teaching theologians are al so widely in demand for speaking and consulting beyond their campuses in con- gregations, synodical gatherings, at camps and retreats, and in other settings. While seminar y
MARTIN LUTHER ENGRAVED BY C.E. WAGSTAFF/SHUTTERSTOCK
meetings to coordinate courses and ensure a rounded education for all students. Papers and exams must be evaluated—in undergraduate and graduate courses these tend to be lengthy essays that can’t be graded by a machine or simple review of true/ false or fill-in-the-blank answers. Student advising is another demand- ing (and rewarding) aspect of a pro- fessor’s vocation as we seek to give attention to each future pastor’s or other minister’s vocational, personal and spiritual formation. For those who teach in higher
education, ongoing scholarship is also expected. Typically this involves research and writing articles, chap- ters or complete books in a profes- sor’s field of study. While some of this intensive academic work may be accomplished during sabbaticals (these aren’t work-free vacations!), professors must also squeeze in hours for study, keeping abreast of devel- opments in their fields and writing amid their many other tasks. Those we regard as the church’s
professors’ vocations look similar in many ways to those of col- leagues in college and university settings, their callings are even more diverse and demanding in certain ways. Candidacy com- mittees, which nurture and examine ministerial
candidates’ readiness to serve, value a seminary faculty member’s presence to aid in this all-important discern- ment. An entire seminary faculty assesses all students and must sign off prior to their approval for ordina- tion, consecration or commissioning to one of the church’s public ministry rosters. In so many ways, therefore, fac-
ulty members bear enormous influ- ence and responsibility for how the church’s ministerial ranks will look in the future. To faithfully fulfill these responsibilities, we must stay in close touch with broad societal trends, as well as current realities in congre- gations, social ministry organiza- tions and other arms of the church’s mission.
Occasionally provocative In the spirit of a series title “Deeper understandings,” theologians are afforded more time than is available for many to “read, mark and inwardly digest” Scripture, our confessional heritage and the church’s teachings.
This may sometimes be like deep- sea diving instructors urging others to explore new depths of the faith. The deeper you go, the darker it gets and the greater pressure builds. It shouldn’t be surprising if our teach- ing theologians are provocative on occasion. Rather than rejecting out of hand fresh perspectives that may at times feel jarring and new, we can continue to ponder prayer- fully a theologian’s assertions and conclusions. As a young pastor, I was called to
serve on the staff of the late Stanley E. Olson, who served as bishop of a large West Coast territory. At nearly every pastor’s installation service, Olson would pose a provocative question to the congregation: “When will the day come that you should urge your new pastor to leave and take another call?” After allowing a few moments for the shocked members to recover from a question they never expected on such an occasion, the bishop would answer his own question: “You should ask her or him to leave you when you realize you go home after worship every Sunday and find your- self in agreement with everything the pastor said in the sermon.” Olson’s point was that growing in
the faith involves being stretched in new directions. Going deeper often involves discomfort, a more stressful environment, embracing an unfamil- iar context and learning to not just survive but thrive outside one’s com- fort zone. Let’s see just how deep into God’s
ways and wisdom we might delve together in the months ahead. We’ll take on the currently much-debated matter of immigration reform next month as José David Rodriquez, a professor at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, explores a the- ology of migration.
January 2015 15
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