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United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

Volume 47, Issue 24; May 12, 2008

Monday Morning is published weekly during fall & spring terms by the dean's office. It is also available on the UTS web site at http://mercury.unitedseminary.edu/mondaymorning. Please submit items for publication to Deb Olsen at deolsen@unitedseminary.edu by 5:00 PM on Thursday. Please put "Monday Morning Announcement" in the subject line.

SEMINARY ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
I am pleased to inform you that a search committee has been formed for the purpose of selecting the next president of United Theological Seminary. The members of the committee are:

  • Rev. Carolyn Hendrixson ‘99, trustee and search committee chairperson
  • Mr. Douglas Baker, trustee
  • Dr. Mary Bednarowski, trustee and emerita professor
  • Dr. Joe Bush, trustee and faculty representative
  • Dr. Herbert Perkins, student representative
  • Dr. Carolyn Pressler, trustee and faculty representative
  • Ms. Kathleen Remund, staff representative
  • Rev. John Ross, trustee
  • Ms. Sharon Ryan, trustee
  • Mr. Frank Sims, trustee
  • Dr. Rick Heydinger, ex-officio
  • Ms. Gretchen Milloy, committee support

The committee is just beginning its work. As the process unfolds, there will be regular postings to the United community. This is an exciting time for the seminary as we plan our future, and we solicit your support and prayers for the work of the search committee.

Rick Heydinger, chair of the board

U.C.C. MIDWEST REGIONAL SEMINARIAN GATHERING
If you are a United Church of Christ student in the M.Div. program, this year presents you a fabulous opportunity that comes around only once in three years. October 3-5 the Midwest Seminarian Gathering will meet at the U.C.C. national offices in Cleveland, Ohio. This is a terrific opportunity to meet U.C.C. national staff and other seminarians who in a few years will be your peers in ministry in the U.C.C. Hear from John Thomas, and attend great worship and workshops on practical resources to support your ministry. For a registration fee of $100, and requesting a supporting $100 contribution from the association where you are “in care” you can attend with airfare, hotel and meal expenses completely covered. The registration deadline is August 15, but there are only 40 places available for the whole Midwest, so register early! Watch for a brochure and registration form in your campus mailbox. For registration questions contact Kathleen Sattler at sattlerk@ucc.org. For more information contact Lynn Bujnak, Minister for Vocation and Formation at bujnakl@ucc.org or 1-866-822-8224 x3841 (toll-free). United Seminary will subsidize $50 of the registration fee for the first 10 students who request the subsidy. Contact Richard Weis for further details about the subsidy.

SPRING BANQUET
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
Friday May 16, 6:00 pm
It's not too late to RSVP! Please contact Vi Keller by email, or call 651.255.6161 today. We need to give the caterers our number of expected guests soon.

Join the United community as we gather on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 pm in the library court for the annual Spring Banquet to celebrate the achievements of this year’s graduates. There will be a moment of recognition for each graduate present and we will award academic prizes. There will be good food, good music and good conversation for all. Special activities are provided for children who do not want to sit through the program. There is no charge for graduates. Otherwise, the cost is $17.00 for adults, $10.00 for children 10 and under, children under 2 are free. SEC has graciously made funds available to pay for a limited number of reservations of graduates’ family members. These scholarships are available on the basis of “one per graduate; first come, first served.” Please let Vi know you are interested in a scholarship when you make your reservation.

COMMUNITY LUNCH
Please join us in the Context Café for the last community lunch of the spring term on Thursday, May 15. Lunch is served from 11:45 am till 1:00 pm. The menu will be baked potato bar, salad, dessert and beverage for $7.00.

LET’S SAVE SOME ENERGY
BY TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS!
It would be a great earth habit to be aware of whether a light is on because we really need it NOW, instead of ‘needed it before and forgot to turn it off’ or ‘might need it later.’ Even if you’ve made the switch to compact fluorescents, turn ‘em off:

But doesn't it take more energy to start up the light than it does to run the lamp for several minutes? In a word: No. It is true that fluorescent lamps draw an inrush current that is five times greater than the operating current. However, the initial surge of a rapid start lamp lasts for only 1/120th of a second. So, you have to turn the lamp off for only one second to save the same amount of energy used to start it up again.

