr. John Richter

In a word, yes, believes the Rev. Dr. Jayakiran Sebastian, Dean of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) and a resident of Philadelphia’s East Mt. Airy. Sebastian’s thoughtful advice was part of a paper presented in The Brossman Learning Center at LTSP during the occasion of his receiving the H. George Anderson Faculty Chair for Mission and Cultures. Part of that learning, he said, is to discern from the past how best to remain true to “our” faith while remaining open to others different from ourselves as they express their foundational faith perspectives. He noted the critical importance of being willing to “accompany” others.

In remarks he titled “The Always-Generous and Ever-Ready Church,” Sebastian, known as “Kiran” by colleagues and friends, at the outset took note of the words of the Rev. Dr. H. George Anderson, a seminary alumnus and one-time Presiding Bishop of the seminary’s parent Evangelical Lutheran Church in America denomination: “The most insidious challenge we face as the church … involves the soul of the church … that it is a matter of faith, ‘trust in God’s promises’…We are in danger of losing that core conviction.” His lecture was a thoughtful exploration about the always challenging work it takes to be the church, staying true to our faith in a world that has been changing since the early days of Christianity and promises to continue changing through the ages. Dr. Sebastian, a Presbyter of the Church of South India, directs the seminary’s Multicultural Mission Resource Center as well as serving as Academic Dean, a post he assumed July 1, 2012. He has also served as chaplain of the seminary.

Near the outset, Sebastian acknowledged with gratitude the legacy and leadership offered by Anderson, “who faced a variety of challenges as a pastor, seminary teacher, president of a Lutheran college, and as the second presiding bishop of the church.” In Anderson, he said, “we are honoring someone who championed ecumenical hospitality and denominational rootedness, along with compassionate sensitivity to all the changes that were shaking long-held convictions and certainties.”

Reflecting on Anderson’s ministry in Columbia, SC, during the Civil Rights movement and the questions that were facing churches who, for various reasons, had not taken a prophetic stand, he talks about how choices resulted in the possibility that the churches could be “that voice of prophetic truth, a sign of grace, a beacon of hope, and a source of healing for our culture,” where the “church was not in the headlines; but the headlines were different because of the church.”

“Aren’t we living through a bad time to be the church?” Sebastian asked. “Aren’t we living through declining memberships; economic hardships, theological bottlenecks, cultural tensions; social ferment, denominational instability; interfaith misunderstandings; and a survival doomsday scenario?”

“For Bishop Anderson, every day was a good day to be the church, and this meant that the gathered community had to fulfill its vocation and calling in the public sphere,” Sebastian said.

Sebastian drew upon two historic chapters to outline a rationale for thinking through how to be the church today. He first referenced a short letter by Cyprian of Carthage to his congregation during the Decian persecution (249-251), noting that the term “always-generous and ever-ready” is a paraphrase of the words of Cyprian. Sebastian explained the Decian persecution was “a universal” persecution of the day, requiring all inhabitants of the Roman Empire (with the exception of Jewish communities) to offer sacrifice and receive a certificate that they had done so. “Before this persecution there had been no centrally organized and executed persecution of Christians,” Sebastian said. The Emperor Decian’s purpose was to produce “not martyrs but apostates, and in large measure he had succeeded,” Sebastian said. As for Cyprian, he fled to a “safe hideout” from where he attempted to rally his congregations to resist the demands of the state and organize help for those who were suffering. “He notes how anxious he is to return to his people, who are eagerly longing to see him quickly. He says that the reason he cannot fulfill their desire is because he has to take into account ‘the general peace of the community’ which leads him to endure the separation even though it leaves him feeling dispirited. His point is that his presence in Carthage could be a cause of provocation for the ‘pagans’ causing ‘an outburst of violence. He hopes his lack of visibility would leave his congregation as untouched as possible.” In his letter, Cyprian offers detailed instructions regarding the ongoing need to continue the “charitable works so necessary to sustain and empower the vulnerable members” of the congregation. He urges clergy to be “scrupulous” in caring for “widows, the sick and all the poor.”

“The world of Cyprian’s letter was a world of uncertainty and unpredictability; it was a world where systematic, organized cruelty, which underlay the veneer of civilization, tried to stamp out what the ruling powers considered to be acts of defiance and deviance,” Sebastian said. “It was a world where it seemed to be every person for himself or herself, where suspicion reigned and familiar patterns of life in community had broken down. Sound familiar? In this context the desire of Cyprian to concretely care for the ‘least’ and most vulnerable members of his community, his preparedness to take risks for the sake of Christ, shines out as an example of something from which we can continue to learn in a world of competition, a world of which has no time to look back at those deliberately left behind, a world which is increasingly seeking glamour, riches and success, a world that seems to be denying inter-connectedness of the human family and easily overlooks the joys and aspirations, the hopes and fears of vast sections of humanity, especially those whom (LTSP faculty member) Wil Gafney, in writing about female prophets, talks about – those ‘whose names were forgotten, whose stories stopped circulating, but we know they were there.’”

“They are here,” Sebastian said, “and it is here that we recognize that people like Cyprian speak to us across the centuries, in terms of urgency, urgency because of their experience of grace. As we continue to strive to merge our modern ideas and structures into actual oneness, we must not grow deaf to his words nor immune to respond as Cyprian, enriched by his experience of the God of all grace affirmed that it is always a good time to be the church, the always generous and ever-ready church.”

Sebastian’s second illustration comes from his homeland, involving the first Protestant missionaries to India, who hailed from Germany, Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plutschau, who served in the Danish Colony of Tranquebar in South India 300 years ago. Sebastian described how, in a short time after coming to India, Ziegenbalg not only mastered the language but also delved deeply into Tamil literature, wrote grammatical works, investigated Proverbs and cultural practices, organized meetings between the practitioners of local religion, which involved religious “disputation,” started educational opportunities including probably the first school for girls in the region, and set up a printing press.

Ziegenbalg’s work entitled “A Detailed Description of the South Indian Society” was dedicated to King Fredrick IV. The work remains “one of the most significant sources of sociological and religious inquiry into the life of the peoples of South India at the beginning of the 18th century,” Sebastian said. On the title page, the book is described as presenting in a comprehensive manner “the theological as well as the philosophical principles and teachings of South Indians that are based on their own writings and communicated to beloved Europe for useful learning.” Explained Sebastian, Ziegenbalg undertook the work “to show in what kind of terrible (religious, spiritual) errors the South Indians live and how urgent it is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for their salvation.” He noted at the time that in order to convert a group of peoples, it was considered critical to understand them and their religious customs and practices. “In order to convert one has to understand,” Sebastian said of the view of the time. “In order to understand one has to enter deep into the life and practices of the people; in order to correct, error must be understood, in order to triumph, evil should be detected and named. This is hardly the basis for inter-religious understanding, but is surely the basis of the desire to know and to name…”

The goal of the missionaries? “All through our life we desire to heartily serve God and the Royal House of Denmark in an appropriate and useful manner so that through our present work many South Indians would be saved.”

Sebastian commended the painstaking efforts of Ziegenbalg to analyze the customs and mores of Indian society, but noted the broader intentionality of the analysis needs to be remembered. “It is not my purpose to point an accusing finger at Ziegenbalg,” he said. “Rather we ought to use such occasions (as the 300th anniversary) to ask ourselves how we, who have entered this rich and varied legacy, have internalized, whether consciously or unconsciously, embedded attitudes toward those who continue to live in accordance with their long-held faith practices. Reducing people to mono-identities based on presumed religious identity has long been the bane of comparative religious studies. It is to the credit of Ziegenbalg that he glimpsed, albeit in a patronizing manner, the reality about the goodness and truth being found amongst people of good will, wherever they come from and whatever their religious allegiances could be. “In the inter-religious venture today, one has to foster the virtue of humility and the willingness to introspect honestly and courageously,” Sebastian said. “There is much that we can learn and much we can unlearn from the attitudes and behaviors of pioneers like Ziegenbalg. We have the benefits of hindsight and living in interesting times.” He said there is always room for consideration of “the other” in the always generous and ever-ready church of today.

For a missiology today, Sebastian concluded, the right approach is one that is respectful, curious, engaging and always prepared to give an account of what our foundation means to us, while at the same time remaining open and ready to receive accounts and explanations regarding why others believe in their particularities and the ways in which their foundational truths are expressed. He referenced language in The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America document “Global Mission to the 21st Century” that talks about accompaniment – walking together in God’s mission implying mutuality and interdependence – as the model for mission in the current time.

He said that, as Bishop Anderson once noted, “If we repent of our pride, our gracious Lord may still have work for us to do…”

Sebastian recalled the occasion of his marriage 26 years ago to the date of his lecture, and briefly traced his career journey of faith through the decades in India and beyond to the point of “the unexpected invitation “ to join the LTSP faculty. “We have truly experienced the reality of the always generous and ever-ready exemplification of what the church is in this wonderful place.”

