Enthused! \in-'thüzd\:

Two weeks ago, Emory and Candler celebrated Earth Day along with millions of people across the globe. You may not know this, but Emory University is one of the leading universities in the country in terms of environmental consciousness and sustainability.

One of the student leaders on Candler’s campus in terms of Greening the seminary and sustainability issues is Alison Amyx (pictured right). In honor of her green activities on campus, Alison, a first-year Master of Theological Studies student, won the Myki Mobley Memorial award at the 2009 Candler Honors Day awards. The Mobley award is given to an MTS student who “demonstrates both academic excellence and significant social concern.”

Alison hosted two events on campus on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22 featuring Dr. Katy Hinman, a 2006 Candler MDiv grad who also holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolution from SUNY Stony Brook. Dr. Hinman is the Executive Director of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), a non-profit group in Atlanta working with faith communities (churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, and other centers) on issues of Creation care and energy conservation.

Earth Day also included a screening of “RENEWAL,” a documentary film about the efforts that faith groups of all stripes around the world working are taking to combat climate change. Click on the image to the left to watch a short clip.

One of the reasons I love working at Emory is its institutional commitment to put energy (no pun intended) and resources into sustainability. Due to the work of Alison and other Emory faculty, staff, and students, Emory has the following green distinctions:

• Earned one of only 11 spots on the Princeton Review’s “2009 Green Rating Honor Roll.”
• More LEED certified building space than any other university in the nation (including the Theology Building, which is in the process of LEED certification)
• Named “2008 Distinguished Conservationist of the Year” by The Georgia Conservancy.
• Offered 129 courses with a sustainability component or focus, including 13 in Theology, Religion, or Philosophy.
• Featured on CNN and CNNU for our green initiatives (see below)

CNN piece, April 22, 2009,on sustainability at Emory

(4 minutes, 24 seconds run time)

CNNU project, April 29, 2009 on student involvement in environmentalism

at Emory. Look for Alison Amyx’s nine- seconds of fame from 1:59-2:08. (3 minutes, 20 seconds run time)

By Brad Schweers (above, second from right):

One of the main reasons I came to Candler was because it was part of Emory University. I was mainly considering the academic resources I would have as a Candler student when I applied, but I soon found another area of Emory’s life to be a source of great joy: Intramurals! As an MTS student, I did not have as many structured classes in which to bond with fellow students. So one main way I bonded with my Candler colleagues was through playing IM sports. I played flag football, softball, and basketball. As an Admissions Advisor now working at Candler, I still play on the Candler soccer, flag football, and softball teams when my schedule allows! We even played a pick-up Ultimate game on Emory’s main quad with some Tibetan Buddhist monks. Long story.

Here are a few other stories of Candler students and alums and their experiences with IMs and athletics at Emory.

Rachel Small (right), MDiv 06
“I played on a Candler softball team for a year and it was great fun! It was a good way to meet Candler folks I might otherwise not have met, and we got to form a good bond as we pounded or got pounded by teams from other Emory schools. (Mostly we got pounded by them, but it was still fun!)”

Cody Case (top, left), MDiv 10
Cody played intramural racquetball this fall, where he and another Candler student finished in the top ten overall. Cody reports, “I made it to semi-finals. Upon arriving, I was promptly demolished by a 60+ year old biology professor.” Cody also finished fourth overall at the Emory Intramural Turkey Trot 2.5 mile run on campus in November with a time of 15:19 (that’s about a 6-minute mile—not bad!)

Cindy Brown (left), MDiv 09
“I’m playing on the Emory Women’s Water Polo club this semester. It’s been great … a definite relief from classes. Great for my physical and mental health, too, Even though I’m about twice the age of anyone else on the team!”

David Lessner, 07
“Intramurals were not only a good way to get people active and exercising, but the teams were a way that I got to meet and talk to others that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Just because two people happen to enjoy soccer or basketball, they can form a friendship, where they might not have met before. Intramurals also helped me to distress and live a healthy life. I studied 100x better after exercising for 2 hours and then studying then I did by studying for 10 hours straight. Overall, it was just simply fun to get out and compete with other grad students, who yes, will make a ton more than us as doctors and lawyers, and on that rare occasion where we hit a 40 yard touchdown pass over the future MD’s and JD’s of the world, we were on top!”

