Monday, May 04, 2009
Writing a short story
Writing short stories is to novels what day trips are to multi-week vacations. I'm working on my short story writing.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Congo conflict minerals
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, scene of the deadliest conflict since World War II, remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman or girl. In part, this danger comes from the demand created by you and me for electronic products that requires minerals found in the eastern Congo. While Congo is a complex crisis, including tensions over land, rights, identity, regional power struggles and the fundamental weaknesses of Congo as a state, the trade in conflict minerals is a key driver of the conflict.
To find out more, go here
To do something, go here
To find out more, go here
To do something, go here
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Travel news
Within the travel industry's economic damage, airlines face substantial overcapacity. Two of the large US flag carriers will have to merge to avoid the bankruptcy of another American airline. United Airlines (UAUA), American (AMR) and US Air (LCC) are the weakest airlines. The stocks of all three are down more than 40% so far this year as concerns mount that passenger traffic declines will accelerate as the recession gets worse.
The sales loses are being partially offset by a drop in fuel prices and cuts in routes and airplanes, but the benefit of those reductions has already mostly occurred. When the economy or fuel prices are bad for a prolonged period, airlines turn to the two behaviors which have been their modes operandi in the past: mergers and bankruptcy.
If the revenue problems worsen, a stronger carrier such as Continental (CAL) is almost certain takeover one of its weakened peers. Not only are the numbers of passengers dropping, but as BusinessWeek pointed out two weeks ago, airlines are cutting ticket charges sharply because “there are relatively strong indications that bookings for the spring and summer — especially for business-class tickets — may be far softer than carriers had expected.”
In the fourth quarter of last year, United generated negative $989 million in operating cash flow and negative $1.1 billion of free cash flow, defined as operating cash flow less capital expenditures. The quarter that just ended will not be as good as Wall Street hoped. United cut a deal with its largest credit card processor for enough cash to maintain its business. The card company gets a security interest in some United aircraft in exchange. The deal extends until January of next year.
United needs a way out of all this trouble. since it has already been through a bankrupcty, a merger is now a more likely alternative.
The sales loses are being partially offset by a drop in fuel prices and cuts in routes and airplanes, but the benefit of those reductions has already mostly occurred. When the economy or fuel prices are bad for a prolonged period, airlines turn to the two behaviors which have been their modes operandi in the past: mergers and bankruptcy.
If the revenue problems worsen, a stronger carrier such as Continental (CAL) is almost certain takeover one of its weakened peers. Not only are the numbers of passengers dropping, but as BusinessWeek pointed out two weeks ago, airlines are cutting ticket charges sharply because “there are relatively strong indications that bookings for the spring and summer — especially for business-class tickets — may be far softer than carriers had expected.”
In the fourth quarter of last year, United generated negative $989 million in operating cash flow and negative $1.1 billion of free cash flow, defined as operating cash flow less capital expenditures. The quarter that just ended will not be as good as Wall Street hoped. United cut a deal with its largest credit card processor for enough cash to maintain its business. The card company gets a security interest in some United aircraft in exchange. The deal extends until January of next year.
United needs a way out of all this trouble. since it has already been through a bankrupcty, a merger is now a more likely alternative.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thoreau on lives lived
Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Thursday, April 16, 2009
US commitment to Americas
The White House says that its policy in the Americas would henceforth be guided by a simple test: whether it improves the lives of those living in favelas and barrios. Read more here
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Blackwater security firm changing
The notoriously controversial private security firm Blackwater is changing its name, its products and its chief. The new name is Xe; the new products are drastically scaled down; the new CEO is unnamed at this time. I wonder if there will also be a new level of responsible reporting and accountability. To read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123595280053605191.html
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Be convicted but not close-minded!
What do I mean? Well, thanks for asking; here's what I mean:
We are convicted that love really is better than hate; that violence really does not work, and always leads to more violence; that it is better to focus on giving instead of getting. We are convicted that diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.
When we live these convictions, the hungry are fed, the homeless sheltered, the sick cared for, the grieving comforted, the lost welcomed and the children protected. These are the convictions that make the world more peaceful and life-giving.
At the same time, we are not close-minded. We know that we don't have the corner on truth. And we know that ignoring the truths to be learned elsewhere only belittles the truths to which we hold.
We are convicted that love really is better than hate; that violence really does not work, and always leads to more violence; that it is better to focus on giving instead of getting. We are convicted that diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.
When we live these convictions, the hungry are fed, the homeless sheltered, the sick cared for, the grieving comforted, the lost welcomed and the children protected. These are the convictions that make the world more peaceful and life-giving.
At the same time, we are not close-minded. We know that we don't have the corner on truth. And we know that ignoring the truths to be learned elsewhere only belittles the truths to which we hold.
March's Spiritual Madness
As a close second to the Olympics, we have now entered my favorite sports event. But there is one thing I like better about March Madness: I don't lose quite as much sleep.
I'll admit it up front: March Madness is for me an almost spiritual experience.
Now, relax. Don't get all riled and red-faced. You can save your lectures. I agree that sports are not real life. Of course, part of the value of sports is ...
TO CONTINUE READING, CLICK HERE
I'll admit it up front: March Madness is for me an almost spiritual experience.
Now, relax. Don't get all riled and red-faced. You can save your lectures. I agree that sports are not real life. Of course, part of the value of sports is ...
TO CONTINUE READING, CLICK HERE
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Crisis is a terrible thing to waste
Yea, another bandwagon I'm on: using the phrase, "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste."
Who said it, or something similar, first? Maybe economist Paul Romer. A quick look shows the selection of those using the phrase, or something close includes
Thomas Friedman (New York Times, 18 April 2004)
Eliot Spitzer (January 2005)
Arthur Affleck (February 2006)
Geoff Davis (April 2007)
John Lee (July 2008)
Hazel Henderson (September 2008 - good article this one)
Tim Dollmeyer (October 2008)
Richard Heinberg (October 2008)
Max McKeown (October 2008)
So, what does it mean?
Nathan
Who said it, or something similar, first? Maybe economist Paul Romer. A quick look shows the selection of those using the phrase, or something close includes
Thomas Friedman (New York Times, 18 April 2004)
Eliot Spitzer (January 2005)
Arthur Affleck (February 2006)
Geoff Davis (April 2007)
John Lee (July 2008)
Hazel Henderson (September 2008 - good article this one)
Tim Dollmeyer (October 2008)
Richard Heinberg (October 2008)
Max McKeown (October 2008)
So, what does it mean?
