missioner lent 2015

MISSIONERThE

NAShOTAh hOUSE

LENT 2015VOL. 31, NO.3

wINTER - SpRINg 2015

FEbRUARyRS: First Day of Easter Term ClassesRS: Last Day to Add/Drop an Easter Term Class without Financial penaltyEpiphany Term grades Due to Registrar via Faculty portalAsh wednesday – Quiet and Fasting Day – No ClassesDL: Last Day to withdraw from a winter Module Course

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13 18 20

MARChExperiencing Nashotah: prospective Student programDL: End of winter Distance Module – All Coursework DueDL: Spring Recess

19-20 27 29-April 4

ApRILMaundy Thursday – No Classesgood Friday – Quiet and Fasting Day – No ClassesRS: Last Day to withdraw from an Easter Term ClassEaster VigilEaster DayDL: Spring Modules beginRS: Spring break – No ClassesDL: Last Day to Add/Drop a Spring Module Course without Financial penaltyDL: winter Module grades Due to Registrar via Faculty portalDL: Spring Residential week – pastoral Ministry & Church history

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MAyAnnual Church TourRS: Last Day of Easter Term LecturesRS: Senior grades Due to Registrar via Faculty portalRS: work Crew DaysAlumni DayCommencement; Meeting of the board of TrusteesMeetings of the Trustee Committees DL: Last Day to withdraw from a Spring Module CourseMeeting of the board of TrusteesMemorial Day – Office ClosedFaculty planning Meeting

1 12 18 18-19 20 21 22

25 26-28

May 19, 2015The Installation of the Rev. Steven A. peay, phD, as the Twentieth Dean and president of Nashotah house Theological Seminary, will occur during Evensong at 6:00 pM, Adams hall at Nashotah house.

May 20, 2015Alumni Day will include Mass at 10:00 AM, a luncheon to follow, a post-luncheon meeting and unveiling of outgoing Nineteenth Dean and president Edward L. Salmon, Jr.’s portrait on the second floor of the Frances Donaldson Library. A light reception will follow.

May 21, 2015 Commencement of the Class of 2015 will be held at 10:00 AM, at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, Oconomowoc, wI. Chairman of the board of Trustees, the Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins, ’89, will celebrate. A light luncheon will follow. graduates will attend Evensong at 4:30 pM and are invited to partake in the Commencement Dinner immediately following. The board of Trustees will meet Thursday afternoon and Friday.

For more information, please contact Dawn Anderson at [email protected]

nashotah.edu

Save the Dates

The Rev. Daniel westberg, phD

Presents a series of five lectures on

J.S. Bach’S St. Matthew PaSSion wEDNESDAyS DURINg LENT

6-8 pM

welcomes you to the

Lenten Soup & Study Series 2015

(Complimentary soup suppers provided by local parishes)Adams hall, 2777 Mission Rd. Nashotah, wI 53058

To Registerplease visit nashotah.edu/Lent2015 or call 262.646.6530

Summer Colloquium 2015Anglican SpiritualityJune 8-12, 2015

winter Colloquium 2016principles of Anglican TheologyJanuary 11-15, 2016

Summer Colloquium 2016Anglican Ministry and MissionJune 13-17, 2016

Strengthening Congregational LeadershipA Ministry of Nashotah house Theological Seminary

beginning June 2015

winter 2017Leaders’ Directed Retreat

Summer Colloquium 2017Catechesis and Spiritual DirectionJune 12-16, 2017

contact us today to discover more.ambroseinstitute.org

Table

Dean anD PresiDentThe Rev. Steven A. peay, phD

BoarD of trustees ChairmanThe Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins, ’89

BoarD of Visitors ChairmanThe Rt. Rev. paul E. Lambert, ’75

alumni PresiDentThe Rev. Canon h. w. herrmann, SSC, ’89

DireCtor of annual GiVinGThe Rev. Noah S. Lawson, ’14the office of institutional advancement

nashotah house theoloGiCal seminary2777 mission roadnashotah, Wi [email protected]

alumni uPDates anD aDDress ChanGes to:Ms. Jan watterDirector of alumni & Donor [email protected]

manaGinG eDitorMs. Rebecca Terhune, ’15

art DireCtorMs. bliss Lemmon

CoPyeDitor anD arChiVistMs. Amy Cunningham

nashotah.eDuGiVe.nashotah.eDuBloG.nashotah.eDu

faCeBook.Com/nashotahalumnifaCeBook.Com/nashotahhousetWitter.Com/nashotahhouse

the missioner is PuBlisheD quarterly for alumni anD frienDs of nashotah house [email protected]

Contents5

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whether speaking of faith as small yet significant as a mustard seed or the full impact of spiritual blindness, these are a few of the lessons Jesus taught in his parables of the mysteries of god. May we hear afresh the message of the gospel during this Lenten season.

MISSIONERThE

NAShOTAh hOUSE

LENT 2015

VOL. 31, NO.3

ofgIFTS OF pAMphLETS FROM ThE 18Th & 19Th CENTURIES

whAT IS “ENgLISh SpIRITUALITy”?

TRANSFORMATIVE pARTICIpATION IN wORk, pRAyER, & STUDy

The Rev. Steven peay

he parables of Jesus are beloved. They are the subject of countless sermons, books, and articles. The parables touch us because they are so, well, ordinary.

Jesus is able to take the simple things of life and give us insight into the transcendent. perhaps my favorite parable is of the sower, found in the three synoptic gospels (Mt. 13; Mk. 4, Lk. 8). Its message, I believe, is about god’s reckless grace. yes, reckless; let me explain why.

Centuries ago, farmers discovered the best method for planting crops involved not only getting the seed into the ground, but they decided either to

plow a furrow, make a hole, or, as the wampanoag taught the pilgrims, build a mound into which to insert the seed. Technique increased the yield. what

we see in the parable of the sower is someone flinging seed. First of all, we know we’re dealing with is someone with an abundance to share; and is willing to risk that abundance to increase growth. Seed goes everywhere; all in the hope that it will take root and

grow. In a number of situations, it does and yields remarkable harvests. In the parable of the sower we see recklessness in god’s willingness to extend grace to us, to open life to us, and to love us in ways we never thought possible. Seed is flung!

As I take on the new task of being Nashotah house’s Dean and president, I can tell you that I count on god’s reckless grace. From spending time reading the history of the house it is clear that that grace has been present, right from the beginning. There have been many times when the situation was dire; people readily speculated of the seminary closing; scandals of one sort or another rocked the place; and its survival was attributed to one thing only—god’s reckless grace.

god has continued to bless the house for 172 years. Throughout this time, graduates have gone forth to fling the seed of the gospel across the United States and the world. Now

new opportunities for cooperation in theological education are rising up around us. The “Macedonian call” has come to us to assist with theological education in a number of African dioceses, and now in the Caribbean. The perennial challenge of supporting

the work is always before us—I think of stories of the second Dean of Nashotah house, Azel D. Cole (1850-1885) waiting for the mail, hoping there would arrive money to pay the farmers for the food he purchased to feed the students. Still, I believe in the message of the parable of the sower, in the truth of the gospel, and in the faithfulness of god.

“A sower went out to sow…” will you help us continue the mission? Live into god’s reckless grace and discover the wonder of a seed that will produce far more than you ever imagined it could. May you have a blessed and holy Lent that will lead you into the joys of god’s abundance—Easter.

yours in the Lord’s service,

TAs I take on the new task of being Nashotah house’s Dean and president, I can tell you I count on god’s reckless grace. From spending time reading the history of the house it is clear that that grace has been present, right from the beginning.

Contents

7NASHOTAH.EDU THE MISSIONERLENT 2015

he board of Trustees has spent a substantial amount of time over the past few years considering and attempting to articulate

the core identity of Nashotah house. It’s a work in progress, as we remain in conversation with the students, faculty, administration, alumni, bishops, and other stakeholders. There remains a good bit that needs to be further clarified. but where we seem to agree is that Nashotah house is a seminary—not a graduate school of theology particularly; but a seminary.

A seminary, when we consider its etymology, is a seedbed. To broaden the metaphor a little, we’re an incubator, a nursery, a greenhouse. Our stock-in-trade is the potential leadership of Christ’s church. For a finite amount of time we cultivate leaders as Nashotah house is an organism, sharing in the stewardship of a vocation, the vocation of a potential church leader.

A fundamental element of such stewardship is formation. This process of formation includes education, but more than handing over information.It is something rather larger and more mysterious than the mere handing along of knowledge. we expect to graduate different people than who we matriculate. The names that are solemnly declaimed at both ceremonies

may be the same, but the people behind the names are changed. They are different as a result of time spent in daily prayer in the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin; in the classrooms; and in participating in the meals at the refectory. Seminarians at Nashotah house also spend time wielding rakes, brooms, and snow shovels; as well as occasionally experiencing the shattering or slow dissolution of prejudices and preconceptions that may have been sources of great comfort and coherence when their time in the seedbed first began.

