July 2, 2013 What does God require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. — Micah 6:8 I have always loved learning. Growing up, I loved the learn- ing that took place in my grandfather’s old work shop behind his house. It was there I learned how to take apart a lawn- mower and put it back together. It was there that I learned what a soldering gun can do. (For those who don’t know what a soldering gun is, it is a tool for soldering metals using tin- based solder to achieve a strong mechanical bond.) It was in my grandfather’s work shop that I learned my first math skills as he taught me how to measure wood pieces to be cut for stakes in his garden. Without a lot of words and with endless patience, my grandfather taught me many life skills in that old work shop that was sacred ground and a sanctuary for me. As I got older, school became the primary place of learn- ing – at least formal learning. I have fond memories of ele- mentary school and how excited I was to be there. That feeling lessened as I got older and became more interested in sports and having a social life. Throughout middle and high school, my attention was on just about everything except learning. It wasn’t until I went to college and seminary that a deep and intense love of learning re-surfaced. Throughout my pro- fessional life, I have made it a point to engage in continuing education – both formally and infor- mally. You, the Pullen people, have taught me so much about life and ministry – you have been and continue to be like my grandfather’s old work shop. I have also continued my formal learning while with you – completing a doctorate of ministry degree and engaging in continuing education through pro- grams like the College of Preachers at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Those opportunities have happened be- cause of your support and the way this church values learning. I now have another opportunity to engage in continuing education. I have been accepted to the 2013 Theology Sum- mer School program at the University of Oxford in England. The program lasts for two weeks in August and offers me the opportunity to take four theology classes with other individu- als from all around the globe. The Personnel Committee has approved the two weeks as study leave and I am excited about this opportunity. The four classes I will be taking are as fol- lows: Some Ethical Issues Across the Faiths; Transforming Community: The Five Marks of Mission; Empathy, Religious Practice and Ethical Action; and Ethical Issues in Science and Religion. As a part of the application process, I had to write a “personal statement” as to my interest in participating in the program. Here is a portion of what I wrote: My purpose in pursuing ongoing education, and specifically, Oxford’s Theology Summer School, is to cultivate my ca- pacity to offer thoughtful reflection to my congregants on how theology and faith relate to the world in which they live. As a life-long learner, I draw hope and energy from joining my colleagues in thinking deeply about our faith and our work in the world, and feel Oxford’s summer program would provide me such a forum. And, as one who has devoted my ministry to congregational life, I feel compelled to leaven that academic dialogue with the realities of daily parish life. Such deliberate inquiry is more critical now than ever. As our world is experiencing rapid change in societal sys- tems, the church is a part of that change. As we experience the shift from religious and institutional loyalty to a spiritual and more pluralistic way of approaching faith, I’m convinced that the social gospel is how the church will remain relevant and transformative as a key component of our societal struc- tures. The courses that deal with ethics and ethical dilemmas in the world, issues related to the poor and the oppressed, and our beleaguered environment are critical to what I be- lieve is a new kind of faith being birthed in the world today. As a participant in these courses, I offer my 21-year experience with a particular congregation that has sought to make a difference in the world by adhering to a thoughtful theology that bends toward the social gospel in practice and theory. My congregation seeks to combine the best scholarly approach to theology while being relevant to the particular social justice issues that the world now faces. Our congrega- tion has also been intentional about creating and nurturing close dialogue and exchange with sister churches throughout the world, as we strive to be one humanity united in our common bond of being God’s beloved. As I have visited our partners in Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Republic of Georgia, I have found that it is through the exchange of ideas and ex- periences that we become more wholly the commonwealth of God here on earth. The bottom-line reason that I am interested in learning is so that I can be the best minister to you and our community that I can be. I feel certain that while I may learn some inter- esting ideas and concepts through the books I will read for my study, I anticipate that the most enriching part of my experi- ence will be learning from my classmates. The exchange of ideas with others is deeply exciting to me. So, I wanted to let you know that I will be gone most of August. I will take a week’s vacation in London before I go to Oxford to begin my learning adventure. I hope you will keep me in your prayers, as I will keep you in mine. And I will re- turn in late August with lots of stories and experiences to share with you. —Nancy 2013 Theology Summer School “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” —Gandhi
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July 2, 2013
What does God require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. — Micah 6:8
I have always loved learning. Growing up, I loved the learn-
ing that took place in my grandfather’s old work shop behind
his house. It was there I learned how to take apart a lawn-
mower and put it back together. It was there that I learned
what a soldering gun can do. (For those who don’t know what
a soldering gun is, it is a tool for soldering metals using tin-
based solder to achieve a strong mechanical bond.) It was in
my grandfather’s work shop that I learned my first math skills
as he taught me how to measure wood pieces to be cut for
stakes in his garden. Without a lot of words and with endless
patience, my grandfather taught me many life skills in that old
work shop that was sacred ground and a sanctuary for me.