This article originally appeared in Efficiency By Design, Fall 1998. Brought to you by the UTS Go Green Task Force in hopes of partnering with the entire UTS community. Logo © by Dale Dobias.

GREAT NEW COURSE FOR THIS JUNE
We have just added TR409 God/Self/World: The Relational Theologies of Process and Feminism. This new Women’s Studies elective is also a great opportunity to do further work with process theology. It’s taught by Jeanyne Slettom, a United alumna who earned her Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. Jeanyne received rave reviews when she taught at United several years ago. The course will be offered 1:00-4:15 pm Monday through Friday, June 9-20. Here’s a description of the course: Feminist and process theologies are both relational theologies that emphasize experience, freedom, and the intrinsic value of all beings. Each rejects the dualistic and hierarchical cosmology that has dominated Western thought, and each affirms an organic, dynamic, interdependent and interrelational model of God, self, and the world. The course explores this alternate vision as developed by process-feminist theologians. No previous background in process theology necessary.

Prof. Jeanyne Slettom (Phd, Claremont Graduate University; MDiv, United Seminary) has been an adjunct professor of theology at Claremont School of Theology (CST) and UTS. She is managing director of Process & Faith, an academic center of CST, and managing editor of Process Studies, the journal of the Center for Process Studies. She is an ordained UCC pastor and serves part-time at Brea Congregational UCC. She is the editor of The Process Perspective, by John B. Cobb, and her process-feminist liturgies have been published in Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship, by Maren Tirabassi and Maria Tirabassi, and the journal Creative Transformation.

2008 SUMMBER GLOBAL JUSTICE COURSE
CS746 Global Encounters on Our Doorstep

The class will meet from 8:45-12:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from June 2 through 20 except for Tuesday, June 11, and Thursday, June 19, when the course will not meet. In addition, the course will spend the first weekend, June 6-8, at Shalom Hill Farm in Windom, Minnesota. There is a $300 fee for the course in addition to the normal tuition charges. A course description can be found in the Summer Registration Bulletin in your mail boxes or on the Web site. If you have any questions, please drop by my office, give me a call (651-255-6120) or send me an e-mail. Susan Hastings, Registrar.

REGISTRATION BULLETINS HAVE ARRIVED!
You’ll find an updated version of the 2007-08 Summer Term Registration Bulletin in your mail boxes. You can also find it (and other interesting stuff) on the Registrar’s Page of the Web site.

The 1st edition of the 2008-09 Registration Bulletin are in student boxes or click here.

Both Registration Bulletins include a Registration Form and list the due date for registrations each term. If you have any questions, please drop by my office, give me a call (651-255-6120), or send me an e-mail. Susan Hastings, Registrar

NEWS FROM SPENCER LIBRARY
The library reminds all term borrowers that all library materials are due by 5:00 pm Friday, May 16, unless extended loans are approved by one of the librarians. After May 16 each unreturned item will be assumed lost and billed to your seminary account at the rate of $35.00 per item (of which $5.00 per item is a non-refundable processing fee). As with the IRS, file your requests for extended loans with the library staff BEFORE the due date. Thanks for your cooperation with this annual ritual.
Job Descriptions and Application forms for Library Student Staff positions for next Fall are available at the circulation desk. It's a great way to get to know the library and your fellow students better.

GRADUATION NEWS

2008 COMMENCEMENT
Sunday, May 18, 3:00 pm
Plymouth Congregational Church
1900 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis

FROM THE LIBRARY TO THOSE HOPING TO GRADUATE: THE END IS COMING (Congratulations!)
ALL GRADUATES’ LIBRARY MATERIALS ARE DUE BY 5:00 PM FRIDAY, MAY 9.
We respectfully remind you that DIPLOMAS will be handed only to those who have returned all library materials (to UTS and to other Consortium Libraries). Please keep your ID cards if you plan to continue using the library as alum borrowers (We hope you will!). We will automatically change your status, and after Commencement you will be able to check out materials on a 6-week basis.