Dr. Sebastian joined the seminary faculty in 2007. He earned his Doctor of Theology in 1997 from the University of Hamburg, Germany (Magna Cum Laude). In 1991, he earned his Master of Theology from the Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture, Kottayam, India, where he received the All-India Prize for having the highest grade in all branches of study for the degree. He was awarded his Bachelor of Divinity in 1984 from the United Theological College in Bangalore, India, where he was likewise honored for receiving the highest grades in his courses of study. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Bangalore University (1980). He went on to teach from 1988 to 2007 at the United Theological College, where he served as Professor of Theology and Ethics and Chair of the Department, Dean of the Doctoral Division, Secretary of the Governing Council and Editor of the Bangalore Theological Forum. At LTSP he has led courses on the History of Christianity, with a focus on the Early Church, Theology and Ethics of the Early Teachers of Faith, Gospel and Cultures, Global Christianity, Study of the Churches at the Edge of Empire, Eucharist and the Koinonia of the Church, Baptism and the Unity of the Church, and courses on Religious Toleration and Public Theology. He enjoys scholarly books and classical music, especially the works of J.S. Bach.

His wife of 26 years is Mirinalini, to whom he gives enormous credit for supporting his career and helping the family acclimate to a new culture in the U.S. The couple has two adult children, son Neeraj, who after studying cell biology is now engaged in creative writing, and daughter Saagarika, who is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

Watch the video of the ceremony and lecture:

View the slide show (click any image to go to the photo gallery)

One Student. One Sponsor. One Leader At A Time. LTSP announces Project Sponsor

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:42:46 PDT

PROJECT SPONSOR, a new initiative of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), is aimed at minimizing two of the most significant obstacles facing those considering a seminary education. One is the issue of student debt; the other is helping students sustain the confidence that their efforts to prepare for public ministry will truly lead to their helping church members grow in faith.

The years of seminary and candidacy are an exhilarating time of great learning and of growing in kindness, compassion, and caring skills that the church needs in its leaders. At the same time, this is a period of hard work and personal sacrifice for students and their families. The costs of tuition, combined with the cost of even the most austere living arrangements, can be daunting, to say the least. During these years, seminarians need — more than perhaps at any other time in their lives — the support, encouragement, and love of those for whom the vitality of the church and its leaders is so important.

“LTSP is committed to collaborating with every one of its students to minimize the amount of student debt incurred, and to support each student in every way,” according to Don Johnson, Vice President for Student Development. “Now, LTSP is offering all of us the opportunity to serve God and strengthen God’s church by being part of the solution to these major commitments.” Project Sponsor is designed to facilitate opportunities to build a personal relationship with a particular seminary student while providing the opportunity for financial sponsorship.

Here’s how it will work.

The cost of three academic years of seminary can be summarized as follows:

One year tuition ($16,000) + one year living expenses ($14,000) = $30,000
Two years tuition ($32,000) + two years living expenses ($28,000) = $60,000
Three years tuition ($48,000) + three years living expenses ($42,000) = $90,000

We are inviting individuals to consider sponsoring a student by making a donation to LTSP equal to one, two, or three years of a student’s tuition and/or living expenses. In this way, the generosity of sponsors will have a positive impact on the church and the world unlike any other. You can inspire a lifetime of generosity for the student who is sponsored, and indeed for the whole church.

Shortly after the Project Sponsor donation has been received, LTSP staff and faculty members will share with the sponsor the name of the student who has been chosen for sponsorship, and introduce them to each other by providing mutual contact information (address, email, phone numbers). An introductory conference phone call (Skype, if possible) will provide an additional opportunity to get acquainted. Early in the fall semester, we will invite the sponsors to come to the seminary campus for a brief orientation and in-person relationship building with the student they are sponsoring. If it is inconvenient for sponsors to travel to LTSP, we will make every effort for the student to visit sponsors where they live.

We are confident that the sponsor/student relationships will grow and flourish. Indeed, sponsors may very well find that their mentorship will result in a lifetime of friendship and mutual support.

Sponsors may request that their gift remain anonymous, or that their gift not involve the pursuit of a mentoring relationship with a particular student, and we will by all means accommodate such requests.

If you would like more information on this important way of participating in the mission of LTSP, which is to educate and form public leaders who are committed to developing and nurturing individual believers and communities of faith for engagement in the world, please contact Don Johnson, djohnson@Ltsp.edu or call 603.848.9904.

Download a copy of the Project Sponsor brochure.

Wittenberg Gospel Choir at LTSP May 14

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:11:07 PDT

The Gospel Choir from the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany will be appearing at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 7:00 pm as part of a tour in Southeast Pennsylvania in early May. The performance will be in the Schaeffer-Ashmead Chapel on the seminary campus, 7301 Germantown Avenue in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. The public is welcome, and admission is free.

The Gospel Choir will present their American debut on Friday, May 10 at 7:00pm at Huff's Church, Alburtis, PA. The other venues on their tour include: Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe (Saturday, May 11, 7:00 pm), Advent Lutheran Church, Harleysville (Sunday morning May 12, 8:30 am), St. Peter's Lutheran Church, North Wales (May 13, 7:00 pm), and Immanuel Lutheran Church, Northeast Philadelphia (May 16, 7:00 pm).

Under the direction of Thomas Herzer, the Gospel Choir is over thirty members strong. It includes not only members from the Castle Church, but also several singers from the Wittenberg community. It was founded as an outreach program for people who have a desire to sing great American Spirituals and Gospel music. Though the choir sings the music in English, only a small handful of the musicians actually speak English.

The Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany was built around the turn of the 16th century. It is the site where, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door; an act many consider to be the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

An interview with Thomas Herzer and his wife Sarah, both organists and cantors at Castle Church, can be found at promotionmusic.org/The_Hertzers.html.

A color poster promoting the tour (pdf) can be downloaded at http://photos.Ltsp.edu/WittenbergGospelchoirPoster-042013.pdf.

Dean Sebastian to receive H. G. Anderson Chair at lecture April 23

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:01:55 PDT

The Rev. Dr. J. Jayakiran Sebastian, Dean and Professor at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), will be presented with the H. George Anderson Faculty Chair for Mission and Cultures at a special chairing ceremony and lecture on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. The ceremony and lecture begin at 11:30 am in Benbow Hall of The Brossman Center on the seminary campus at 7301 Germantown Avenue in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. The ceremony and lecture are free and open to the public.

Professor Sebastian has chosen as the title for his first lecture as Anderson Chair "The Always-Generous and Ever-Ready Church," and in the lecture he will explore the always challenging work to be the church, staying true to our faith, in a world that has been changing from the early days of Christianity and promises to continue to change through the ages.

Learn more about Professor Sebastian on his LTSP profile page.

Financial Aid Webinar live April 23

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:17:05 PDT

LTSP Financial Aid Webinar

April 23, 2013, 6:30pm

What should you be doing to prepare to finance your theological education? Learn the ins and outs of financial aid from a live Webinar, April 23, 2013 at 6:30pm. Get an overview of the different types of financial aid and the applications you need to fill out in order to qualify for that aid. Financing a seminary education requires prayerful planning and budgeting, good money and time management skills, and the joyful receiving of gifts! The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia is committed to providing financial aid for every degree program student who is at least a half-time and who demonstrates financial need. [register online]

Presenters: Elizabeth Brunton, MDiv ‘06, Director of Financial Aid;
Don Johnson, Vice President for Student Development; and
Matthew O’Rear, MDiv, Associate Director of Admissions

Ellington Easter Interfaith Vespers April 20

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:03:13 PDT

Prof. Jon Pahl on sax

On Saturday, April 20, the spiritually-inspired music of Duke Ellington will blend with readings about peace from the world’s religions in a joyous celebration of Easter, non-violence, and Spring! Join us at 7:30 pm in the Schaeffer-Ashmead Chapel on the campus of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), 7301 Germantown Avenue in the Mt. Airy section of Northwest Philadelphia. Free parking is available on campus. A free will offering will be collected to support several organizations.

If it’s true that “It Don’t Mean a Thing, if It Ain’t Got that Swing,” then this evening promises to be filled with meaning. The musicians of the G-D trio, with years of experience and training at Penn, Chicago, and the Hart School of Music - along with some special friends - are volunteering their talents to lift spirits out of any “Mood Indigo,” steel resolve to “Take the A Train” to peace, and celebrate hope and “Jump for Joy” on behalf of reducing gun violence and building a more peaceful Philadelphia.

Learn more about and support with your free will offering three organizations:

The LTSP Master of Arts in Public Leadership (MAPL) program (Ltsp.edu/PublicLeadership) prepares leaders for spiritually-inspired social service organizations. In partnership with the Fox School of Business at Temple University, and the Temple University School of Social Work, MAPL crosses boundaries of sacred and secular, and prepares leaders to solve social problems, promote justice, and build peace — by engaging spiritual and practical resources.

Heeding God’s Call (HeedingGodsCall.org) is a faith-based movement to prevent gun violence. We unite people of faith in the sacred responsibility to protect our brothers, sisters and children.

CeaseFirePA (CeaseFirePA.org) is a statewide coalition of survivors and advocates taking a stand against gun violence and criminals who use and traffic guns illegally.

