Upcoming Fall Lectures at LPTS

The Church’s vital ministries of evangelism and justice will be the focus of the 2010 Edwards-Presler Lectures at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, October 21, 2010, as two church scholars and leaders present their ideas at the intersection of faith and the transformation of the world. 

This year's lectures will be especially poignant with the recent death of George Riley Edwards, long-time Professor of New Testament at the seminary in whose honor, along with his wife Jean, the lectureship was established 24 years ago.  George was a fearless and tireless advocate of peace and racial justice. 

On Thursday evenin g, October 21, at 7 p.m. in the seminary chapel, the Edwards Lecture will be given by Dr. Milburn Thompson of Bellarmine University, a self-professed admirer and supporter of Dr. Edwards' activist ministry.  Thompson will address the Church’s response to faithful stewardship and care of the earth and creation from a Roman Catholic perspective. Initiated in part by Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 World Day of Peace message on this topic, the Bellarmine University professor will explore the Church’s environmental ethic to be peacemakers with Earth.

 The Presler Lecture will be given at 11:30 on Thursday morning, October 21, by a son of the honorees of the lectureship, Canon Titus Presler. In his lecture, Presler will focus on the shadow cast by 9/11 on Afghanistan, Iraq, and Muslim-Christian relations and how competing claims such as secularization and religious extremism affect a theology of mission. He cites the Taliban’s massacre of Christian missionaries in Afghanistan and the debate about the “ground zero mosque” as the most recent “signs of hardening stances amid many calls for respectful dialogue.”

Church as a Creative and Life-Giving Institution



Image of trash compateer rom: letsgetgreen.files/wordpress.com

 I've been reflecting on the lives of several friends who have been part of the church, mostly at the denominational level whose lives have been crushed by the organizational/personnel machine-like culture of their denomination.  Many of them (not all, of course) are still un-employed or under-employed and operating at a kind of "post traumatic stress" level as a result of the way they have been "handled" by the church's power structures. 

When we treat the human resources of the church like so many machine parts that can be removed and thrown away, the church loses its soul.

Reflecting on my own vocation, my own "quest print" I realized that my life question is How can I help the church be organized in ways that are creative and life-giving. 

Join me in committing to making whatever level of the church as an organization you have some influence over more creative and life-giving for its members and staff.  Help hold leaders accountable for policies about hiring, recognition, motivation, pay-scales that are equitable, and termination policies that are just and humane. 

Fall Bible Study--Lay Institute of Theology

Rev. John Gulden, Fall Bible Study Leader

Now is the time to sign up for Fall Bible Study which begins next Wednesday. 

“The Reign of God”



Much of the Bible pertains to the establishment of nations and governance by rulers. In fact, the one topic that is addressed by Jesus more than any other is the Roman Empire and competing claims for our allegiance. Our objectives will be to explore the story of Israelite kings, the nature of empires and their rulers, and the competing claims presented by "the reign of God", known also by many other names throughout the Bible. We will also dare to wrestle with contemporary issues of Church and State and their spiritual implications, and to grow in faith as we consider once again our citizenship in this mysterious and radical "reign of God".



DATES: Wednesday Mornings September 22, & 29, October 6, 13, 20, Nov 3;


TIME: 10:30 to 12:00 a.m.


FACULTY: John Gulden


Pastor-scholar John Gulden served as Pastor of Briargate Presbyterian Church and is currently serving as at “at home father” for his two children in Old Louisville. A member at large of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery, he also is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.) General Assembly Committee on Representation. Other interests include baseball reading on the front porch, grilling out, attending farmers markets, and eating Graeter’s ice cream.


PLACE: Laws Lodge


COST: $40 Register online or at first class

Dates for Next Year's EQ-HR Seminar at LPTS

2010 Emotional Intelligence and Human Relations Lab (LPTS Photo)

SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR!
Louisville Seminary's Emotional Intelligence and Human Relations Seminar
August 23-27.



Among this year's participants pictured above were ten master's level students, four Doctor of Ministry Students and ten ministers/church leaders taking the seminar as a Lifelong Learning experience.  Many of them told us what a transforming experience it was.  Rev. Steve Huston from New York said: "I'm thankful that I was able to spend a week with you at the EQ-HR workshop in Louisville." 

We've heard from others who could not make it this year but are looking forward to next year.  Thus we're announcing the date far in advance.

Tuition is not finalized for next year.  This year it was $775 for Lifelong Learning participants. 

Go to the website for the EQ-HR Center for more information:  eqhrcenter.org/

Call me for more information:  800-264-1839, ext 372.

We'll open registration next April.

David

Thriving in the Pastorate

I just opened the invitation from the Oates Institute for the fall Gathering and was reminded of the new "Pastors Workshop" being offered this year. Richard L. Hester (pictured here, and J. Michael Hester, pastoral counselors from North Carolina, will be leading the workshop on "From Surviving to Thriving in the Pastorate." The date is September 23, 8:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m., at Deer Park Baptist Church, 1733 Bardstown Road, In Louisville. Dick Hester is also an author in the Alban Institute book Know Your Story and Lead with It: The Power of Narrative in Clergy Leadership. I'll be reviewing that book for the Oates Journal soon. But this is a worthwhile workshop for pastors. To register call 502-459-2370, or go to www.oates.org. Cost is $40 (includes lunch). Tell them I sent you!

If it weren't for the honor of it..Beck's Rally

Glen Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally was a fascinating exercise in how we deal with change in this country. We either look forward and declare our intention to "be the change we want to see' (Gandhi), or we look in the rear view mirror and declare our loyalty to what used to be. The rally was carefully managed to "avoid" political commentary, but they forgot that the language one uses conveys a great deal about one's power and privilege. The extensive use of the word "God," along with consistent identification of that word as a masculine being revealed what Sam Keen calls "the gravitational pull of the political ideologies implicit in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam" (In the Absence of God: Dwelling in the Presence of the Sacred, Harmony Books, 2010). The implied loyalty to the privilege and power of European-Americans, and their lock on the values of the past was evident. I believe we must always be cautious when someone uses the word "God" with the assumption that "everybody knows what we mean when we say that word." The mystery of God can never be fully held in a word. Even the word "honor" has ambiguities. It can refer to moral integrity, but it also can refer to power and privilege. Power and privilege that are not held accountable are not honorable. As the fellow said about his experience of being ridden out of town on a rail: "If it weren't for the honor of it, I'd just as soon have walked."

Six Places Still Open for Emotional Intelligence Lab

Roy Oswald and I invite you to register now for this summer's best leadership development opportunity anywhere. The EQ-HR workshop is an experiential laboratory for improving your emotional intelligence in a safe and supportive small group environment.

The cost is $775, which includes access to the BarOn 360 degree survey on emotional intelligence which you will use confidentially to set your own learning goals around the four areas of emotional intelligence as described by Daniel Goleman.

Most of the time of the workshop is spent in small unstructured groups of about ten with two experienced and wise group facilitators in each group.

See the Louisville Seminary Website, click on the button at the bottom of the Home Page that looks like the banner above, for more information and a link to register online:

http://www.lpts.edu/.

Call me if you want more information. 502-992-9372.

David