STAFFORD LOAN EXIT COUNSELING FOR GRADUATES
If you are graduating in May and have borrowed a federal Stafford student loan while attending United Seminary, you must schedule an appointment with Michelle Turnau, Director of Financial Aid prior or shortly after graduation for your exit counseling. This is a federal regulation that you receive this information from the school. The appointment will last approximately 15 minutes and we will discuss your loan debt, repayment options and answer any questions you may have about your student loans. You can contact Michelle at 651-255-6117 or mturnau@unitedseminary.edu.

COMMENCEMENT/EXIT INTERVIEWS
Look for the final chapter of your Spiritual Chronicle, entitled “Commencement” to arrive soon in your mailbox. In these end times, you are invited to meet with the chaplain and reflect on your time here and give us your feedback. To make an appointment, email Martha at Mpostlethwaite@unitedseminary.edu or sign up on the sheets posted outside her door.

REMINDERS TO THE GRADUATES
Check the Plymouth's website, www.plymouth.org, for directions and parking information for yourself and your guests. Plan to attend a special "Farewell to Seniors" Chapel Worship on Thursday, May 15, the Spring Banquet on May 16, and Commencement Communion on Saturday, May 17. Click here for Graduate Instructions (pdf file)

2008/09 FINANCIAL AID
The 2008/09 FAFSA applications can now be completed on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The school code is G02386. You will need to have your 2007 income tax return complete before filing the FAFSA. If you would prefer a paper FAFSA you can pick one up from Michelle Turnau or Michelle Rodriguez. All need based awards are subject to funds available on a first-come, first-award basis. If you have questions about applying for financial aid, please contact Michelle Turnau.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

SUMMER ANTI-RACISM INSTITUTE
Minneapolis, MN
August 13-14, 2008
Join us at The Blake School in Minneapolis for a profound learning experience about race. In the two-day Summer Anti-Racism Institute, you’ll join a diverse group of people for experiences and discussions about race that are unique and often life changing. Racism remains one of our major challenges. The law prohibits discrimination, but does not alone improve cross-race understanding. The Summer Anti-Racism Institute will give participants a new awareness of how racism is connected to conscious and unconscious attitudes. Through open conversation, experiential exercises, and expert facilitation, participants will learn how racism impacts their own lives and the lives of others. Most important, participants will learn how they can improve cross-race interactions in the places where they live and work.

The Institute will bring together a group of energized individuals who will gain new insights about race and make positive changes in themselves and others. The Summer Anti-Racism Institute will offer:

  • an investigation of how early messages about race shape perceptions
  • an exploration of racial privilege and its impact on the individual and society
  • experiential learning about societal power dynamics
    an opportunity to learn key skills to address racism
This national institute is sponsored by the Beyond Diversity Resource Center and The Blake School. We welcome participants from across the country to attend. For a course description and registration information on the Center's website click here or call the Center at 856-235-2664.

FALL CPE OPENINGS AT ALLINA
16-week internship positions beginning September 2, 2008
The Allina CPE Center is now accepting applications for the Fall CPE Internship at three of our CPE sites:
Abbott Northwestern, Minneapolis
St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Shakopee
Unity Hospital (Fridley) and Mercy Hospital (Coon Rapids)

This program includes one unit of ACPE accredited clinical pastoral education. The internship programs offer introductory, specialized training in clinical pastoral care, emphasizing spiritual/theological integration, ethical reflection, and pastoral leadership. Interns experience clinical assignments that provide in-depth exposure to specialty areas, enabling each student to become an integral part of the health care team. Time commitment includes approximately 26 hours per week in the hospital and scheduled on-call emergency coverage. For program and application information: http://www.allina.com/ahs/cpe.nsf or e-mail cpe@allina.com.

