Travel Logged

Garrett-Evangelical has been proud to offer a variety of travel course opportunities for our students each year. We are pleased to be able to share some of our students travel stories over the next few weeks.

Becky Wilson (second from the right)
in Bethlehem

One of the many things that stood out on my first visit to the campus of Garrett-Evangelical was a flyer promoting a travel course to Rome. While I have not yet experienced Rome, my experience as a seminarian has been marked by travel.

By whatever means available from my home in Detroit to Evanston.

By train to downtown Chicago for urban ministry conferences at SCUPE.

By bus through the Galilean hillside.

On foot through an Israeli check point from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.

And last summer, by plane to Philadelphia for the travel course, United Methodist Studies: Wesley and the 19th Century.

This was my first trip to the City of Brotherly Love. I ate my first cheese steak, tasted soft pretzels from several vendors and preached a sermon from the pulpit of Historic Old St. George’s United Methodist Church.

Travel courses are a lot of fun. They are also hard work. Each student was required to preach two sermons on the trip. No big deal, right? Except for the fact that the assignment was to preach contemporary interpretations of John Wesley sermons. I considered dropping the course when I was assigned The New Birth. (Seriously, I did.)

Standing in the chalice shaped pulpit of Old St. George’s in the summer heat was a daunting task. Once my body adjusted to the pulpit’s swaying I found my voice and delivered a sermon to my professor and classmates. In this preaching moment I felt a powerful connection to the history of my denomination and my family roots, which are half-grounded in Methodism.

Originally hesitant to embrace the topic, but in the end, encountering a new birth of my own.

Traveling to Lovely Lane Chapel, Old Otterbein, Long’s Barn, Cokesbury College, Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Gettysburg and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, I was reminded of the importance and the power of seeing life and learning history from a location other than our own backyard.

It is one thing to read about the evolution of Methodism in America, but it is another thing to travel through it.

It is one thing to read about Jesus’ travels in and around Galilee, but it is a totally different experience to put your feet in the Sea of Galilee and contemplate your future ministry.

It is one thing to read about violence and oppression, but it becomes real in a whole new way when an Israeli soldier’s gun brushes against your leg as he walks the aisle of your tour bus.

As I begin my final year of seminary, I realize how fortunate I am for the opportunities to travel and experience the world outside of the classroom. All of my courses at Garrett-Evangelical, not just the ones involving travel, have filled me with a boldness to preach The Gospel and with an eagerness to transform the Church and the World.

I am also eager to visit Rome.

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Becky Wilson is a third year Master of Divinity student with a concentration in Urban Ministry.

Seminarian Travel Tales

This summer, a number of our students are traveling across the globe - literally - and blogging about their experiences along the way. Below are snippets of blog posts from two current Garrett-Evangelical students.

Emily is a 3rd year Master of Divinity student who is spending part of her summer in Pietermartizburg, South Africa at Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary. She is attending some classes at the seminary while also serving in ministry in the rural, mountain areas. 

Whitney Simpson is pursuing a Certification in Spiritual Formation at Garrett-Evangelical and recently returned from a travel course to Philadelphia with Garrett-Evangelical Professor Dr. Mark Fowler. The course, "Wesleyan Beginnings in America: UM Studies 19th Century," focused on  the beginnings of the Wesleyan movement in the American context and included visiting some key historic churches to the UMC and AME traditions.

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Still Another Side of South Africa 
By Emily Lutz

Garrett-Evangelical Professor

Dr. Mark Fowler and Emily Lutz after Emily's

collaring ceremony in South Africa.

You can read more about the ceremony here.

(Photo Credit: Nathan Falla)

After spending my first couple of weeks (outside the seminary) in the rural hills and Zulu-speaking Methodist churches in the township area of Edendale outside Pietermaritzburg, I have since seen several other sides of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.