John Hill (left), MDiv 05
“I played intramurals quite a bit at Candler and always had a lot of fun with it. Intramurals were a great chance to get some exercise, strengthen friendships among classmates, meet new people, and get in some healthy competition. I think it also improved our reputation on campus. People often wonder what kind of people attend the theology school – are we holier-than-thou pietists or what? Intramurals helped others see that we were normal – at least mostly! – people just like everyone else.”

Leslie Houseworth, MDiv 10
“I played intramural football in Fall of 2007. I’m a 2nd year MDiv student. Football was a way to bond with my new classmates.”

Keri Olsen, MDiv 11
“ I’m a first year MDiv student and I played co-ed softball. I was interested in playing any type of intramural sport, so talked to a third year during orientation who had mentioned their experience. Candler had already established a softball team but they let me join anyway! I don’t even really have any experience playing softball! I had a great time getting to know second and third years that I may not have met otherwise. Softball was a great way to take a break from reading and meet new friends! Our team wasn’t really very good but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves!”

Brian Tillman, MDiv 11
“I had a blast playing Co-Ed Intramural Basketball this fall. The rules were very fair and made it super important to have the girls score. These are the best rules for co-ed sports!”

Todd McCullough, MDiv 10
“During my time at Candler several of my favorite memories will always be the time I shared with my classmates playing intramural sports. Even though we broke bones and sprained ankles, the bonds we made will last a lifetime. Several of my closest friends at school were the ones I played softball, flag football, or basketball with. For me, it was crucial to take the opportunity to not only get some exercise during study breaks but to meet a few people, some of whom have become my closest friends.”

Jeremy Pridgeon, MDiv
“Several of us from the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference, along with a couple of free agent pick-ups from the South Carolina and Mississippi Conferences (played flag football. We were the “Ministers of Defense” and had a gr
eat time playing and beating up on the undergrads. We even advanced into the playoffs and made a run at the title. At least Emory Intramurals doesn’t have a BCS!”

Eric Sanford, MDiv 07
“Intramurals were a lot of fun at Candler. I played softball, basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, tennis, and football. Intramurals provided me another opportunity to make friends who shared the same interests in sports as I do. We weren’t very good at most of the sports; however, we always had fun. Sometimes we would go out to eat afterward. Sometimes it was more fun just playing basketball on Tuesday nights or frisbee on Friday afternoons. These were good ways to meet people and have a good time. Come to think of it, I probably had more fun just playing around those times instead of the competitions with the other schools.”

Come join us!!!

These days are exciting ones here at Candler and Emory. As of August of this year, we have a brand-new, state-of-the-art theology building as our home. It’s a LEED certified “green” building, meaning it’s one of the most environmentally friendly theology buildings in the world! Emory, by the way, has more square footage of LEED certified building space than any other university in the country. Go Emory!

Here in the Office of Admission and Financial Aid , the most exciting thing we have going on is the announcement of our Leadership Candler scholarship weekend coming up this March. The event will bring together top prospective Master of Divinity students from across the country and the world to Candler’s campus at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Prospective students will be considered for all of Candler’s top awards, including the Woodruff Fellowships and the Pitts Scholarships, among others. Scholarships range from full tuition awards to our tops awards, which include up to full tuiti
on, fees, plus a $10,000 per year stipend!

Candler will pay all of your travel and accommodation expenses for Leadership Candler. So if you or someone you know is looking at a world-class theological education, have a record of academic excellence, service, and leadership, and are committed to being a leader in the church and the world in the 21^st century, you’ve got to check out Leadership Candler!

A top-notch theological education just became more affordable! Come to Candler. Come to Emory.

On Wednesday, November 5, 2008, Candler was proud to host a talk and discussion with Dr. David Gushee and Abbas Barzegar (Dr. Gushee left below; Abbas Barzegar right) about torture and American Christianity and how this issue shapes the impression of the United States in the Muslim world. Dr. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA. Abbas Barzegar is a PhD candidate in Emory’s Graduate Division of Religion and is teaching Introduction to Islam at Candler this semester. The lunch-time gathering drew about 55 Candler faculty, staff, students and visitors.