VA MIDWEST HEALTHCARE NETWORK
2008 Summer CPE Internships
The VA Midwest Health Care Network (VISN 23) ACPE System has openings for 2008 CPE Summer Internships in St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Minnesota and Sioux Falls, SD. Programs begin Tuesday, May 27, 2008 and conclude either August 8 or August 15, 2008. No tuition or fees are charged. Interns are expected to provide clinical care with veterans as part of their commitment to the educational program. The Standard ACPE Application is used. For more information please contact:
Rev. Linda S. Campbell, ACPE Supervisor/Chaplain
St. Cloud Veterans Affairs Medical Center
4801 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303
320-255-6480 x6647, FAX: 320-202-2309
Linda.Campbell@va.gov

MONDAY MORNING ARCHIVES

Click on these links for past issues of Monday Morning:
 
THIS WEEK AT UNITED
    MONDAY, May 12  
  1:30 CH162 Final Project Strobel Room
    TUESDAY, May 13  
  8:00-11:00 Labyrinth Bigelow Chapel
  8:30 NCMDC Board Meeting Strobel Room
  11:00 NCMDC Break-out Meetings Shummon, Campbell and Hatch Rooms
  11:35 Chapel Bigelow Chapel
  12:00 Focus Group 2 Lunch Sm Dining Rm
  12:30 Labyrinth Bigelow Chapel
  6:00 Faith Community Nurse Course Community Ed Strobel Room
    WEDNESDAY, May 14  
  8:00am- 10:00 pm Labyrinth Bigelow Chapel
  10:30 Admissions and Student Life Council Sm Dining Room
  12:00 Faculty Vocation & Governance Lunch and Discussion Strobel Room
    THURSDAY, May 15  
  8:30 UCC Minnesota Prep/Ordination Subcommittee Sm Dining Room
  11:35 Chapel-"Farewell to Seniors" Bigelow Chapel
  6:00 Faith Community Nurse Course Community Ed Strobel Room
    FRIDAY, May 16  
  10:00 First Divinity Strobel Room
  10:00 Field Instructors Appreciation Steckel Center
  5:30 Banquet Child Care Steckel Center
  6:00 UTS Spring Banquet Library Court
Bigelow Chapel Photo CHAPEL
NOTES

Following the Path of the Labyrinth
“Opening our Eyes, Our Thoughts, Our Journey”

Join us at Chapel at 11:35 am on Tuesday May 13
for a Ritual of Meditation, Insight, Reflection and Joy!
The End of the Semester & New Beginnings

Walk Quietly in Meditation
Walk Peacefully Seeking Answers
Walk Joyfully Giving Thanks
Walk in Celebration
Walk in Acknowledgement

The Labyrinth at United Theological Seminary will be in Bigelow Chapel from the evening of Monday, May 12 through the evening of Wednesday May 14.
Please feel free to enjoy the path in solitude.

Farewell to Seniors
Graduates are encouraged to attend Chapel on Thursday, May 15 at 11:35 am for a special "Farewell to Seniors"

RELIGION AND THE ARTS

SUMMER INSTITUTE IN SPIRITUALITY AND THE ARTS Do Something Creative This Summer!
Explorations in Creativity, Worship, and Faith
June 9-13, 2008
The Summer Institute in Spirituality and the Arts provides a place to expand our awareness and knowledge about the intersections of art and religion. Participants are offered an opportunity to explore those intersections in their personal lives and faith communities. Different tracks provide tools for spiritual growth, personal reflection, and congregational renewal. Participants will leave refreshed for their work in the world through creative encounters with leaders, each other, and the Holy.
Daily Schedule
Details
Cost/CEUs/Credit Registration

WORKSHOP ASSISTANT – SUMMER INSTITUTE IN SPIRITUALITY AND THE ARTS
We are looking for students who would like to register as workshop assistants during the Summer Institute, June 9-13. Duties include tasks such as helping the instructor(s) with things like copies, moving chairs, etc. It is a minimal time commitment (15-30 min/day) that allows you to register for the event at a significant discount. If you are interested in being a workshop assistant, please contact Cindi Beth Johnson at 651.255.6137 or cbjohnson@unitedseminary.edu. It is a wonderful and creative week, and I hope you can join us. For more info on the Institute, go to www.unitedseminary.edu/summerinstitute/index.asp.