Nathan
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Green Eyed Monster
Tomorrow is week 2 of First Christian's new worship series that we titled "Sinning Like a Christian." Week one's sin was PRIDE; tomorrow's is ENVY. We're looking honestly at the presence of sin in our lives, but lest you think we get too serious, a bit of humor can be found here and there -- and usually intentionally. The series is off to a good start!
Worship begins at 10:00. First Christian is located at 118 W Washington St in Shelbyville, IN. Y'all come --
Nathan
Worship begins at 10:00. First Christian is located at 118 W Washington St in Shelbyville, IN. Y'all come --
Nathan
Friday, January 23, 2009
The challenges, pains, rewards of leadership
I benefitted from spending a few days with ministry colleagues this week at Wabash College. Part of our time was spent discussing the ideas in Leadership without Easy Answers with each other and with the book's author, Ronald Heifetz.
Heifetz was a great conversation partner for us: thoughtful, engaging and genuinely interested in hearing our leadership concerns and theological considerations. In sum, Heifetz message was that the challenges of leadership, along with the pains of change, must not diminish anyone's eagerness to reap the rewards of creating value and meaning in other people's lives. Leadership is difficult, and worth it.
Nathan
Heifetz was a great conversation partner for us: thoughtful, engaging and genuinely interested in hearing our leadership concerns and theological considerations. In sum, Heifetz message was that the challenges of leadership, along with the pains of change, must not diminish anyone's eagerness to reap the rewards of creating value and meaning in other people's lives. Leadership is difficult, and worth it.
Nathan
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Spirituality = Happiness?
I’m not yet sure of the study’s parameters or details, because I haven’t made time to read the study in depth, but I am interested in its findings: Children between the ages of 8 and 12 who feel that their lives have meaning and value and who develop quality relationships are happier. The authors of this study from the University of British Columbia assert that their findings are in keeping with those from a long line of studies indicating that for adults, college students and older teens, spirituality – defined loosely as a sense of purpose, meaning and value, and sense of connection with others – is directly linked to happiness. With more spirituality, the thinking goes, comes more happiness.
What do you think?
Nathan
What do you think?
Nathan
Friday, January 09, 2009
College students today
Almost 2 million first-year college and university students are heading back to schools around the country this month. Many of them were born around 1990 when headlines sounded more than a little familiar: Big Three car companies were facing declining sales and profits; a president named Bush was increasing the number of troops in the Middle East in the hopes of securing peace; fluctuating fuel prices were causing airlines to, well, fluctuate their prices.
While the headlines of now and 1990 might sound similar, according to an annual poll by Beloit College in Wisconsin, the general mindset of this year's college freshman is quite different from the faculty preparing them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Dubbed the "Mindset List," this annual poll provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college.
For instance, the class of 2012 has grown up in an era where computers and rapid communication are norm, and colleges no longer trumpet the fact that residence halls are “wired” and equipped with the latest hardware. These students hardly recognize the availability of telephones in their rooms since they have seldom utilized landlines during their adolescence. They will continue to live on their cell phones and communicate via texting. Roommates, few of whom have ever shared a bedroom, have already checked out each other on Facebook where they have shared their most personal thoughts with the whole world. It is a multicultural, politically correct and “green” generation that has hardly noticed the threats to their privacy and has never feared the Russians and the Warsaw Pact.
Intersting stuff, huh? Here's the rest of the list:
1. Harry Potter could be a classmate, playing on their Quidditch team.2. Since they were in diapers, karaoke machines have been annoying people at parties.3. They have always been looking for Carmen Sandiego.4. GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.5. Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.6. Shampoo and conditioner have always been available in the same bottle.7. Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino.8. Their parents may have dropped them in shock when they heard George Bush announce “tax revenue increases.”9. Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.10. Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.11. All have had a relative–or known about a friend’s relative–who died comfortably at home with Hospice.12. As a precursor to “whatever,” they have recognized that some people “just don’t get it.”13. Universal Studios has always offered an alternative to Mickey in Orlando.14. Grandma has always had wheels on her walker.15. Martha Stewart Living has always been setting the style.16. Haagen-Dazs ice cream has always come in quarts.17. Club Med resorts have always been places to take the whole family.18. WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.19. Films have never been X rated, only NC-17.20. The Warsaw Pact is as hazy for them as the League of Nations was for their parents.21. Students have always been “Rocking the Vote.”22. Clarence Thomas has always sat on the Supreme Court.23. Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.24. We have always known that “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”25. There have always been gay rabbis.26. Wayne Newton has never had a mustache.27. College grads have always been able to Teach for America.28. IBM has never made typewriters.29. Roseanne Barr has never been invited to sing the National Anthem again.30. McDonald’s and Burger King have always used vegetable oil for cooking french fries.31. They have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.32. There has always been Pearl Jam.33. The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.34. Pee-Wee has never been in his playhouse during the day.35. They never tasted Benefit Cereal with psyllium.36. They may have been given a Nintendo Game Boy to play with in the crib.37. Authorities have always been building a wall across the Mexican border.38. Lenin’s name has never been on a major city in Russia.39. Employers have always been able to do credit checks on employees.40. Balsamic vinegar has always been available in the U.S.41. Macaulay Culkin has always been Home Alone.42. Their parents may have watched The American Gladiators on TV the day they were born.43. Personal privacy has always been threatened.44. Caller ID has always been available on phones.45. Living wills have always been asked for at hospital check-ins.46. The Green Bay Packers (almost) always had the same starting quarterback.47. They never heard an attendant ask “Want me to check under the hood?”48. Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.49. Soft drink refills have always been free.50. They have never known life without Seinfeld references from a show about “nothing.”51. Windows 3.0 operating system made IBM PCs user-friendly the year they were born.52. Muscovites have always been able to buy Big Macs.53. The Royal New Zealand Navy has never been permitted a daily ration of rum.54. The Hubble Space Telescope has always been eavesdropping on the heavens.55. 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.56. Michael Millken has always been a philanthropist promoting prostate cancer research.57. Off-shore oil drilling in the United States has always been prohibited.58. Radio stations have never been required to present both sides of public issues.59. There have always been charter schools.60. Students always had Goosebumps.
