This has been an exciting last couple of weeks for our Senior and Middler students. Two weeks ago our senior students heard the Regions to which they will be assigned for their first call process. Senior seminarians in the ELCA are first assigned to a region and then to a specific synod within that region. Many of our students were assigned to Region 3 (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota) and others to Region 5 (Iowa, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Upper Penninsula Michigan), but others will be heading much further east, south and west. The Holy Spirit has led our seniors through their regional assigments and, from there, to the specific synods within each region to which they are called. We are all praying for them as they now enter the call process for the specific congregations to which they are called.
This past Wednesday our Middlers (2nd year MDiv students) received their internship assignments for this upcoming year. This week was an exciting and anxious time as they learned where they will be spending the next year of their lives. The internship year occurs during the 3rd year of the Master of Divinity track and is a very formative part of the seminary experience. Students are paired with supervisors who will guide them through hands on experiences of leading services, preaching, visiting the sick, and general experiences of full time parish ministry. We are excited for the Middlers who will be moving on to internships next year and the blessings that God is leading them toward.
All in all, this week has been a reaffirmation of the call process as a whole. Though anxieties and stresses come with being led by God to new places and new ministries, we have no doubt that when we get their God will be there with us. I for one, before coming to seminary, did not fully realize why I was coming to Wartburg, I simply knew that this is where God wanted me to be. In coming here I think that most everyone has found that God is present in very real ways. Likewise, as we are called away from Wartburg, God is there with us.
So, congratulations to our Senior and Middler students! May God guide you down every road to which you are called.
-Seth
Friday, March 11, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
This Place is Getting Bigger All the Time
In terms of size, Wartburg Theological Seminary isn't much bigger than a lot of other seminaries. With an average class size of about thirty new Masters of Divinity and Masters of Theology students coming new each year, the seminary averages about 90 students on campus at any given time and 120 students total if interns are counted. When I visited from my alma mater of about 4,000 students, the small size of Wartburg's campus was evident from the beginning. Though many students have families which make the campus feel quite a bit bigger than the student numbers reflect, it is not the largest place to study.
Yet, as I was sitting in class last Friday surveying the view of campus through the window, I was struck by how big Wartburg seems to me now. It is not nearly as small as when I first set foot on campus and actually seems to have grown in size since then. I am not totally sure why this is, but I have a few guesses.
First off, I have gotten to know people on campus better than when I first came to visit. This is natural and inevitable, but it has led me to view campus as having many more views, personalities, friends, and possibilities than it originally appeared to have. As you get to know people better your shared experiences with them grow in depth and breadth. Now, only after having been here for a couple of months my relationships with others seem to have changed this campus to be much larger than it originally seemed.
Furthermore, this campus seems to have gotten bigger for how my understanding of God, church and the world has been challenged since I have started. Though I had encountered many topics we have studied at seminary at different times in my life, seminary study has forced me to look at them together in light of my pastoral preparation. They have laid a contextual and theological challenge for me to explore connections and disconnects between different ideas in new ways. The act of theological exploration has led me to view Wartburg's campus community in which this sort of exploration takes place as bigger than it previously appeared.
All in all, Wartburg is growing on me. In my perspectives of the community in which we live, the classes we take, the texts we read, I am seeing this place continually in new and different ways. I have to say that, from a student perspecive, Wartburg Seminary is getting bigger all the time.
Yet, as I was sitting in class last Friday surveying the view of campus through the window, I was struck by how big Wartburg seems to me now. It is not nearly as small as when I first set foot on campus and actually seems to have grown in size since then. I am not totally sure why this is, but I have a few guesses.
First off, I have gotten to know people on campus better than when I first came to visit. This is natural and inevitable, but it has led me to view campus as having many more views, personalities, friends, and possibilities than it originally appeared to have. As you get to know people better your shared experiences with them grow in depth and breadth. Now, only after having been here for a couple of months my relationships with others seem to have changed this campus to be much larger than it originally seemed.
Furthermore, this campus seems to have gotten bigger for how my understanding of God, church and the world has been challenged since I have started. Though I had encountered many topics we have studied at seminary at different times in my life, seminary study has forced me to look at them together in light of my pastoral preparation. They have laid a contextual and theological challenge for me to explore connections and disconnects between different ideas in new ways. The act of theological exploration has led me to view Wartburg's campus community in which this sort of exploration takes place as bigger than it previously appeared.