SEEKING THE FACE OF CHRIST IN RUSSIA:
An Experiential Pilgrimage
January 12-23, 2008
A pilgrimage in spiritual formation through study and dialogue with Iconography and art.
Leaders: Richard Sheerer and Debra Korluka

Learn more about the Pilgrimage: Brochures are available in the Spencer Library near the Spiritual Treasures exhibition or see Richard Sheerer, during Convocation, Wednesday, 8:30-9:00 or 2:30-3:00, Spencer Library Gallery.

Sponsored by Icon Art Studios, Inc. and
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

 

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

DEALING WITH DIABETES
Do you have Type 1 Diabetes? Would you like to connect with other diabetic seminary students to find out how they deal with the demands of seminary and their diabetes? Would you be willing to share how you keep your blood glucose stable? Please contact Christine Spiritwolf for more information.

PRAIRIE MOON NURSERY TOUR
(where our flower seeds have come from!)
Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008
Time: 8:15 am - 4:30 pm
Trip Leader: Betsy Bush, ewb45678@hotmail.com
Meet to carpool: 8:15 AM, Target, I694 and Central Ave., Fridley OR meet and depart at 9:00 AM from greenhouse end of Gertens, 5500 Blaine Ave., Inver Grove Heights, near I94 and US 52. Arrive at Prairie Moon, off Winona Cty. Rd. 17, picnic pavilion, 11:00 am.
Directions: Wear long light-colored pants and sturdy shoes; bring lunch & beverage. Water spigot available. Easy walking. Some Audubon members will also attend, so bring binoculars if you would like to watch for birds. Expect to see restored prairies, fields of native flowers, and a new facility with offices and seed-sorting areas. Pre-ordered seeds may be picked up on this day.

CHOIR NOTES
UTS choir will not rehearse this Tuesday, May 13.

We will sing for Commencement Communion Service in Bigelow Chapel on Saturday, May 17, at 5:00 pm. Warm-up that day is 4:15 pm.

We will sing for Commencement on Sunday, May 18, at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. Rehearsal is at 1:30 pm in the sanctuary (which gives graduates time for picture taking and robing) and the service is at 3:00 pm.

Thank you, UTS choir members, for your wonderful music making and worship leadership this year.

COKESBURY BOOKSTORE

GREETINGS FROM COKESBURY BOOKSTORE

BIG SALES Cokesbury Twin Cites has several sales continuing the week of May 12.

  1. We have many Bishop Spong titles left from Convocation in April. All Spong titles are now 50% off while supplies last.
  2. Our 'back corner' sale rack has some great new books at 50% off!
  3. And finally, come take advantage of our "Cram for Finals Coffee Sale"! All coffee is now 40% off--stock up for the push to the end of the semester!
PROFESSORS: Fall textbook request time is just around the corner! I will be getting an official e-mail out to you all by mid-May. Please mark on your calendars that textbook requests will be due by Monday, July 7, 2008!

THANK YOU AGAIN for your continued generous support of the Cokesbury Bookstore, We appreciate your loyalty, and look forward to continuing to serve you. If you haven't been in the store in a while, come in and say hello! We always have something new in the store, and are happy to help you order those research projects and 'hard-to-find' titles. Just give us a call, 651-638-1960!

EVENTS OF INTEREST

NEW YORK GUITARIST TO PERFORM IN ELK RIVER
Woody Mann, New York guitarist, will perform in concert on Saturday, May 10 in Elk River. Mann, who blends the genres of blues, jazz and world music, has given lessons to Paul Simon, accompanied Dori Previn, and continues to perform at festivals concerts and clubs around the world. Mann trained with legendary guitarist the Rev. Gary Davis and at Juilliard, and has gone on to teach, record, produce and write original compositions as well as instructional books. The London Times says, “Don’t miss a chance to see him; you are unlikely to hear anything-or anyone-better in the fields that Mann has chosen to master.”
The concert, which begins at 7:30, will be held at Union Congregational Church, 1118 4th Street, Elk River. Tickets are $15 per person and include refreshments from
Luna Blu. Tickets can be purchased from Union Church, Luna Blu in Rogers, and the Elk River Arts Alliance office. For more info call the church office at 763-441-1203.