Nathan
While the headlines of now and 1990 might sound similar, according to an annual poll by Beloit College in Wisconsin, the general mindset of this year's college freshman is quite different from the faculty preparing them to become the leaders of tomorrow. Dubbed the "Mindset List," this annual poll provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college.
For instance, the class of 2012 has grown up in an era where computers and rapid communication are norm, and colleges no longer trumpet the fact that residence halls are “wired” and equipped with the latest hardware. These students hardly recognize the availability of telephones in their rooms since they have seldom utilized landlines during their adolescence. They will continue to live on their cell phones and communicate via texting. Roommates, few of whom have ever shared a bedroom, have already checked out each other on Facebook where they have shared their most personal thoughts with the whole world. It is a multicultural, politically correct and “green” generation that has hardly noticed the threats to their privacy and has never feared the Russians and the Warsaw Pact.
Intersting stuff, huh? Here's the rest of the list:
1. Harry Potter could be a classmate, playing on their Quidditch team.2. Since they were in diapers, karaoke machines have been annoying people at parties.3. They have always been looking for Carmen Sandiego.4. GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.5. Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.6. Shampoo and conditioner have always been available in the same bottle.7. Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino.8. Their parents may have dropped them in shock when they heard George Bush announce “tax revenue increases.”9. Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.10. Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.11. All have had a relative–or known about a friend’s relative–who died comfortably at home with Hospice.12. As a precursor to “whatever,” they have recognized that some people “just don’t get it.”13. Universal Studios has always offered an alternative to Mickey in Orlando.14. Grandma has always had wheels on her walker.15. Martha Stewart Living has always been setting the style.16. Haagen-Dazs ice cream has always come in quarts.17. Club Med resorts have always been places to take the whole family.18. WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.19. Films have never been X rated, only NC-17.20. The Warsaw Pact is as hazy for them as the League of Nations was for their parents.21. Students have always been “Rocking the Vote.”22. Clarence Thomas has always sat on the Supreme Court.23. Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.24. We have always known that “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”25. There have always been gay rabbis.26. Wayne Newton has never had a mustache.27. College grads have always been able to Teach for America.28. IBM has never made typewriters.29. Roseanne Barr has never been invited to sing the National Anthem again.30. McDonald’s and Burger King have always used vegetable oil for cooking french fries.31. They have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.32. There has always been Pearl Jam.33. The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.34. Pee-Wee has never been in his playhouse during the day.35. They never tasted Benefit Cereal with psyllium.36. They may have been given a Nintendo Game Boy to play with in the crib.37. Authorities have always been building a wall across the Mexican border.38. Lenin’s name has never been on a major city in Russia.39. Employers have always been able to do credit checks on employees.40. Balsamic vinegar has always been available in the U.S.41. Macaulay Culkin has always been Home Alone.42. Their parents may have watched The American Gladiators on TV the day they were born.43. Personal privacy has always been threatened.44. Caller ID has always been available on phones.45. Living wills have always been asked for at hospital check-ins.46. The Green Bay Packers (almost) always had the same starting quarterback.47. They never heard an attendant ask “Want me to check under the hood?”48. Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.49. Soft drink refills have always been free.50. They have never known life without Seinfeld references from a show about “nothing.”51. Windows 3.0 operating system made IBM PCs user-friendly the year they were born.52. Muscovites have always been able to buy Big Macs.53. The Royal New Zealand Navy has never been permitted a daily ration of rum.54. The Hubble Space Telescope has always been eavesdropping on the heavens.55. 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.56. Michael Millken has always been a philanthropist promoting prostate cancer research.57. Off-shore oil drilling in the United States has always been prohibited.58. Radio stations have never been required to present both sides of public issues.59. There have always been charter schools.60. Students always had Goosebumps.
Nathan
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Prayers for times of recesssion
Earlier this week the Church of England published two new prayers: one to comfort those who lost their jobs in the financial crisis; and one for those who have seen colleagues laid off and are troubled by feelings of stress and even guilt about still being employed.
The one for laid off workers, called “The Prayer on Being Made Redundant,” according to the Church, “helps to put into words the anxieties of those who are losing - or who have already lost - their job in the wave of recent redundancies.” I include the full text below, but want to highlight these words: “Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul.”
The most potent line of the prayer is this: “As life carries on, may I know your presence with me each and every day. And as I look to the future, help me to look for fresh opportunities, for new directions.”
That’s a moving and meaningful line for all of us, laid off or not. Rather than being complacent, I hope I am consistently looking for the new ways God would use me. How can I respond to God’s direction to make the difference in the world that God desires?
The second prayer, titled “The Prayer for Those Remaining in the Workplace” addresses feelings of guilt and fears of increased workload that often come with layoffs. As you’ll see below, it begins with the heartfelt concern many of us feel, “Life has changed: Colleagues have gone - redundant, out of work. Suddenly, what seemed so secure is now so very fragile.”
At another point, this prayer asks, “Who will be next? How will I cope with the increased pressure of work?”
John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and chairman of the Church of England's stewardship committee, said in a statement that the prayers emphasize the church is there for people in times of crisis.
“This is a pastoral initiative,” he said. “We need to be on the lookout to support those facing redundancy. Neighbourliness is so important in crisis situations, whether it's offering people new prayers to God or by simply being there with a listening ear.”
It's not just in Great Britain that those fearing for their livelihood are turning to prayer.
Employees and executives waited in the cold on the first working day of 2009 to enter a Tokyo, Japan, shrine dedicated to commerce on Monday, praying to the god Ebisu-Sama to keep their businesses afloat in a new year with a grim economic outlook.
Many of us just celebrated Epiphany – a time reminding us that God is present and loving in times of crisis, times of celebration and times in between. I’m thankful that the Church of England has given us words to name that presence. I hope you find the prayers meaningful.
PRAYER ON BEING MADE REDUNDANT
"Redundant" - the word says it all - "useless, unnecessary, without purpose, surplus to requirements."
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that in the middle of the sadness, the anger, the uncertainty, the pain, I can talk to you.
Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul.
As life carries on, may I know your presence with me each and every day.
And as I look to the future, help me to look for fresh opportunities, for new directions.
Guide me by your Spirit, and show me your path, through Jesus, the way, the truth and the life.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR THOSE REMAINING IN THE WORKPLACE
Life has changed: Colleagues have gone - redundant, out of work. Suddenly, what seemed so secure is now so very fragile.
It's hard to know what I feel: sadness, certainly, guilt, almost, at still having a job to go to, and fear of the future.
