Issue 191 2009 10.23

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kairoj kairos A Weekly Newspaper Invite to Write

Reason to Celebrate

Stella Burkhalter shares a reflection from her directed study.

Roy Cotton, spouse of Karen Cotton is honored for his work at Manos de Cristo

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Extensions of an Olive Branch Editor Mary Elizabeth Prentice reflects on peace, unity, community and identity.

Corpus Christi Student Group Corpus Christi issues a challenge to the community.

Issue 191, Oct. 26 - Oct. 30, 2009 Capital Campaign Listening Project Campus Improvements Vice President for Business Affairs presents improvements made to the campus .

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Unfortunately The Listening Project has been cancelled.

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The Fourth I love you:

My daughter thinks it’s weird that we say “I love you” to each other in seminary. She heard me say it as I hung up the phone with a classmate once, and it caught her Stella Burkhalter is a Senior MDiv student completing a directed study attention. “I didn’t know you were talking to Dad,” she at a Methodist Church in Austin. had said. “I wasn’t,” was my reply. When I realized she wanted an explanation, I said, “That’s just the way we are It snuck up on me, for it was so unexpected. I had just with each other in seminary.” I had forgotten how done something deliberately silly at the church dinner and countercultural that is. in response, one of the teenagers laughed and said, “I love you, Stella!” Just like that. Matter of fact. She barely When I remembered Lisa’s farewell, I remembered that I knows me. Plus, what I had done wasn’t all that funny. I had seen Shane on campus and he had noticed that I was had spent most of that day in the depths of a pity party, having a rough day. He had changed course and veered and that “I love you” from such an unlikely source finally from the sidewalk, deciding a wave from afar was not jarred me out of it. sufficient. “I love you,” he had said as he hugged me, as if we had been best friends forever instead of people who I thought about it for a minute and I realized that wasn’t had had one class together last year. I was grateful for the the first time that day someone had said, “I love you” to person he is. me. Earlier I had gone to campus to meet my spiritual direction group and I hung around afterwards, reluctant “That’s three ‘I love you’s in one day, not counting the to leave my indispensable source of strength. As I walked ones from my husband and kids,” I thought to myself. away, Lisa called out, “I love you!” And then I remembered there had been another. The drama of the day had prompted a phone call to the pastor © 2009 Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

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who had been my SPM supervisor. I had called to ask for donated his time to help configure the computers her advice, and as usual, she had ended the call by prior to the start of classes, as well as volunteer at saying, “I love you.” Coupled with Lisa, Shane and my the Back to School program in August. SPM supervisor, the young woman from church made four “I love you’s.” I had been hearing “I love you” all day long. I don’t know what it was about that fourth “I love you,” but when I heard it from that young woman, I finally got it. God had been loving me all day long, carrying me through the whatever thing I had blown up and made bigger than it should have been, sustaining me through self-doubt and anxiety, faithfully grounding me as I moved through the day unaware. The unbelievable love of God is radiated to us through the slightly more believable love of our fellow human beings and through all of creation, and we are rarely awake enough to receive it. I’m working on a directed study project this semester examining the theology of evangelism in the Methodist Church. I’ve been trying to understand how we are to bring others to Christ in our postmodern era, and I’m concluding that we do that best by inviting others into Christian community. At first I had wondered why we’re starting new churches when the current ones aren’t full, and I questioned the point of evangelism as simply Roy will be recognized on October 25, 2009 at the inviting people to church as if it were just another club. Zilker Clubhouse from 4-7 p.m. As I read and think and pray and watch, I see that inviting people into community is everything. Because I am enmeshed in Christian community, I am surrounded by people who are living instruments of grace. Because I spend my days in Christian community, I got to hear God say “I love you” out loud four times today.

Extensions of an Olive Branch:

How blessed we are to be in these kinds of communities. How blessed we are to be called to build them.