Women: Come Rest, Refresh, and Renew on April 13

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:38:23 PDT

“Women at the Wheel” is the theme for LTSP’s annual

Rest, Refreshment, and Renewal Women’s Day 2013

Learn more about the experience from participant Linda Moore:

"Rest, Refresh, and Renew are just the right words for this exciting caring, learning, social, and spiritual event. Each year is a great learning experience. With so many varied and interesting topics to choose from, it is difficult to choose which you would like to take part in.

"Last year,s event was just such an example. We all learned about the important and surprising women in the lives of Martin Luther and Henry Muhlenberg, what women wore back ion those times, and gardening in colonial America, not to mention much more about ourselves.

"There are opportunities if one wants to explore the seminary and grounds - that is an option that is also available. One can take a well earned time out from the irritating things life seems to always throw you way that perhaps would just like to get away from for a time.

"The lunch and snacks are really great, too!

"The event is also a great way to meet new people to help you on your spiritual journey in life, with devotions before and after the event!

- Linda J. Moore, St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran, Perkasie, PA

Registration including refreshments and lunch is $40 per person or $275 for a table of 8.

Register now and join us for the seventh annual event on Saturday, April 13, 2013. This day will use the Wholeness Wheel as its basis, inviting women to renew, reconnect, and refresh physically, emotionally, and spiritually in a day of fellowship and gathering. Invite your friends, colleagues and fellow church women to share this day.

Martin Luther said:
“This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on. This is not the goal but it is the right road. At present, everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed.”

You are warmly invited to an engaging day of rest, refreshment, and renewal for women. We will gather around the Wholeness Wheel with its wellspring of resources to help us tap into God’s will for our spiritual well-being. Through worship, workshops, and a wonderful community exchange market, we will draw on refreshing streams to enhance the Social/Interpersonal, Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Vocational, and Financial aspects of our Spiritual Well-being. Learn more about the Wholeness Wheel.

Tammy Devine, Wellness Manager with the ELCA’s Portico Benefit Services, will lead opening worship. Pastor Penny Stechmann of the ELCA’s New Jersey Synod, will preside over closing worship with Eucharist. A gifted panel of women clergy and professionals will coordinate our workshops. And neighborhood vendors will be on hand with a delightful selection of books and personal care products to enhance our well-being. You won’t want to miss this extraordinary day. Come and bring a friend!

See the schedule for the day here.

Proceeds from this gathering will support The Renewal Scholarship for Women in Ministry at LTSP, which was established to help renew the callings of women to the public ministry of the church.

Women of all faith traditions are invited and welcomed! Bring a friend or two who needs a day of rest, refreshment, and renewal!

Registration deadline: Monday, April 8, 2013
Registration Fee: $40.00 or $275 for a table of 8!
(Registration includes Continental Breakfast and Lunch)

Download and share the flyer with your congregation and friends. There are also bulletin inserts in color and in greyscale for your congregation to copy and share.

An Easter message from President Philip Krey

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 04:00:05 PDT

A Taste of Seminary Happenings

Easter 2013

An Easter message from President Philip Krey

For the women, it took a long time for morning to come. The night is long when - in the dead of night - fear, death, and loss weigh down our hopes and dreams. After a long night, the women found the news that the rock had been rolled away from the tomb, and God had broken into all our nights with the morning greeting, "Jesus is Risen." Our nights and mornings need never be the same, as our hopes and dreams are greeted night and day with the newness of the Easter greeting, "Christ is Risen." At the Philadelphia Seminary, all of us wish you a blessed Easter season filled with hope and the presence of God in the risen Christ.

Philip D. Krey

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LTSP Named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:20:52 PDT

The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) is a Tree Campus USA for the fourth year in a row, the Arbor Day Foundation announced in early March.

The Shaeffer-Ashmead Chapel and William Allen Plaza

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Toyota helped launch the program and continues its generous financial support this year.

LTSP achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects.

The Shaeffer-Ashmead Chapel with Center City Philadelphia
in the background

“Students are eager to volunteer in their communities and become better stewards of the environment,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participating in Tree Campus USA sets a fine example for other colleges and universities, while helping to create a healthier planet for all of us.”

“Toyota is so proud to support a program that we believe has a tremendous impact on both reducing the environmental footprint of a college campus and inspiring college students to become the conservation leaders of the future,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation.

The Bartlett Chestnut
receiving its annual
maintenance.

LTSP's campus has been noted by the US Forest Service for its density and collection of trees. The campus houses a rare "Bartlett Chestnut," which is maintained by the Bartlett Company as an example of the specimen. Other specimen trees were brought to campus over the years by seminarians and alumni, and others are maintained in memory of people important to the school and its graduates and friends.

The Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota have helped campuses throughout the country plant hundreds of thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested $23 million in campus forest management last year. More information about the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.

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About LTSP: Centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) - www.Ltsp.edu - seeks to educate and form public leaders who are committed to developing and nurturing individual believers and communities of faith for engagement in the world. The seminary, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2014, is one of eight seminaries of the 4-million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (www.ELCA.org), LTSP awards first professional, such as the Master of Divinity, and advanced-level degrees to present and future church leaders. The student body is comprised mostly of Lutherans, but more than 35 percent are from 28 other denominations, including Episcopalian, Baptist, Presbyterian, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Church of God in Christ.

About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation and education organization of one million members, with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at arborday.org, or by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter or our blog.

About Toyota: Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants. Toyota directly employs over 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.

Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $600 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S.

For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit toyota.com/philanthropy.

Preaching with Power coming March 10-14

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:07:10 PST

Preaching with Power: A Forum on Black Preaching and Theology returns to Philadelphia for the 31st year from Sunday, March 10 through Thursday, March 14. Preaching with Power is a program of the Urban Theological Institute (UTI) of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), and features five sermons and one lecture by six distinguished African American preachers and theologians.

Local churches in the Philadelphia community host the music celebration and evening worship services,
with the lecture by Dr. Yolanda Pierce and worship with preaching by Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller held on the LTSP campus in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. All are welcome! Come and be inspired! The worship offering proceeds go to The Rev. Dr. Joseph Q. Jackson Endowed Scholarship Fund, which benefits UTI students.

Dates and preachers/programs for 2013 are:

Sunday – March 10, 2013, 3:30 pm, Celebration of Music in the African American Church at Janes Memorial United Methodist Church, 41-59 E Haines Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Monday – March 11, 2013, 7:00 pm, Dr. Ralph D. West preaching at Grace Baptist Church of Germantown, 25 West Johnson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144

Tuesday morning – March 12, 2013, 11:15 am, Dr. Yolanda Pierce lecturing at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, Benbow Hall, The Brossman Center, 7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119

Tuesday evening – March 12, 2013, 7:00 pm, The Rt. Rev. Nathan D. Baxter preaching at Reformation Lutheran Church, 1215 East Vernon Road, Philadelphia, PA 19150

Wednesday morning – March 13, 2013, 11:15 am, Dr. Alyn E. Waller preaching at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, Schaeffer-Ashmead Chapel, 7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19119

Wednesday evening – March 13, 2013, 6:30 pm, Bishop Martin Luther Johnson preaching at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, 6401 Ogontz Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19126

Thursday – March 14, 2013, 7:00 pm, Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram preaching at Mt. Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church, 428 North 41st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

The celebration concludes the next week with a Prospective Student Day on Thursday, March 21 starting at 6:30 pm on the LTSP campus. Is God calling you? Come and See what is available for you at LTSP!

For more information on Preaching with Power, including venue directions and preacher profiles, and to register for Prospective Student Day, go to the seminary Website: Ltsp.edu.

Alumnus Arnold F. Keller, Jr.: Services set

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:16:14 PST

Pastor Arnold F. Keller, Jr., dies;

He was pastor emeritus of Lutheran Church of the Reformation, Washington, DC, LTSP alumnus and past board member

Pr. Arnold Keller
(ELCA Archives)

The Rev. Dr. Arnold F. Keller, Jr., pastor emeritus of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, DC, and a leader of many initiatives for justice in the nation’s capitol during a long career as a pastor there, died Saturday, Feb. 16. He was 88.

Pastor Keller served Reformation Church in the nation’s capital for a total of 33 years during two separate calls to the congregation. After his ordination in 1947, he was called as the congregation’s assistant pastor. Three years later, he became Reformation’s associate pastor. In 1953, he began a 14-year pastorate at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Allentown, PA, returning to Washington as Reformation’s senior pastor in 1967 and serving in that capacity for 26 years before retiring in 1993.

During his first call to Reformation, Keller met his wife-to-be, Margaret Schroeder, who was a parishioner. During the Allentown years, all four of the Kellers’ children were born. He said he learned “the value of community” during his years as pastor of Allentown’s St. John’s Church, a downtown congregation. “We had people from just about every walk of life in that small urban setting and we tried to develop a ministry that reflected the needs of the community,” he said.

During Pastor Keller’s second call to service for Reformation, the congregation became known for its many community and global outreach ministries. These initiatives included a tutoring service for youth living in a nearby housing project, “Christmas in April” where young adults connected with Reformation annually have restored homes for local families, and a food pantry serving disadvantaged families in the church’s locale.