CALL FOR PAPERS
University of South Dakota
Women’s Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity Conference “Women and Power”

October 3-4, 2008 (Proposal due date: August 1, 2008)

The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, invites proposals for its 2008 Women’s Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Conference. The conference will feature scholarly and creative work that treats questions of power in relation to women: the experiences, creations, theories, and practices of power that define and are defined by women as actors, objects, and modes of performance and being in the world. The conference aims to provoke discussion about women in positions of power, the vexatious roads they travel to get there, the barriers they meet, defeat, or submit to along the way, and the humorous, sad, and/or inspiring visions that arise from women’s engagement with powers of all kinds—including the powers they possess themselves.

We solicit proposals for research presentations, scholarly papers, roundtable discussions, brief dramatic performances, film viewings, and creative readings on any topic that treats the diverse intertwinings of women and power. We anticipate papers that address the following topic areas and are glad to consider others: women, power, and literature and language --women, power, and history --women, power, and the economy --women, power, and politics --women, power, and activism --women, power, and sexuality --women, power, and popular culture --women, power, and the fine arts --women, power, and society --women, power, and justice --women, power, and ecology --women, power, and the digital age --women, power, and medicine --women, power, and religion --women, power, and the global community --women, power, and peace, war, & the military

Please upload your electronic proposal at www.usd.edu/wmst/, e-mail 250-word abstracts to aemerson@usd.edu, or send a hard copy to the following address by August 1, 2008. Women’s Studies, The University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069
.

PARADOXICAL POSSIBILITIES:
EXPLORING RURAL MINISTRY

October 3-5, 2008
An all expense paid conference for ministry students and seminarians. Transportation, food, lodging, and curriculum are all provided for. A $100 returnable deposit that secures a place at the conference will be returned in full to each participant at the end of the conference. Accommodations will be at the Mount St. Benedict in Crookston. To apply send a one-page written summary of why you would like to be part of this conference, along with a $100 returnable deposit, to Paradoxical Possibilities, c/o MICAH, 510 N. Broadway, Crookston MN, 56716. Make checks payable to MICAH. For information and to register, contact the Rev. Daniel Wolpert or the Rev. Trey Everett at 218-281-4853 or visit www.micahprays.org or email.

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Pilgrim Congregational Church is looking for an artist in residence to spend several weeks helping the congregation develop a mural. The mural may be on wood or canvas folding screen and will be based on conversations with Pilgrim members about what the congregation sees as the values it brings to the community. Initial conversation with the congregation can take place May 29, to be followed by the development and execution of the work during the month of June. Ideal candidate will have good communication skills, appreciation for liberal Protestant theological perspective, experience in working with groups as well as artistic skills. Grant to fund project allows up to $3000 for artist in residence honoraria. Interested candidates should send resume to Charlotte Frantz, Pilgrim Congregational Church, 2310 East 4th Street, Duluth, MN.

CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES IN WITTENBERG, GERMANY
January 6-27, 2009
A study program of the Institute for German Language and Culture at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in conjunction with the ELCA Wittenberg Center e.V., on behalf of the seminaries of the Evangelical Church in America and its ecumenical partners. For more information contact Prof. Duane Priebe, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa: dpriebe@wartburgseminary.edu.
Click here for a pdf of the trifold brochure.
Click here for a registration form.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Please visit the Job Opportunities page for complete listings of full-time, part-time, and interim positions for pastors, Christian educators, and organists. New Posting:

  • Youth Minister - Half Time
    St. Christopher's Episcopal Church
    Roseville, MN
  • Full-time Director of Christian Education
    Congregational UCC Neenah/Menasha, WI
  • 3/4 time Education Director and Pastoral Assoc.
    Bismarck United Church of Christ, Bismarck, ND

 

 
 
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Phone: 651-633-4311 Fax: 651-633-4315 ©2002-2006 United Theological Seminary. All rights reserved.