Reflections on Peace, Unity, Identity & Community

-Stella Burkhalter Mary Elizabeth Prentice is a Senior MDiv student under care of Grace Presbytery and Editor of Kairos.

Congratulations Roy Cotton, supporting spouse of Junior-Middler Karen Cotton was named Volunteer of the Year for the Education Program for his work at Manos de Cristo. Roy has been teaching with Manos twice a week since the beginning of the year and also generously 2

I got beat up by my olive branch last week - in more ways than one, but I will only share this one story. Monday, October 12, I was privileged enough to attend the U2 360 tour at the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium. We had general admission tickets, which meant we stood in the longest line, but we were able to get within spitting distance of the outer stage.

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The circular center stage was set up at one end of the stadium and a circular multimedia cone was suspended above which descended and captured the camera angles of The Edge, Bono, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. From the center stage two silver bridges extended over to an outer ring of stage. The first 1,500 people in the door had the privilege of standing in the inner ring. The outer ring was 360 degrees around the stage and the band members would cross the bridge and come and play on the outer ring. It was a pretty ingenious set up. I was actually four people deep from the stage and had I had go-go gadget arms surgically installed, instead of repairing my old arms, I would have been able to wipe to sweat off of Bono’s brow. I have to say that I am not really much for famous people, but there are exceptions. As for example Bono, because: A. He is from Ireland. B. He sings a song about The Troubles in Northern Ireland (Bloody Sunday). I’m a big fan of educating people about The Troubles! C. He is the son of an Anglican mother and Roman Catholic father in Ireland (almost unheard of in the late 60’s early 70’s). It is like he is an olive branch himself. D. He has an Irish accent thus is pretty dreamy! (No offense to my boyfriend)

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advocating freedom to all people, and the list goes on. He has also had affairs and lives the life of a rock star, but hey he is human after all. “This tour in part is dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi, whose only crime, was being the democratically elected leader of Burma, for which she has served 20 years in prison,” Bono proclaimed before he sang “Walk On.” This was he message of the night. Bono went on to boldly congratulate an unpopular former President for his work in preventing the spread of Malaria and increasing Humanitarian Aide to Africa. A pre-taped message from Archbishop Desmond Tuti was played before the song “One” was sung. Clearly the message was meant to draw out our commonalities and find unity. (Unity in the sense that we may be different, but we are all broken human beings. Unity in the sense that diversity is respected, celebrated and proclaimed.) Throughout the concert, I was struck by the ability of people around me that found commonalities amongst themselves. There was a sense of unity during the concert (olive branches abounding), I just wonder why it didn’t make it out to the parking lot.

After standing for nearly 7 hours my knees were swollen and my body ached. So before I got into the car I decided I am not going to shove and push people about to get to stretch. Granted my stretching techniques are a bit closer to a famous person, but I am intrigued when our idiosyncratic – they are, however, extremely helpful in paths nearly intersect. I have never been to a concert like loosening up these old joints and getting blood flowing. this before, much less been 4 people deep to the band. Needless to say, it was amazing. As I was doing what I called the Sumo-wrestler stretch (Imagine legs-out, knees-bent, squatted and stretching the During one part of the concert, as Bono sang “City of gluteus maximus, minimus and anterior pelvic joint.) Blinding Lights,” he pulled a 14-year-old Napoleon Two girls walked by pointed and loudly exclaimed: “OH Dynamite looking kid from the inner pit. Hand in hand MY GOD! SHE LOOKS HILARIOUS!” The friends I was the kid walked and ran around the outer circle and was with directed my attention to them and I called out – “At entranced by his 10 minutes of fame. least I can walk when I’m 30 because I am doing these exercises!” I know - it didn’t make sense, but I felt like The teenager wearing a hooded sweatshirt and glasses, saying something! stuffed his hands in the pockets of the sweatshirt and looked bewildered as Bono sang, “You are so beautiful Needless to say the peace, love and unity I was feeling tonight.” In the end the kid walked off gifted with Bono from the concert was briefly interrupted, but what can I signature sunglasses. say – I’m broken in so many ways. This was all a part of the theme “What time is it?” I think But “Now is the time” and I am trying to find unity and I understood what Bono was trying to get at – Now is the love in the midst of being beat up by an olive branch. time. Bono has been politically active in helping to stop mounting debt to Africa, promoting AIDS education,

