Summer and Spring Musings

It has been some months since my last postings and much has happened in my adjustment to retirement. I'll list my thoughts and highlights of the recent past.

The death of a colleague. Dr. Susan Hedahl, professor emerita died in July from brain cancer. We were both senior members on the Gettysburg Seminary faculty upon our retirements. She was dedicated to her field, homiletics and tried to instill that passion in her students. I will always remember her "Recalculating" sermon in chapel. She had a gift for the English language as well as being able to speak Swahili and Arabic. We often talked about retirement and what we hoped to do. It was an honor to be able to be a lector at her funeral and to sing in the choir led by the composer and music scholar, Nancy Galbraith.

My time in France this spring was particularly memorable in two ways. First, I gave a talk on my Daniel Payne book for Parissoirée on Sunday 26 May. I think it was well received. I am thankful to Patrice LaPlante-Collins for giving me the opportunity to share my research with the group of French and ex-patriots from around the globe. Secondly, I went to Brittany (in western France) to visit my friends, Maryvonne and Christian who live in Erquy. We celebrated our retirements with great eating and champagne. We also took a trip to Mont St. Michel. I had not been inside the abbey in over 40 years. We also went to the grave of Madame Ortensia Reyntjes. The mother of my friend Henri who died nine years ago and the mother-in-law of Maryvonne. Ortensia died in April. She had known me since I was 19 years old during my first trip to France and Brittany in the summer of 1967. She kept the letters I had sent to Henri while in college and in seminary. She also had pictures of me from that time. After Henri's death, I would visit her and Maryvonne each summer. Her grave as well as that of Monsieur Reyntjes is in the town/parish cemetery in St. Méen le Grand where I had worshipped with her. I was certainly blessed to know the Reyntjes family.

On July 14, I ventured down to the Washington Cathedral for evensong. I had not attended evensong there since my seminary days. The reason for going on that Sunday was the fact that St. Matthew-St. Luke Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, New York

I was invited to do a book-signing at Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio on June 28, 2013. It was a delightful time. My faculty host, Dr. Charles Brown, was very gracious and made me feel a part of the community. I was surprised at the reception by the presence of Ms. Jacqueline Brown, librarian and archivist at Wilberforce University. She was very helpful when I began my research on Payne. In addition, the mayor of Xenia, Ohio was there as well.

The Seminary Ridge Museum opened on July 1. This was an historical event in that the museum is in  Old Dorm which housed wounded soldiers from the first day of the battle at Gettysburg. The governor attended as well a the presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Mark Hanson. The previous day, there was a dinner and vesper service where Bishop Hanson preached. I hope that interest in the museum grows. The museum emphasizes the first day of the Gettysburg battle, the hospital work, the role of religion, and the life of African Americans in the town during the war. Daniel A. Payne was highlighted for being the first African American to attend Gettysburg Seminary and spoke out against slavery during the antebellum period.

On July 14 I attended evensong at the Washington Cathedral. I attended that Sunday as the choir from St. Matthew-St. Luke was there on a bus trip. My sister and brother-in-law was with the group. The guest choir was the Christ Church Cathedral Girls Choir, Lexington, Kentucky. I will have to attend Evensong at the Cathedral more often. It was a delightful Sunday afternoon.

On April 17, I conducted two workshops on Payne for the Annual Spring Convocation at Gettysburg Seminary. I also presided at the Eucharist. It was good seeing seminary classmates and former students.

At the Annual Recognition Dinner at the Seminary, I was given a Gettysburg chair and the faculty and Board minutes upon my retirement were read. It was indeed an honor. I could not have accomplished those years in the teaching ministry without the years of support and prayers from family and the members of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Brooklyn where I was nurtured in the faith. In addition, the members of the Lutheran Churches on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and Advent Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio. I have truly been blessed by their presence in my life.

Endings and Beginnings

So much has happened the past few months that I haven't had time to reflect. With the death of my friend's mother, I feel that I need to take stock of the changes that have taken place.

On the 31 July 2013, I finished 25 and a half years of teaching on the faculty at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. With most of the books off the shelves and most of the papers, etc. shredded, I transitioned into the world of those who are retired. It was also the first day of the spring semester and I felt awkward seeing the coming and going of faculty, staff and students and I was not a part of it. At 1:30 in the afternoon, I had a ride to Dulles International Airport for a 5:15 flight to Paris. I needed to be in a place that was familiar and comfortable yet where I could be alone or with friends.