Reformation was the headquarters for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during its historic 1968 March on Washington. During the same year, the Capitol Hill Day School was founded at the congregation. In the mid-1970s, Keller founded the Public Affairs Sector Ministry, bringing together hundreds of federal government employees to discuss political/theological issues. An independent survey in 1981 persuaded Keller that the congregation’s community was underserved in health care, and he supported the start of the Family Practice and Counseling Center in the community. Under his leadership in 1984, Capitol Hill Community Achievement Awards were initiated to recognize diverse kinds of community excellence.

Under the leadership of Pastor Keller, Reformation in 1987 became an early “Reconciling in Christ” congregation within the then Lutheran Church in America, a predecessor body of the current Evangelical Lutheran Church in America denomination. Such congregations intentionally welcome LGBT persons to membership (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons).

In recognition of Reformation Church’s leadership in community projects, annual grants of $10,000 have been awarded to community organizations in honor of Pastor Keller during the annual dinner of the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. In 2006, recognizing the role the church played in defining H Street as an arts destination in Washington, two $10,000 Arnold F. Keller, Jr. grants were awarded.

Pr. Keller at retirement

After retiring from Reformation, Keller served as Executive Director for the Greater Washington, DC Council of Churches for about four years, stepping down in April 1997.

Enthusiastic about education for pastors and others, he supervised four seminary student interns during his career.

Over the years, Keller held many leadership posts including chairing the Maryland Synod’s Division for Mission, chairing the Board of Trustees of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, chairing the Inter-Lutheran Commission for Mission and Ministry for the Metro DC Synod, and representing the Maryland Synod at a Washington, D.C. Inter-Faith Conference.

Pastor Keller was born May 27, 1924 in Utica, NY, the son of a Lutheran pastor whom he once described as “a stern German disciplinarian with high standards.” He recalled his dad as an adept fly fisherman. During his teen years, Keller worked 12-hour days during the summer at a sawmill in the Adirondacks while attending the Mt. Herman Prep School in Massachusetts. He earned his BA from Hamilton College in 1945, and his Bachelor of Divinity from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1947. In 1964, Muhlenberg College conferred on Pastor Keller an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.

Surviving in addition to his widow, Margaret, are four adult children, Margaret, Arnold, Jonathan, and Anne.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 pm Monday, Feb. 25 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1850 6th Avenue, Vero Beach, FL.

LTSP's New Curriculum: A Reflection

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:17:48 PST

A Reflection by the Rev. Dr. David Grafton
Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor,
Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations

Centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Lutheran Theological Seminary
at Philadelphia seeks to educate and form public leaders who are
committed to developing and nurturing individual believers and
communities of faith for engagement in the world

I remember very vividly my first orientation session at seminary some twenty-four years ago. I sat down in the midst of an excited yet nervous cohort of incoming seminarians in the then new ELCA. It was at that point I realized I was one of the few “first career” theology students. Most of my classmates, friends, and colleagues were “second” or even “third” career students who brought with them a great deal of experience and commitment to the church, having been serving for years as lay leaders in their own congregations. I, on the other hand, had followed the “old school” regimen of doing a pre-theology program at a Lutheran university, and had hopes of continuing my Lutheran confessional seminary education at an ELCA school in preparation for my career in the Lutheran Church. I was a product similar to what Richard Lischer in Open Secrets called “the system.” After eight years of pre-seminary and seminary training, I felt pretty-well prepared for ministry in my first call, and then the boiler broke and I had no idea what to do.

This model of theological education has been the basis for training an educated clergy for quite a long time in North America. The concept of learning the “classics” of seminary education — biblical languages, early Christological debates, Lutheran confessional identity, and pastoral techniques — before heading out into the reality of parish contexts has been a wonderful model that has served the church well. Unfortunately, that model is no longer sustainable for several reasons.

My experience taught me that “book learning” was critical. And yet, I could never learn enough. While I had wonderful opportunities to fill my tool belt with the critical tools that helped me do ministry, after a total of twelve years of education (BA, MDiv, PhD), I could truly never learn enough to be a good pastor. It was clear I would need to be a life-long learner in the ministry. This is even truer today.

I was also fortunate enough to have the institutional support of the church to subsidize my education at every level. My synod provided grants for me to attend a Lutheran university, my congregation underwrote my Lutheran seminary education, and a Lutheran companion synod provided a stipend while I worked on my PhD overseas. Throughout this time, my wife worked to help support us, and still we went into debt. As we know, seminary debt is an overwhelming challenge in the church today.

Finally, my experience as a church professional was nurtured by a large program-church at the height of its institutional life, supported by a network of field education congregations that gladly received and financially subsidized its seminarians, and was welcomed by a first-call congregation that was more than willing to provide a parsonage and health care for a young pastor, spouse, and babies on the way.

In many ways, times have changed, but in most ways, things are still the same. We still need pastors and lay leaders who are thoroughly grounded in the scriptures and confessions, who are able to meet the challenges of ministry in today’s world with integrity. However, in many places, the national demographics, church culture, networks, and resources that I grew up with have changed, and will continue to change. Things are changing so fast that it is impossible to train a student once for a lifetime of effective ministry.

LTSP serves the seminary’s mission of preparing public leaders for the mission of the church in the world. The seminary takes seriously its commitments to educate and form public leaders who are able to develop and nurture ministries of the church, as well as engage the larger public square for the common good. The seminary is committed to shaping Christian leaders who are able to articulate their faith within multiple publics. To this end, the seminary has been involved in a curriculum revision to respond to the changing landscape of our church and the many different communities in which our ministries are located. This new curriculum will build upon its past traditions of a confessionally Lutheran, inherently ecumenical seminary, with a high standard of academic rigor. The mantra of this new curriculum is: flexible, affordable, and relevant.

Flexible: The most recent Lutheran model of theological education assumed a four year full time residential student who could relocate to the seminary, move to an internship site, and relocate back to the seminary before heading out to first-call assignment — four moves in four years. Statistics demonstrate that the number of full time MDiv students nation-wide is dropping at a dramatic rate. The pool of applicants and their ability or desire to engage the “system” have changed. It is clear that those discerning a seminary education require flexibility from the church that will allow them to learn, grow, and prepare themselves while either not having to leave their employment, relocate, or to take four years to move through their courses; all the while realizing that theological education is never completed, even after seminary. The seminary hopes to work hand in hand with synods, candidacy committees, and judicatories to provide opportunities for undertaking study while working in ministry.

Affordable: The church has recognized that current seminarians are bearing the bulk of the financial burden for their studies. While it is true that other professional schools have not had subsidized education, it is also true that the financial benefits of church workers rank near the bottom of all trained professions. In addition, the ability of ministries to provide housing and health care coverage for their pastors has been greatly challenged. There is no getting around the fact that theological education is a significant investment of time and money by the church. With shrinking resources from traditional sources of income, the seminary will need to continue to support its Leadership Fund, as well as find opportunities for students to engage in ministry through co-op models while they study. A new curriculum will provide avenues for students to continue working, or, if full time, move through more quickly and meet their requirements for graduation in a more affordable and timely manner.

Relevant: The traditional models of theological education that I was schooled in provided classroom theory upon which to build skills for practical ministry. This curriculum centers on experiential or case-study based methods so that theory and praxis inform each other on a continuing basis. The intent is to invert the previous paradigm and introduce students to practical ministry and theological reflection from the beginning of the program. This is a model that has been utilized by the medical and legal professions for more than thirty years. Students will be required to link particular required courses with field education sites and demonstrate how their practical ministry is affected by their theological identities, and how their “book learning” impacts their practice.

It is easy to see that the flexible, affordable, and relevant criteria are all inter-related. A new curriculum will aim to provide combinations of full and part time study, residential, commuter, distance components, and hybrid courses so that candidates for ministry can move through their education more quickly with courses that attempt to create opportunities for learning from practical ministerial experiences.

A new curriculum at LTSP will be based upon the seminary's commitments to educate and form rostered leaders for the church that are competent to meet the needs of the church in a changing church and a changing culture. Students will be required to demonstrate they can lead communities, be entrepreneurs, preach, and live the Gospel in a variety of ministerial contexts where traditional church community may no longer be the base for much of our society. In addition, whereas the previous 2004 curriculum took a major step of requiring students to take courses in global, ecumenical, and interfaith engagement, this curriculum will require students to integrate the global, multi-cultural, ecumenical, and interfaith realities of our nation within the whole of the curriculum. Finally, an initial Introduction to Public Theology and a final course in Public Theology will help students integrate their theological and confessional witness within larger social issues where the church needs to have a public voice, bearing witness to the God made manifest in the Crucified and Risen Christ. We hope this developing curriculum will form the new “system” for another generation of church leaders.

The new curriculum will be launched in fall 2013.

Originally published in the January issue of PS Portions online at Ltsp.edu/ps-portions. Also see President Krey's introduction to the issue: Moving Forward in the Name of Christ.