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Justice Challenge Fair Trade Corpus Christi, a student group focused on exploring issues threatening the unity and/or the efficacy of the church, is issuing a “challenge” to the Seminary community for each of us to begin finding ways to practice social justice in our everyday lives. Members of Corpus Christi will be publishing articles in Kairos each week that highlight a particular issue and offers practical suggestions on how we can make a difference. The challenge is for members of the community to pick just one suggestion and put it into practice, AND, if you so desire, to write about your experience and submit it to Mike Clawson ([email protected]). The best stories will be printed in Kairos and one will be selected at the end of the semester for a special prize.

This week’s focus is on Fair Trade. The following is adapted from Julie Clawson’s Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices (available at amazon.com): If we are to attempt to live justly in the everyday, how we shop is one of the most basic habits we can alter. Where we choose to spend our money affects not just us or the large corporations, but everyday people around the globe. Making sure workers around the world receive fair wages for their work through programs like fair trade is one way to put love into action. Here are a few ways you can support fair trade:

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or www.fairtradefederation.org to shop online or to find a fair trade business near you. 3. Ask your local stores to carry fairly traded items. If you don’t ask they will never know there is a local demand. Get your friends to ask as well: more voices mean greater demand. And of course, if they start carrying the items you asked for, be sure to buy them there. 4. Get your church to serve fairly traded coffee and tea. Check out Equal Exchange’s Interfaith Program (http://interfaith.equalexchange.com) that helps churches extend their fellowship to coffee farmers by providing churches with educational resources, information regarding how to promote fair trade and opportunities to purchase fairly traded goods in bulk. 5. Raise awareness. Talk about fair trade with your friends and family. Write about it for your local newspaper or church newsletter. Post information on your website, blog, or Facebook profile. Write to the major coffee companies and tell them that your support fair trade practices. Write to your government representatives and let them know that their constituents care about how trade policies affect the lives of real people.

1. Educate yourself. Find out more about fair trade online at www.transfairusa.org, www.tradejusticeusa.org, and www.maketradefair.com. 2. Buy fair trade. Obviously. By purchasing fairly traded items, we not only ensure the producers were paid fair wages for their work, but we also send a message to corporate entities that we care about how people are treated. Next time you buy coffee (or tea, sugar, spices, vanilla, rice, fruit or nuts) look for the fair-trade label and choose to consume ethically. Visit www.equalexchange.com 4

Look for the Fair Trade Logo when shopping.

And, don’t forget, if you try any of these things above, write to Corpus Christi about it and let us know how it went!

Mission Statement of Corpus Christi: To be inclusive and supportive of the APTS community and to serve the APTS community by creating a safe place where we can discuss and explore issues threatening the unity and/or the efficacy of the church. Our mission, in its broadest sense includes increasing awareness of and dialogue related to Social and Ecological Justice issues.

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2009 Summer Campus Capital Projects Safety and Security

Buildings & Grounds

- Installed card access control system Currie Hall on all exterior doors, residents’ rooms and guest room doors.

- Chapel Roof repair.

- Purchased 2 way radio’s for emergency communications in event phone system goes down.

- Seal-coat & stripe Hicks parking lot. - New furniture for Student Affairs office.

- Safety & security tree trimming and bamboo thinning along creek.

- New exercise equipment, flooring, lighting, mirrors in McMillan gym.

- Installed new fire alarm panel and system in Stitt Library.

- Painted gutters & power washed exterior walls at Trull.

- Installed fence at W.30th apartment playground.

- Installed approximately 40 lighting occupancy sensors in several buildings across upper campus (carbon footprint reduction & energy conservation measures).