Dr. Gushee is an Evangelical Christian, a recognized scholar in the field, a highly visible public figure in the torture debate, as well as President of Evangelicals for Human Rights. Gushee began by stating that the revelation of the mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib was a symbolic, triggering event that brought out Church leaders to speak out against the U.S. government’s use of torture. Gushee went on to say that he, as an Evangelical leader, worked with other Christian leaders on drafting a pan-Christian resolution straightforwardly repudiating the use of torture by the United States. Yet some major Evangelical Christian leaders, such as James Dobson and Charles Colson, refused to join in the call.

Gushee was critical of the moves by the Bush Administration to, among other things, redefine what is and is not torture, to institute “new interrogation protocols” (code for expanding the number of cruel techniques that the U.S. government can use on detainees), and finally to block the release of information regarding the practices that the United States uses to interrogate detainees.

Among Gushee’s recommendations to the leadership of this country regarding torture, I found the two to be most simple and yet most powerful. First, to remind our government that Torture is a Moral Issue. Simple as that. Second, The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) suggests that the United States adopt an position called The “Golden Rule” principle, which states simply: “We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers.” As Christians, even in difficult times and in dire straits, we need to stick to our Christian Principles and “do unto others as we would have them do unto us,” (Matthew 7:12 ; Luke 6:31) even regarding interrogation techniques!

Abbas Barzegar gave some wonderful reflections on how the United States’ use of torture has affected the Muslim world and the Middle East. Barzegar stated that the pictures that emerged from Abu Ghraib unfortunately confirmed the fears that many Muslims and Middle Easterners already had about the United States. Namely, that, while speaking about moral leadership in the world and seeming to champion democracy and human rights, the US was acting in deeply and horrifically hypocritical ways. On a hopeful note, though, Barzegar relayed that the Muslim world is willing to believe in the ideals of America and that America can once again be a leader in human rights. The hope is that the torture, deceptions, and cover-ups that have taken place under the Bush Administration will be part of an isolated, though dark, chapter in American history never to be repeated.

“Same old place, same Old City, What can I do, I’m falling in love…” Atlanta, our muse, is the topic yet again of our blog. Here’s more about the Atlanta we love.

Todd McCullough,
Third-Year MDiv Student

Todd is a North Carolinian, a Pfeiffer University grad, and an all-around jovial bloke.

Todd’s Five Favorite Things About Atlanta

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Site

Atlanta’s most famous son Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and raised in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, one of the country’s first middle-class African American neighborhoods. The area around King’s birth-home and Ebenezer Baptist Church has been designated a National Historic Site. Go when you have at least 2-3 hours to take in the “Courage to Lead” civil rights exhibits, The King Center with Martin and Coretta’s tombs, and a tour of historic Ebenezer.

2. Stone Mountain Park
Todd says going to Stone Mountain makes him feel like he’s in the mountains, and yet is only 10 miles east of the city. The mountain itself is 825 feet tall and the park covers 583 acres. The carved surface of the mountain is larger than a football field. Go any time of the day or night—closing time is 11 pm—to walk, bike, or jog the 5 miles around the mountain, or take a picnic and eat on the lake at the Grist Mill. There’s also a wacky laser show—a “cultural event” as Todd puts it. Well said, Todd.

3. Euclid Avenue Yacht Club
“For an eclectic mix and a taste of Atlanta flair”, Todd goes to Little 5 Points (a.k.a “Little 5”, sometimes written [but never spoken] as “L5P”) and the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club. The Yacht Club is neither anywhere near a body of water nor a destination for anyone who would likely go to an actual yacht club. So leave your docksiders, J/30 polo shirts, and Croakied sunglasses slung backwards around your neck at home and grab a beer and a ¼ lb. Original Yacht Dog (for omnivores) or a Black Bean Burrito (for veg folks). EAYC is the place to have a drink and watch the L5P Halloween Parade.

4. Ms. Ann’s Ghetto Burgers
The Wall Street Journal voted the Ghetto Burger at Ann’s Snack Shack best hamburger in America! Ann is not the Soup Nazi, but Todd makes sure to keep on her good side. It’s her shack, she’s got great food and dedicated regulars, and she only does things her way. Period. Or you’re out! Located on Memorial Drive on Atlanta’s east side, Ann makes every paddy to order so be prepared to wait up to 2-3 hours. But it’s worth it!