Over time, the end toward which this process of formation is configured has been ordination to the priesthood and service in parish ministry. This remains the working norm, and the three-year residential Master of Divinity degree remains the gold standard of preparation for such a calling. but not everyone who follows this path is necessarily destined for the priesthood, and not everyone destined for the priesthood necessarily follows this path. And Nashotah house has a job to do on behalf of seedlings in either set of “exceptional” circumstances.

Some arrive at the house in a very traditional manner, with the blessing of their bishops and the ordination process of their respective dioceses. we have a long and proven record of being able to

send them back 33 months later with a well-formed priestly identity, with the skills to be effective pastors and leaders from the day they are ordained. This is what we do, and we are appropriately known for it.

Others arrive on campus having only recently discovered or embraced the Anglican tradition of Christianity. They are energized by a rich sacramental and liturgical life, but have unresolved questions about just where their place in the church is, where and how they are called to allow themselves to be planted, to germinate, and to grow. The faculty and staff stand ready to walk the path of discernment with these people, to encourage taking the risk of being transparent and vulnerable by being themselves to those who want nothing more than to hear and respond to the call of Jesus and to follow him.

Others still are clear about their vocation—whether to the priesthood, diaconal ministry, or lay leadership—but the stage or circumstances of their lives make the three-year residential model prohibitive. Nashotah house is “there” for these people as well, with an array of alternative options for the appropriate cultivation of their calling, other ways of experiencing the formative influence that is the hallmark of the house’s ministry to the wider church.

The Rt. Rev. Daniel h. Martins, ’8911th bishop of Springfield

T

8 NASHOTAH.EDUTHE MISSIONER

ichard Mammana recently gave a generous gift to Nashotah house Theological Seminary of 488 American tracts and pamphlets from bishops,

clergy and laity of the Episcopal Church dating from the 1700s to 1900s. These have been added to the house’s collection of an estimated 4,351 tracts and pamphlets already housed in the library. On both sides of the Atlantic, there continued among members of the Church of England and American Episcopalians an inquiry into the teachings of both Scripture and the early Church Fathers. Tracts and pamphlets were the vehicles for sharing these ideas. Continued on p. 28

R

Nashotah houseReceives Gifts of Pamphlets from the 18th and 19th Centuries

Ms. Tammy prather, ‘16

s I return to Nashotah house, I feel a renewed sense of peace. As I resume my studies, I am continually

thankful for the rich theological training, welcoming community, and deep spiritual formation I’ve experienced here and how these things haven’t changed. And for the second time, I’m a non-traditional student attending this very traditional Anglican seminary where god continues to glorify himself.

I can’t believe it has been almost a decade since our first ‘Experience Nashotah’ interview. I remember standing and swaying my then-infant son to sleep in the Dean’s office while trying be present to a room full of faculty and administrators seated to help us discern whether we were a good fit for the house. I remember how impressed I was by the worship, the warmth of the community and the benedictine model for living here. At that time, I wasn’t sure how it would all come together but I knew we belonged here.

I am grateful to find Nashotah, though changed, lacks none of those essential qualities that first drew us here. ‘Michael’ the bell, now restored securely to his wooden tower, still rings the Angelus; Fr. holtzen still draws little stick figures with a single curl dropping below the “hell Line;” and children continue to fill the grounds with laughter as they play.

So many of the prayers and hopes of those who have lived, prayed and studied here over the years are being answered. what a blessing to see students faithfully using their gifts and skills towards

the task of making Nashotah house a better, stronger place to form people for ministry. Students have been invited and welcomed to employ their experience and talents to fill the real and present needs here on campus. Everyone pitches in and servant leadership is the norm: the faculty are on the dish rota which affords a true day of rest for all students. people from many diverse jurisdictions are here and engage in honest and edifying conversations. There is a genuine, pervasive joy coupled with a readiness to sacrificially serve one another. All are committed to improving the quality of life for everyone who lives and works together in this community.

Of all the wonderful changes, dearest to me is how spouses who study at the house have been fully embraced and integrated into student life. I was blessed to be one of the first to enjoy the generous 30 hours of free credits now offered to all spouses. I am overjoyed to see spouses who study here today enjoy the same freedoms and privileges of every student. They matriculate, are seated in choir and have official study carrels and are able to complete their degrees before they leave.

Even though I was unable to finish my degree on our first go-round, I was able to take advantage of theology and biblical studies courses which helped prepare me for my role as Executive Minister co-planting Church of the Savior. At Nashotah house, I was provided with a deep grounding in the bible and Anglican Theology which undergirded my ability to develop and implement missional strategies for outreach, teaching and leadership development.

I am grateful for the seminary’s culture and vision which respects and strengthens families and the holy partnership of each couple, particularly those families who will be ministering together. This helps each family prepare for a lifetime of ministry.

building up and strengthening our support systems is an important part of preparing for ministry and a strong, loving family culture practiced while still in seminary is integral. Our time here prepared us as a family for ministry life in everything from ordering our schedule to guarding our family time and increased the importance of opening our lives and home to serving god and others together. It brings me great joy, as I finish my studies here, to see families thriving on campus as they prepare for their lives of ministry ahead.

Ms.Tammy Prather,’16, is currently completing a Masters in Theological Studies here at Nashotah House. She is fresh from planting Church of the

Savior, Allen, TX , for the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, alongside her husband The Rev. Joel Allen Prather, ’09. Recently called back to the Midwest, Fr.

Joel, serves as Rector of Christ Church in Delavan, WI where they minister together. The Prathers have one sweet son, Jude.

ARe-expeRiencing


escribe your upbringing and your life as a Christian. Have you found being a

Christian in England challenging?

My upbringing was not overtly Christian, so it wasn’t until I was about 17 that I came to faith. My early days as a Christian were spent in the Evangelical Free Church –considered here as non-denominational, and so I was both charismatic and evangelical. Upon arriving at university in Chichester, I was involved in the Christian Union, eventually leading it, and doing mission work on campus. This was where I recognized that I loved telling people the gospel, whilst also recognizing that not everybody wanted to hear what I had to share. This is quite indicative of the reality of being a Christian in England today. There isn’t the kind of overt persecution seen in other parts of the world, but there is a general rejection

of the need for formal religion in many areas of daily life. however, one of the joys of the Church of England is that it generally manages to hold a significant place in the life of the nation.

When you began your call to priestly ministry, did you imagine it would lead to St. Stephen’s House and Nashotah House, respectively? Did you have any concerns about these seminaries?

I think that there was some sense of a call to ministry of some sort even in my ‘non-denominational days,’ but I didn’t have any understanding of how that might work out in practice. Through my time at university I found out about the richness of the Anglican heritage, particularly evensong, and god began to draw me to the Church of England. It was only once I was married, and we had moved to the seaside town of bognor Regis that this calling was

D

Heritage tHat Continues

During the Michaelmas term, 2014, Nashotah House received Mr. Jamie Gater, a visitor from our covenant partner, St. Stephen’s House, Oxford, a seminary of the Church of England. In Oxford, on October 4, 2012, the two seminaries signed “Strengthening the Bonds of Affection: A Mutual Covenant for Ministry.” The covenant pledges the efforts of both seminaries to the work of mutual ministry and prayer. This includes a sharing of prayers, programs, and seminarians, as well as the creation of a mutual sabbatical structure. Mr. Gater and his wife, Naomi, have one son, Jonah.


really nurtured. I was fortunate enough to have a parish priest, Fr. Andrew wadsworth, with a heart for vocation, and a supportive parish, St. wilfrid’s, who enabled me begin to explore my calling in their midst.

but St Stephen’s house (affectionately known as ‘Staggers’) and Nashotah house had not been on my radar in any way at all. My bishop recommended that I take a look at ‘Staggers,’ and the holy Spirit gave very clear leading, and so we moved as a family in October 2012. One thing I found immediately was the liturgy was firmly rooted in the inheritance of the Oxford Movement in a way I had not yet experienced, not to mention the unflinching pace of academic work. And in the midst of this adjustment, a group of Americans from this place called Nashotah turned up and signed a covenant. Two years later, I was there and enjoyed a truly life-changing experience.

In various moments of life, God calls us out of what is ‘comfortable,’ into new experiences and fresh relationship with him.

The self giving, which is the incarnation,

means that Jesus knows our human nature better than we do ourselves, he knows that we need times of refreshing, of molding, in order that we can better serve him. Nashotah provides a place, for all its students, where they can come and allow god to meet them in new and fresh ways; in chapel, in the weekly work crew, in the pages of a text book, in the face of friend and neighbor, in the beauty of the forest and lakes that form part of the campus; what better place to come and meet god than in wisconsin’s beautiful countryside!

When you consider the value of Christians living among community, how should we avoid becoming an enclave of communal interest groups?

The value of community living is immeasurable, and perhaps the most formative part of Seminary education is that which happens outside the classroom, as we interact and learn from those with whom we live. It can be tempting to find security and safety in the seminary context, where the rest of the world can seem so distant at times. yet somehow, despite our forest setting, students aren’t inward looking. I think part of that is due to our times of worship; our minds, our attention, our will, are all focused on Jesus in word and Sacrament. I have particularly appreciated the preaching; hearing a sermon every morning seems to fire everyone up for the day, because we see our studies not as academic exercise, but as preparation for serving god and his people. It lays a foundation for the day. what are we doing here? It is answered in the chapel and with the sermon.