- Installed security gates at 402 East 30th apartments. Classrooms

- Installed variable frequency drive on chilled water pump in Physical Plant (carbon footprint reduction & energy conservation measures).

- Purchased new chairs for all remaining McMillan classrooms & common area furniture.

- New furniture Trull atrium.

- Installed new a/v equipment in McMillan classrooms & McCord meeting rooms.

- Installed new combination code entry lock to upper floor exterior door in McMillan.

- Installed additional electrical outlets in all McMillan classrooms and other locations.

- Installed decomposed granite in front of Currie Hall.

Student Housing - Painted & caulked exterior of all student housing buildings. - Painted & caulked exterior of Hicks Community House.

Office Moves ‐ Office of Ministerial Formation from McCord to McMillan ‐ Student Affairs from top floor McCord to middle floor McCord

- Purchased patio furniture for Anderson House. - Purchased bike racks for Currie Hall and Anderson House.

‐ Christian Leadership Education/College of Pastoral Leaders from middle floor McCord to top floor McCord

- Replaced all mattresses McCord, Currie & Smoot.

Most of these projects were accomplished under direction of the Physical Plant and Information Technology Departments and the Dean’s Office and with cooperation of many, many others on campus.  I would like to lift up for particular recognition Julie Newton, Jim Many, and Alison Riemersma for their hard work, resourcefulness and creativity.  The majority of the funding came from the Seminary’s Capital Expenditures Reserve Fund.

- Installed new “Eco” carpet in common area lower floor McCord

Kurt A. Gabbard

- Painted & caulked exterior of Smoot Center & Cottage

Vice President for Business Affairs

- Cleaned exterior windows on all student housing buildings. - Replaced all mattresses in Currie Hall. Guest Housing

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Listening Project comes to Campus Dr. Muhammad Sammak is a journalist and political analyst for the Ahram newspaper in Cairo, the Ittihad newspaper in Abu Dhabi, and the Al-Mustaqbal newspaper in Beirut.  He served as counselor to the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and now serves as Counselor to his son, Saad Hariri, leader of Almustaqbal Parliamentary Group. He also serves as Counselor to the Mufti of the Lebanese republic, Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani. The Mufti is the chief authority on religious law for Muslims in Lebanon, and their representative to official agencies in Lebanon and abroad. Dr. Sammak studied political sciences in Islamic Thought and has served in dozens of positions including Secretary General of the Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue.

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The Listening Project Wednesday, October 28, 2009, Austin Presbyterian Seminary will participate in the Interfaith Listening Project organized by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Listening Project provides opportunities to engage in Muslim-Christian dialogue and learn about new developments in Muslim-Christian relations.

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APTS will host Mary Mikhael, President of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as, Muhammad Sammak, a political analyst, journalist and advisor to the Mufti of Lebanon.

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Dr. Mary Mikhael has served as president of the Near East School of Theology since 1994. She was director of the Women’s Program of the Middle East Council of Churches, and has been a university lecturer on theological education, women’s issues, and churches in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Mikhael received her EdD from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in New York, a Master of Education from the Teachers College at Columbia, a Master of Art in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Education from Haigazian University. Mikhael is the first woman to become the president of a seminary in the Middle East. 6

Due to heart conditions Dr. Muhammad Sammak was unable to travel from Beirut. Dr. Mary Mikhael did start the trip and attended several schedule events, but “It became increasingly uncomfortable for her as she tried to speak as a Christian about Muslim-Christian relations without her Muslim partner.  The Listening Project is premised on the principle that people from each tradition must speak for themselves and not for the other.” Dr. Whit Bodman hopes that “some future opportunity will arise, or can be organized, so that the energy and interest invested in this program can be reinvested in something equally worthwhile for all of us.”