In the last hours in the office as a full-time member of the faculty, was greeted by a former student who is in the AME Church who was on campus for an event. She had taken a few courses with me. At the airport, one of the TSA attendants came over to greet me, he was a former student at Gettysburg from my first years on the faculty. Beginnings and ends are a part of our lives. I had my last Martin Luther King travel seminar during the January Term. It was a good and lively group of students who ventured with me to Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. Life was not dull after that for in February I gave two talks on my Payne book, one for the Gettysburg Public Library and one for the Seminary Ridge Museum. Although my teaching ended, it was good to be a part of Black History Month activities.

The past weeks can certainly be called "transitions."

In Memory of Madame Reyntjes

This morning, about 30 minutes ago, I received an e-mail from Maryvonne, the widow of my friend Henri in Brittany, France, Otensia Reyntjes, Henri's mother died last night in the hospital in St. Méen le Grand (a town just north of Rennes, France). I called Ortensia, my French mother. I have known her since 1967. When I went to visit her after Henri's death, she showed me all the letters that I have written while I was in college and in seminary to Henri. She also showed me the pictures that were taken when Henri and I were at L'Abbaye de Boquen at the international work work sponsored by the World Council of Churches. Ortensia was a fabulous cook and gracious host. I always enjoyed her theological questions which always demanded a stretch in my French vocabulary. I will miss my visits to her home when I go to Brittany. May she rest in peace!

Christmas Day 2012

This is a quiet day here in Brooklyn, New York where I am with my sister and brother-in-law. I continue to reflect on the season. I presided at the Christmas Eve eucharist at Epiphany Lutheran Church.  Robert Gahagen, the pastor of the church and a good friend preached. His sermon pinpointed all that has happened locally and globally, the issues in the news and yet he reminded us that it is Christmas. Jesus, God incarnate, comes into the midst of what we hear and experience.

It is always good to return to Brooklyn. It is returning to my spiritual roots as I was nurtured in the faith at Epiphany. Many of the people I knew are now in the church triumphant but what they demonstrated in their lives as church men and women of God are still with me and the others who grew up in the parish.

Hodie Christus natus est!

Musings at Christmas

In November I attended and presented a paper, "Black Soldiers, education, and the U.S. Civil War: the Fight for Liberation" at the annual meeting of the Religious Education Association in Atlanta, Georgia. It was good to see old friends and new colleagues in the field. It was my last meeting as a full-time faculty member of the association.

Last week I held my last seminary Fall semester class. I certainly enjoyed the years of interacting with the students and my colleagues. Gettysburg Seminary has been a significant part of my life.

Epiphany Lutheran Church in Brooklyn has also been an important part of my life. Recently, I heard from an old Epiphany friend, Lorrain Nelson. I had not seen her in 50 years. We talked about our nurture in the parish, the good liturgical practices, and our time in Luther League. One month prior, I officiated at the funeral of Fred DeLeon, another Epiphany friend. He and my sister were in the same confirmation class. It was good to see old friends. We gathered in celebration of life that was shared and lived on the promises of God in Jesus. Epiphany helped to nurture us in faith.

I was walking through the Capitol City Mall near Camp Hill, PA on Saturday afternoon. There were the usual crowds and a lot of conversations. In the midst of hustle and bustle of shopping, there was a trio of voices singing Christmas carols. It made me think, the singers helped to remind shoppers the reality of the season. I saw one shop manager stop to listen as the singers were in front of his store...taking moment to reflect.

Payne Book

Last week, Daniel Alexander Payne: The Venerable Preceptor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was released in the paperback edition. I certainly hope that readers get a glimpse of this remarkable African American clergyman of the 19th century.

It is amazing how scholarly work is now disseminated to the public. With the release of the book in e-text before the hardcopy, I know that the publishing industry is forever changed. One can get it from the publisher, University Press of America, Amazon, Kindle, Nook, eBooks, etc. It is truly amazing. With the availablility of varioius sources these days, I wonder if people are reading more? I certainly hope that is the case.

Retirement

As the new academic year begins I find that I am in a major transition. I announced my retirement two weeks ago. I will finish my years as a professor at Gettysburg Seminary on January 31, 2013 after 25 and a half years. As I wrote in my letter to President Michael Cooper-White, these years have been a pastoral and theological adventure. I'll continue to reflect on this period in my life in subsequent postings.
I should also add that during this last semester at Gettysburg, my book Daniel Alexander Payne: The Venerable Preceptor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church published by University Press of America, is now available in electronic format on Kindle, Nook, etc. and will be available in paperback next week. I certainly hope it can help spread the word about this remarkable 19th century African American.