What is the essence of the Church today? Describe what you see as its ‘driving force.’ How do you see it changing?

English spirituality -- liturgy, formation, continuity of Christianity, continues to be at the service of the community. For example, people who lived in the slums were ministered to by the clergy who themselves were also involved into Oxford Movement. This heritage has not ended as clergy continue to be inspired and challenged with the love of god driving them forward. For example, now London is one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world—the Church of England is specifically exploring the new English spirituality which involves ministering to the unchurched. There, they are taking a lead in supporting those who are marginalized. when you have diverse cultures coming together they need a commonality. The church is saying how can we be like Jesus in how he met with people on the outside without losing their identity? Also, westminster Abbey has taken a role in meeting the unchurched with evensong on Tuesday evenings. This brings in about 500 to 1,000 people weekly in the summer, some tourists, some locals, to listen to the choir. They are not only receiving the hospitality of the Church, many are hearing the gospel for the first time.

photos courtesy Matt wright photography

The Rev. Mark Evans, ’09

My wife Sandy and I moved to Lincoln, IL, several years ago. Lincoln is a small town in the heart of the Farm belt; the population of the entire county is only 30,000 people; surrounding us is some of the most productive farmland in the world. we have been blessed both to grieve and to celebrate with them, and if god calls me to stay here until the end of my priestly ministry, I will be honored to do so. If god’s plan is otherwise, my time at Nashotah house has prepared me for whatever comes next.

My path to Nashotah house was not a straight line. In my early 40s I received a clear message from god that I was expected to do more in his church, without specifying the “what” of the call. At about the same time I visited Nashotah house at the invitation of a friend who was about to complete his training there. At my friend’s suggestion, I had lengthy conversations with the registrar, two faculty members and the chaplain. I was also introduced to many of the students.

At the end of my visit, my friend sat me down and told me he thought I was called to the priesthood and that Nashotah house was the seminary I should attend. To my mind, my friend obviously did not understand me or my situation. First, I thought I was definitely not priestly material; second, I had family obligations and the blessing of a well-paying job that allowed me to contribute to my local parish. The call from god was real but ordination was off the radar screen.

The call was still as strong as it had been, yet the “what” remained as elusive as ever. In the interval I had done many things to try to satisfy this strong call that god had given me; but in the end, everything I had thought to do on my own had only deflected the call for a time, it never really went away. Also, more of those I trusted and respected told me they sensed a call to ordained ministry for me.

Finally, I relented and spoke with my bishop. patiently and quietly, he allayed every hurdle and limitation that I thought would hinder attending seminary. That fall, I was worshipping in St. Mary’s chapel in my new cassock and surplice to begin the grand adventure of my seminary experience. Daily, I thank god that he sent me to Nashotah house. Its combination of Anglican, benedictine, and classical study has given me the tools and the grounding to serve his people in varied ministries.

The Rev. Mark Evans, ’09, is Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Lincoln, IL. Prior to seminary, Fr. Evans worked in the investment department for two insurance companies for 25 years. For a time

after graduation he served as Director of Church Relations for Nashotah House before moving to Lincoln in December, 2011. Mark and his wife, Sandy Moore, are the parents of three adult daughters

and they have one grandson.

Discerning

ALUMNI CORNER

My path to Nashotah house

was not a straight line. In my early

40s I received a clear message

from god that I was expected to

do more in his church, without

specifying the “what” of the call.

PriesthooD toCallthe


he season of self-examination, repentance, and resolve is upon us again; and Lenten rules are being formed with energy and purpose all across the Church. Self-examination is one of the marks of a solid Lenten rule, and guides to self-examination are abundant.

Some pose questions based on the Ten Commandments. Others use a framework built on the Seven Deadly Sins. And there are still more variations in devotional books that have proven useful for generations if not centuries.

It is possible as well to use the parables of Jesus as a kind of self-examination. Jesus often introduced his parables by saying “the kingdom of heaven is like…” And though not all parables have these words or theme, they all have something to do with what the kingdom is like, what we can expect, or what will help us to see that it is near.

Jesus’ core teaching is “the kingdom of god is near, repent, and believe the gospel” (Mk. 1:15; heb. 12:1-2). Commitment to and belief in the gospel are the essential marks of being part of the kingdom. And since the parables describe, in familiar terms, aspects and insights of the kingdom, the parables can become measures or standards of our nearness to or our distance from the kingdom of god.

Often we may consider personalizing the parables. “personalizing” is done by recasting the verses using “I” and “me” in familiar passages. For example, the familiar words of Romans 5:8 in “personalized” form become “god shows his love for me in that while I was yet a sinner Christ died for me.” To personalize a parable: pick one and put yourself in it as any one of the characters. Use your name and pronouns as necessary.

For example, in the parable of the prodigal Son (Lk. 15), put your name in for the younger son (or the older son) and adjust the words as necessary. Try it with the good Samaritan (Lk. 10), and put yourself, in turn, in the various roles (probably

Praying the Parables in lentThe Rev. Canon brien koehler, SSC, ’76, Chaplain at Nashotah house

not the man beaten and left by the road!). There are many other options for your devotional role play throughout the parables.

As you try this a few times, you will be able to compare yourself to the original

characters. would you be better than the priest and the levite who passed by on the other side? would you be as good as the Samaritan? would you be best as the younger son or as the older son? would you look until you found the lost coin? would you go for the lost sheep? what evidence is in your life to confirm your review of yourself?

This is the point where the parables can become a guide for self-examination and correction or rejoicing.

Jesus often introduced his parables by saying “the kingdom of heaven is like…” And though not all parables have these words or theme, they all have something to do with what the kingdom is like, what we can expect, or what will help us to see that it is near.

t

MEDITATION

Call

he foundation of Christian life is the liturgy, seen as both Mass and Office, from which flows personal devotion based on the bible.” So begins Martin Thornton’s (1915-1986) description of a key characteristic of “English spirituality,” in his classic book of

the same name. One’s spirituality — that is, total life responding to god’s creation — really is impacted in a particular way when liturgy is not an extra, added-on layer of devotion, but in fact a mode of living. That monastic life is an example of this may be rather easy to observe; yet English spirituality, whether it lives on british land, on American soil, or any of the continents around the planet, insists on the centrality of the same principle, because it is nothing less than the basis of the Book of Common Prayer.

So what is “English spirituality”? In addition to the characteristic already mentioned, there are at least five more. There is a speculative-affective synthesis; that is, a balance of intellect and action, head and feeling, study and wilderness, dogma and love: an inheritance from the monastic roots of Anglicanism. we see also an insistence on unity of the Church Militant; that is, a parish life that distrusts clericalism yet flourishes through a prayer life held in common by laity, priest, and bishop. There is a sober optimism toward the harshness of life’s trials, perhaps best expressed by Julian of Norwich’s “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” There is the ideal of constant recollection of Christ’s presence, whether at home, in the pub, on the neighborhood streets or in an airplane flying across an ocean. And there is a need for spiritual direction to grow through the stumbling blocks inherent in mature Christian life. Challenges to this spirituality include an over-reliance on “moderation in all things” and a legalist attitude to participation in parish life in response to the temptation to laxity in the face of discipleship.

Thus understood, “English spirituality” is one of the several dozen historical “schools,” or corporate patterns, of Christian life. It cannot be divorced from its british upbringing, any more than our Lord Jesus can be seen apart from the Jewish culture of his day. A biological analogy may be useful in describing, for just as the term “vine” actually means several dozen different varieties or strains, each that flourish according to conditions of environment and climate; yet because of diversity can all be seen to exhibit irreducible features of “vine-ness,” so is it with the holy catholic church of Christ and its varieties and strains. Christianity is an incarnational religion, yet amid variety always points to the Cross. The life and health of any school of spirituality can come only from Jesus Christ and its obedient faithfulness to him, and English spirituality is no different.

Martin Thornton’s book English Spirituality: An Outline of Ascetical Theology According to the English Pastoral Tradition is a primary text used in the ascetical and pastoral theology courses taught at Nashotah house and is highly recommended, but Thornton would insist it be supplemented by contemporary resources. A work of deep erudition and pastoral wisdom, the book captures the scope and theological depth of the full Anglican heritage with its full quota of saints and doctors, and invites its rediscovery as a living spiritual tradition.

Matthew Dallman is completing a Master’s in Theological Studies (MTS/ distance) with a concentration in Anglican Studies. He has received an MA in Liturgy from Catholic

Theological Union in Chicago. He is the founder of Akenside Press, a small publishing company that is reissuing all thirteen books by Anglican theologian Martin Thornton (1915-1986).

Along with his wife, Hannah, and daughters Twyla, Oona, Isadora, and Marla, Mr. Dallman prays at Saint Paul’s Parish,

Riverside, near Chicago, where he is also an adult catechist.

Matthew Dallman

What is English spirituality?