All in all, Wartburg is growing on me. In my perspectives of the community in which we live, the classes we take, the texts we read, I am seeing this place continually in new and different ways. I have to say that, from a student perspecive, Wartburg Seminary is getting bigger all the time.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Spending my Saturday in the Text
In some ways I long for the thrill of waking up on Saturday morning with the sole and express purpose of watching cartoons. Our family growing up had a limited number of channels which did not include much cartoon programming throughout the duration of the week, so Saturday morning cartoons were a special treat. The thrill of getting up on Saturdays, however, has waned for me and actually turned into a longing for sleep. I would rather spend my mornings in bed so as to relish in the relaxation and lack of responsibility that comes with the weekends. Yet, seminary study has brought change to my Saturday routine.
On this blessed Saturday I am reading heavy, heady texts for my Systematic Theology course. Systematic theology requires a lot of every student, forcing one to reflect and analyze every aspect of one's belief system. The course is challenging to both heart and mind through in depth exploration of what it means to be a Christian and a Lutheran. This exploration is a lengthy process that requires a lot of time and effort to adequately reach its aims and destinations, which is why I am devoting my Saturday morning to it.
In some ways it is lamentable to sacrifice little moments of beloved free time that I have cherished for a long time such as my Saturday mornings. Studying seems to be a never ending process that is hard to satisfy. Thus, one can never really be done studying. There is always more to read and always more to write. This fact would seem to add even more to one's regret over sacrificing free time to a pursuit that can never be accomplished, but for those of us with a clear call to full-time ministry it is unavoidable. We enter into study that requires us to sacrifice time, relocate our lives,and interrupt our plans. This is a process that places a number of undesirable claims on us, and yet, we can do no other. God call's us from whatever we are doing to give up things like free time on Saturday mornings into theological study, reflection and preparation. So, while there are many moments in which I say to myself, "There are a thousand other things I would rather be doing right now!", I have to honestly admit that there is no place I would rather be. Instead of sneaking theological reading time into lunch breaks and coffee hours, I am here, immersed in theological reflection and preparation at Wartburg Theological Seminary. There is no place I would rather be...
On this blessed Saturday I am reading heavy, heady texts for my Systematic Theology course. Systematic theology requires a lot of every student, forcing one to reflect and analyze every aspect of one's belief system. The course is challenging to both heart and mind through in depth exploration of what it means to be a Christian and a Lutheran. This exploration is a lengthy process that requires a lot of time and effort to adequately reach its aims and destinations, which is why I am devoting my Saturday morning to it.
In some ways it is lamentable to sacrifice little moments of beloved free time that I have cherished for a long time such as my Saturday mornings. Studying seems to be a never ending process that is hard to satisfy. Thus, one can never really be done studying. There is always more to read and always more to write. This fact would seem to add even more to one's regret over sacrificing free time to a pursuit that can never be accomplished, but for those of us with a clear call to full-time ministry it is unavoidable. We enter into study that requires us to sacrifice time, relocate our lives,and interrupt our plans. This is a process that places a number of undesirable claims on us, and yet, we can do no other. God call's us from whatever we are doing to give up things like free time on Saturday mornings into theological study, reflection and preparation. So, while there are many moments in which I say to myself, "There are a thousand other things I would rather be doing right now!", I have to honestly admit that there is no place I would rather be. Instead of sneaking theological reading time into lunch breaks and coffee hours, I am here, immersed in theological reflection and preparation at Wartburg Theological Seminary. There is no place I would rather be...
Thursday, February 10, 2011
What's with the Castle?
After my last post I realized that it may not be clear why this blog is titled "Castle Connection". Hopefully the "Connection" portion of the blog is relatively straightforward as it to implies that the blog is intended to give those outside the Wartburg community a look at different things happening on campus. The "Castle" portion may not, on the other hand, be quite as clear.
The name "Wartburg" comes from the castle in Eisenbach, Germany in which Martin Luther hid from those seeking his life following the Diet of Worms in 1521. Luther's stay in Wartburg Castle could be considered a sort of reformation era witness protection program. Living under the alias of "knight George", Luther finished the first translation of the Bible into the German language, opening the door for those without knowledge of Latin, Greek or Hebrew to access scripture for themselves. His translation also served as a unifying document for the German language itself, which varied greatly in different parts of Germany at the time.
When the founder of Wartburg College and Seminary, Wilhelm Loehe, sent pastors to America to found the college and seminary and eventually to Dubuque in 1854, they took with them the name "Wartburg" (the college and seminary are now separate institutions). When the building in which the seminary is housed was complete in 1916, it was modeled as a replica of the center portion of the actual Wartburg Castle in Eisenbach, Germany. The building, now resembling the actual castle, is affectionately known around the seminary as "The Castle". Thus, when one gets connected to Wartburg Seminary they connect with "The Castle".