I’ve been to the Tala Game Reserve, saw the giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, rhinos, hippos, ostriches and the ever-so-cute warthogs. (Hakuna Matata)

I’ve visited two of the battlefields of the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu Wars of the late 19th century. I’ve seen mass graves of British soldiers and Zulu warriors. I’ve been reminded of the depth and longevity of the struggle over land here in South Africa, which continues today as a consequence of Apartheid.

(Read More)

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Simplicity from the Sanctuary

By Whitney Simpson

An area of my life that I’ve been working on in the last few years is simplicity.  I need more simplicity, from my closet to my daily bible study routine and even those nifty tools in the kitchen.  I struggle with falling victim to gadgets and gizmos that claim to make my life easier.   However, when I realize that a new gizmo only requires another washing and space to be stored, I’ve learned that I have fallen prey to missing out on the benefits of simplicity.

There really is a lot to be said for simplicity.  I still struggle with the concept of simplicity, but I see the benefits and am beginning to understand them more clearly.  One thing that really struck me during my trips to these historic churches was the beautiful simplicity of St. George’s Church.  The wooden floors, the simple paned windows and the practicality of the wine-glass pulpit remind me that over the years, the efforts toward simplicity have remained a priority in this building.

(Read More)

Amy Wills Visits Garrett-Evangelical.

It was windy and it was cold during my time in Evanston, Illinois but the feeling I got inside my heart was anything but cold. With a gorgeous campus, a thoughtful, kindhearted staff, and a mission to know God and to help others know God, I was able to get an extensive look into Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

I want to first talk about the lead-up to getting there. I remember meeting Reverend Becky Eberhart, Director of Admissions, during my time at Exploration 2011 and seeing how warm and friendly she and the rest of the staff was. As the months have continued on, I've received letters (which in the Seminary world is extremely common) and emails (also a frequent occurrence) both of which helped keep me up to date about the happenings around Garrett but also about deadlines and such.

Note: So far, all of the seminaries have done this and I have found it so helpful. Yes, even amidst all the other emails I get on a daily basis. I encourage you to let the schools keep you on their mailing lists. It allows you to see what each school values and supports. After all that's what they're there for...to teach you!

The thing I loved most about Garrett before I visited, was that I received not one, not two, but three personal phone calls. Now these weren't just logistical, "let's get you to our school" phone calls. Instead, these were calls that I would receive from someone like a friend that I hadn't talk to in a while; someone who was sincerely interested in my life, my call and so they took 10-20 minutes to talk with me. I really appreciated this.

We were so eager to get to Chicago. (When I say "we," I mean me and my friend Katie. She was lovely enough to accompany me on this trip even though she has followed her own call that will take her to Asbury Seminary in the Fall. Go Katie!)

We ended up getting into town about 4-5 hours earlier than we had planned...what can I say? The coffee must have worked particularly well that morning! Luckily that wasn't a problem and actually turned out to be perfect timing because the 5th Annual Student Theological Conference was going on that day! This event was co-founded by Jason Gill who serves as Garrett's awesome Assistant Director of Admissions (and knowledgeable campus tour guide!). Because of his work, both in the office and with the current student body, we were able to learn about this year's conference theme, "Church & State"- a tricky topic for anyone to openly talk about, let alone a seminary. With eloquence, grace, and tact, Marci A. Hamilton was able to give us an insight into the world of government and church. I am so grateful for that new information.

Speaking of new information, Reverend Karla Kincannon spent part of our morning talking about all of the excellent Field Education and Spiritual Formation opportunities that Garrett has to provide. Every seminarian in the M.Div. program participates in this. During your first year you will deal with the entirety of your calling and what that looks like for your ministry.  Rev. Kincannon gave us an excellent quote that I hope helps you when you think about where and what you are called to do:

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” ― Frederick Buechner

Both the Field Ed. program and the spiritual formation class and the practices it teachers you, is for you to gain a deep clarity about what God has called you to do, about who He's called you to be. We were reminded of the Hebrew people, about how their calls weren't always crystal clear, that there were times when things were uncertain and vague. Garrett believes in the importance of nurturing our relationship with God and the reflection of the countless possibilities that that relationship opens you up to. That is the purpose these academic and spiritual courses seek to do: remind us and bring us back to where we're meant to be.
 

