What We Do and Why It’s Important: A Theological Framework for Lutheran Campus Ministry in the ELCA Pr. James L. Norlie Lutheran Campus Ministry at Oregon State University June 2014 Introduction By [God’s] great mercy [God] has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… (I Peter 1:3). The aim of this paper is to provide a theological framework for Lutheran Campus Ministry in the ELCA. It describes how our work is grounded in the Gospel of Jesus, what the primary trajectories of our ministry to campus communities are, and why this work is important to church and society. We know that each campus ministry in the ELCA is unique; no two are identical in mission or practice. Regional differences, local contexts, and specific histories help determine what and how our mission is manifest in each setting. Yet, even with these differences, core convictions fulfill a common calling. The following captures foundational elements necessary for a robust Lutheran ministry on university and college campuses at this time early in the 21st Century. It’s About Life! I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). One need not look far to see signs of death all around – broken relationships, hurtful words, physical needs, criminal acts, empty promises, unjust systems. On campuses of higher education these are present just as they are wherever human beings congregate. Standing in stark contrast to this pervasive reality of death, God proclaims another more powerful word – life! From the very foundation of the scriptural witness, life is the key objective of God. We read, “In the beginning when God created…” (Genesis 1:1), “…the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…” (Genesis 2:7). The result of God’s creative impulse was – and is – life. To faith’s ancestors like Abraham and Sarah, God promised life from barrenness (Genesis 18:10). Through prophets who had eyes to see, bleached bones would be reanimated to live (Ezekiel 37:1-­‐14). As Jesus ministered to the sick, sinful, and demon-­‐possessed, his mission of binding the brokenhearted was manifest in new life for them. And when everything became darkest at Jesus’ crucifixion, God’s answer was life. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:5). Nothing 1
summarizes God’s will for life better than Jesus’ own declaration, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Surrounded as they are by signs of death – heartbreak, disappointment, shame and bullying, diminishment of self and commodification of body image, thoughts of suicide, addiction, peer pressure, fear, violence, and more – college students need to know that God is love and the way of God is life. The church is specifically commissioned to proclaim this good news and Lutheran Campus Ministry is its mouthpiece. In this it has a special, crucial opportunity to speak of life in ways and places the young can experience, know, and trust. God’s greatest desire is that all people live fully, abundantly. Parsing Jesus’ own teaching (John 10:10), we understand that: • The living God is the source of that life (“I came…”) • All who receive this as Good News also receive life itself (“…that they…”) • Life means all that’s good and wholesome and life giving (“…may have life…”) • Abundant life suggests it is more than we dare expect or imagine (“…and have it abundantly.”) Put the phrases back together and we clearly see God’s purpose is life – flourishing, evolving, generative, complex, interconnected, woven together, and whole. An apt image of God’s abundant life that also helps describe Lutheran Campus Ministry is the Tree of Life where roots go deep in the soil of God, fruits result from the care and tending of that tree, and birds and animals find shelter in its shade. The Tree of Life is rooted in God, formed of the earth, called to life and sustained by the Spirit, and gifted with fruits to share (Galatians 5:22-­‐23) and a canopy that protects. Lutheran Campus Ministry both claims and proclaims life as gift from God and works in every way to make it real for students, faculty and staff on the campuses we serve. “Come and see,” (John 1:39) we say. Life is God’s gift to us. It is good. Celebrate it. Share it. Tend it with care. Though death often lurks in our campus communities, the search for life is a common quest. We help students, faculty, and university staff look for and see life. We rejoice with them when life-­‐signs emerge; we challenge them when pursuits they make lead to dead ends by dead means. The future matters to most students. They wonder and worry about what they are inheriting from previous generations. Will it give life or not? Will they and the world they live in be healthy or not? 2
Will they feel the freedom of life well-­‐lived or will they be burdened by things that threaten life itself? When asked what he would do if he knew the world was ending tomorrow, Martin Luther is reported to have said, “I’d plant an apple tree.” Ours is the privilege of planting seedlings today that will grow and bear fruit tomorrow. In, With, and Wonder And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, …full of grace and truth (John 1:14). It was a long, sad walk when early disciples made their way home on that first Easter evening. As they walked and talked, a stranger joined them on the road. In their confusion and befuddlement, the surprise and wonder of the risen Christ’s companionship broke through their gloom and revealed God’s glory. The wonder of “God with us” was manifest to them on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13-­‐35). God who had taken on human flesh in the infant Christ, now in his resurrected state was manifest in the earthly garb of flesh and blood as well. The attachment God made to time and history, skin and bones, was not abandoned after his death. If anything, that commitment was established anew as he appeared to them – a stranger yes, but like them in their humanity. Where does God meet us? Just like the encounter with disciples long ago as they walked and talked, God meets us in ordinary places of everyday experience, clothed in nature’s garments, in time and history, through Jesus and the community that bears his name. If it is true that the incarnation – “God with us” in human flesh – is where the holy meets the mundane and heaven meets earth, then we do well to read The Book of Nature alongside the Book of Scripture to know God among us in real life. It is difficult to pin down just when the concept of the Book of Nature was first introduced. However, references to it exist already in the writings of St. Augustine and Origen. Galileo is said to have referred to it. Medieval theologians developed it further. And the concept is still in a valuable one today. That God is observable and knowable in the Book of Nature is one way Lutheran Campus Ministry assists those in academic settings to look for and see God. Our campuses are filled with those whose work and study requires them to observe the natural world with great care. Students and faculty have powerful tools at their disposal. They can read the timeline of the stars by observing the traces of light they leave. They 3