T“


The Rev. Noah S. Lawson, ’14

he gospels’ parables are effective teaching tools employed by Jesus as they are the foundation of our Lord’s pedagogical method. Jesus invites the hearer to listen deeply and to discern

deeply what he wants us to know about ourselves, god, the kingdom, and himself. Too often, like

adolescent students, we demand of Jesus, “Just tell us the answer!” however, Our Lord’s graceful response is to draw us deeper into his heart and mind through the parable. The consequence of this method is that the hearer is further empowered to live in new ways according to his revealed truth.

Indeed, the parables are not always readily understood nor their lessons easily applied. The reason for this is our inherent disposition against the things of god. Our Lord understood this reality, even among his own disciples, and continued to teach them, and us, by mentoring and modeling what an authentic relationship with god looks like. The parables of Jesus are revelatory and graceful channels of truth and love that equip us for faithful commitment to his Lordship, in reconciled relationship with the Father, and in bold service to his kingdom. Continued on p.16

DEEp LISTENINg

T

& DEEp DISCERNINg

The parables of Jesus are revelatory and graceful channels of truth and love that equip us for faithful commitment to His Lordship, in reconciled relationship with the Father, and in bold service to His Kingdom.


ow do you think a clergyperson should get involved in the needs of their city?

you have to learn to listen to the street. you’ll find more information there about the needs of the people than you will

Ryan pollock, ‘17

The Challenges and Hopes of Ministry

h

Recently, Ryan Pollock, a junior at Nashotah House, visited with the Rev. Canon James A. Kaestner, ’59, (pictured right). Ordained to the priesthood on August 22, 1959, Canon Kaestner has served at Zion Episcopal Church in Oconomowoc, WI, and as chaplain to Nashotah House. He and his wife Judith, have three children. Here, Canon Kaestner stands with his Distinguished Alumni medal awarded in 2009.

from a government agency. There was a man with mental issues that came to me and asked me to hold his money for him, because it kept getting stolen when he would keep it in his room. So for a while we made a little bank for him, and he would come in and write down his deposit and withdrawal numbers, and we kept him going for a while. They’ll find you. you just have to listen. In Racine, wisconsin, I was on the board of directors for the hospital, involved with the yMCA, and we had a cooperative program between churches in the downtown area, where we established a system that if a person was asking for money or food or some help they could get it from one of us. Describe how you offer the salvation and hope of Christ to people:

I rarely planned on doing evangelism, but people out there can’t miss a clerical collar, and as soon as they know that you’ll listen and are available, those conversations can happen. Most of the time the answers are within them, and you have to be their guide to finding those answers. you have to be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove, that really works. be willing to come together with those that you disagree with and realize that the Church is greater than any one of us. preach well. Ministry to people is important. be on the street, and in the stores. get to know the streets. “The sign is people.” What was your first great challenge of ministry?

There was a time when the vestry and I were not in the same place, we had a significant disagreement, and I became very depressed. It turned out that the source of the problem came from one of the vestry members who had a very bad alcoholism, and another was losing his job, and since I didn’t know about any of this, I felt like I was under attack. I then talked to a priest who I thought I could trust, but who ended up betraying me and so I sought professional counseling with another priest who was a therapist, and I got through it. The beautiful part of the story is that one of those men asked for me later, and I got to minister to him as he was dying of cancer. It was a very sad day for both of us, but it was one of the greatest reconciliations you could ever have. So when you feel like someone is attacking you, it may be that something is going on in their lives, and if you can learn to be patient and forgiving, its amazing what will turn up. god works on us all the time.

How has Nashotah House helped to form your priestly ministry?

Essentially, it caused me to be a person of prayer. In my personal life, the offices have stayed with me. when I was in a parish, I celebrated as many daily masses as I could, and I kept the church doors open so that people could worship or pray or find me. If you’re going to preach, you’d better know the bible. I also learned that I should always spend some time in the chapel with god before going to my office. As you consider how the Lord called you to serve the Church, why do you think He lead you to Nashotah House?

Oh that’s easy! when I was nine years old, I attended a church camp that was set up about a quarter mile away from the house. we lived in tents and it was rough, but this was 1945. One day we were walking along the lake and we passed the Cloister, and I told the kids who were with me, “Someday I’m going to go to school there.” And they said, “you have to want to be a priest to go there,” and I said, “well if that’s what you have to do, then that’s what I’ll do!” when I was growing up, all of my rectors were Nashotah graduates. My extended family were all devout Episcopalians, and so the Church was central in my life. I loved the focus on prayer and a high view of the Church here. Should the Church be concerned with being relevant to the culture?

I don’t think it needs to be relevant so much as it needs to be meaningful. people are looking for meaning. As far as I know we are no longer engaged in singing the songs of Cursillo, or wearing rainbow stoles. Everything we do has a lifespan and we can’t spend too much energy on being relevant. by the time you get today’s hot item into the Church, the culture has moved somewhere else. Don’t worry about being relevant, just minister to the needs of people.

Mr. Ryan Pollock is a postulant for holy orders from the Diocese of Dallas. He is married to Jessica Pollock and Ryan

is in the Class of 2017. In visiting with the Rev. Canon James Kaestner, ’58, they found they had many things in common.

Upon the 50th anniversary of his priestly ministry, Canon Kaestner visited with Mr. Pollock reflecting upon his days as

a student at Nashotah House and his life in ministry.


Since 1842, Nashotah house has been a place set apart for this kind of deep listening and deep discernment. Disciples of Jesus Christ come to the house wanting to grow in the love and service of god. They faithfully seek to respond to our Lord’s call upon their lives. Many sons and daughters of the house have been sent out to serve established congregations, chaplaincies, new church plants, and a range of other diverse mission fields where they are helping to advance god’s kingdom. before being sent, they commit themselves to three years of daily prayer, study, and labor in the context of community so they may listen and discern the things of god. here they seek faithful relationships, reconciliation, and service. This kind of formation is the unique mission of the house.

Nashotah house is in the midst of several fresh and bold initiatives, under the title of New Vistas. These initiatives seek better to further empower the house in order to serve the Church. At the core of New Vistas is the Jackson Kemper 1000 Program and the 1% Program. The Jackson Kemper 1000 seeks 1,000 new and existing benefactors to pledge a minimum of $1,500 per year (paid monthly, quarterly, or annually) to the Jackson Kemper Annual Fund. The 1% Program invites parishes and dioceses to support the house by contributing 1% of their adopted annual budget to the Jackson Kemper Annual Fund. The new predictable and sustainable revenue raised through New Vistas will build upon an already healthy and vital program and enable strategic investments in new programs here at the house. The success of New Vistas is vital to the mission of Nashotah house.

Deep listening and deep discernment do not come easily. The unique mission of the house is not easily achieved. Those reading this publication know all too well that our churches, communities, and society desperately need the type and quality of leaders that Nashotah house forms. your support has helped to make their formation possible; and, as a result, the Church is well served today because of your good stewardship. During this season of Lent, please know that you are remembered in the prayers of the house as you also seek to listen deeply and discern deeply the things of god. Together, by the grace and mercy of god, we will all reach new and higher vistas.

Continued from p. 13

Now more than ever before your support of Nashotah house makes a difference. The house’s mission of providing the next generation of faithful leadership for the Church, both lay and ordained, is in the hands of those the house seeks to serve: the Church.

we ask you to please join a growing number of individuals across the country who have decided to support the New Vistas Initiative by participating in the 1% program & the Jackson kemper 1000.

• New Vistas: The 1% Program invites parishes, missions, church plants, and dioceses across the country to support the mission of the house by contributing 1% of their adopted annual budget to the Jackson kemper Annual Fund.• New Vistas: Jackson Kemper 1000 invites an initial group of 1,000 individuals to support the mission of the house by pledging a minimum of $1,500 a year ($125 a month) to the Jackson kemper Annual Fund.

The New Vistas Initiative invites benefactors of the house who recognize the value and necessity of expanding the mission and influence of Nashotah house to engage in a specific way that will achieve this goal.

These gifts will build on the seminary’s current donor base allowing Nashotah house to not only continue to offer the unparalleled education and the classical spiritual formation that has been our hallmark since 1842, but to climb to new and higher vistas. These contributions are much more than annual gifts, however. This support forges lasting relationships between the donor and Nashotah house. These are first and foremost gospel partnerships given and received in a spirit of mutual encouragement, thanksgiving for one another, and a combined zeal for raising up the next generation of parish priests and lay leaders. Their importance is evident: it is those leaders who will proclaim in word and sacrament the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Is god calling you into this partnership? If so, complete the attached pledge card and return by mail to the Office of Institutional Advancement. Together, with the blessing of Almighty god, Nashotah house will reach new vistas.

Nashotah houseThe Office of Institutional Advancement2777 Mission RoadNashotah, wisconsin 53058262.646.6500nashotah.edu


s Lent approaches, many thoughts and emotions are summoned as Ash wednesday arrives, sending us into forty days of prayerful reflection. “what will I do this

Lent?” “what will I give up and why?” “how can I better serve the Lord?” while these are significant questions, the self-generated answers are sometimes trivial or inconsequential, beneficial neither to body of Christ or the Christian’s growth as a disciple. A sermon by the Tractarian writer, John henry Newman (1801-1890), caught my eye one evening as I was reading one of his collections. From psalm 27, Newman wrote from the concluding verse, “O tarry thought the Lord’s leisure: be strong, and he shall comfort thine heart; and put thou thy trust in the Lord.” A contemporary translation finds: “wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.” waiting is a challenge for Christians who internally feel moved and called ‘to do something’ during Lent; however, the ‘what to do’ is not yet fully defined. To such persons who are of “sincere and earnest mind”, wrote Newman, this “impatience and restlessness” may bring danger to the Christian who knows not what to do because “he is restless, because he is ignorant…” From this, the self guides rather than god.