As with the other schools, we attended a class. Though there were no current students in the class with us, that didn't stop people in the group from pulling out their paper and taking copious notes- or in my case, taking notes for this blog post. Dr. Jim Papandrea distracted me however, from doing my task! With his humor, his knowledge and his evident passion for teaching, he captivated all of our attention with information on the formation of the Christian Bible (not always an easy job I'd imagine). He encouraged asking questions during the lecture, not just after which eased my mind, especially at such an academically profound school. We were told that Garrett is home to one of, if not THE most expansive and helpful libraries of all of the seminaries, which I kind of believe since as a student at the seminary you have full access to the Northwestern libraries, too!

We met Dean Reverend Cynthia Wilson and learned all about what it's like to be a student at Garrett. The students of the school are probably some of the most diverse I've seen so far and because of this, there are several opportunities to get involved with different groups that they have established such as a women's center, centers for Latinos, Black Seminarians, Asian Americans, and couples. This was also the first school that has mentioned having a group for LGBTQ members. As a Garrett student you have the option of three different kinds of worship services throughout the week and a weekly "community lunch" with your fellow classmates and staff.

Next stop was the Chapel of the Unnamed Faithful. Time of worship during these visits have consistently been my favorite part of each school. That time is always such a critical experience to me personally because each service is uniquely it's own. It is it's own representation of God and God's presence in that school. The chapel itself was exquisite. High vaulted ceilings for perfected acoustics, stained glass for eye candy, and chairs gathered together to create community. On the campus tour that Mr. Gill led us on, he spoke of the unique stories the colorful glass tells about the Old and New Testaments; about the influential people that have been forever "set in stone" in the place.

 

To accompany the the beautiful scenery was beautiful music played by a small but mighty crew of three students. They didn't know it, but they played all of my favorites: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus, Hosanna, Come Thou Fount. I had goosebumps and chills during the entire service. The sermon was given by a current Masters of Divinity student who blew it out of the water! And the gift of communion, of sharing it with other people on their own separate journeys was something that in that moment, united us.

Afterwards we were able to sit down with students at lunch that shared their experiences with us and opened the floor to any and all questions that we had. This time along with the dinner at The Celtic Knot (students only!) was an excellent time to relax and really get the inside scoop about life as a student. Which helps soften the anxiety-ridden time at least for me when the financial aid and housing parts come along. But take heart, despite the cost of higher education, the staff in the admissions office has plenty of ways to make it possible for you to fulfill your call. Check out Dollars for Scholars and don't ever be afraid to go to your local conference. Remember when I talked about gifts?

We concluded our day with a tour of the Northwestern campus. Like I've said, it is just absolutely breathtaking. From the Gothic towers to the Shakespeare Garden to the shores of Lake Michigan, God is present in that place and as students, you are encouraged to enjoy it!

Evanston is this town that is a little urban, a little hipster, a little classic, a little old fashion. It's a little bit of everything and I find it appropriate that that it is home to Garrett which so reflects that same kind of diversity. One of the women who was visiting that day brought her young teenage son with her. Simeon (I'm pretty sure that's his name- I know it was one of the 12 awesome names of the sons of Jacob) didn't say much. He stuck to his drawings and was politely quiet during our order of events. But when it came time for questions, Simeon's hand shot up in the air with the fervor of curiosity and he ended up asking more questions than the group of 15 or so of us combined. I was in awe of this kids inquisitive mind and his excitement for Garrett. With his question asking and his humble animation, I am thankful for Simeon. He fits right in at Garrett.

Garrett is a place for those thirsty for academic and spiritual knowledge to be filled.

It's a place to be challenged and to grow.

It's a place to rejoice in diversity while learning from it.

Garrett is a wonderful place.