As I got older, school became the primary place of learn-
ing – at least formal learning. I have fond memories of ele-
mentary school and how excited I was to be there. That feeling
lessened as I got older and became more interested in sports
and having a social life. Throughout middle and high school,
my attention was on just about everything except learning. It
wasn’t until I went to college and seminary that a deep and
intense love of learning re-surfaced.
Throughout my pro-
fessional life, I have
made it a point to
engage in continuing
education – both
formally and infor-
mally. You, the Pullen people, have taught me so much about
life and ministry – you have been and continue to be like my
grandfather’s old work shop. I have also continued my formal
learning while with you – completing a doctorate of ministry
degree and engaging in continuing education through pro-
grams like the College of Preachers at the National Cathedral
in Washington, DC. Those opportunities have happened be-
cause of your support and the way this church values learning.
I now have another opportunity to engage in continuing
education. I have been accepted to the 2013 Theology Sum-
mer School program at the University of Oxford in England.
The program lasts for two weeks in August and offers me the
opportunity to take four theology classes with other individu-
als from all around the globe. The Personnel Committee has
approved the two weeks as study leave and I am excited about
this opportunity. The four classes I will be taking are as fol-
lows: Some Ethical Issues Across the Faiths; Transforming
Community: The Five Marks of Mission; Empathy, Religious
Practice and Ethical Action; and Ethical Issues in Science and
Religion.
As a part of the application process, I had to write a
“personal statement” as to my interest in participating in the
program. Here is a portion of what I wrote:
My purpose in pursuing ongoing education, and specifically,
Oxford’s Theology Summer School, is to cultivate my ca-
pacity to offer thoughtful reflection to my congregants on
how theology and faith relate to the world in which they live.
As a life-long learner, I draw hope and energy from joining
my colleagues in thinking deeply about our faith and our
work in the world, and feel Oxford’s summer program would
provide me such a forum. And, as one who has devoted my
ministry to congregational life, I feel compelled to leaven
that academic dialogue with the realities of daily parish life.
Such deliberate inquiry is more critical now than ever.
As our world is experiencing rapid change in societal sys-
tems, the church is a part of that change. As we experience
the shift from religious and institutional loyalty to a spiritual
and more pluralistic way of approaching faith, I’m convinced
that the social gospel is how the church will remain relevant
and transformative as a key component of our societal struc-
tures. The courses that deal with ethics and ethical dilemmas
in the world, issues related to the poor and the oppressed,
and our beleaguered environment are critical to what I be-
lieve is a new kind of faith being birthed in the world today.
As a participant in these courses, I offer my 21-year
experience with a particular congregation that has sought to
make a difference in the world by adhering to a thoughtful
theology that bends toward the social gospel in practice and
theory. My congregation seeks to combine the best scholarly
approach to theology while being relevant to the particular
social justice issues that the world now faces. Our congrega-
tion has also been intentional about creating and nurturing
close dialogue and exchange with sister churches throughout
the world, as we strive to be one humanity united in our
common bond of being God’s beloved. As I have visited our
partners in Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Republic of Georgia, I
have found that it is through the exchange of ideas and ex-
periences that we become more wholly the commonwealth
of God here on earth.
The bottom-line reason that I am interested in learning is
so that I can be the best minister to you and our community
that I can be. I feel certain that while I may learn some inter-
esting ideas and concepts through the books I will read for my
study, I anticipate that the most enriching part of my experi-
ence will be learning from my classmates. The exchange of
ideas with others is deeply exciting to me.
So, I wanted to let you know that I will be gone most of
August. I will take a week’s vacation in London before I go to
Oxford to begin my learning adventure. I hope you will keep
me in your prayers, as I will keep you in mine. And I will re-
turn in late August with lots of stories and experiences to
share with you.
—Nancy
2013 Theology Summer School
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”