5. Intramurals at Emory
Todd is the unofficial intramural captain for Candler. Candler plays in the grad/faculty/staff division and typically fields multiple teams in softball, flag football, basketball, and soccer. Teams are co-ed and unisex, so check in with Todd if you’re interested in playing! This past spring, Hand of God, our soccer team, went into the playoffs ranked #2, but was upset by the med school in the semifinals.

Deborah van der Lande, Admissions Assistant

A native Atlantan, Deborah is a mother of three great kids and has been working at Candler for almost a year.

Deborah’s Five Favorite Things About Atlanta

1. Something old, something new
Deborah has lived in Atlanta for a few years and has seen much progress and many changes. And yet Deborah also appreciates old standards that haven’t changed a bit, like Evans Fine Foods in Decatur—that still has the same benches from when she went there for breakfast as a kid—and the DeKalb Farmers Market, which has changed location in the past 25 years, but retains its original flair.

2. Concerts at Chastain Park
There are many places to see great concerts in Atlanta, but there’s only one place to sit outside under the stars and enjoy the music with your picnic dinner and wine—Chastain. Deborah has seen Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Diana Ross, and last week caught Earth, Wind & Fire with her daughter Heather.

3. International Flavor
Well before the world came to Atlanta for the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta has been an international city. Metro Atlanta is home to the world’s busiest airport and 49 international consulates. For international cuisine, try Buford Highway for Chinese, Korean, or Japanese, Cheshire Bridge for authentic Italian, and Memorial Drive for Jamaican/Caribbean.

4. Arts and Museums
Among all of the artistic offerings in Atlanta, Deborah particularly likes arts offerings at Emory University, The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO)—the ASO has been known to collaborate with likes of the
Indigo Girls and Wynton Marsalis—the Atlanta Opera, the High Museum—host to Friday Jazz on the third Friday of every month, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum.

5. Brio Tuscan Grille
Deborah loves this Tuscan take on an Italian trattoria. Dressed up or dressed down, Deborah enjoys the terrace dining at the Buckhead location, and recommends the Veal Marsala Clasico, the Chicken Limone, or the Wild Mushroom Risotto.

Candler School of Theology at Emory University was well represented at General Conference of The United Methodist Church. General Conference meets every four years, and is the international decision-making body of the denomination. It met from April 23-May 2, 2008 in Fort Worth, TX, and we had members of the Candler community active in all aspects of the conference, from delegates, to singers and dances, to pages and marshals. In fact, Dr. Darryl Stephens, Visiting Assistant Professor of Christian Social Ethics and Acting Director of Methodist Studies, even lead a class of Candler students to General Conference as they got to experience United Methodist polity live and in person.

Check out this photo blog of the journey of the Candler Singers, one of Candler’s choirs, which sings every Tuesday in chapel and represents Candler on tours throughout the school year.

Candler Singers offer back rubs to one another as they warm up for their noonday concert at General Conference on Monday, April 28, 2008.

Liturgical dancer Parker Diggory, Master of Divinity student at Candler School of Theology, dances during morning worship at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Parker is a student at Candler School of Theology. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. April 26, 2008.

Liturgical dancer Julie Songer dances during morning worship at the 2008 United Methodist General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Songer is a student at Candler School of Theology. A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. April 26. 2008.

Candler Singers help lead a 120-member student choir, from nearly 30 United Methodist-related schools, on April 28 at the Higher EducationCcelebration Dinner at the Fort Worth Convention Center, site of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. A UMNS photo by Ronny Perry. April 29, 2008.

Candler Singers lead the procession on to the stage at the Higher Education Celebration Dinner on Monday, April 28, 2008.

Candler Singers and some of Candler’s liturgical dances perform April 28 at the Higher Education Celebration Dinner, along with students from other United Methodist institutions, held at the Fort Worth Convention Center, site of the 2008 United Methodist General Conference. A UMNS photo by Ronny Perry. April 29, 2008.

For more information about Candler School of Theology, visit our website at www.candler.emory.edu, or email the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at candleradmissions@emory.edu. In addition, you can call us at 404.727.6326, or learn more about the admissions process at Candler by clicking here. Look for my profile on Facebook (Candler Intern-Theology) and the Candler School of Theology Group at www.facebook.com.