The Evolution of the UMC Connectional System

As most of you already know, the first two days of the live webcast for the General Conference of the United Methodist Church involved watching delegates determine the rules for the proceedings of General Conference. No major policy, resolution, or petition was being considered but simply just the rules. This doesn’t exactly make for exciting viewing yet it seems we United Methodist watched, commented, and tweeted. I even found myself “Googling” Robert’s Rules of Order at one point in time. What does all of this online buzz mean?

While a number of conclusions could be made, what I find most interesting is that now more then ever, we United Methodist are redefining what it means to be a part of a connectional system. Live webcasts, tweets, posts, and blogs all pertaining to GC2012 have flooded our feeds. Conversations have flourished amongst people who have never met in person. It seems that even for those of us who are not in Tampa, Florida we can still have a voice and be in dialogue.

It’s evident the United Methodist Church on the conference and global level is aware of this buzz too. A Facebook post from the Nebraska Annual Conference said, “Twitter just might be the most interesting place to follow General Conference.” The hashtag #GC2012 has been trending on Twitter. Finally, the United Methodist Reporter wrote an article just yesterday titled, “UMC Twitter Sub-Culture Grows at General Conference.”

Amongst all this buzz comes humor and entertainment too. The Communications Office at Garrett-Evangelical launched General Conference Bingo this morning a little after 10 a.m. (CST) as a means of entertainment while watching the live webcasts. Within in hour, we had over 600 visits to the webpage, over 40 re-tweets and tweets, and numerous Facebook comments and shares. One response that literally made me LOL came from @TheFakeUMCAC on Twitter, “@GarrettSeminary We prefer #gc2012 battleship, but still - great job on the game! Oh no! You sank my petition!”

One side effect of all this online chatter means that growing concerns on legislation that could have great impact on the UMC are escalated even more. The online conversations are twenty-four hours and filters we might apply when speaking to someone face to face are often muted. In the worse case scenarios, one might actually be engaging in online bullying under the disguise of dialogue. In particular, as the divisive legislation on inclusivity for our LGBT brothers and sisters once again comes to the forefront at General Conference.

As we head into the plenary sessions next week I anticipate the online chatter will only increase. And lets be honest, it’s going to get intense. Truly becoming a global Church does not come without growing pains in the process. That said, it is exciting to see our connectional system in action in Tampa, Florida and on the internet. Now, back to reading #GC2012 tweets.

Beware the Circular Firing Squad

By Dr. Philip Amerson

As a veteran participant and observer of United Methodist General Conferences, I have grown accustomed to the pace, the promise and the prayers leading up to our quadrennial legislative gathering. At this point, in advance of GC 2012 in Tampa, something seems different. As summer turns to fall and fall now proceeds to winter, there seems to be more noise, more confusion, more finger-pointing and more anxiety in the system than usual.

The Cacophony

I sit in a unique position to hear many of the voices being raised. There is always a little grumpiness six months ahead of “the big event.” This time, however, folks are speaking of “the watershed ahead.” I am privileged to know many leaders in the general church and many, many pastors and laypersons in our congregations. As we approach the Tampa enclave in April, I hear what to these aging ears sounds like an unprecedented amount of disrespectful language. We are witnessing the sad need to scapegoat others and to exercise control over those who differ in vision, gifts and responsibilities. This is the language and these are the behaviors of a hypochondriac denomination—an organization increasingly preoccupied with its own self-concern and chronic fear for the future. Throughout the system there have arisen dozens of self-appointed and well-meaning therapists who claim to have the magic formula to make the denomination healthy again—you know, like it was when grandpa carried folding chairs into the sanctuary because there were more people than there was pew space.

The Blame Game

Why is there decline? Everyone seems to have a slightly different answer, and when their solution isn’t chosen, they grow grumpier, point a finger at another and write legislation to “fix that group.” Some blame the pastors, some the laity; and then we also blame the general boards and agencies, the active bishops, the retired bishops, the theological schools, the boards of ordained ministries, the church consultants, the conference staff, the Central Conferences, the conservatives, the liberals… The list goes on and on. Our “hit lists” grow larger as we blame an ever wider circle of those who are the problem. If you could sit for a few weeks where I sit, you would be astonished by it all: the finger-pointing, the blaming, the scapegoating, the many who eagerly sell their master plans to “make things right.” We have changed the words of the great hymn from “bid my anxious fears subside” to “let my proposal be your guide.”