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Kairos Guidelines Editorial Guidelines 1. Kairos is the voice of students at Austin Seminary. 2.Kairos generally carries no advertisements for sale of goods or services by individuals. An exception is the sale of a student or professor’s library or other study aids. 3.It is not possible to make all program announcements which are submitted by individual church. Kairos is more likely to be able to run announcements which apply to ecumenical or interfaith groups or groups of churches. 4.No letters which attack individuals or groups will be run in Kairos. This is to be distinguished from letter which might criticize the actions of individuals or groups. 5.Kairos will publish letter to the editor that contribute to Christian conversation on the APTS campus. All letters must be signed. Submission Guidelines: Email submissions to the editor, Mary Elizabeth Prentice, at [email protected]. Editorial decisions are based on urgency, availability of space and editorial guidelines. Deadline is Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Submissions made after the deadline must be accompanied by a bribe.

Boxes needed We re collecting shipping boxes of various sizes for the bulk Advent devotional orders. Please bring your boxes, flattened, to the Institutional Advancement office by Friday, October 23. Contact Sandy Wilder (404-4806) with questions.

Reformation Roast Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:30 p.m. Chapel Green Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the grilled burgers provided by Senate.

APTS Trunk or Treat & Fall Carnival Saturday October 31st, 6:00 p.m. Set up 5:30 p.m. Hick's House Parking Lot We are expanding our annual Trunk or Treat event to include a Fall carnival! Teams of individual students or APTS student groups are encouraged to "sponsor" a Halloween themed carnival game or booth. (Think ring toss, bean bag toss, fishing booth, face painting, crafts, etc...). Each group will be responsible for the construction of the booth, people to run the booth, and small prizes or candy to hand out to the kids. Awards for "Best in Show" and "Most Creative" will be presented. Families with children are requested to bring canned goods for tickets to play the games & participate in the booths. Each canned good gets you 2 tickets. All canned goods will be donated to the Micah 6 Coalition and Manos de Cristo of Austin. All students, families, faculty, and staff are invited to attend! We are also inviting the families of our friends at Seminary of the Southwest.

Happy Haunting! Contact John Leedy or Lauren Falco for more info. Baptist Student Group Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 7–9 p.m. APTS, Stotts Dining Hall Baptists students and current Baptist leaders are invited to enjoy good conversation, snacks and make connections for the future. Please feel free to come and go as you choose. Contact: Amy Wiles

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Campus Happenings Monday, October 26:

Twas A Dark and Stormy Night


11 a.m. Nikki Stahl

Halloween music concert

Chapel Schedule

Senior Sermon

When: Monday, Oct. 26 Where: Shelton Chapel, APTS Tuesday, October 27: Time: 7:00 p.m. 11 a.m. Rev. Dr. Cynthia Rigby Cost: Free The Lord s Supper & a Reflection on the Psalms Wednesday, October 28: Manna Thursday, October 29: 11 a.m. Doug Fritzsche Senior Sermon Friday, October 30: 11 a.m. Service of Healing and Wholeness led by Still Small Voice

This long-time Austin tradition features organist Kevin McClure / Count Dracula and numerous hilariously ghoulish friends playing to a costumed audience of all ages. Ghost artists include trumpeter Bob Cannon, the Dead Tenors, and the Horns of Doom. The hour of creepiness will end with ‒ of course! ‒ J.S. Bach's beloved Toccata in D Minor.

Mark Your Calendars Friday & Saturday October 30-31, 2009 Discovery Weekend

Thursday, October 29, 2009 Reformation Roast

Saturday, October 31, 2009 Fall Carnival and Trunk or Treat see page 7 for more information.

Friday, November 13, 2009 Come join the staff, faculty and r!

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a Babinsky, our drecently et retired le

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Church eHistory du re Professor.

o ch r m s fop.m. Stotts Re6:30 e e r b e To k h o Bring Lo a side dish for a potluck and be prepared for lots of laughs and great fun.

Saturday, December 5, 2009 Polity Bowl - Football game against our sister seminary 2:00 p.m. More info to come! 8