There is snow falling outside and students buying textbooks at the Cokesbury Bookstore inside. On the eve of the first day of classes for the spring semester at Candler, deep in the south, here in Atlanta, Georgia, as kids rejoice at the possibility of a snow day, Candler students pack their schoolbags, finalize their schedules, and prepare for the semester. Candler School of Theology is back in business. Classes resumed on Thursday, January 17, 2008, and seniors could not be more thrilled! They are two days closer to graduation.

For the next two weeks, the blog will feature two of our graduating Master of Divinity seniors as they begin their final semester of seminary. I hope you will hear and feel the celebration in Sheila Elliott’s words as you read below.

Everything is in. All of my commissioning papers, Bible study, sermon, security check, credit check, applications for CPE, and a fall semester full of take homes, sermons, and papers. I am surrounded by piles of paper and there are various books strewn about. As I prepare to leave Candler I am reminded of my first semester and how long three years seemed at the time. I was financially, socially, and personally looking into the unknown. Dr. Teresa L. Fry Brown, Associate Professor of Homiletics, preached during worship at my Candler orientation, and even now, her words ring in my ears – “you can do this!” Her words soothed my uncertainty and gave me the lift I needed to begin the journey. I contemplated returning to my home and career during the spring semester of my first year, but the words of my pastor prepared me to remain for the duration. So, I stayed, and I am incredibly glad and thankful that I did.

A famous player in the Negro Baseball League once said that it’s alright to look back just don’t stare. Pursuing theological education and accepting one’s call into the ministry requires looking down the road that is ahead, not staring at what was left behind. I decided to commit to the journey and to the Candler community, opting not to squint in order to see the end. I decided instead to focus on where I was at the time. A good look at Candler revealed challenges, of course, but what I have seen and experienced at Candler has truly blessed me. I have enjoyed the fellowship and friendship.

The thought that there will come a day when I won’t see Maxine, Wilbur, Kirstyn, Steve, Sarah, Marlo, Anna, Greg and others or say something sassy to Sonja is almost unimaginable. I will miss worship and to some extent community lunch, but I know that my journey here is coming to an end and I’m ready. I know that I am leaving a place I have come to cherish and folks I have grown to love. But I’m ready. Being ready isn’t primarily about no longer wanting to be a student or having grown weary of papers and exams. Readiness is about the pull of what one is being called to do. I don’t feel as if I’m being pushed out of Candler, but drawn into that which I have been prepared and called to do. I know that there are lessons still to learn, and leaving is bittersweet, I’m just thankful that I was able to come to a place that now feels like home.

Sheila Elliott was born into a military family in South Carolina, and she has lived aboard since she was four years old. Sheila has a PhD in International Relations from the University of South Carolina, and she taught in higher education for 20 years both at Columbia College and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Sheila is currently a graduating senior Master of Divinity student at Candler School of Theology, and she hopes to get commissioned as a probationary elder in the South Carolina Annual Conference in June, 2008.

Just as Dr. Teresa Fry Brown preached, you can do this; you can go to seminary; you can come to Candler. For more information about Candler School of Theology, visit our website at www.candler.emory.edu, or email the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at candleradmissions@emory.edu. In addition, you can call us at 404.727.6326, or learn more about the admissions process at Candler by clicking here. Look for my profile on Facebook (Candler Intern-Theology) and the Candler School of Theology Group at www.facebook.com.

Sure, it may have been long and grueling days, but it was one of my all time favorite classes at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. I may have had several hundred pages of reading to complete each night, that put an end to my social calendar for two weeks, but, like I mentioned before, it was one of the best classroom experiences of my Candler career. I may have sacrificed the final two weeks of my Christmas and winter break in order to take the class and earn my three credits, but I would not have wanted it any other way.

We all have those classes, professors, and experiences that leave us feeling so enriched and excited about learning, life, and, for me, ministry. The class, “Church and Community Leadership,” with Dr. David Jenkins, Director of the Faith and the City Program, Lecturer in Church and Community, which I took during January Term, also known as “J-Term” at Candler, is the very class I am referring to. Like other J-Term classes at Candler, the class was an all-day intensive course that covered a semester’s worth of material in just under two weeks at the beginning of January.

I know you must be thinking that that sounds like torture, but it truly was one of my favorite classes at Candler. Because we had all day to focus solely on the course, we took several field trips around the Atlanta area. We visited community centers and churches and met with community organizers who are putting the theories of the class, like Asset-Based Community Development and Training for Transformation, into practice. The class was set up like a workshop, and was small enough that we could really get to know one another as classmates and partners in ministry. In many ways, it was a mystical two weeks of collaborative learning and in-depth study, which, when complete, left me with long lasting friendships and relationships with both my peers and the professor.