Some impatient Christians put themselves on some new line of action or adopt some particular rule of life, even refusing to have their self-imposed “indelible” sins of the past blotted out until Christ pronounces them “acquitted and blessed,” intending to nurse their self-indignation till their death. Their desire is strong, looking for something to do as personal indignation rails, placing them against the work accomplished by Jesus Christ through his obedience. we guard against excess and the ambitious attempts that result in a grand experiment when a self-appointed rule sets one up for failure -- the burden becomes too great to bear. In combination with their ambitious attempts, the result is a grand experiment can bring sorrow when failure to bear one’s own self-appointed rule is recognized. “All things are done by degrees; all things (through god’s grace) may come in time, but not at once.” Rightly asserted, Newman says: “as well might a child think to grow suddenly like St. paul the aged.”

Penance that Outlasts the emOtiOn

Thomas S. heard, phD, ’16

The blindness of what can be undertaken is complicated by a misunderstanding of the “most appropriate of burdens is what is lasting, what is continual.” “A slight penance,” Newman says, “if long, is far more trying than a severe one, if short. This stands to reason; for it outlasts their present agitated state of mind … and reminds them of what they afterwards will be likely to forget.” Much of the danger to the Christian comes from one acting on one’s own, “in the first fervor of penitence,” as their own and private judgment goes without advice and guidance. Let us seek not to be our own physicians, but seek the wise counsel of one who may direct our Lenten devotions and piety in a meaningful way, one likely to succeed and to truly embrace the grand accomplishment of the cross of Christ.

The goal is relationship with the Savior found during the Lenten season; forty days of praying in relationship with the Savior.

Trained in chemistry and biochemistry, having earned a Master’s Degree and Doctorate

respectively, a call to seminary eventually took hold for Tom Heard, PhD. After a successful

postdoctoral position at Merck & Company, Dr. Heard was then awarded an IRTA Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health; after which Dr. Heard pursued a career in intellectual property.

At this time, he also began to seek a deepening call to discipleship and became a Fellow at the

C.S. Lewis Institute in Washington D.C. He has studied Christian apologetics over the past

ten years, both in the United States, Oxford and Cambridge, as well as with the European Leadership Forum. Dr. Heard will be teaching

a course in Apologetics each Monday from 7pm until 9pm during the Easter Term, from February 2, 2015 through May 12, 2015. To register, please

visit nashotah.edu.

a

LENT REFLECTION

am humbled and blessed by the friendships being developed here at Nashotah. I am challenged to balance the curriculum and course work with my full time job; I am pushed in my own personal theology to view ideas from other perspectives and am so grateful for the exposure. Ultimately, I am thankful for god’s mercy and grace that

brought me to this place at this time.

My parents raised me in the Southern baptist church, and my grandparents were Church of god preachers. As a result, I was exposed to the pentecostal energy along with the traditional baptist structure of the service. I remember going to summer camp with the Church of god, and sitting with my grandmother during free time to memorize the beatitudes in preparation for a bible verse competition. As I grew up,

Finding homeJanie koch, youth Minister at St. paul’s Church, billings, MT

I

The “life” that I fought against God for toppled when my grandmother passed away in 2012. I remembered her faith and peace and strength; I realized at her funeral that I no longer had anything of what she had.

my grandmother prayed with me and showed me what a life lived in god’s peace looked like. After high school, I went to a baptist university and, as can happen, I fell away from the church and stopped attending for many years. My lack of attending church continued and my faith in a divine, loving, merciful god deteriorated. what began as simply sleeping in on Sunday morning in college escalated over the course of fifteen years to a conscious decision to walk away from god and pursue a life of my own creation.

The “life” that I fought against god for toppled when my grandmother passed away in 2012. I remembered her faith and peace and strength; I realized at her funeral that I no longer had anything of what she had. but, I wanted it back. Ironically, what set in after that understanding of how I had


bids Farewell to the senior editor the Rev. Andrew hanyzewski ‘09, priest-in-charge of St. peter’s Episcopal Church, Fort Atkinson, wI. It has been a blessing for us to be part of a team that has made The Missioner an award-winning publication. Fr. hanyzewski, you have blessed the house with your time, talent, and treasure. we join together in saying thank you for your service and look forward to working with you for the benefit of the house and the kingdom.

walked away from god was not the peace or strength that she had. what began to grow was fear. I was frightened that I had gone too far away from god for too long and that he had given up on me and let me go.

I limited god. I defined god by my own inadequate behavior. I built boundaries for god’s mercy based on the mercy I might show another person if they treated me the way I had treated god all those years. however, thanks be to god, his grace is not limited to my narrow scope but is instead boundless. his mercy removes my wrongs from himself as far as the East is from the west.

As I desired to have god’s peace in my life again, I knew I needed to return to the church body. however, the baptist church had changed from that of my childhood, and I did not believe that was to be my church home again. As a result, I began visiting an Episcopal church in my hometown in Texas. In those liturgical services I found assurance of god in the mystery; I received peace in the structured service. And I at last found my new home. Additionally, I attended my cousin’s DMin graduation here at Nashotah and was struck with the beauty, community, and strength of this campus and her people. I, too, needed to respond to the call of god for my life. During the following year, and with prayerful attention to god’s guidance, I discovered my second home here at the house. My confirmation into the Episcopal Church during the petertide Term, 2014, in St. Mary’s Chapel brought completion to my journey as that moment was both an emotional and spiritual marker in my life. I was changed and am still; and I am as St. Josemaría Escrivá urged us… “to reform. Every day a little. This has to be your constant task…”

grateful for god’s grace and mercy, I praise god that his guidance is consistent, his boundaries are firm, and his mercy is without end. I am at peace knowing god is in control rather than me: “Thy will be done.”

Janie Koch is youth director at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Billings, MT. She has studied at Baylor University in Texas, and is currently finishing her

Master’s of Theological Studies (MTS) degree through the Distance Learning Program at Nashotah House.

How would you describe Nashotah House’s missional focus throughout its nearly 175- year history?

I would say that the primary way that Nashotah house has continued with its missional focus has been to continue with the benedictine formation with its students throughout the years. In the early days, the students were part of the founding and care for of the parishes in the immediate area. we have returned somewhat to that as we have faculty members in charge of several neighboring churches. That is important in teaching and in doing since the person teaching others is at the same time ‘doing’ what is being taught in the classroom.

One thing I have seen over the years in my parish ministry and serving as bishop of South Carolina is a change in culture. The factor that challenges the seminary and the church is the divisiveness of the current culture. One of the things we have tried to do at

Nashotah house is to stay uninvolved in the divisiveness, except to remain faithful to and rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is part of our missional focus. In a recent sermon from Fr. peay, he noted there is a spirit lacking in generosity among not only the unchurched but Christians as well. we live in a culture where rightness exists and this is not one-sided. we are not to invite relativism; instead, a grounded Christology is the central focus. Jesus is Lord and that is not up for discussion. This is what has spared Nashotah house from falling into contention. we keep our missional focus because we keep Jesus as our focus.

You mention being ‘rooted in the Gospel.’ Can you relate a bit more about that?

Experience means a great deal. I can tell you when I was bishop of South Carolina, we had a wonderful group of clergy. In the years I was there, we had leadership that was not in conflict, but that does not mean we were without our

difficulties. we understood the urgency of the gospel. As you can imagine, I sent a raft of people to different seminaries. That was for a variety of different reasons, but I will also say that examining chaplains continued to tell me that Nashotah house seminarians were the best prepared. Our focus, our rootedness, is in Jesus Christ, his saving power.

we realized that as clergy, laity, or seminarians, we partnered together in ministry. This was an exciting time. I won’t describe how it was exciting, but I will just proclaim it! As I consider the gospel, I realize the number of themes that emerge. To get the full depth, we realize we are never alone in serving the Lord. whether we are doing ministry or serving at Nashotah house, we do this together, in community, entrusted with a sacred calling. we seek to strengthen and preserve each other in the Lord daily.

The strengths of Nashotah house include three particular things: the

w

As Nashotah House’s Nineteenth Dean and President, the Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Jr., ret., transitions from his role this Spring, Rebecca Terhune, ’15 and Hunter Jordan ’16, visited with the Dean to ask about his past role at Nashotah House, his observations, and where he sees the seminary heading. From 2011 until 2014, Bp. Salmon served as the Dean of Nashotah House. Born in Natchez, MS, in 1934, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of the South, Sewanee, and his theological degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. Ordained to the priesthood in 1961, he served in the Diocese of Arkansas. From 1990-2008, he served as 13th bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. Bp. Salmon served in Arkansas and Missouri congregations until he was elected Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. Over the years, Bishop Salmon has served as President of Province IV Bishops; President of the Board, Kanuga Conferences, Hendersonville, NC; Trustee of the University of the South and a member of the Board of Regents; board member of Voorhees College, Denmark, SC; board member of York Place, Rock Hill, SC; and as a board member of Nashotah House, before becoming its Nineteenth Dean and President in 2011.