Convocation: Challenges and Opportunities in Christian Education Feb. 19

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:39:57 PST

Challenges and Opportunities

Christian Education

Today

The Rev. Dr. Michelle Carlson

Director of Lifelong Learning at the

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Brossman Learning Center, Room 201

11:30 am to 12:30 pm

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Dr. Carlson has graciously agreed to stay over the lunch period following the lecture to engage in further dialog about the challenges and opportunities many of us face in the Christian Education arena. This is an open discussion and anyone may stay to participate.

There are different venues on and near campus to purchase lunch while you are here.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Kathie Afflerbach, AiM, Coordinator for Non-Credit Education, 215.248.6324 or Kafflerbach@Ltsp.edu.

We look forward to your participation in this very timely convocation.

Download and share the flyer

LTSP's the Rev. Dr. Wayne Croft Sr. profiled by Philadelphia Tribune

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 18:24:36 PST

LTSP's Jeremiah A. Wright Sr. Associate Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics in African American Studies, the Rev. Dr. Wayne A. Croft Sr., was profiled recently in the Philadelphia Tribune.

The story, by Tribune contributor Michael Robinson, explores Dr. Croft's multifaceted calling as a congregational pastor, well-known preacher, and academic and theological scholar of the highest order. He was offered the teaching position at LTSP after being one of the 2010 Preaching with Power guest preachers - preaching at Grace Baptist Church of Germantown, where Jeremiah A. Wright Sr. was once pastor - and in the fall of 2012 became senior pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church, West Chester, PA, after serving at The Church of the Redeemer Baptist in Philadelphia for a total of 20 years.

You can read the story on the Tribune's website:

www.phillytrib.com/religionarticles/item/7209-croft%E2%80%99s-work-noticed-at-seminary.html

Donald G. Johnson appointed LTSP Vice President of Student Development

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:59:02 PST

Donald G. Johnson of Freedom, NH, an expert in motivating young people to determine their vocational direction through faith and theological discernment, has been named Vice President of Student Development at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). He begins his work early in 2013.

In his new post, Johnson will be responsible for managing Admissions Department activities within the seminary's Enrollment Services program. Johnson will also work with staff of the LTSP Foundation to solicit major gifts from individuals and organizations in support of student scholarships. In directing the seminary's Admissions outreach, Johnson will oversee a strategy for visiting and maintaining contact with Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) colleges, campus ministry, and outdoor ministry locations. He'll collaborate with a network of LTSP admissions contacts within various additional programs or denominations, such as the seminary's Urban Theological Institute, initiatives concerned with Latino and Asian outreach, and the United Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist, and Church of God in Christ (COGIC) denominations.

For the past seven years, Johnson has directed Project Connect of the Eastern Cluster of Lutheran Seminaries, assisting more than 1,000 young people to explore the possibility of seminary education. Of these, 331 have enrolled in seminary or divinity school. Among other Project Connect endeavors, he led discernment retreats through which 93 of 491 participants have decided to enroll in seminary. He thus transformed the initiative from a simple idea to a program with name recognition and energy across 21 synods (Lutheran jurisdictions) of the ELCA.

Prior to taking on Project Connect, Johnson served for 35 years as Executive Director of Calumet Lutheran Camp and Conference Center, West Ossipee, NH, and the President and CEO of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of New England. Under Johnson's leadership, Calumet grew over the years from a summer camp for children into a thriving, year-round center involving 15,000 persons of all ages each year. Johnson is a rostered ELCA leader, bearing the title of Associate in Ministry. He has been a certified camp director since 1978, and is currently vice-chair of the Board of Directors for the Green Mountain Conservation Group. Johnson is a member of Lutheran Church of the Nativity, North Conway, NH.

"We have the finest team imaginable with Don as part of our team," said LTSP President the Rev. Dr. Philip D.W. Krey in making the announcement. "With his plan to develop a Seminarian Sponsor Program so that seminarians will be funded by individual and organizational sponsors, we will be able to help students manage their debt load, which is a missional issue for the church."

"I see this new challenge as an opportunity to build upon my experience in developing leaders for the church of today and tomorrow," Johnson says. "I have a passion for promoting a strong 'culture of call' for talented young people who see their faith and talents as resources for making a difference. LTSP is the best place for me to be right now to make the kind of difference I believe God has empowered me to make."

Johnson and his wife, Janet, are parents of two adult daughters, Heather Beth Johnson-McCormick and Kristina Lynn Johnson-Maksimowicz. The couple has four grandchildren.

A Christmas Greeting from LTSP

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 04:37:00 PST

Berthold's German devotional Hourly Thoughts on the Life and Suffering of Christ was a fourteenth century bestseller in the Holy Roman Empire. It was so successful that Berthold translated it into Latin so that it could be copied and read by educated readers all across Europe. With the invention of the printing press, this devotional classic naturally became a favorite among printers who then augmented the text with woodcuts.

The Annunciation

The woodcut of the Annunciation is the inspiration for the seminary's holiday greeting this year. It appeared in Ulrich Zell's Latin edition that was printed in Cologne in 1488. The woodcut, however, is more than decoration. It is a visual representation of Berthold's understanding of the Annunciation. According to tradition, Mary was reading her prayer book when the Angel Gabriel arrived and announced that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. The unknown artist of this tiny woodcut (3"x2" - shown enlarged above and close to actual size to the right) has beautifully captured all those traditional elements. But it's Mary's smile and arms resting easily on the lectern that link this image to the text. For Berthold, the Annunciation was a moment of unparalleled joy. Paraphrasing Berthold - all the music made by earthly cymbals, lutes, harps, organs, and choirs could not compare with the angelic chorus that echoed across the heavens the moment Mary smiled and said yes.

Mary, the Mother of our Lord, Berthold, and the owners of this extraordinary book were people of faith and prayer. The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, the steward of this rare treasure, is a living witness to that faith in the twenty-first century and prepares people of prayer and faith for ministries around the world. This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord, we rejoice and give thanks for your commitment to our ministry and hope that the good news of God's everlasting love through Christ may be a blessing to you in this season of unparalleled joy.

Text: The Rev. Dr. Karl Krueger, Director of the Krauth Memorial Library and Professor of the History of Christianity, LTSP

Illustration: "The Annunciation" in the Horologium devotionis circa vitam Christi [Cologne: Ulrich Zell, 1488], from the Krauth Memorial Library at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

William Allen Plaza Tree Lighting: Remembrance and Celebration

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 19:40:01 PST

Members of the Mt. Airy and seminary community joined in prayer and seasonal fellowship Friday, December 14, 2012 for the annual Tree Lighting on William Allen Plaza at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). While a festive tradition, in reaction to the the school shootings earlier in the day in Newtown, Connecticut the event included a time of Vigil around the interfaith Peace Tree on the plaza for the victims of today's, and all victims of, violent shootings, their families, and the school and wider community of Sandy Hook Elementary School. LTSP Associate Professor, Pastoral Care and Theology the Rev. Dr. Storm Swain lead the community in prayer, and all were invited to light candles and tie ribbons around the Prayer Tree in remembrance.

LTSP President the Rev. Dr. Philip Krey then invited the community to continue with carol singing, introducing the Rev. Dr. Martin Lohrmann, pastor of Christ Ascension Lutheran Church in Chestnut Hill and an alumnus of LTSP's PhD program, who offered a prayer that helped to connect the vigil and the tree lighting celebration.

Led by the Christmas Ensemble from the Salvation Army, Philadelphia Citadel, a selection of seasonal songs and Christmas carols were sung by those in attendance. East Mt. Airy Neighbors board member Dan Muroff introduced Cherelle Parker, the community's representative to the Pennsylvania House, who offered remarks and then asked for the tree to be illuminated.

New, unwrapped toys appropriate for children ages newborn to 12 were collected for the Salvation Army's Stockings for Kids program, and community enjoyed hot cider and cookies as they greeted friends and neighbors and shared wishes for the season.

A slide show of the evening:

Soli Deo Gloria Award conferred upon Dr. Mia I. Enquist and her late husband Canon Dr. Roy Enquist

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 21:15:29 PST

The ceremony was a highlight of the Advent Vespers reception
at LTSP Sunday Dec. 2

Dr. Mia Enquist, 2012 recipient of the Soli Deo Gloria Award of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, told an Advent Vespers reception gathering Sunday Dec. 2 that she considered the award “not to be a mark of attainment, but an incentive, a mandate to get on with philanthropy…”

She and her late husband, the Rev. Canon Dr. Roy J. Enquist, who died in April 2010, were honored with the Award given annually to a person or persons recognized by the seminary’s Board of Trustees for outstanding leadership and service to the church and to the mission of the seminary.

This past July, Dr. Mia Enquist and family members established with the seminary the Brandt Enquist Scholarship Fund for deserving LTSP students, honoring Mia’s late husband and her father, the Rev. William E. Brandt, both seminary graduates.

Dr. Mia Enquist said she was “inspired and joyful” to have been selected with her late husband as honorees, and at one point said to the audience, consisting of other seminary donors including students, faculty, and staff, “the conferring of this award … belongs to all of us.”

