Living Together in the 21st Century as ELCA Lutherans

The Hein-Fry series of endowed theological lectures is coordinated by ELCA Vocation and Education in cooperation with the eight ELCA seminaries to foster original scholarship and enrich theological dialogue throughout the church. This year's lecturers were the Rev. Dr. Herbert W. Chilstrom (right) and the Rev. Dr. H. George Anderson (left), former presiding bishops of the ELCA. The ELCA’s current presiding bishop, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson (center) served as respondent.

Instant communications and global travel make being together in the 21st century easier than ever. But living together in genuine community remains a complex and even elusive task. We remain a United States, but we also seem fractured into red states and blue, with both scholars and pundits debating whether we are in fact one nation. Our Christian communities are as vibrant as ever, yet we also long for a deeper embrace of life together as the beloved community.

Lutherans in the United States are not exempt from these realities, and challenges to our life together seem to abound. At the same time, Lutheranism in the United States remains vital, with a deep well of resources. The 2006 Hein-Fry Lectures addressed the challenges to “living together in the 21st century as Lutherans in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America” and explored the resources within our tradition for tackling those challenges.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Harry Smith

On the 16th of March, the Rev. Dr. Robert H. Smith, Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor of New Testament died at his home in El Cerrito, California. He had been teaching his class on the Gospels for this semester despite his diagnosis of Leukemia. I encourage you to read about his life at http://www.plts.edu/people/smithobit.html. A faculty search was already underway as Dr. Smith had announced his retirement. The Rev. Dr. David Balch will join the PLTS faculty in the fall.

WELCOME TO KARIN!

PLTS has been fortunate to receive a grant from the Lilly Foundation to do some major development in two of our campus programs. One is the TEEM program: Theological Education for Emerging Ministries. This program is an alternate route to ordination for people who fit a very specific profile. The other is the Admissions Center! What will be most noticeable to you is that Jane Phillips has gone to work full time for the TEEM program which gave us the opportunity to bring Karin Schermerhorn on board as the new administrative assistant in the Admissions Center. Please feel free to send a message of greeting to Karin at admissions@plts.edu. And, of course, she and I are always ready to answer any questions that you have about PLTS.

Southern Swing

As you know, the ELCA Seminary Admissions Directors travel together around the country. We end up spending quite a bit of time on the road and, consequently, have grown quite fond of each other. In fact, we've been on vacation together twice!

In late March, we were in the South for a time. I had the opportunity to preside at worship at Newberry College, visit students and go to a baseball game at the University of Georgia, and have dinner and long conversations with the folks at Clemson University. Many of them were interested in PLTS for seminary in the next year or two. And some are considering our summer program called Faith Active in Love. See our website (www.plts.edu) for more information about that!

California Lutheran University

On Sunday 12 March, I spent time at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. I worshipped with the student community on Sunday night, the 2nd Sunday in Lent, and then spent the evening with the Campus Pastors there, the Revs. Scott and Mellissa Maxwell-Doherty (PLTS Alumni). The next morning, I had the chance to meet with some students who, at various stages, are considering the call to ministry. Pastor Scott gave me his office for the morning and I had the chance to meet with the students there. Then, he walked me around campus to meet the Religion faculty, the Music faculty, the President, and some other administrators. The partnership between CLU and PLTS is a natural one, as we are the centers of Lutheran higher education in California. The partnership is also a delight because of the dedication and ministry of the faculty and staff at both institutions.

Pacifica Synod Discernment Event

I had the pleasure of being in the Pacifica Synod for their Entrance and Discernment Event. It never ceases to amaze me how people hear the call to ministry in different ways. As I led the Bible study that morning, we talked about the calls of Mary, Ananais, Paul, Moses, Samuel, and Jesus. And, in the midst of those stories, people began to catch glimpses of their own stories. It was a good reminder for me that everyone experiences the call of God differently.