How would you describe Nashotah House’s missional focus throughout its nearly 175- year history?

i would say that the primary way that Nashotah House has continued with its missional focus has been to continue with the Benedictine formation with its students throughout the years. in the early days, the students were part of the founding and care for of the parishes in the immediate area. We have returned somewhat to that as we have faculty members in charge of several neighboring churches. That is important in teaching and in doing since the person teaching others is at the same time ‘doing’ what is being taught in the classroom.

one thing i have seen over the years in my parish ministry and serving as Bishop of South Carolina is a change in culture. The factor that challenges the seminary and the church is the divisiveness of the current culture. one of the things we have tried to do at

Nashotah House is to stay uninvolved in the divisiveness, except to remain faithful to and rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is part of our missional focus. in a recent sermon from fr. Peay, he noted there is a spirit lacking in generosity among not only the unchurched but Christians as well. We live in a culture where rightness exists and this is not one-sided. We are not to invite relativism; instead, a grounded Christology is the central focus. Jesus is Lord and that is not up for discussion. This is what has spared Nashotah House from falling into contention. We keep our missional focus because we keep Jesus as our focus.

You mention being ‘rooted in the Gospel.’ Can you relate a bit more about that?

Experience means a great deal. i can tell you when i was Bishop of South Carolina, we had a wonderful group of clergy. in the years i was there, we had leadership that was not in conflict, but that does not mean we were without our

difficulties. We understood the urgency of the Gospel. As you can imagine, i sent a raft of people to different seminaries. That was for a variety of different reasons, but i will also say that examining chaplains continued to tell me that Nashotah House seminarians were the best prepared. our focus, our rootedness, is in Jesus Christ, his saving power.

We realized that as clergy, laity, or seminarians, we partnered together in ministry. This was an exciting time. i won’t describe how it was exciting, but i will just proclaim it! As i consider the Gospel, i realize the number of themes that emerge. To get the full depth, we realize we are never alone in serving the Lord. Whether we are doing ministry or serving at Nashotah House, we do this together, in community, entrusted with a sacred calling. We seek to strengthen and preserve each other in the Lord daily.

The strengths of Nashotah House include three particular things: the

TransformaTive ParTiciPaTion in Work, Prayer, and sTudyAs Nashotah House’s Nineteenth Dean and President, the Rt. Rev. Edward L. Salmon, Jr., ret., transitions from his role this Spring, Rebecca Terhune, ’15 and Hunter Jordan ’16, visited with the Dean to ask about his past role at Nashotah House, his observations, and where he sees the seminary heading. From 2011 until 2014, Bp. Salmon served as the Dean of Nashotah House. Born in Natchez, MS, in 1934, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of the South, Sewanee, and his theological degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. Ordained to the priesthood in 1961, he served in the Diocese of Arkansas. From 1990-2008, he served as 13th bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. Bp. Salmon served in Arkansas and Missouri congregations until he was elected Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina. Over the years, Bishop Salmon has served as President of Province IV Bishops; President of the Board, Kanuga Conferences, Hendersonville, NC; Trustee of the University of the South and a member of the Board of Regents; board member of Voorhees College, Denmark, SC; board member of York Place, Rock Hill, SC; and as a board member of Nashotah House, before becoming its Nineteenth Dean and President in 2011.

20 nasHoTaH.eduTHe missioner24 NASHOTAH.EDUTHE MISSIONER

faculty, the students, and our worship. Daily Morning and Evening prayer with morning Eucharist is foundational to Christian ministry. The reason I say this is that I grew up in a church-going family. Even as a child, I knew worship was important, the routine formed you whether that was fasting, prayer, or receiving the Eucharist. These things formed not only the individual but the people with who that person came into contact. participating in the liturgy daily is formative, it sinks into a person’s soul, well beyond what is often expected. Study, work, prayer, living in a community, all working together. These things come together to transform to the student, the community, and the larger culture.

What are some Goliaths that Nashotah House has faced and may expect to face in the future?

The administration has worked on a variety of levels to get the house in order. Raising the funds, putting the people in place to lead, and working to

increase the endowment for Nashotah house to continue to do what it has done in its past, this is what we have worked on. but we also look forward to the future, whether it is to raise funds for scholarships, or raise awareness of the Ambrose Institute, a ministry of Nashotah house, or shake the complacency of the culture, we have found that god has always provided for Nashotah house. As we step into the next decade, I am finding the church needs to re-examine what is important to her. we need to ask the hard questions: will we continue to close our churches? how will we meet our challenges? what is the leadership among the clergy and laity? Like it or not, we are all connected. There is no reason for the church not to flourish, but we can help with the theological training. Facing the ‘goliaths’ means stepping away from telling people what they want to hear, as we both know that has never been a source of strength for the church.

What is your hope for Nashotah House?

I think that Nashotah house will continue reach people with the ancient truths for the kingdom of Christ. There are things in process right now to work to faithfully make that happen. when Nashotah house is able to raise the endowment that we need, we will be able to continue to have the kind of impact on the church that will make a difference in the lives of people. My life in the church has been primarily as a missionary. Early on in ministry, I realized that education, plus your spiritual formation, work together to endow one with the gifts needed for parish ministry. Individualism is coming to an end in our culture. how one is formed has consequences. The formation found here continues to be my hope. That hope rests on what I have seen to be true.


omehow as a child I must have seen the famous painting of the Sower by Jean François Millet. he’s displayed mid-action, arm fully extended, the seeds

spinning in a perfect arc to the ground. but as I spent time with this text, I realized that Millet took a great deal of license, for in the painting, the sower casts seed in a field that looks recently tilled. The sower that Jesus describes, however, is something quite different: he is both reckless and ill-informed, for he’s sowing his precious seed in places where there is no chance of growth. In fact, he appears very much like another character in one of Jesus’ parables, the land owner who hires people at different times throughout the day and pays them all the same wage. This is not exactly a sustainable business model. but what is clear is that Jesus seems to be aware of the absurdity. “he who has ears, let him hear,” Jesus says halfway through the gospel. “If this sounds foolish, listen harder,” he says. The content of Jesus’ teaching will sound so not-right, so reckless, so illogical that he has to soften its strangeness by telling it in a parable. Jesus provides one reading of the parable in the second half of our lesson today. but as parables often do, this one works at a number of levels. So turn back with me to the beginning of your bibles and see if our ears can hear.

The god we meet in genesis 1 is, among other things, a Sower. On the third day of Creation – and the day is not unimportant – god sowed such a mighty crop that he brought forth every kind of vegetation, “plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit…each according to its kind” (gen. 1:11-12). Then three days later, god creates something in his image, a man who is a sower. This sower god formed out of the earth and his task concerned the land: “I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of the earth,” the Son of Dirt is told, and “every tree with seed in its fruit: you shall have them for food (gen. 1:29). but the Sower wanted a crop that was not his to have; he disobeyed the single request made by his Maker: to “not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden” (gen. 2:3). The punishment he receives for his crime fits, Shakespeare-like, with the crime:

because thou…hast eaten of the tree…cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (gen. 3:17-19, kJV).

The sower’s soil is now cursed, and he is to be fruitless, working amongst the thistles and thorns, a sower forever in search of a harvest.

but you will remember, that not only is Adam the Sower cursed, but also the one who deceived he and Eve. “I will put enmity between you and the woman,” god says to the serpent, and between, what? “your seed and her seed;” “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (gen. 3:15). A seed will remain, the seed of a woman, which the serpent will forever try to destroy. This has to be what St paul has in his mind in galatians 4: “when the time had fully come,” he writes, “god sent forth his Son, born of woman” (gal. 4:4) clothed with the sun and bearing the seed of Life. but notice where the Father sowed his Son, the precious Seed: not just in fertile lands, in hearts plowed and readied for his gospel. The Sower scattered his Son as the Seed of Life, the Son of Man, in a whole variety places. he came amidst thorns and thistles that grow in stony hearts, along the path of the super-religious, and amongst the rocks that would be thrown at his sacred head. “he was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. he came to his own home, and his own people received him not” (Jn. 1:11).