Who will be next? How will I cope with the increased pressure of work?
Lord Jesus, in the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going: to work to the best of my ability, taking each day at a time, and taking time each day to walk with you.
For you are the way, the truth and the life.
Amen.
The one for laid off workers, called “The Prayer on Being Made Redundant,” according to the Church, “helps to put into words the anxieties of those who are losing - or who have already lost - their job in the wave of recent redundancies.” I include the full text below, but want to highlight these words: “Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul.”
The most potent line of the prayer is this: “As life carries on, may I know your presence with me each and every day. And as I look to the future, help me to look for fresh opportunities, for new directions.”
That’s a moving and meaningful line for all of us, laid off or not. Rather than being complacent, I hope I am consistently looking for the new ways God would use me. How can I respond to God’s direction to make the difference in the world that God desires?
The second prayer, titled “The Prayer for Those Remaining in the Workplace” addresses feelings of guilt and fears of increased workload that often come with layoffs. As you’ll see below, it begins with the heartfelt concern many of us feel, “Life has changed: Colleagues have gone - redundant, out of work. Suddenly, what seemed so secure is now so very fragile.”
At another point, this prayer asks, “Who will be next? How will I cope with the increased pressure of work?”
John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and chairman of the Church of England's stewardship committee, said in a statement that the prayers emphasize the church is there for people in times of crisis.
“This is a pastoral initiative,” he said. “We need to be on the lookout to support those facing redundancy. Neighbourliness is so important in crisis situations, whether it's offering people new prayers to God or by simply being there with a listening ear.”
It's not just in Great Britain that those fearing for their livelihood are turning to prayer.
Employees and executives waited in the cold on the first working day of 2009 to enter a Tokyo, Japan, shrine dedicated to commerce on Monday, praying to the god Ebisu-Sama to keep their businesses afloat in a new year with a grim economic outlook.
Many of us just celebrated Epiphany – a time reminding us that God is present and loving in times of crisis, times of celebration and times in between. I’m thankful that the Church of England has given us words to name that presence. I hope you find the prayers meaningful.
PRAYER ON BEING MADE REDUNDANT
"Redundant" - the word says it all - "useless, unnecessary, without purpose, surplus to requirements."
Thank you, Heavenly Father, that in the middle of the sadness, the anger, the uncertainty, the pain, I can talk to you.
Hear me as I cry out in confusion, help me to think clearly, and calm my soul.
As life carries on, may I know your presence with me each and every day.
And as I look to the future, help me to look for fresh opportunities, for new directions.
Guide me by your Spirit, and show me your path, through Jesus, the way, the truth and the life.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR THOSE REMAINING IN THE WORKPLACE
Life has changed: Colleagues have gone - redundant, out of work. Suddenly, what seemed so secure is now so very fragile.
It's hard to know what I feel: sadness, certainly, guilt, almost, at still having a job to go to, and fear of the future.
Who will be next? How will I cope with the increased pressure of work?
Lord Jesus, in the midst of this uncertainty, help me to keep going: to work to the best of my ability, taking each day at a time, and taking time each day to walk with you.
For you are the way, the truth and the life.
Amen.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Colleges increasing student aid in recession
Recessions are, by nature, uncertain times. This is especially true for families with children in college.
Thankfully, many colleges are creating additional student aid programs or expanding existing ones. Other colleges are providing additional student counseling or extending grace periods for tuition payments.
These are welcome advances, in my view, and I hope more will follow!
Nathan
Thankfully, many colleges are creating additional student aid programs or expanding existing ones. Other colleges are providing additional student counseling or extending grace periods for tuition payments.
These are welcome advances, in my view, and I hope more will follow!
Nathan
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Young Adult Book of the Year
Okay, this was written by a colleague. Do you agree? -- Nathan
"Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer - Some of you may be groaning at this pick, saying to yourself: "I am so sick of everything Twilight, blah, blah, blah, and I HATED Breaking Dawn; it was terrible in every way, so why in the world is it on this list, much less being called the #1 Spiritual YA Novel of 2008?" Well, I'll tell you why: It's #1 because of the Zeitgeist factor, zeitgeist meaning "spirit of the age or time." Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series is a contemporary, cultural phenom because it's a whisper on everyone's lips--the young, the old, the boy, the girl, the Dad, the Mom, the cranky husband, and the swooning wife--even if the person whispering has no idea what Twilight even is. It's the new Harry Potter, everyone is going crazy for it, and it has taken on a life of its own. Hence, the zeitgeist factor.
"Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer - Some of you may be groaning at this pick, saying to yourself: "I am so sick of everything Twilight, blah, blah, blah, and I HATED Breaking Dawn; it was terrible in every way, so why in the world is it on this list, much less being called the #1 Spiritual YA Novel of 2008?" Well, I'll tell you why: It's #1 because of the Zeitgeist factor, zeitgeist meaning "spirit of the age or time." Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series is a contemporary, cultural phenom because it's a whisper on everyone's lips--the young, the old, the boy, the girl, the Dad, the Mom, the cranky husband, and the swooning wife--even if the person whispering has no idea what Twilight even is. It's the new Harry Potter, everyone is going crazy for it, and it has taken on a life of its own. Hence, the zeitgeist factor.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Young Adults Online
A new study from the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation suggests that young adults are developing important social and technical skills while online, and online, and online. The study was conducted over 3 years, utilized 28 researchers, interviewed more than 800 young people and logged over 5,000 hours of online observation.
What do you think? You can read the report at www.macfound.org/dml.
Nathan
What do you think? You can read the report at www.macfound.org/dml.
Nathan
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
university chaplain
Review of The College Chaplain: A Practical Guide to Campus Ministry by Stephen L. White. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2005.
By Nathan Day Wilson
www.fccshelby.org
Stephen L. White, chaplain of the Episcopal Church at Princeton University and priest associate at Trinity Church in Princeton, has written an excellent book that combines a vision of campus ministry with practical suggestions for building an effective ministry. I was impressed enough with the text that I emailed White to thank him for writing it. In his reply, he wrote, “The book is what I had been looking for, but could not find, when I first started. I hope it is both practical and theologically grounded.”[1] It is, and it is useful for experienced as well as new campus ministers.