She told in her remarks of growing up on Boyer Street across from the seminary, recalling the opportunity to practice music on the organ in the seminary chapel.

“My father and husband, graduates of this school, inspired me to be better as I learned about Martin Luther’s treatise on vocation to serve others,” she said. She talked about the unexpected patterns of her life, which have later appeared to her as God’s designs. A Lutheran Deaconess in the late 1940s when she met her husband-to-be, the Enquists married in 1953. The couple raised two children. She spent her life as a performer and teacher of music, teacher of languages (University of Texas, Austin, where she earned a Master’s and PhD), and finally as a teacher in the field of finance, becoming a Certified Financial Planner and head of her own business in 1980.

left to right: Mrs. Jane Brandt, Dr. Blanck, Dr. Enquist,

Dr. Walter Brandt (the Brandts are Dr. Enquist's

sister-in-law and brother)

“We had no knowledge of money,” she recalls of her 1980 decision to become an entrepreneur of finance. She spent the first two years in business learning all she could about stocks, bonds, futures, tax code matters and other issues she described as often lost on the minds of the average investor. Many she counseled over the years had “no strategy to create wealth,” Dr. Enquist said. She said she first learned, then taught others how to keep funds they had buried, “moving…how to get $1 to do the work to become $3 or $4.” She also taught her students how to engage in charitable work and philanthropy.

“I would say to them, ‘Do you want your giving to be voluntary or involuntary?” she said, noting that a meaningful plan of philanthropy is marked by great love. “The long and short of it is, what would you like the capstone of your life to be?” She opined that the greatest gifts can be toward the mission of the church, adding “we owe the seminary our loyalty and support.” She then culminated her remarks with a tuneful reminder of where money and all good gifts come from, “We give Thee but Thine own, whate’er the gift may be…”

left to right: Dr Blanck, Soli Deo Gloria Award recipient
Dr. Enquist, Dr. Richter, Dr. Krey

The late Dr. Roy Enquist’s service to the Church was wide and fruitful as an ethicist, scholar, teacher, author, ecumenist and interfaith leader. He served Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Seaside, Oregon from 1953 to 1957. While there he led the construction of a contemporary, altar - centered edifice. He was called as campus pastor at the University of Chicago from 1958 to 1960. Dr. Enquist was appointed to the faculty of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio from 1960 to 1962, and became Assistant Executive Secretary of the Division of College and University Work of the United Lutheran Church (ULC) from 1962-1965. He served on the faculty of Texas Lutheran College in Seguin, Texas from 1965 to 1974. After two years teaching at Marang Seminary, Rustenburg, South Africa, the University of Namibia, and Paulinum Seminary, Namibia, he returned to continue his work at Texas Lutheran. In 1980 he became the Director of the Lutheran House of Studies in Washington, DC, and Professor of Theology and Ethics at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg until his retirement. In 2000 he was installed as Canon at the Washington National Cathedral.

The Soli Deo Gloria Award was conferred by seminary trustee Dr. Robert Blanck with the assistance of chair of the Board of Trustees the Rev. Dr. John Richter.

Saying thanks proved to be a keynote theme for the evening. Earlier, Dr. Richter had described the reception “as the annual gathering of family.” He described the seminary as a “jewel” that is part of the crown of the church with a gifted faculty, dedicated administration and staff, committed trustees, and students, “without which the seminary would have no meaning. This jewel would have less value without you as partners, part of a wider family of partners that prays for us and supports us financially. Without you we could not succeed. Thank you for what the seminary continues to be.”

Saying thanks also were two seminarians, student body Vice President Amanda Nesvold and Angel Marrero. “Without you we could not be here,” Nesvold told the audience in expressing deep thanks. Marrero briefly told his story of coming out of Puerto Rico, where his mother was a housewife and his father a construction worker. His parents pushed him to get a degree in education. “Graduate school was impossible to think of,” he said. “Through your generosity it is possible for people like me to do what would otherwise be impossible – to fulfill God’s call to me. Thank you.”

Seminary President Philip Krey noted that a “range of constituents own what we do,” and the ownership is not measured entirely in dollars. “It takes generosity of all kinds to make it possible to meet the needs of our students and the church of the 21st century. You are invited to be part of our future as we look forward to serving God from this place to the ends of the earth, enriched by your contributions as we seek to enrich the future of the church.”

Recently installed Dean Jayakiran Sebastian began brief remarks by praising immediate past Dean J. Paul Rajashekar and his spouse, Esther, for their generosity and “deep commitment” to the seminary over the past 12 years of Paul Rajashekar’s time in office. Sebastian noted that students and alumni in recent months have been engaged in discussions about their favorite season of the church year, and that Advent “has struck a chord across the generations. What about Advent so engages us? Is it the uncertainty of the season, the expectations, the sense of longing and waiting within us and for one another?” He spoke of the seminary’s plans for a new curriculum done in consort with a careful business plan.

“The seminary is gifted to share with the church many gifted people” it has been called to train, said the Rev. John V. Puotinen, vice president for philanthropy and president of the LTSP Foundation. “We have an intellectually gifted faculty, an exciting staff and wonderful students. We have received many gifts this year and among the most gifted people are in this room and in this place. We have so many to thank for their time and what they give. I give thanks for the gift that you are and for the gifts to the Lord and the seminary that enable us to have a vision to prepare even better people for the church in the years ahead.”

Dr. Addie J. Butler, past chair of the Board, gave the invocation. The Rev. Louise N. Johnson, vice president for Mission Advancement, gave the closing prayer.

The reception was followed by the annual Advent Vespers offered by the seminary choir led by Dr. Michael Krentz, director of Music Ministry and Seminary Cantor. The vespers are sponsored each year by the Rev. Dr. Robert E. Bornemann Memorial Fund, and took place this year at nearby Grace-Epiphany Episcopal Church.

View a slide show from the Advent Vespers reception and service:

click any image to go to the photo gallery

Renewed denominational cooperation needed to testify to the truth today as Jesus taught it, preacher says

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 21:15:00 PST

The Rev. Theodore Swanson’s preaching highlighted the Christ the King service at LTSP during which Dean J. Jayakiran Sebastian and others were installed to new seminary responsibilities at LTSP

The November 28, 2012 Christ the King worship celebration of Holy Communion at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) featured the installation of new Board of Trustees members and officers, student body officers, new seminary vice-president for mission advancement the Rev. Louise Johnson, and the seminary’s new Dean J. Jayakiran Sebastian, who wanted to be installed as Dean in the company of all of the above.

Preacher for the occasion was the Rev. Theodore N. Swanson, a retired Evangelical Lutheran Church in America missionary who taught Sebastian when the new dean was a student at the United Theological College in Bangalore, India. The two were later faculty colleagues.

Rev. Swanson and
Dean Sebastian

Swanson recalled in his message that 33 years ago he and his wife, Joanne, were missionaries in residence for a year (1978-79) at LTSP during the period of time the then Lutheran Church in America was introducing the green worship book, and when faculty members Foster McCurley and John H. P. Reumann were introducing an intensive Bible study initiative called “Word and Witness.” Swanson contended this is still appropriate for today. He said that during his time in Bangalore visiting professors from LTSP included Professor and former Dean J. Paul Rajashekar, late Krauth Memorial Library Director David Wartluft and Professor Robert B. Robinson.

Referencing the Gospel for the day (John 18: 33-37), Swanson spoke of the interaction of Jesus with Pilate in which Jesus states his kingdom is “not of this world” and that he has come to “testify to the truth and that whoever listens to my voice shall know the truth.” These verses have Jesus uniquely revealed as the One who knows and speaks the truth, Swanson said.

“That seems to me what a seminary is called to do, proclaiming to men and women their role as leaders, active in sacrificial love – love that is truth, is life, eternal life, not just for the future but which begins now,” Swanson said.

“Board members and other leaders here face financial constraints, I am sure, and they need to meet ATS (Association of Theological Schools) standards, engage in curriculum revision – when is curriculum not being revised? They face student indebtedness, and an uneven process for placing pastors that leaves some without a call for months and years. Then there is the elephant in the room – a shrinking (membership) base. For the first time we have a youth culture where many have grown up without (knowledge of) God. They never had a church or were turned off by it.”

He subsequently challenged leaders in the chapel to help peers in the communities where they serve or will serve “to see how God is at work in our lives and in our time. We need a new Word and Witness, and we need to grasp the revolution in communication, to harness the technology of today to witness to the truth as Jesus did.” He also urged Lutherans to work together with other denominations and the gifts they bring to the table – Roman Catholics, Baptists, United Methodists, Anglicans, Pentecostals, Mennonites, United Church of Christ traditions. “We need each other,” Swanson said. “We must be careful we do not become arrogant with our partial view.”

By working together through ecumenical dialogue and other means, “we will be better equipped to bring the truth to our way of life,” Swanson said.