The Firing Squad

I see all of this and am reminded of those cartoons picturing a circular firing squad. There are many reasons we have come to this point in the history of the United Methodist Church. And, sadly, many among our tribe, including too many leaders, arrogantly desire to move ahead without listening to others, without repentance, without prayer and based on tired old business models that fail to take into account the context, history or unique gifts of each congregation. And we have allowed ourselves thereby to assume a functional congregational polity, leaving behind the enormous legacy we have as a connectional church. Instead, we turn local congregations into branch offices, and the generative power of multiple gifts from many sources is ignored.

Let me stop here and avoid the temptation of offering my own simple analysis and my set of remedies to the marvelously rich and admittedly cumbersome ecology that is global United Methodism. Suffice it to say that there are many demographic and natural contextual explanations for our situation. It is precisely this diversity which should be seen as our great gift. What we are experiencing is normal—anxiety and finger-pointing is commonplace and understandable within organizations that have spent too much time worrying about their future, arriving at this place with structures, facilities and programs rooted in the past. One of my friends has insightfully noted that our crisis talk may itself be the crisis! He goes on to say, “The crisis about which we should be talking is the one created by Jesus' announcement: ‘The kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the gospel.’”

The View from Outside

Recently, I had the joyous privilege of visiting the New Faith Baptist Church in suburban Chicago. What a gift it was to worship in this vibrant African American congregation. How moving to hear a gospel word from a place outside all of our United Methodist grumpiness. The Rev. Dr. Trunell Felder is the humble, imaginative and risk-taking senior pastor. He holds two degrees from our two United Methodist seminaries in Atlanta (Candler and Gammon/ITC). His spouse, the Rev. Dr. Alexis Felder, who serves as associate pastor, is a graduate of Garrett-Evangelical. I was reminded on this day that God’s realm is much greater than the boundaries of United Methodism. Others have much to teach us.

On that Sunday Dr. Felder’s congregation modeled for me another way. Three things I will note from the experience:

• I saw a congregation where hundreds were respected as leaders, and they had specific roles to fulfill: greeting, singing, praying, cleaning, laughing, praying, planning, praying, teaching… and did I mention praying? There were no circular firing squads in sight. In fact, one of the main themes of the sermon was that you should be thankful for the blessings given to your neighbor. We should celebrate the fact that different persons have different gifts, even if we don’t fully understand how God will use those gifts in the future.
• I heard a clear call for repentance from our preconceived notions of how we can fix every problem. The call was to seek God’s heart first and foremost and then keep our plans flexible, so that we can respond with mercy toward others. No circular firing squad there.
• I witnessed amazing wholeness to the worship. As I queued up to enter the sanctuary with thousands of others, I was handed a bulletin for the service, a copy of a prayer card for the evangelistic work of the congregation and a copy of The American Jobs Act that is before Congress. No circular firing squad there. Commitments to evangelism and justice were sung in harmony.

The Vision Forward

As we UMs head to Tampa, I suspect the grumpiness may turn to grouchiness and perhaps even meanness. For me, I will watch and pray. I will be thinking of those talented and faithful folks back home in the pews and the marvelous young people called into the ministry who are trying to figure out if this denomination wants the gifts they bring. My hope will be that we might find a way to celebrate all the extraordinary gifts of who we are and who we can be and not seek to find ways to return to who we never really were. As United Methodists we have so much to celebrate. Can the language of faith be brought to our gathering? Can we seek repentance and forgiveness and covenant and prayer, or will we be swept up in the surveys and the restructuring of corporate anxiety? As Christians we have others who model for us new ways (and ancient ways) of thinking and living—ways that celebrate the gifts of all. Friends, beware the circular firing squad.

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Dr. Philip Amerson is President and Professor of Sociology of Religion at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.