After a context-setting and spirited introduction, the book is organized around eight key functions and sets of responsibilities for campus ministers: pastor, priest, rabbi, prophet, steward, herald, missionary, and pilgrim. By structuring his book around specified functions, White places his work in a recognized line of theological reflection on campus ministry. In 1969, Kenneth Underwood’s noteworthy Danforth Study on Campus Ministries identified the priestly, pastoral, governing and prophetic utilitarian modes of campus ministry.[2] Twenty years later, Barbara Brummett, while not discounting the helpful administrative aspects of Underwood’s thesis, suggested four primary roles for campus ministers in their relations with students, staff and facuty: pastor, priest, rabbi, and prophet.[3] White acknowledges the impact of both of these earlier sources and builds on them to develop his eight functional roles for campus ministers.[4]
In his introductory chapter, White describes characteristics of vital campus ministry. The first such characteristic is the proclamation of God’s Word and celebration of the Lord’s Supper. This central act of worship and community-formation is vital, says White, to “our sense of who we are and to our relationship with God.”[5]
Second, campus ministry should be characterized by hospitality; that is, campus ministry needs to provide a physical space where students, staff and faculty can study, socialize and gather for important reasons or no reasons in order to “let down their guard and be themselves, especially when they are hurting or confused.”[6]
Third, campus ministry should be characterized by presence. This is one of the more poignant reminders of White’s characteristics. He writes that “campus ministry is about being around, being available, being seen by being present as a symbol of the presence of, and the immediate availability of, God in our lives.”[7]
Fourth, campus ministry should be characterized by caring for one another. With this characteristic, White moves beyond the fun and games of campus ministry to remind his readers that campus ministry is also about “helping a faculty member who fears appearing to be vulnerable in a competitive environment get through a family crisis.”[8]
Campus ministry should be characterized by service to others, by having fun, by knowing God, and by equipping the saints. This final characteristic is the place where, according to White, we encourage young adults to strengthen their own faith by sharing it with others. We give opportunities for students to preach, to lead worship, to teach Bible study, and involve them in local and national church conventions and other activities. A number of times at the recent Ivy Jungle Conference concern about the disconnect between campus ministry and local congregational ministry was voiced. It is helpful, then, to read of at least one campus minister making a conscious effort to involve students in local and national church activities.
The boldest sentence in White’s introduction is about funding. “Any approach to funding campus ministries other than through restricted endowments of a sufficient size to fund a fulltime chaplain and a meaningful program merely gives lip service to campus ministry and willfully neglects the future vitality of our church,” writes White.[9] He notes other successful models of campus ministry, such as those relying exclusively on volunteers, but insists that the best promise and potential for stable, secure, and successful campus ministry is through stable and secure funding.
Chapter one, “The Chaplain as Pastor,” is about the pastor who “constantly searches for ways to reach not only those students who may want to ‘do church,’ but also those who are alienated from or indifferent to religion. A good chaplain thinks of him or herself as pastor for everyone, not only those who show up for worship services.”[10] White helpfully stresses the need for patience in campus evangelism. This is a lesson many, including me, need to remember. One of the temptations I face in ministry is focusing too much on visible signs of growth and change; reminders that growth is sometimes invisible, or at least temporarily concealed, are needed.
White compares college students in campus ministry to clay pots made by a potter. The biblically aware reader will recognize this as an analogy born of Scripture, namely Jeremiah 18:2-4, which reads
‘Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Writes White, “(The potter) has to be patient and … live with the possibility that there might be some air bubble or a bit of moisture in the clay.”[11] Later White adds to his analogy when he writes that “college students are like pots … (t)hey have to go through fire in order to be strong and to grow and to show all their latent beauty.”[12]
Chapter two, “The Chaplain as Priest,” posits the campus minister’s “main public function is the leading of regular worship.”[13] White discusses the differences between denominational and nondenominational liturgical practices, Taizé worship, and the importance of finding a general style so that every worship service is not brand a mystery of form even to those who regularly participate in the worship services. His lessons apply similarly to congregations; in my present context, for instance, we are innovative with music and placement, and even my preaching style, but we also maintain enough order for worshippers not to feel uneasy. My experience is that when the worship designers change too much too often, it leaves worshippers feeling uneasy and concentrating more on what’s coming next than on worshipping God.
The campus minister, suggests White, is to model the prayer life he or she advises. This practice further helps the campus minister be sure he or she is centering worship and work on God, not on self-celebration or even self-fulfillment. An active prayer life is also important for any minister who is regularly called on to lead spontaneous prayers. In my own experience, I know how hard it can be to draw water from a well that has dried up.
White urges campus ministers to “consider it a part of the office of chaplain to encourage young people to pursue a life of ministry, whether as a layperson or through ordination.”[14] I’m glad he included this exhortation, and I certainly agree with the importance of all Christians – lay and ordained – seeing themselves as ministers, but I wish White’s wording was stronger. We in the church must explicitly invite and encourage students to consider ordained ministry. I affirm that vocation is larger than occupation; nevertheless, we must put squarely before our young people the possibility that their vocational calling to love God and neighbor might mean a life in the ordained ministry.
Chapter three, “The Chaplain as Rabbi,” is, of course, the campus minister’s call to teach and equip. The teaching of campus ministers, unlike faculty members, is always theocentric, always “searching for ways to proclaim the gospel, to make God known, to point to the connection of the reality of God with all other fields of knowledge.”[15] Campus ministers should seize every opportunity possible to explain, elaborate and challenge. I suspect there are precious few camp counselors, youth leaders and Sunday school teachers who do not know the truth of that statement. Often the most teachable moments are not when everyone is sitting quietly around a table, but rather in the middle of some ridiculous game or while riding in the church van, or walking from one place in the church to another. Then the real questions come forth and the true feelings are stated. It falls in line with a statement I used to make when training youth workers: the only predictable thing about middle school-aged youth is that they are unpredictable! Good campus ministers seize those unpredictable moments to bring forth a word of the gospel.
White is careful (and correct) to emphasize that campus ministers are to teach students and others how to think theologically for themselves. This has been my mantra for some time. In fact, I believe one of the reasons campus ministry has lost its appeal for many students is that they want to move beyond the messy games and energetic music for real substance that will help them make sense of their world now and equip them to make sense of, and make moral decisions in, their world later. Campus ministers can provide moral and ethical frameworks so that as the issues change, the responses can be made in view of the standards and methods needed to make sense of the relationship between self, world and Christian faith.