-Seth Nelson
MDive Junior
Wartburg Seminary
(Wartburg Castle history from: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/wartburg-castle )
The name "Wartburg" comes from the castle in Eisenbach, Germany in which Martin Luther hid from those seeking his life following the Diet of Worms in 1521. Luther's stay in Wartburg Castle could be considered a sort of reformation era witness protection program. Living under the alias of "knight George", Luther finished the first translation of the Bible into the German language, opening the door for those without knowledge of Latin, Greek or Hebrew to access scripture for themselves. His translation also served as a unifying document for the German language itself, which varied greatly in different parts of Germany at the time.
When the founder of Wartburg College and Seminary, Wilhelm Loehe, sent pastors to America to found the college and seminary and eventually to Dubuque in 1854, they took with them the name "Wartburg" (the college and seminary are now separate institutions). When the building in which the seminary is housed was complete in 1916, it was modeled as a replica of the center portion of the actual Wartburg Castle in Eisenbach, Germany. The building, now resembling the actual castle, is affectionately known around the seminary as "The Castle". Thus, when one gets connected to Wartburg Seminary they connect with "The Castle".
-Seth Nelson
MDive Junior
Wartburg Seminary
(Wartburg Castle history from: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/wartburg-castle )
Monday, January 31, 2011
New Semester, New Blog
Hello all!
My name is Seth Nelson and I am a Junior (First-year) Master of Divinity student at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA. Today, January 31st is the first day of the spring semester at Wartburg Seminary and it is starting out with some exciting news at the seminary- we have a new president! The Rev. Dr. Stan Olson has joined the Wartburg community from the ELCA churchwide office where he served since 2005 as the Executive Director of Vocation and Education. Those of us in the Wartburg Seminary community are looking forward to joining together under his leadership and looking forward to where our life together will lead next.
The seminary community is also excited to welcome back its many students who have been away for different January-Term classes in far away places like Haiti and Guyana. We also sent several students to Holden Village in the Cascade mountain range of eastern Washington. They are joining back on campus students who did studies on domestic violence issues and others who studied in Milwaukee, South Carolina and Pennsylvania, as well as other places across the country. Everyone is excited to be back on campus and sharing about their travels and their studies. If anyone is in the area, we will have an official time of sharing this Thursday, February 3rd. Students will post displays throughout the daytime and we will have worship and sharing beginning at 6 pm to officially reconvene as a community.
I would also like to add a little bit about this blog. This blog is sponsored by the Wartburg Seminary admission office and is designed to help readers stay abreast of different things happening in the community. I hope to update the blog fairly regularly as well as have others post about different aspects of seminary life or to let you know about different admission events going on. Admission representatives Karla Wildberger and Chris Deforest may contribute from time to time about where they will be traveling for Wartburg so make sure to check to see if Wartburg will be coming to you!
That is all for now. Look forward to more posts soon!
Seth Nelson
MDiv Junior
Wartburg Seminary
My name is Seth Nelson and I am a Junior (First-year) Master of Divinity student at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA. Today, January 31st is the first day of the spring semester at Wartburg Seminary and it is starting out with some exciting news at the seminary- we have a new president! The Rev. Dr. Stan Olson has joined the Wartburg community from the ELCA churchwide office where he served since 2005 as the Executive Director of Vocation and Education. Those of us in the Wartburg Seminary community are looking forward to joining together under his leadership and looking forward to where our life together will lead next.
The seminary community is also excited to welcome back its many students who have been away for different January-Term classes in far away places like Haiti and Guyana. We also sent several students to Holden Village in the Cascade mountain range of eastern Washington. They are joining back on campus students who did studies on domestic violence issues and others who studied in Milwaukee, South Carolina and Pennsylvania, as well as other places across the country. Everyone is excited to be back on campus and sharing about their travels and their studies. If anyone is in the area, we will have an official time of sharing this Thursday, February 3rd. Students will post displays throughout the daytime and we will have worship and sharing beginning at 6 pm to officially reconvene as a community.
I would also like to add a little bit about this blog. This blog is sponsored by the Wartburg Seminary admission office and is designed to help readers stay abreast of different things happening in the community. I hope to update the blog fairly regularly as well as have others post about different aspects of seminary life or to let you know about different admission events going on. Admission representatives Karla Wildberger and Chris Deforest may contribute from time to time about where they will be traveling for Wartburg so make sure to check to see if Wartburg will be coming to you!
That is all for now. Look forward to more posts soon!
Seth Nelson
MDiv Junior
Wartburg Seminary
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