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Jul 25, 2011

General Assembly 2011

To say that PTS was present at the 2011 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) would simply be an understatement. Yes. We had our exhibit booth and hosted our Seminary Luncheon (both of which were well received!), but there was much more going on: current students were out collecting video interviews of GA attendees, so to capture the spirit of the Assembly; Twitter was utilized to giveaway books written by PTS faculty, alums, and friends (while also signifi...

Jul 21, 2011

From a Student's Perspective

Going to General Assembly was an amazing experience in many ways. Particularly, I met people this General Assembly that I might never have met because I had the privilege of interviewing people, asking simple yet complicated questions like, “What is the church called to do?” and “Where is God at work in the church and in the world?” People told stories of hope, calling, and care. Even more importantly, we shared hugs, smiles, and joy. I approached one pastor, and asked to interview ...

Jul 18, 2011

If PTS Were Hogwarts

Ever since my then 10 year old son Zach introduced Cheri and me to the 3rd Harry Potter book on a long car ride, Cheri and I have been fans. After reading that book aloud in the car, we read the second, then the first, then pre-ordered every subsequent book. We’ve watched most of the movies within days of opening (without capes and wizard hats—we’re such Muggles). Although we’ve not yet seen the final movie, that wrong will be righted by week’s end. I am not the first seminary-type ...

Jul 01, 2011

Supervised Ministry

We are always making assumptions. There is never a time when we are not using past experiences in order to interpret current events. Likewise, we also make theological assumptions. When faced with situations in life or ministry, we carry with us a set of assumptions about who God is, what God expects, and how God will act and respond. For most of us, these theological assumptions are hidden from our conscious minds. Part of what defines "supervision" in ministry is helping persons become of awar...

Jun 29, 2011

Important but Not Urgent

I’ve tried to take reading time over the last few days. Not the kind of “just in time” reading one does for day-to-day production, when a deadline looms; but reading that grounds my vocation, inspires, challenges, humbles, and uplifts. One of my wells from which I’ve drunk for nearly 35 years now is The Christian Century, a magazine published bi-weekly. A confession. I was shocked to find I had accumulated nearly 20 unread or partially read issues from about the last 14 months (they ...

Jun 27, 2011

Ecclesiologies

Last week I taught a concentrated course entitled "Ecclesiologies: Models and Practices of Church." As part of our class time, we visited six different Tulsa-area houses of worship: One synagogue and five Christian churches. Among the churches, there was sampling (by no means an exhaustive one) of ecclesiological models and practices. Following our field trips, we discussed our growing shared understanding of all that is at stake in ecclesiology. There were qu...

Jun 23, 2011

The Historical Jesus

The quest for the historical Jesus has always been controversial because it turns out that Jesus has always been something of a problem for the churches. At first this might seem counter-intuitive. But just think about it. There are elements of Jesus’ message that we all find difficult: “You are missing one thing: make your move, sell whatever you have, and give <the money> to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And then come on, follow me!” . . . .“Children,...

Jun 21, 2011

The Journey to Ordination

I have had the privilege in recent months to participate in two ordination services of PTS graduates, those of Jerry Scribner and Victoria Fishel. Jerry is UCC and his ordination was at the church in Newton, KS where he serves. What a joy to share in the experience of this 70 year old, wise man and storyteller kneeling while hands were laid upon him affirming his call to ministry. He took early retirement from the chemical industry 12 years ago and began a long journey through seminary...

Jun 16, 2011

The Answer Is Not Simple

“Do you like being president?” is a question I’ve been asked often over my almost 2 years in office. The honest answer is that the answer is not simple. I have likes and dislikes. One big part I definitely like is being an evangelist for theological education. My theological education in college and seminary fundamentally changed the way I read scripture, how I interpret history and the present, what I think God is doing in the world, and the “therefores” regarding how Christians sho...

Jun 13, 2011

Enjoying the Outdoors

Spring time is the time of my life. I enjoy working in flower beds, maintaining my yard, and trimming trees and shrubs. To get this accomplished, I do a lot of staggering, tripping, and falling. As this happens, I wonder how many people think “that woman has had one too many”! But, I still keep at it and enjoy the end results. My grandchildren work right by my side, breaking sticks and bagging them up, and taking them to the trash for trash day. We work for awhile, then we have to stop and play ...

PTS Blog

The PTS Blog is a series of reflections and ideas submitted by members of our community. If you’d like to contribute, contact Linda Ford

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PTS offers Christian graduate theological education in service of an intelligent, just, & compassionate society. We welcome students to a safe space for truth-seeking conversations about the Bible, Jesus, and faithful living. MDiv, MAMC, MTS, DMin, and certificate program courses are available on campus, by distance, and online.

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