Installed at the conclusion of the service in addition to Sebastian and Johnson were Dr. Michael Krentz, director of the seminary’s music program and cantor, installed as Instructor, non-tenure, and the Rev. John V. Puotinen, the seminary’s Vice President for Philanthropy, installed as President of the LTSP Foundation. Officers of the board installed were: Chair – the Rev. Dr. John C. Richter, Vice-Chair – the Rev. J. Elise Brown, Secretary – the Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Krommes, Assistant Secretary – Dr. Addie J. Butler, and Treasurer – Fred Risser. Four new trustees were installed: David L. Hinrichs, the Rev. Charles S. Miller, Fred E. Risser, Bishop Samuel R. Zeiser, and re-elected trustee the Rev. J. Elise Brown.

Installed as Student Body Executive Committee members were Lauren Finnila, Amanda Nesvold, Daniel Spigelmyer, Lauren Blatt, Alina Gayeuski, Tim Ness, Rachel Anderson, Elyssa Salinas and John Eskate.

Annual Tree Lighting Tonight

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 06:31:46 PST

Friday, December 14, 2012, 6 pm
William Allen Plaza on the LTSP Campus
7301 Germantown Avenue, Mt Airy, Philadelphia

Caroling
Refreshments
Christmas Ensemble from the Salvation Army, Philadelphia Citadel
Bring unwrapped toys for children ages newborn to 12 years

Start off your holiday season on William Allen Plaza on the campus of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) with a Tree Lighting and Carol Sing! Join the community on Friday, December 14 at 6 pm at the plaza, next to the Schaeffer-Ashmead chapel at the southwest corner of the LTSP campus, 7301 Germantown Avenue, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. There is free parking on campus adjacent to The Brossman Center. The celebration is free and open to the public, and will be held rain, clear or snow!

New, unwrapped toys appropriate for children ages newborn to 12 will be collected for the Salvation Army's Stockings for Kids program, see the list of suggested items below. Toys can also be dropped off at The Brossman Center.

Sponsored by The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

Suggested Holiday Items

Age 0-1 (Boy or Girl) Teether, Rattle, Bibs, Baby Wipes, Lotion, Shampoo, Brush, Soft Toys, Stuffed Animals, Bath Toys, Socks, Hats, T-Shirts and Sleepers
Age 2-3 (Boy or Girl) Dolls, Beanie Babies, Boat, Cars, Books, Little People, Lego Set, Bath Toys, Socks, Mittens, Caps, T-Shirts and Education Aid Toys
Age 4-7 (Girl) Ink Pad, Stamps, Crayons, Clay, Lego Sets, Jump Rope, Jacks, Stickers, Hat, Gloves, Beanie Babies, Doll Clothes, Scrunchies, and Barrettes
Age 4-7 (Boy) Fun Pad, Videos, Crayons, Coloring Books, Hand-Held Games, Puzzles, Lego Set, Action Figures and Baseball Cards
Age 8-10 (Girl) School Supplies, Videos, Puzzles, Books, Scarf, Hat, Gloves, Jewelry, Stuffed Animals, Barbie Doll, Clothes, Paint Set, Markers, Colored Pencils
Age 8-10 (Boy) School Supplies, Hand-Held Electronic Games, Hats, Gloves, Airplane Kit, Star Wars Figures, Puzzles, Dominoes, Nerf Football, and Velcro Glove
Age 11+ (Girl) Videos, CD's, Radio, Books, Card Games, Fast Food Certificates, School Supplies, Calculator, Brush, Comb, Soap, Lotion, and Walkman
Age 11+ (Boy) Videos, Cassettes, CD's, Electronic Games, Calculator, Books, Card Games, Fast Food Certificates, School Supplies, Baseball Cap and Glove, and Walkman

GODSPELL: The Musical December 7 & 8 at LTSP

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:29:28 PST

Presented by the community of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

The community of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) will present Stephen Schwartz’s acclaimed musical Godspell in performance on December 7 and 8, 2012, 7 pm on the seminary campus.

Based on the gospel of Matthew, the musical tells the story of Jesus and his disciples with an upbeat and modern twist to the 2,000 year old story. Having made its Broadway debut in 1976, the show made a revival Broadway appearance in 2011. With songs such as “Prepare Ye” and “Light of the World,” the show continues to engage audiences across the country in local performances today.

LTSP second-year students Josiah Armstrong and Mark Johnson have headed the project as Artistic and Musical Directors. The cast and pit are comprised of students, staff, and faculty of the seminary.

Both performances are open to the public, and tickets are available at the door prior to each 7 pm performance. The cost of admission is $10.

The performances will be held in the Schaeffer-Ashmead Chapel at LTSP, located at 7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119. Parking is available in The Brossman Center lot, located behind the chapel. Please see the seminary’s website for additional directions and parking information (www.Ltsp.edu/campus).

Proceeds of the performances will fund mission supplies on the annual service trip of the seminary to John’s Island, South Carolina. This trip is led by Rev. Dr. Robert Robinson.
For additional information regarding the performance, please contact the show’s production team. Email: godspellatltsp@gmail.com

Dr. Jon Pahl receives the Hagan Chair of the History of Christianity at LTSP

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 07:37:07 PST

scroll down to view the slide show and video from the ceremony and lecture

Dr. Jon Pahl, professor of the History of Christianity at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), was conferred the honor of the Peter Paul and Elizabeth Hagan Endowed Chair in the History of Christianity at a special ceremony and lecture on November 27, 2012.

In receiving the Chair, Pahl, a resident of Philadelphia’s East Mt. Airy section, delivered a brief lecture that Peter Paul Hagan, a socially conscious entrepreneur in the early part of the last century, surely would have appreciated.

Hagan Professor Jon Pahl

In his remarks, entitled “Ending the Warfare Between Business and Religion: Toward a New Social Gospel,” Pahl described a warfare between business and religion that has been waged off and on for 150 years, stemming from two historic periods and marked by what he called “the Barbarian Captivity of Business” on the one hand and the “Temptation to Self-Righteous Spiritual Purity” on the other. In two periods of history, including the present, Pahl cited “a very narrow understanding of business that aligns corporations with short-term, reactive greed (evidenced by quarterly profits for shareholders and built on the backs of workers), coinciding with a failure on the part of religious leaders to attend responsibly to the material relations that constitute everyday life.”

Pahl subsequently drew upon examples, often from American religious history, of spiritually grounded social entrepreneurs “who have shared a vision and concrete practices to foster a healthy intersection of business and religion …to build what we might call a new social gospel that will be one component in what I see, more broadly, as a coming religious peace. We can see emerging around the globe and across religious traditions a spiritually grounded practice of social business that promises to engage the unmistakable energies of entrepreneurship …on behalf of a more just, sustainable, equitable – and in fact profitable world.”

Pahl began by tracing the legacy of Peter P. and Elizabeth Hagan, “a heritage I am honored and privileged to carry (through the chair) as part of a rich and largely unknown thread within Lutheran history that manifested itself in a distinctive understanding and application of the social gospel movement, a heritage that is very much alive and well, and being renewed … today.”

Hagan, a carpet manufacturer and resident of Jenkintown, PA, served as vice-president of the Board of LTSP, trustee of Tabor Home for Children (now known in three sites as Tabor Children’s Services), as president of the Philadelphia Lutheran Inner Mission Society, as a member of the Board of Pensions of the former United Lutheran Church in America (a predecessor to today’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in America denomination), and as vice-president of the Lutheran Laymen’s Movement for Stewardship before he died in October 1959.

“If you have a pension today through the church, be thankful for the foresight of social gospel thinkers like Hagan,” Pahl noted. The stucco, Victorian estate near the Germantown Avenue entrance of the seminary bears Hagan’s name, and a portrait of the couple hangs in its lobby.

In a segment of his presentation called “A Cloud of Witnesses of Social Entrepreneurs,” Pahl described the life work of six socially conscious entrepreneurs through the ages: Bartolome de las Casas, a Martin Luther contemporary who advocated on behalf of the rights of indigenous peoples to life, land, liberty and dignity and became known as the “father of liberation theology”; Francis Daniel Pastorius, the founder of Germantown who settled there in 1683, a Lutheran who attended Quaker meetings and “a lawyer, gardener, poet, judge, land developer” who Pahl also described as a signatory and probably author of the first anti-slavery document in America; Sojourner Truth, born into slavery in the 1790s, later freed and an outspoken anti-slavery activist and preacher the rest of her life – with speeches in Philadelphia, including from the pulpit of Mother Bethel Church – whose entrepreneurial instincts included funding her travels through the sale of her pictures and speeches; Jane Addams, co-founder of many settlement houses dotting the American landscape; Fethullah Gulena, a Turkish Muslim teacher whose global movement called Hizmet engages adherents in the practices of education, interreligious dialogue and direct service through social enterprise; and Leymah Gbowee, one of three 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, who founded a Women’s Peacebuilding Network that helped to end the war in her country of Liberia.

“Things can start in churches that change the world for the better,” Pahl said. “The original social gospel movement, along with the Progressive Movement in politics, brought us anti-trust laws, child labor laws, a dramatic rise in literacy and women’s suffrage…and was parochially Christian.