In chapter four, “The Chaplain as Prophet,” White notes a number of Christian prophets, ranging from biblical examples to Bonhoeffer to King to Romero. He cites William Sloane Coffin as the best known prophetic campus minister. This is the other half of my mantra. In the midst of an academic community, campus ministers are ideally positioned to prod others to deeper engagement of issues that matter; they can, and should, encourage, even challenge, others to ask more honestly how we should respond to the world in which we live. Campus ministers should always complement the cogito ergo sum of a college with amo ergo sum, challenging the community to love as well as think. When that happens, campus ministry will be a place where we have the courage and freedom to ask the biggest questions and imagine the existence of those beyond our own tribe. This courage, freedom and imagination might just give rise to compassion, which might, in turn, help us truly love our neighbors as ourselves.
“Prophecy,” writes White, “can be thought of as a public exposition of a theological position and of telling the truth publicly.”[16] In this light, it is incumbent to carefully discern that about which campus ministers individually or in behalf of their ministry are prophetic. Campus ministers are not, in my view, called to advance the agendas of a political party.
Chapter five, “The Chaplain as Steward,” addresses issues surrounding the campus minister’s use of quantifiable resources, including student leadership, and money. White suggests establishing a strong and active governing body that cooperatively works with but is not chaired by the campus minister. Campus ministries that fail to do this, according to White, are in danger of losing focus on their intended core mission and using their resources unwisely. White gives the example of one campus ministry that deteriorated beyond this to the point of having a campus minister who had “retired on the job.”[17]
White further addresses the stewardship of student leadership, facilities and alumni information. Then, in good Episcopalian fashion, White delves heavily into a conversation os endowment management and fundraising! This section of this chapter is hands down the best money management and fundraising discussion I have ever read in a college ministry related work. White highlights endowment issues and delineates specific fundraising steps.
In chapter six, “The Chaplain as Herald,” White addresses how a campus ministry makes itself known to the campus at large. White turns first to the task of preaching: “Preaching anywhere, but especially in a university setting, is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel if the preacher can manage to avoid two major pitfalls: the temptation to make yourself the hero, or at least the major figure, of most of your sermons; and the temptation to be too clever.”[18] White reminds his readers that sermons on a college campus, as in a congregation, need solid biblical exegesis, sound theology and inspired social concern.
Web sites and internet use, posters and banners, campus paper ads and community announcements, email and instant messaging, brochures and newsletters are all discussed by White as ways to spread the word about the campus ministry’s availability and openness to new people. Finally, White advises weekly meetings with the core student leadership that empowers them to herald the campus ministry story as well.
Chapter seven is titled “The Chaplain as Missionary.” “The university,” writes White, “is a rich mission field, and campus ministry is an expression of the church’s eagerness to be a part of the lives of all those involved with the university.”[19] The campus minister should be passionate about being a missionary to the college and passionate about equipping, educating and engaging others to do the same. This missionary impulse is evident through our words and actions, noting the admonition of Francis to “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”
Bible studies, Habitat service projects, volunteering at local soup kitchens and homeless shelters, inviting dorm mates to church services, and more are ways White suggests campus ministers encourage their students to be missionaries. When we are missionaries, “we will alert first ourselves, and then others, to the universal reign of God.”[20]
The final chapter concerning the campus minister’s functions, “The Chaplain as Pilgrim,” examines how the campus minister is sustained and sustains others on the lifelong journey of faith. In this chapter White goes from preaching to meddling with me! He writes, “The life of a university chaplain can be a model of a balanced life for others. Instead of modeling super achievement, the chaplain as pilgrim can be a person on a deliberate, purposeful spiritual journey….”[21] These, and the ones that follow them, are great words. These are needed words. One more line from White: “If the chaplain’s attempt to live a balanced life is not genuine, not party of the true self and of daily practice, then it quickly will be detected as fraudulent.”[22]
Campus ministers can and should be companions with staff, faculty and students on a spiritual pilgrimage. The markers for this pilgrimage are daily prayer, regular retreats, seeking and providing spiritual direction, maintaining relationships with the church beyond the university, maintaining boundaries with students, staff and faculty, and taking of oneself physically and emotionally. As pilgrims, campus ministers know that the spiritual journey is made in the company of others.
The journey metaphor seems to me an appropriate one to conclude White’s book. It is a metaphor appropriate to my own life. The geography of my life has been varied. At some points weeds grew tall and unruly; at other points everything appeared well manicured. Some valleys and some mountain tops looked like they would never end, but both did. Scary curves and broad hills concealed what was next. Straight roads and flat plains allowed me to go too fast. While the terrain changes in sometimes frustrating ways, I am often reminded that being Christian is less a destination than a journey, so I’ll keep traveling.
Nathan Day Wilson’s email address is Nathan@fccshelby.org
[1] Personal email correspondence dated 8 December 2005 between White and me.
[2] Kenneth Underwood, ed. The Church, the University and Social Policy: The Danforth Study on Campus Ministries (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1969).
[3] Barbara Brummett. The Spiritual Campus: The Chaplain and the College Community (New York: Pilgrim Press, 1990).
[4] White never mentions William Willimon’s Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, but given that Willimon also organizes his book around functions of the ordained minister, the similarities are striking. In fact, reading the two together would be rich for seminarians – and for pastors!
[5] Stephen L. White. The College Chaplain: A Practical Guide to Campus Ministry (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2005), 14.
[6] Ibid, 15.
[7] Ibid, 15.
[8] Ibid, 15.
[9] Ibid, 19.
[10] Ibid, 23.
[11] Ibid, 39.
[12] Ibid, 39.
[13] Ibid, 45.
[14] Ibid, 61.
[15] Ibid, 63.
[16] Ibid, 87.
[17] Ibid, 95.
[18] Ibid, 117.
[19] Ibid, 135.
[20] Ibid, 141.
[21] Ibid, 143.
[22] Ibid, 143.
By Nathan Day Wilson
www.fccshelby.org
Stephen L. White, chaplain of the Episcopal Church at Princeton University and priest associate at Trinity Church in Princeton, has written an excellent book that combines a vision of campus ministry with practical suggestions for building an effective ministry. I was impressed enough with the text that I emailed White to thank him for writing it. In his reply, he wrote, “The book is what I had been looking for, but could not find, when I first started. I hope it is both practical and theologically grounded.”[1] It is, and it is useful for experienced as well as new campus ministers.