SThE SELF-SAME SOwER & SEEDThe Rev. Matthew S.C. Olver, Teaching Fellow in Liturgics at Nashotah house and doctoral student at Marquette University

here is an old story told about the devil and his minions. It appears things had been a little slow in the temptation business and so this group threw around ideas to see

if anyone could come up with something new and exciting to help get them out of their sales slump. After a moment one of the minions said, “I know—we can tell them there is no god.” The devil looked at him, “That will never work. All they have to do is look at a sunrise or the beauty of a starry sky and they will know that is not true.” After another moment a different minion said, “we could tell them there is no devil.” Again the devil said, “No, they just need to

look at the senseless slaughter of war or the hatred in the world and they will know that is not true.” After a few more moments the devil said, “I have it! we will tell them that there is no hurry.”

while I know this story is apocryphal, the sentiment seems to permeate much of life—we will get to it tomorrow, or when the situation is a little different. god’s kingdom and his glory can wait until after we have finished a project or watched something good on TV.

having now been in administration at Nashotah house for over a year, and knowing that part of my job is to be the guy who worries about money, I find myself in a constant struggle. On the one hand, I am quite aware that Jesus is generally against us worrying—with his whole lilies of the field business—but I also know we are not called to be holy parasites. Thus, I vacillate between wanting god to fix our financial problems with a vast infusion of cash, and wanting to relax knowing that god continues to teach us that today should be our only concern. And so as disciples of Christ who love Nashotah house, how do we both simultaneously trust in god’s providence while not freeloading? how do we strike the balance between knowing god will provide and obeying the call to be laborers in the fields of the Lord.

Nashotah house, in its more than 170-year history has always flirted with disaster—often being snatched from certain doom at the last minute. The question becomes: do we stick with tradition or do we try to be proactive about it? As one who is inherently distrustful of any sort of innovation, I would normally say to stick with tradition, but I don’t think I can do that in good conscience. yes, we must always trust in god, but we also have a part to play. god gave us dominion over creation so that we can use its resources to further his kingdom. And I believe there are few things more vital in growing god’s kingdom than a strong and healthy Nashotah house. Therefore, we must all work to financially

support it and its mission. To learn more about how to support us, please see Fr. Lawson’s article on page 13. he is working tirelessly to strengthen our financial resources and my prayer is that many will feel led to partner in his new endeavors. If we want to keep this vibrant, orthodox Anglo-Catholic seminary alive we must all act now. Continuing to be a vital place of training for the Anglican Communion—this is Nashotah house. but we must put aside all excuses and commit to the work of financially supporting it or else we we may some day be reading an epitaph for Nashotah which says, “Nashotah house—they said there was no hurry.”

The Rev. philip Cunningham, ’08

Letter from the Associate Dean of Administration

T

Partner todayFor shared success

...one of the minions said, “I know—we can tell them there is no god.” The devil looked at him, “That will never work. All they have to do is look at a sunrise or the beauty of a starry sky and they will know that is not true.

The Rev. Richard Daly, ’91, SSC

“I am asked how can you as a part-time priest be effective?,” says the Rev. Richard Daly, ’91, “I answer: formation. his passion is your formation. I am never not a priest. Someday I will no longer be a police officer, but I will continue to be a priest forever. Nashotah house knows and teaches Christian dogma and doctrine; and teaches us to pattern our priesthood upon the cross of Christ.”

As both both parochial vicar at St. paul’s Church, Riverside, IL and field training officer for the Chicago police Department, Fr. Daly trains new recruits -- those who are in the Church as well as those who graduate from the police Training Academy.

bivocational priests have become a reality to a number of parishes, as at times church members are unable to afford full-time priests. however, Fr. Daly, who enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at Nashotah house in September, 2014, said that as a police officer, he often feels as if he is serving the Lord in the squad car, beyond the four walls of the church proper.

“Ministry in squad car happens through the grapevine,” says Fr. Daly, “As other officers hear I’m a priest, they may ask, ‘Can I ask you a question?’ or ‘Can you help me with my troubles at home?’ Or, even more directly, ‘how can you say there is a god?’

Outside Ourselves: FOrmatiOn Carried

The reality of the situation is as police officers, we deal with the worst five percent of humanity 100 percent of the time. when I have to make an arrest, just for a split second I will often see in his or her face reveal -- just for a moment -- ‘how did I get here?’ Not, ‘how did I get caught?’ Instead, ‘how did I get here?’”

This year, 2015, marks twenty-seven years since Fr. Daly first arrived at Nashotah house as a seminarian in 1991, and he recalls his ‘spiritual savings’ received in the teaching and formation offered at the house. It is the days when he has pondered his vocation or in the ordinary struggles of being a priest, that Fr. Daly makes these ‘withdrawals.’

“As I’m in the field now, I recall how the worship in St. Mary’s Chapel resonates—daily morning and evening prayer, sung Eucharist, worship within community,” he says. “The peace and hope of Christ given at that time in my life, that formation into priestly ministry, is in the here and now of the priesthood. That devotion cultivated at Nashotah house was imprinted upon me. The literal rubbing of elbows in the chapel, the challenges of getting along for the sake of Christ, followed me into parish life. you do not necessarily know when grace is received; difficulties come and go, but god’s grace is poured out.”

The Rev. Richard Daly, ’91, SSC serves as parochial vicar of St Paul’s Parish, Riverside, IL. Fr. Daly was ordained by Bp. William L. Stevens to the

diaconate at St Paul’s Cathedral in Fond du Lac, WI, on December 1, 1990, and to the priesthood on June 14, 1991, at Trinity Church, Wauwatosa, WI. Prior to serving as the Parochial Vicar of St Paul’s Parish, Fr. Daly has done

extended supply ministry in the Diocese of Chicago. As an SSC priest, Fr. Daly endeavors to promote unity among Catholic Christians; offer the Mass daily,

or if not able to offer the Mass daily, make a daily spiritual act of communion; and foster and teach Christ’s faithful to have a great love for Christ, His

Church and the Sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. He is a graduate of Nashotah House Theological Seminary and was working

on his doctorate in pastoral psychology when he took time out of his studies for he and his wife Diana to raise three girls.

ALUMNI FEATURE

“As I’m in the field now, I recall how the worship in St. Mary’s Chapel resonates—daily morning and evening prayer, sung Eucharist, worship within community,” he says. “The peace and hope of Christ given at that time in my life, that formation into priestly ministry, is in the here and now of the priesthood. That devotion cultivated at Nashotah house was imprinted upon me.”

Often the word, formation, is used at Nashotah House. St. Augustine taught that the act and the process between one’s formation in learning was directly tied to one’s care for souls--formation that is poured forth into the Church. The entirety of Christian life is a process of formation, a process of being transformed more fully into the image of Christ’s work (1 Cor. 2:7). In the article below, we read of the Rev. Richard Daly, ’91, who recalls how his formation at Nashotah House helped to equip him to serve God’s people both within the church walls and beyond.

tO the Parish


we invite Alumni and Friends of Nashotah house to give generously to the African Scholarship Fund. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide full tuition, room and board, fees, and books for African students studying in the Advanced Degree program at Nashotah house.

The Macedonian call: a Renewed call To Mission ACTS 16:6-10

Anglican. benedictine. Classical.nashotah.edu

petertide Courses 2015

Session I:July 6-17

NT 727/bE 838 – The pauline Epistles and Nicene Trinitarian TheologyMay also fulfill the DMin CD requirement

The epistles of St. paul were fundamental to the development of Nicene Trinitarian doctrine. This course will focus on that forward movement—how paul’s letters helped shape later Trinitarian theology—as well as on the corresponding backward movement—how later Trinitarian doctrine can help us to reread paul’s letters in the Church today. Along the way, attention will be paid to the connection between paul’s Trinitarian theology and his understanding of the spiritual life. The course will also concentrate on the formation of disciples and how that connection contributes to pastoral theology today.

wesley hill, phD, Assistant professor of biblical Studies, Trinity School for Ministry

AT 826 – Archbishop Michael Ramsey: A Vision for Liturgy and Spirituality

May also fulfill the DMin LT requirement

Michael Ramsey, the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury, was a man of strong personal faith and theological commitment. The son of a Congregationalist minister and the brother of a renowned Cambridge mathematician and atheist, Ramsey was an unlikely standard bearer for Anglo-Catholicism in the Church of England. Further, he became a respected public voice of Christian belief, remaining engaged with a world that was becoming increasingly

distant from the Church. To understand Ramsey’s private and public spirituality, this course will consider his major writings. At the same time, the course will examine how his own convictions about theology, ecclesiology, and worship, can provide a model of generous engagement with the world in the name of Christ.

The Very Rev. benjamin Thomas, ThD, Dean, Christ Cathedral, Salina, kS

CT 820 – head, heart and hands: An Approach to Catechetical pedagogy

May also fulfill the DMin AT or CD requirements

In recent times a pedagogue is a practitioner of pedagogy, a term typically used to describe individuals involved with teaching young children. Typically the pedagogue’s job is distinguished from that of a more traditional teaching role, which tends to focus solely on cognitive skills. The focus of pedagogy is more holistic in nature with the broader goal of lifelong learning and skills acquisition. This course will examine principles of learning from a ‘cradle to grave’ perspective highlighting cognitive, affective, and faith development issues as they pertain to catechesis. we will explore the relationship between teaching methods, cultural expectations and assumptions, and theological perspectives in order to offer participants a repertoire of pedagogical approaches. Special attention will be given to the church’s role and responsibility in providing compassionate, pastoral, and biblically grounded instruction.

