The Search for Words

By Christine Reimers

As a member of the seminary staff I had the privilege to meet and get to know [Gettysburg Seminary's late 10th President] Herm Stuempfle a little over these last four years. Today, the day after the tragic shooting at VA Tech -- as on other days when I have been at loss for words and filled with emotion – I found myself at my piano looking through Stuempfle hymns for one that spoke to the pain, grief, and violence of these recent events. I found two. On Emmaus’ Journey is a wonderful witness to our human struggle to meet the risen Christ: “Who are you who walk in sorrow down Emmaus’ barren road, Hearts distraught and hope defeated bent beneath grief’s crushing load?’ Nameless mourners we will join you, we who also mourn our dead, We have stood beside graves unyielding, eaten death’s bare bitter bread.” This is, of course, only the first verse and Stuempfle moves from this poignant description through to the resurrection appearance and in-breaking of new hope. The second text is for choir, A Christmas Dialog and brings to life the power of the incarnation in the midst of the violence of the world: “Where nights are torn by siren’s wail an din of blaring horn, on streets where threats of violence lurk, the Child again is born. . . where life is harsh and hard, he comes with love for all.” This text is in dialogue through the piece with the vision of the Peaceable Kingdom where beast and humans alike will “all live in peace.” I give many thanks for the poetic gifts and vision of the Gospel in the world expressed by Herm Stuempfle in many many beautiful hymn and anthems.

The Rev. Christine E. Reimers, Ph.D.
Advancement Associate
Lutheran Theological Seminary Gettysburg
 

New from the Faculty

See New Faculty Publications Case for recent additions:

Congratulations to

Jack Lundbom has a new article "The Lion Has Roared"
Gil Waldkoenig has four entries in a massive Encyclopedia of Appalachia
Lutheranism A to Z is now in paperback (Gassmann, Larson, Oldenburg)
      (and more affordable, too)
Church Administration by Bacher and Cooper-White hit the streets this week.

____________________________
The Rev. John R. Spangler
 

Spring Semester's Tired Time

Spring Semester’s Tired Time

Those who serve in institutional presidencies soon learn how ours is a “sheltered existence.”  For various reasons, many in an academic community hesitate to bring everyday happenings or even news of greater consequence to the president’s attention.  In other words, I’m often the last to know, and I’m quite sure there are many things both insignificant and important that never come to my hearing or seeing at all.  In my younger years I had a greater need to be “in the know” about everything.  Now I’m quite content to let the many other capable hands, heads and hearts that surround me respond and support those whose needs escape my attention.

Since Easter Sunday I have overheard a couple of conversations relative to the current “student state” on campus.  “They’re tired,” is the synopsis.  I’m sure many of you student readers are no more tired than usual at the end of days crammed with classes, course work, commuting for some, and all the ordinary events and deeds of daily life.  But perhaps there is a collective fatigue that sets in midway in second semester.  While I don’t exactly recall such feelings in Seminary, I know that a couple of college spring times brought depression and deep struggles to press toward the goal line of summer vacation.

When I teach about conflict, students, parishioners or other hearers are always stunned to see Speed Leas’ research on the most conflict-prone times in parish life.  Number one on the list is Easter.  Easter!?  The most joyous of all days for the Christian community; how can it be the time of year when church conflict spikes?  The simple short answer: it comes at the end of Holy Week when everyone, including the pastor, is fatigued and maybe famished for rest and family time.  Besides, all those C&E (Christmas and Easter) Christians have descended in droves, upsetting normal patterns of parish life.  And the post-Easter let-down sends some into the doldrums.  A close reading of the gospels suggests it may have been so for the first resurrection celebrators as well.  “Thomas, where the heck have you been?”  “Oh, come on, you foolish women, stop telling these idle tales . . .”

Hearing or reading simple exhortations to “cheer up” or “get over it” probably are not helpful.  With your nose to the grindstone, hearing the perspective of one who finished the Seminary marathon three decades ago counsel “it will pass soon enough” likely offers little relief.  As your president, there’s probably precious little I can do—in that recognition centers my fatigue and sense of failure.  Does it help simply to know that at times I do sense and “hear” the collective sounds of silence and sighs too deep for words? 

I pray for warm sunny days, and soon—they do help many of us!  I encourage sharing one with another.  If the end-of-winter and not-close-enough-to-end-of-semester blues are of deep hue, I strongly suggest seeking professional counsel or conversations here on campus with those who can help by listening.  A bit of corporate “realized eschatological” cheerleading might be in order, too.  The end is already upon us.  Seniors, the diplomas will soon be signed and in your hands.  As for the rest of you, I can only speak of what I know from personal experience: Your 31^st anniversary of graduation will be here before you know it!    

Michael L. Cooper-White, D.D.
Seminary President