First Wednesdays with Wesley
(December 2, 2020)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19 )
“Preaching is the ongoing conversation between the listeners and the scriptures.” ~ Homiletician Rev. Dr. Fred Craddock
Grace and peace,
This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent and many churches throughout the globe lit a candle of hope. We hope in the coming of Jesus Christ, which necessitates hope for the salvation of many. As seminarians and students of theology you will fine tune and ground your faith while still operating in your daily ministries which vary from church ministry leader to family leader, non-profit leader to youth director. A resonating chant of many students in seminary is that the instruction received each semester acts as an ongoing conversation between the wisdom of scripture and their experiential practice in their lives and leadership roles.
This month we prepare for Advent to bring us hope, love, peace, and the joy of the Lord. We invite you to share in the experience of faculty, staff, and current Wesley students during the month of December to help heighten your interaction with our community and increase your passion for theological study.
Tuesday, December 15th at 7:00PM Eastern, we invite you to join us for the online event: Current Student Panel. If you haven’t yet registered, please click here: https://wesleyseminary.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJclc-itrD4jHd25K3UN4n6ywPL5FAWisTLn
This week, there is a Wesley community member who is uppermost in our minds - The Rev. Dr. William Bobby McClain, Wesley Professor Emeritus of Preaching and Worship, who passed November 18, 2020. The quote and scripture introducing our devotion this month were used often by Dr. McClain who taught generations of student’s homiletics during his 34 years at Wesley. Many lives and ministries have been impacted by him. See the video below of his message to the class of 2013 from Matthew 28:19-20 reminding them of God's promise to be with them always even to the end of the age.
Dr. McClain joined the faculty of Wesley Theological Seminary in 1981, where he taught preaching and worship for 34 years. In 1999, he was named Mary Elizabeth McGhee Joyce Chair in Preaching and Worship at Wesley, the first fully endowed chair in the seminary’s history. He was the commencement speaker for Wesley's Commencement in 2013, held at Washington National Cathedral on May 13, and retired from the seminary on December 31, 2013 as Professor Emeritus. Dr. McClain met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Montgomery, Alabama, where Dr. King was pastoring and McClain was a teen-aged preacher in his hometown of Gadsden, Alabama. That was the beginning of his role as a civil rights leader alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more: http://ow.ly/BDTt50CqyPs
WTS Commencement 2013: Address by the Rev. Dr. William Bobby McClain
As we remember The Rev. Dr. William Bobby McClain this week, so many graduates have commented on Dr. McClain's gift of teaching and his lifelong impact on their preaching ministry. How good it is, then, to have the opportunity to hear Dr. McClain once more: the recording of his Commencement Address to the Wesley Class of 2013 at the Washington National Cathedral, May 13, 2013.
Dialogue with Current Students Studying Public Theology
Join Associate Professor Rick Elgendy, Academic Director for the Center for Public Theology, as he leads a dialogue with current students specializing in public theology as part of their master's program at Wesley Theological Seminary. Learn about the diverse spectrum of students, interests, and possibilities that are cultivated through the Center for Public Theology in Washington, DC.
EDUCATION IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19: Exploring Practical Solutions to help Children Succeed
Wesley's Community Engagement Institute & Center for Public Theology at Wesley Theological Seminary held an informative online discussion, "EDUCATION IN THE MIDST OF COVID-19: Exploring Practical Solutions to help Children Succeed" on Thursday, November 19, 2020, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ( Eastern ). The discussion touched on important issues including grief during the pandemic, physical safety for kids, virus safety, food insecurity, equitable learning environments, and more.
View the discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2etd36x63BA&feature=youtu.be
Henry Luce III Center for the Arts & Religion
New Online Workshop: Calligraphy
Online December 10, 2020 | 4:30 - 6 pm EST
Ancient Jewish sages, asking why Genesis begins with the Hebrew letter beit, suggested that God was hinting that the world was created for humans as a beautiful home—or beit in Hebrew. Join us for an hour dipping our toes into the inky sea that is the rich and meaningful world of Hebrew calligraphy. As we write powerful words of peace and strength, we will meditate on our own embodiment and our own 'being at home' in every sense of the phrase. If you have done no calligraphy and know no Hebrew, this workshop is for you! Learn more and register here:
https://www.luceartsandreligion.org/calligraphy
Please pray with us: Oxnam Resources
Within our Oxnam Resources exists a Prayer Wall where you can pray for others and request prayer. Please join us in prayer this and everyday as we seek God for wisdom, comfort, healing, and the blessedness of God's kingdom and will to be done.
Ready to begin your studies?
Visit our "Try a Class" page or email us to learn how to begin your studies: admissions@wesleyseminary.edu
During this time, we are praying for you and with you. Be safe and healthy, Beloved Community.
Elijah Ferebee | Recruiter
o: 202-885-8642 | eferebee@wesleyseminary.edu
Elizabeth Pruchnicki | Recruiter
o: 202-885-8653 | epruchnicki@wesleyseminary.edu