Leslie Thyberg, phD, Learning Skills Coordinator, Trinity School for Ministry

Session II: July 21 – August 1

DSem 801 – Ethnography, Methodology and Theological Reflection

This three-credit introductory overview is required for all Doctor of Ministry students in the second or third year of the program. It will cover all aspects of design for the Doctor of Ministry project. The module will equip students for the process of exploring, researching and reflecting theologically on a specific ministry concern, in context, in an effort to advance the faithful ministry of the Church. It includes a handbook as a reference guide for use during the Doctor of Ministry process.

The Rev. Jack gabig, phD, Associate professor of practical Theology and Director of Advanced

Degree programs, Nashotah house

The Rev. David Jones, ThD, Affiliate professor of pastoral Theology, Nashotah house

bE 839 – preaching the parables of Jesus

May also fulfill the DMin CD requirement

The corpus of Jesus’ parables represents some of the most intriguing, some of the most worked-over; and, unfortunately sometimes, some of the most misused material in the holy Scriptures. In the parables, the interpreter is challenged with teachings that, for all their apparent simplicity, still elude, befuddle, and frustrate straightforward exposition. The preacher is faced with the further challenge in that nothing might be more ruinous of the parable’s genius and fatal to its effect than its straightforward exposition! This course, conducted in workshop format and giving special (though not exclusive) attention to the parables of Luke’s gospel, featured in Lectionary year C, will train participants to engage the parables with exegetical responsibility and to proclaim them so as once again to summon hearers afresh to the kingdom of god.

garwood p. Anderson, phD, professor of New Testament and greek, Nashotah house

The Rev. Steve Schlossberg, Rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Troy, Ny

CD 835 – A Missional Theology for the Local Church

May also fulfill the DMin CT requirement

what difference does it make if the church doesn’t merely have a mission to fulfill, but is by nature missional - i.e., a sent community bearing witness to the Reign of god in Jesus Christ throughout all the world? Actually, for churches caught in the web of contemporary American cultural logic, it changes everything. The identity and vocation of the local congregation, and their cultivation by pastoral agents, are the focus for this DMin course.

The Rev. george hunsberger, phD, Retired professor of Missiology, western Theological

Seminary

AT 723/LT 830 – The Spirituality of Anglican Liturgy: As Revealed in Mr. hooker’s LAwS

May also fulfill the DMin AT requirement

This seminar is designed to engage the life and work of Richard hooker, focusing on his magnum opus, The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, and its treatment of Liturgy and Ecclesiology. hooker has been recognized as the ‘architect of Anglican Ecclesiology,’ ‘originator of the via media,’ and as the ‘prophet of Anglicanism,’ while also being hailed as a harbinger of magisterial reform in britain. he lived and worked in a time of great division within the Church of England; in many respects one not dissimilar from our own. hooker’s perennial contribution and his timeliness should become evident as the seminar unfolds. Seminar participants will first ‘meet’ Mr. hooker and then engage him in his Laws. Students of AT 723/LT 830 are expected to have read the eight books of the Laws prior to class beginning.

The Rev. Steven A. peay, phD, professor of homiletics and Church history, Dean and

president of Nashotah house

for more information & to register for these petertide courses, please visit nashotah.edu.

Continued from p. 5“Some of the tracts are probably the only copies that survive,” says Mr. Mammana. “Many of them relate to church occasions and controversies from the 19th century, especially around issues like free pew seating, changes in worship style and church government, and missionary expansion. pamphlets are important because of their wide audience, and their circulation outside of academic circles. Nashotah house is a natural place for scholars to look for material about the Oxford Movement and Anglo-Catholicism, and this collection will be a way for researchers to access a substantial body of material in one location.”

Tracts from Mr. Mammana’s collection take on issues such as: “how are we to spread the gospel to the unchurched?” and “Is ritual actually superstition or is ritual consistent with the teachings of the early Church and the Fathers?” Many of the tracts and pamphlets relate to the controversies concerning ritualism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.) Topics also include debates on the state of the Episcopal Church in America; what made one qualified to serve on a vestry; the need for rubrics in the prayer book; the call for the Church to continue to have a public voice; as well as a catechism published in 1877 on ‘ritual decisions.’

In addition to tracts, the donation includes convention journals, annual reports to vestries and various church societies, as well as sermons.

Along with the 488 pamphlets, Mr. Mammana also provided a monetary donation to pay for the cataloging which is extremely generous and considerate. Founder and director of the free online archive, project Canterbury at anglicanhistory.org. Mr. Mammana is also the Episcopal Church’s Ecumenical and Interreligious Associate, with responsibilities that include serving as staff liaison for the Moravian-Episcopal and Lutheran-Episcopal committees, and our dialogues with the presbyterian Church, United Methodist Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. project Canterbury receives approximately eight million hits per year and includes out-of-print Anglican archival material free of charge for anyone to use.

Mr. Mammana is a graduate of yale Divinity School and has been a member of the Living Church Foundation, a past publisher of The Living Church magazine, and a frequent contributor to its online and print publications. Mr. Mammana and his wife Mary live in New haven, Connecticut with their two small daughters. There they attend Trinity Church on the green, where he serves on the vestry. For more reading on the Oxford Movement and its revival of the Church, please read, Before and After the Oxford Movement by Mary I.M. bell, 1933: http://anglicanhistory.org/england/misc/bell_oxford1933.html

The Rev. Canon John g. b. Andrew ObE, DD, died October 17, 2014. he was the beloved Eleventh Rector of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New york (1972-1996). Canon Andrew became an honorary alumnus of Nashotah house in 1977.

The Rev. Richard bennett ’65, died May 2, 2014.

The Rev. M. Allen Dickson ’04, died October 17, 2014.

The Rt. Rev. Robert Todd giffin ’02, was unanimously elected as bishop Suffragan on February 22, 2014, by the delegates of the Diocese of Mid-America, Anglican province of America. bp. giffin will be bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese.

The Rev. Andrew grosso, phD, Research professor of philosophical and Systematic Theology at Nashotah house, assumed the position of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the seminary on February 2, 2015.

The Rev. Richard hartley, DMin, Affiliate professor of Ascetical and pastoral Theology at Nashotah house, assumed the position of Associate Dean of Students at the seminary on February 2, 2015.

The Rev. benjamin Jeffries ’14, was ordained to the priesthood November 11, 2014, at All Saints Anglican Church, Springfield, MO by the Most Rev. Robert Duncan, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of pittsburgh.

The Rev. gabriel Morrow ’14, was ordained to the priesthood, on December 14, 2014, St. peter’s Cathedral, helena, MT, by the Rt. Rev. C. Franklin brookhart, Jr., Ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Montana, on behalf of the Rt. Rev. william h. Love, Ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany.

The Rev. wesley T. Nelson, Associate Alumnus of Nashotah house, died October 31, 2014.

The Rev. paul A. Nesta ’13, was ordained to the priesthood December 6, 2014 at St. Luke’s

Episcopal Church in Denison, TX by the Rt. Rev. paul E. Lambert.

Major John O’brien, ’07, Deputy wing Chaplain for the 115th Fighter wing in Madison, wI, received appointment as Ecumenical Canon of the Diocese of Ruvuma in the Anglican Church of Tanzania.

The Rev. David E. pearson, ’15, was ordained January 23, 2015, to the diaconate by the Rt. Rev. Edward S. Little, II, bishop of Northern Indiana, at the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin, Nashotah house.

The Rev. Steven A. peay, phD, was appointed Twentieth Dean and president of Nashotah house on October 24, 2014. he will be installed at the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin, Nashotah house on May 19, 2015. Nashotah house welcomes your attendance.

The Rev. Joel Allen prather ’09, was installed as Rector of Christ Church, Delavan, wI, on December 3, 2014, in the Diocese of Milwaukee.

The Rev. Nicholas Radelmiller, OhC, ’65, died September 27, 2014.

The Rev. harry Reis, ’59, died February 5, 2014.

Mr. Robert A. Robinson, LLD, died August 23, 2014. he became an honorary alumnus (LLD, Doctor of Laws) of Nashotah house in 1980.

The Rev. Anne Christine Seaton, ’15, was ordained to the priesthood December 16, 2014, at St. george’s Episcopal Church, holbrook, AZ by the Rt. Rev. kirk Stevan Smith, bishop of Arizona.

The Rev. Edwin philip wittenburg, ’58, died September 2, 2014.

The Missioner (ISSN 1521–5148) is published quarterly by Nashotah House, a theological seminary forming leaders in the Anglican tradition since 1842.2777 Mission Rd., Nashotah, WI 53058–9793, Tel.: 262.646.6500. www.nashotah.edu

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMilwaukee, WIPermit No. 5297

MARCh 19-20, 2015

whether you are discerning a call to ministry or considering the possibility of attending seminary, there is no better place in which to retreat from the world and begin to contemplate your call than Nashotah house. A full two-day feast of worship, classroom experience, private reflection, and candid discussion with our students, faculty, and staff. Experiencing Nashotah is expressly designed for prospective students and their spouses.

Offered twice a year, in the Fall and the Spring, Experiencing Nashotah is your opportunity to taste and see what life is like at Nashotah house, giving you and your spouse a real introduction to our community, its vibrant life, and its living tradition.

If you intend to have an official admissions interview during your visit, please submit your portion of the Admissions Application prior to your visit.

Deadline: March 5, 2015

missioner lent 2015

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