“A new social gospel, in contrast, can and will be pragmatic – encouraging social enterprise, organizing business energies, engaging all stakeholders in the processes of operation,” Pahl said. “A new social gospel will not arise out of some do-good idealism or revolutionary fervor…A new social gospel will engage us in solving social problems by engaging material resources in creative ways because spiritually grounded social enterprise makes business sense.

“A new social gospel can and will draw upon the deep wells of our spiritual traditions – not just Protestantism – in ways that honor the integrity of those traditions while affirming what Rabbi Jonathan Sacks calls ‘dignity of difference.’

“Non-violent organizing for social change has been tried, and succeeded in context after context, continent after continent, over the past century and beyond, including here in the United States,” Pahl maintained. The experiments that Las Casas, Pastorius, Truth, Addams, Gulen and Gbowee have left us remain to be extended and developed…”

Pahl also dealt with a key question that he said often prevents understanding and appreciation of the spiritually grounded, social enterprise heritage left by the Hagans: Can a rich person be saved?

“This question has deep roots in the Christian faith,” Pahl says. “Rabbi Jesus was asked it, and gave his famous and elliptical answer (in Luke’s version): ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples then asked, ‘Who can be saved?,’ Jesus replied with words that are less well-known than his vivid image, but far more important: ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’ Salvation, to clarify the point, is God’s doing.

Pahl continues, “The same point is reiterated by Jesus in teaching after teaching, such as the famous saying in Matthew 6:4 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.' In my not-so-humble opinion, this translation from the New Revised Standard Version shares in common an error made in most previous translations. The verb translated as ‘serve’ is doulein, which, if my seminary Greek still serves me, is the transitive form of doulos, which is not ‘servant’ but ‘slave’. So this verse ought to read, then, ‘You cannot be a slave to God and wealth.' This makes the point that our riches can enslave us. It turns us once again to our theology: Salvation is God’s doing, and being a slave to God is the highest good, because God doesn’t keep slaves. God’s power, God’s lordship, is of a different order than the typical imperial power in the Roman world. To reiterate: God doesn’t keep slaves. Being a slave to God, in other words, FREES a person to use wealth properly on behalf of the common good, rather than being a slave to wealth, because SALVATION is God’s doing – God’s free gift to humanity.” Pahl leans on the early writings of Clement of Alexandria, who counsels: "The rich person who can be saved is the one who loves God and one’s neighbor."

Seminary Dean Jayakiran Sebastian began the proceedings by tracing the history of endowed chairs in the seminary “as part of a long tradition to honor distinguished professors, who have taught for at least five years” on the faculty. The seminary has 14 chairs altogether, some of which are not currently occupied. The Hagans endowed the chair bestowed upon Pahl today in 1952 to honor the Rev. Dr. Paul Hoh, president of the seminary, who died that year.

Pahl was introduced to the audience by Beth Stroud, a former academic advisee of the honoree. Stroud, in part, said Pahl taught her to appreciate the spiritual lives of everyday people. “He showed me how their christening gowns, church suppers, and youth group peanut hunts, their loves and losses and all the ways they experienced the divine were part of the intricate fabric of American religious life,” she said.

In expressing gratitude for being honored with the chair, Pahl gave deep appreciation to his wife, Lisa, and his four children, two of whom, Rheanne and Justin, were also in attendance (Lisa, Jon, Rheanne and Justin in photo, right).

The chair was conferred by Dr. Addie J. Butler, chair emerita of the LTSP Board, along with President Philip D. W. Krey and Dean Sebastian.

A photo show from the event - click any image to go to the photo gallery:

A video of the ceremony and lecture:

Tribute to ‘Jack” White highlights memorial service for late, retired LTSP faculty member

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 23:21:23 PST

At one point in her moving, sermonic memorial tribute to the late LTSP Professor Andrew J. “Jack” White, his former colleague, the Rev. Dr. Katie Day, acknowledged that some in the room may not have known White personally.

“But you know him if you are part of Mt. Airy because of the indelible mark he left on the community, on the fabric and character of this school and the neighborhoods here,” Day said.

The evening memorial service honoring White, who died last May 6 in Chambersburg, PA, where he lived with his second wife, Phyllis Ann, was delayed nearly a month because of Superstorm Sandy. But the remarks by Day, who described White to be her “earliest and closest colleague” when she first joined the LTSP faculty in 1985, were worth waiting for. In addition to the family, including his son, Jamie, and seminary community, the service was attended by those in the Mt. Airy community who had known White.

Day, the Charles A. Schieren Professor of Church and Society and Director of the seminary’s Metropolitan/Urban Program, began by saying how honored she was “to be invited to preach about a friend and colleague to so many of us for 30 years, and someone who was a neighbor for longer than that.” She said it was fitting that earlier in the day the Peter Paul and Elizabeth Hagan Endowed Chair White once held had been conferred upon faculty member Dr. Jon Pahl. She joked that, as a Presbyterian (pastor), having the memorial service and chairing on the same day was probably “predestined.”

“Jack was vibrant and effective in his relationship to students, and when he took over the role of supervising interns here he had to let go of some of his teaching responsibilities, and he was always gracious and supportive of me, a green, junior colleague,” Day said. “We have such vivid memories, including those of a beloved husband…with that beautiful white hair and sunny disposition -- always.”

She noted that the Scriptures for the evening (1 Corinthians 13: 8-13; James 3: 1, 13; and John 14:1-3, 25-28) “well reflect who Jack was.”…From James, … not everyone should become a teacher because you will be judged harshly…Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in gentleness borne of wisdom.” She said White’s character demonstrated gentleness borne of wisdom.

Day read remarks from former seminary President Robert Hughes, who following ordination in 1962 decided to take a seminar class with White because he had grown tired of “lecture-style” classes in seminary. Seven students in the classes heard “mini-lectures” from White and then gave short papers on strategies they were using to engage their congregations. Hughes wrote about plans for an after-school drop-in center for teens awaiting a school bus at his congregation in Ashland, PA.

“Jack White was a mentor (later a colleague),” Hughes said. “He gave me a precious gift.” The center, an ecumenical model, worked when Hughes created and staffed it until the local school board adjusted the school bus schedule to be more accommodating for students. Hughes, who could not attend the memorial event, said White also was careful in his placement of seminarian interns.

Day noted that White’s “gentleness borne of wisdom was not limited to the campus. He served on community boards like East Mt. Airy Neighbors and Mt. Airy USA.” In a time when many adhered to the notion of separation of church and state, she said “that wasn’t Jack. He had no conflict in serving his political party and his neighbors.” She said after Jack left the campus the school had never returned to being a “monastic presence” but to this day maintains its public presence and theology.

Day turned to 1 Corinthians and passages on love. She said White’s retirement from the seminary was “graceful and definitive…I got a large chunk of his library and scrapbooks” as a demonstration of White’s love. “What endures? Love,” Day said. She recalled that when White and his first wife, Mimi, retired “they hit the road, volunteering from Texas to Bratislava even when her health declined…They focused on repairing the world. They demonstrated that what endures is love, not knowledge.”

Day acknowledged the love White and second wife, Phyllis Ann, found together after Mimi’s death. She referenced the writing of C.S. Lewis penned after the loss of his love, “I never knew grief felt so much like fear. It hits the core of your being. You fear how you will go on and fill the hole in your heart…”

She then turned to the passages from John, “Peace I leave with you…Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. In God’s house are many dwelling places…I go to prepare a place for you.”

She recalled West Side Story and its music, the scene of Tony’s dying and still singing, “There’s a place for us…” She noted the power of Puerto Rican teens affirming their hope that there is a place of acceptance and safety for them.

“Jesus in John had a bigger vision with the promise of God that there are many places for us,” Day said. “Jack had a concern for developing low-income, affordable housing…God promises safe, affordable housing for all of eternity. That gives us hope. Jack would like that…”

Presiding Minister for the service was seminary President Philip D. W. Krey. Assisting Ministers were Mary Hansen-Joyce and Daniel Purtell. Ushers were Timothy Hearn and Angel Marrero-Ayala. Sacristans were Colleen Montgomery and Kat Steinly. LTSP Director of Music Ministries Dr. Michael Krentz furnished the music.

From left, Preacher and LTSP Professor Katie Day
with family members Kathy Himmelreich, Phyllis Ann White,
Jack's son Jamie, and Jamie's spouse Laura.

Advent Vespers 2012 - Sunday, December 2

media@ltsp.edu (The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:43:25 PST

The annual Advent Vespers will be held Sunday, December 2, 2012 at 7:00 pm. The service is free and open to the public.

The service, lead by the choir of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) under the leadership of LTSP Director of Music Ministries and Seminary Cantor, is on the theme Come and Save Us, found in the Healy Willan settings of the O Antiphons, which the choir will be singing.

Join us for Advent Vespers at Grace Epiphany Episcopal Church, 224 East Gowen Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119, a short walk from the seminary. Parking is available on the seminary campus - see this page for links to directions to the seminary and campus parking information. Follow this link for a Google map with Grace Epiphany's location highlighted. Limited street parking is also available in the neighborhood near the church.