After a context-setting and spirited introduction, the book is organized around eight key functions and sets of responsibilities for campus ministers: pastor, priest, rabbi, prophet, steward, herald, missionary, and pilgrim. By structuring his book around specified functions, White places his work in a recognized line of theological reflection on campus ministry. In 1969, Kenneth Underwood’s noteworthy Danforth Study on Campus Ministries identified the priestly, pastoral, governing and prophetic utilitarian modes of campus ministry.[2] Twenty years later, Barbara Brummett, while not discounting the helpful administrative aspects of Underwood’s thesis, suggested four primary roles for campus ministers in their relations with students, staff and facuty: pastor, priest, rabbi, and prophet.[3] White acknowledges the impact of both of these earlier sources and builds on them to develop his eight functional roles for campus ministers.[4]
In his introductory chapter, White describes characteristics of vital campus ministry. The first such characteristic is the proclamation of God’s Word and celebration of the Lord’s Supper. This central act of worship and community-formation is vital, says White, to “our sense of who we are and to our relationship with God.”[5]
Second, campus ministry should be characterized by hospitality; that is, campus ministry needs to provide a physical space where students, staff and faculty can study, socialize and gather for important reasons or no reasons in order to “let down their guard and be themselves, especially when they are hurting or confused.”[6]
Third, campus ministry should be characterized by presence. This is one of the more poignant reminders of White’s characteristics. He writes that “campus ministry is about being around, being available, being seen by being present as a symbol of the presence of, and the immediate availability of, God in our lives.”[7]
Fourth, campus ministry should be characterized by caring for one another. With this characteristic, White moves beyond the fun and games of campus ministry to remind his readers that campus ministry is also about “helping a faculty member who fears appearing to be vulnerable in a competitive environment get through a family crisis.”[8]
Campus ministry should be characterized by service to others, by having fun, by knowing God, and by equipping the saints. This final characteristic is the place where, according to White, we encourage young adults to strengthen their own faith by sharing it with others. We give opportunities for students to preach, to lead worship, to teach Bible study, and involve them in local and national church conventions and other activities. A number of times at the recent Ivy Jungle Conference concern about the disconnect between campus ministry and local congregational ministry was voiced. It is helpful, then, to read of at least one campus minister making a conscious effort to involve students in local and national church activities.
The boldest sentence in White’s introduction is about funding. “Any approach to funding campus ministries other than through restricted endowments of a sufficient size to fund a fulltime chaplain and a meaningful program merely gives lip service to campus ministry and willfully neglects the future vitality of our church,” writes White.[9] He notes other successful models of campus ministry, such as those relying exclusively on volunteers, but insists that the best promise and potential for stable, secure, and successful campus ministry is through stable and secure funding.
Chapter one, “The Chaplain as Pastor,” is about the pastor who “constantly searches for ways to reach not only those students who may want to ‘do church,’ but also those who are alienated from or indifferent to religion. A good chaplain thinks of him or herself as pastor for everyone, not only those who show up for worship services.”[10] White helpfully stresses the need for patience in campus evangelism. This is a lesson many, including me, need to remember. One of the temptations I face in ministry is focusing too much on visible signs of growth and change; reminders that growth is sometimes invisible, or at least temporarily concealed, are needed.
White compares college students in campus ministry to clay pots made by a potter. The biblically aware reader will recognize this as an analogy born of Scripture, namely Jeremiah 18:2-4, which reads
‘Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Writes White, “(The potter) has to be patient and … live with the possibility that there might be some air bubble or a bit of moisture in the clay.”[11] Later White adds to his analogy when he writes that “college students are like pots … (t)hey have to go through fire in order to be strong and to grow and to show all their latent beauty.”[12]
Chapter two, “The Chaplain as Priest,” posits the campus minister’s “main public function is the leading of regular worship.”[13] White discusses the differences between denominational and nondenominational liturgical practices, Taizé worship, and the importance of finding a general style so that every worship service is not brand a mystery of form even to those who regularly participate in the worship services. His lessons apply similarly to congregations; in my present context, for instance, we are innovative with music and placement, and even my preaching style, but we also maintain enough order for worshippers not to feel uneasy. My experience is that when the worship designers change too much too often, it leaves worshippers feeling uneasy and concentrating more on what’s coming next than on worshipping God.
The campus minister, suggests White, is to model the prayer life he or she advises. This practice further helps the campus minister be sure he or she is centering worship and work on God, not on self-celebration or even self-fulfillment. An active prayer life is also important for any minister who is regularly called on to lead spontaneous prayers. In my own experience, I know how hard it can be to draw water from a well that has dried up.
White urges campus ministers to “consider it a part of the office of chaplain to encourage young people to pursue a life of ministry, whether as a layperson or through ordination.”[14] I’m glad he included this exhortation, and I certainly agree with the importance of all Christians – lay and ordained – seeing themselves as ministers, but I wish White’s wording was stronger. We in the church must explicitly invite and encourage students to consider ordained ministry. I affirm that vocation is larger than occupation; nevertheless, we must put squarely before our young people the possibility that their vocational calling to love God and neighbor might mean a life in the ordained ministry.
Chapter three, “The Chaplain as Rabbi,” is, of course, the campus minister’s call to teach and equip. The teaching of campus ministers, unlike faculty members, is always theocentric, always “searching for ways to proclaim the gospel, to make God known, to point to the connection of the reality of God with all other fields of knowledge.”[15] Campus ministers should seize every opportunity possible to explain, elaborate and challenge. I suspect there are precious few camp counselors, youth leaders and Sunday school teachers who do not know the truth of that statement. Often the most teachable moments are not when everyone is sitting quietly around a table, but rather in the middle of some ridiculous game or while riding in the church van, or walking from one place in the church to another. Then the real questions come forth and the true feelings are stated. It falls in line with a statement I used to make when training youth workers: the only predictable thing about middle school-aged youth is that they are unpredictable! Good campus ministers seize those unpredictable moments to bring forth a word of the gospel.
White is careful (and correct) to emphasize that campus ministers are to teach students and others how to think theologically for themselves. This has been my mantra for some time. In fact, I believe one of the reasons campus ministry has lost its appeal for many students is that they want to move beyond the messy games and energetic music for real substance that will help them make sense of their world now and equip them to make sense of, and make moral decisions in, their world later. Campus ministers can provide moral and ethical frameworks so that as the issues change, the responses can be made in view of the standards and methods needed to make sense of the relationship between self, world and Christian faith.