This J-Term is just as full and dynamic as the J-Term I experienced a few years ago. We have two study abroad opportunities. One of the study abroad classes is through the World Methodist Evangelism Institute with Dr. L. Wesley de Souza, the Bishop Arthur J. Moore Associate Professor of the Practice of Evangelism, to Paraguay in which students will be in conversation with church leaders of the country to learn how they do evangelism. The other trip is called “The Church on the Border,” in which Dr. David Jenkins guides students along the Mexico and United States border to examine the realities of border life, immigration policy, the history of border relations and immigration vis a vis the life of the church on the border, as participates stay with Mexican families and in community centers. Just like my own J-Term experience in Church and Community Leadership, Dr. Jennie Knight’s, the Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Education and Community Ministries, class, “Religious Education as Formation and Transformation,” is using two of its class days for field trips, including a trip to The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. I had a chance to glance at this class’s syllabus, which makes me want to drop everything and audit the class so I, too, can soak up this enriching experience.

While there are a few classes that allow you to travel and take you outside the classroom walls, many students use J-Term as a chance to lighten the load for their spring semester or to take denominational classes like church polity or doctrine. Parker Diggory, Master of Divinity Middler, is currently enrolled in “Presbyterian Polity.” Parker says, “I’m thankful that Candler provides opportunities for students from different denominations to learn about their own traditions. The unique, intense time frame, allows us to work with a pastor from the Atlanta area who wouldn’t be available to teach a longer semester.” Not only do our Presbyterian students have class options, but Rev. David W. Key, Director of Baptist Studies, is teaching “Baptist Traditions and Church Praxis,” during J-Term as well. While I have not mentioned all the J-Term classes, there are others that may be calling your name loud enough that you are willing to start school two weeks earlier than many of your fellow students. It is a creative way to take a class, work on some of your ordination requirements, or get to know other students and faculty in a smaller, more intensive setting.

The spring semester will begin on January 17, 2008, with Opening Convocation, a new slate of classes, and many ways for the Candler students, faculty, and staff to be in community with one another. All these exciting learning opportunities may have you wishing you were enrolled at Candler. Believe me; it is the place to be for theological education and formation. For more information about Candler School of Theology email the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at candleradmissions@emory.edu. In addition, you can call us at 404.727.6326. Look for my profile on Facebook (Candler Intern-Theology) and the Candler School of Theology Group at www.facebook.com.

The Rev. Shonda Jones is our Guest Blogger this week. Shonda is an elder in The United Methodist Church and serves at the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. A native of Dallas, she spends her quiet time with the four fish tanks that adorn her Atlanta-area home and her loud time cheering on her beloved Dallas Cowboys. Shonda also serves as Assistant Pastor of Clarkston United Methodist Church in Clarkston, Georgia.

“New Year – New You”

During this time of year, we are all busy making resolutions, starting things anew, and setting goals. Some of the newness and vigor that comes with the New Year, will likely lead to some resolutions being fulfilled; yet some goals will fall by the way side. As I reflect on the start of 2008, I choose not to focus on more resolutions. Rather, I have decided to focus on those things that I know are steadfast. Don’t get me wrong – I have goals that I look forward to tackling with the New Year. I will attend to them and make sure that I maintain some discipline in trying to achieve them. I will try to keep to my resolutions and remain true to the new commitments made. However, if past years are any indication, I should be a little worried at the outcome of some of my New Year’s resolutions. So this year will be a little different. I will focus more on the things that will not fade with time. Those things that are steadfast. The things that last in spite of what we do. Things like God’s steadfast love, grace, and mercy.

I am currently attending the United Methodist Racial/Ethnic Clergywomen’s Consultation in Los Angeles, California. During our opening worship service, Bishop Minerva G. Carcano (the first Hispanic woman elected bishop in The United Methodist Church) spoke on our theme, “Rising from our Common Ground” and referenced Isaiah 43:19. As I listened to the God’s Word — “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?…” I thought how appropriate that the text points us to the brand new thing that God is doing and not so much on what we are doing. I listened, prayed silently, and gleaned new insight as I experienced God’s presence during Communion. I received the words of our celebrants, Bishop Leontine T.C. Kelly (the second woman and the first African American woman elected bishop in The United Methodist Church) and Bishop Violet L. Fisher (the first African American woman elected bishop from the Northeastern Jurisdiction). As I sat among other colleagues in ministry as we worshipped together, I nodded my head in the affirmative – Yes, God is doing a new thing among these powerful women of God and among us all!

Will I continue to set new goals and pronounce resolutions with the passing of each New Year? Sure. But I will always remember that though I may waiver, those things that are steadfast – God’s love, grace, and mercy– can gird me up in new ways because God is indeed doing a new thing! Can you not perceive it?

You may be sensing that God is doing a new thing in your life, which may be leading you towards seminary. If you would like to discuss your discernment and vocational options in the Candler context, please contact us in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at candleradmissions@emory.edu, call us at 404.727.6326. Candler is also on www.facebook.com and we invite you to join our facebook group called Candler School of Theology-Emory University.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Shelly Hart 02T is our Guest Blogger this week, and offers both a former student as well as a financial aid perspective to life and learning here at Candler. Shelly began working in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid as a Candler student and after graduating continues to work here, now as Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. A native of Oklahoma, she and her husband Mark, along with their son Conner, two cats and a dog, call Atlanta home and are active members of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Grant Park.

A dozen years ago at Christmastime, I was fervently writing my seminary applications. Candler School of Theology, Emory University, which I only knew on paper, was my first choice among the four or five United Methodist schools I was considering. I was looking for a school that would challenge me academically and stretch me personally, spiritually, and socially. Most of all, I wanted to go to seminary in a place that would take seriously the joining of mind and heart, classroom learning and hands on practical experience. I wanted a place to call home for the next three years of my life that would prepare me for the rest of my life. I’d seen the gorgeous Emory campus on a road trip through Atlanta a few years before and I’d read the Candler catalog front to back. On paper, Candler looked like “the one”, but my experience with selecting my undergraduate school told me that you have to spend a bit of time experiencing a place before you can really know if it fits you.

A few months later, I came to Candler in person for a visit. The incarnation of Candler was, for me, even better than the theoretical Candler I knew from reading about it. Students were warm and encouraging. Faculty asked me questions that made me feel like they were genuinely interested in me and in the students they taught (and these were people who had authored some of my undergraduate text books!). The staff directed me to the places and people who would help me find the answers to my personal questions about Candler and about seminary in general. The other prospective students I met were delightful people of all ages, denominations, and backgrounds, and I knew that I would be blessed indeed if they were with me on my seminary journey. Finally, the more I heard about Candler’s focus on integrating practical learning and experience with academic excellence, the more I knew that I had found the place for me.

Candler did not disappoint me. From the day I arrived, I was surrounded by a community of teachers and learners who welcomed me and pushed me to grow. My thirst for hands on learning was fed by my experience in a community agency during my first year, in local church settings, and in classes on urban ministry, women in ministry, pastoral care, and more throughout my time at Candler. My professors were excellent scholars and teachers in their fields. Outside the classroom, I experienced worship and community life that enriched my experience at the time and that continue to inform my life.

Now, over ten years since I came to Candler for my own new student orientation, I am pleased to be part of the team that assists prospective students in moving from that Christmas break filled with application writing to matriculation at Candler School of Theology. The main focus of my own work is to help students find the funding resources needed to make their Candler education affordable. I benefited from these resources when I was a student and now I am able to help others find the opportunities for scholarships, grants, and work that, in partnership with churches, family resources, and others, will pay for a Candler education. I look forward to getting to know you as you plan for funding your future.

If you are considering Candler, I hope you will plan a visit to campus. At this time of year when we celebrate the incarnation of God in Christ, begin planning a spring visit to the schools you are considering. Your seminary education should take place in an incarnation of community that will enfold and welcome you as well as engage and challenge you. Candler was that place for me. If you think it may be that place for you as well, I hope you will come and join us and find out for yourself how rewarding this part of your journey can be.

Please contact us in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at candleradmissions@emory.edu, call us at 404.727.6326, bookmark our website on your computer for further exploration about the seminary. Candler is also on Facebook, and we would love for you to join the Candler School of Theology Group at www.facebook.com.