In chapter four, “The Chaplain as Prophet,” White notes a number of Christian prophets, ranging from biblical examples to Bonhoeffer to King to Romero. He cites William Sloane Coffin as the best known prophetic campus minister. This is the other half of my mantra. In the midst of an academic community, campus ministers are ideally positioned to prod others to deeper engagement of issues that matter; they can, and should, encourage, even challenge, others to ask more honestly how we should respond to the world in which we live. Campus ministers should always complement the cogito ergo sum of a college with amo ergo sum, challenging the community to love as well as think. When that happens, campus ministry will be a place where we have the courage and freedom to ask the biggest questions and imagine the existence of those beyond our own tribe. This courage, freedom and imagination might just give rise to compassion, which might, in turn, help us truly love our neighbors as ourselves.
“Prophecy,” writes White, “can be thought of as a public exposition of a theological position and of telling the truth publicly.”[16] In this light, it is incumbent to carefully discern that about which campus ministers individually or in behalf of their ministry are prophetic. Campus ministers are not, in my view, called to advance the agendas of a political party.
Chapter five, “The Chaplain as Steward,” addresses issues surrounding the campus minister’s use of quantifiable resources, including student leadership, and money. White suggests establishing a strong and active governing body that cooperatively works with but is not chaired by the campus minister. Campus ministries that fail to do this, according to White, are in danger of losing focus on their intended core mission and using their resources unwisely. White gives the example of one campus ministry that deteriorated beyond this to the point of having a campus minister who had “retired on the job.”[17]
White further addresses the stewardship of student leadership, facilities and alumni information. Then, in good Episcopalian fashion, White delves heavily into a conversation os endowment management and fundraising! This section of this chapter is hands down the best money management and fundraising discussion I have ever read in a college ministry related work. White highlights endowment issues and delineates specific fundraising steps.
In chapter six, “The Chaplain as Herald,” White addresses how a campus ministry makes itself known to the campus at large. White turns first to the task of preaching: “Preaching anywhere, but especially in a university setting, is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel if the preacher can manage to avoid two major pitfalls: the temptation to make yourself the hero, or at least the major figure, of most of your sermons; and the temptation to be too clever.”[18] White reminds his readers that sermons on a college campus, as in a congregation, need solid biblical exegesis, sound theology and inspired social concern.
Web sites and internet use, posters and banners, campus paper ads and community announcements, email and instant messaging, brochures and newsletters are all discussed by White as ways to spread the word about the campus ministry’s availability and openness to new people. Finally, White advises weekly meetings with the core student leadership that empowers them to herald the campus ministry story as well.
Chapter seven is titled “The Chaplain as Missionary.” “The university,” writes White, “is a rich mission field, and campus ministry is an expression of the church’s eagerness to be a part of the lives of all those involved with the university.”[19] The campus minister should be passionate about being a missionary to the college and passionate about equipping, educating and engaging others to do the same. This missionary impulse is evident through our words and actions, noting the admonition of Francis to “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”
Bible studies, Habitat service projects, volunteering at local soup kitchens and homeless shelters, inviting dorm mates to church services, and more are ways White suggests campus ministers encourage their students to be missionaries. When we are missionaries, “we will alert first ourselves, and then others, to the universal reign of God.”[20]
The final chapter concerning the campus minister’s functions, “The Chaplain as Pilgrim,” examines how the campus minister is sustained and sustains others on the lifelong journey of faith. In this chapter White goes from preaching to meddling with me! He writes, “The life of a university chaplain can be a model of a balanced life for others. Instead of modeling super achievement, the chaplain as pilgrim can be a person on a deliberate, purposeful spiritual journey….”[21] These, and the ones that follow them, are great words. These are needed words. One more line from White: “If the chaplain’s attempt to live a balanced life is not genuine, not party of the true self and of daily practice, then it quickly will be detected as fraudulent.”[22]
Campus ministers can and should be companions with staff, faculty and students on a spiritual pilgrimage. The markers for this pilgrimage are daily prayer, regular retreats, seeking and providing spiritual direction, maintaining relationships with the church beyond the university, maintaining boundaries with students, staff and faculty, and taking of oneself physically and emotionally. As pilgrims, campus ministers know that the spiritual journey is made in the company of others.
The journey metaphor seems to me an appropriate one to conclude White’s book. It is a metaphor appropriate to my own life. The geography of my life has been varied. At some points weeds grew tall and unruly; at other points everything appeared well manicured. Some valleys and some mountain tops looked like they would never end, but both did. Scary curves and broad hills concealed what was next. Straight roads and flat plains allowed me to go too fast. While the terrain changes in sometimes frustrating ways, I am often reminded that being Christian is less a destination than a journey, so I’ll keep traveling.
Nathan Day Wilson’s email address is Nathan@fccshelby.org
[1] Personal email correspondence dated 8 December 2005 between White and me.
[2] Kenneth Underwood, ed. The Church, the University and Social Policy: The Danforth Study on Campus Ministries (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1969).
[3] Barbara Brummett. The Spiritual Campus: The Chaplain and the College Community (New York: Pilgrim Press, 1990).
[4] White never mentions William Willimon’s Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, but given that Willimon also organizes his book around functions of the ordained minister, the similarities are striking. In fact, reading the two together would be rich for seminarians – and for pastors!
[5] Stephen L. White. The College Chaplain: A Practical Guide to Campus Ministry (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 2005), 14.
[6] Ibid, 15.
[7] Ibid, 15.
[8] Ibid, 15.
[9] Ibid, 19.
[10] Ibid, 23.
[11] Ibid, 39.
[12] Ibid, 39.
[13] Ibid, 45.
[14] Ibid, 61.
[15] Ibid, 63.
[16] Ibid, 87.
[17] Ibid, 95.
[18] Ibid, 117.
[19] Ibid, 135.
[20] Ibid, 141.
[21] Ibid, 143.
[22] Ibid, 143.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Vital Ministry
Relating scholarship to faith; prompting us to love as well as think; connecting spiritual passions, social commitments and academic pursuits; engaging the great questions; having fun -- these are the things of college and university ministry.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Presence instead of presents
My latest column, this one about holiday ideas:
http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=58516&SectionID=42&SubSectionID=&S=1
Nathan
http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=58516&SectionID=42&SubSectionID=&S=1
Nathan
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