peer into powerful scopes to see ever-­‐smaller or ever-­‐greater cosmic truths. They enlist powerful computers to calculate enormous computations more quickly and more accurately. They work with the intricacies of micro-­‐particles and the movements of fluids through nanotechnology. They plumb the depths of the seas and fly to the heights of the heavens. They negotiate the complexities of the genetic world with ever-­‐greater precision. And they marvel at all they see. Furthermore, the students we know increasingly claim to be “spiritual but not religious.” While not affiliated with traditional religious institutions, nevertheless they often look to nature for rest, solace, renewal, and engagement with that which is holy. When, along the way, they ask, “How can this be?” or “What does this mean?” or “What has caused this?” or even “Where is God in all this?” we are there to join them in the journey, accompany them in their discoveries, celebrate the wonders they observe, support their quest for knowledge and meaning, recognize moments of faith, and watch for opportunities to show them the way to God – “God with us” – sometimes as if for the first time. In the ordinary, seemingly unremarkable moments of day-­‐to-­‐day living and learning – in classroom and lab, residence hall and natural world, likes and loves – God meets us. Celebrating this we may ask how to express our wild wonder, utter awe, and sheer delight at the discovery that God creates, accompanies, and sustains us. What might the music of our praise sound like if we use the language of science, biology, mathematics, philosophy, anthropology, art, engineering, business, sports medicine, or economics to give glory to God? It’s ours to discover and contribute to the symphony of life. Earth and all stars! Loud rushing planets! Sing to the Lord a new song! Hail, wind, and rain! Loud blowing snowstorm! Sing to the Lord a new song! God has done marvelous things. I too sing praises with a new song (ELW 731). Two Tables My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little 4
bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on – since you have come to your servant (Genesis 18:3-­‐5). A study of the well-­‐known “Holy Trinity” icon, written by Andrei Rublev in the 15th Century, is worth the time and effort. The original is held in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, but many reproductions exist. Henri Nouwen provides a wise and useful exploration of the icon’s meaning in his Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying With Icons. Upon close examination the viewer can see, among other things, a triangle enclosed in a sphere within a rectangle. At the risk of oversimplification, the triangle orients one to the trinity of guests seated at table together, the circle describes their mutual relationship that leaves room in the foreground for an unknown guest (the viewer), with the entire image held in place by four cardinal directions. Here, at this table, heaven and earth meet. What happens at the table is an interchange between guests, bound together in relationship, for the sake of the world beyond. Here we see how a table and its accompanying table hospitality are essential to the intersection of giving and 5
receiving grace. Because of it, both guests and host are changed. Once received, the goodness of the table fellowship extends to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8) and influences the future. From ancient times it’s been recognized that the table, or more precisely the meal, has power to welcome and satisfy hungers both physical and spiritual. Here we acknowledge and celebrate the potential of ordinary meals to become sacramental moments that offer: • Genuine hospitality – a place at the table for all • True feasting – food for the body; food for the soul • Unconditional grace – the gift of food and fellowship that truly satisfies • Anticipatory fulfillment – a foretaste of the feast to come Campus ministry does food. Breakfast, lunch, supper, or snack-­‐time, food is central to our work and witness – real food; ordinary food for real everyday physical hungers; food made by loving hands, served with generosity and care; meals where conversation and complaining, sorrows and rejoicing, questioning and answering is part of the menu; meals where hungry students gather and holy moments happen. During mealtime, we build relationships. We practice manners. We share our bread. We savor God’s creation and give thanks for those who labor to bring it to our table. We feast and fast in solidarity with those who rejoice and those who weep – the healthy and the ill, those who are satisfied and those who are empty. It’s well known that university professor and pastor, Martin Luther, along with his spouse Katie, welcomed many a student to their table for food, drink, and Table Talk. While not ranking as a sacrament per se, one can rightly conclude these were sacramental moments in sharing true food and holy conversation. We are in good company when we understand the meals we serve to be similar in pattern and potency. Beyond the meals we ourselves serve, our work on campus includes tables set for us by others to which we’re invited – tables of trouble and crisis, tables of consultation and planning, tables of collaboration, even virtual tables. We welcome these table settings as opportunities to bring to them what we regularly provide in the meals we serve (a place where all matter, food for body and soul, unconditional grace and fellowship that satisfies, a foretaste of a future banquet at which all will be served the finest fare). Because we know that some will never accept our invitation to “come and dine” with us, we also extend the table of welcome by going to them. Trusting that the Bread of Life is always present to feed and satisfy, part of our ministry is to the community that never gathers, God’s gracious hospitality through us for them in love. 6
When we set and serve at tables, we help create space for hospitality and safety. We welcome unknown, unexpected, and sometimes uninvited guests. We recognize that God will surprise us in the simple and ordinary things of life. God will change us as well as those with whom we share our table. The table is central to Christian worship where the Holy Food we eat is our Bread of Life. Equally important to Lutheran Campus Ministry are the other sacred tables of hospitality we set and serve. These twin tables of Eucharist and daily sustenance reveal the goodness of God and the generosity of Christian community to feed, satisfy, and sustain. Let us go now to the banquet, to the feast of the universe. The table’s set and a place is waiting; come, everyone, with your gifts to share (ELW 523). Is There Room for Me? But now thus says the Lord, he who created you… Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine (Isaiah 43:1). St. Benedict, anticipating that guests would come seeking refuge and hospitality within monastic communities, included in his Rule the admonition that, “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ” (The Rule of St. Benedict, chapter 53). A fundamental anxiety among most people in new places is whether they will be received as they are or whether they’ll be isolated, harassed, criticized, or rejected outright. The radical hospitality of Jesus, the teachings of scripture about caring for those who are strangers and sojourners, and the wisdom of St. Benedict reminds us that a primary outgrowth of faith is creating communities of belonging, safety, respect, and authentic welcome (love). Still, students and others on campus ask, “Is there room for me?” “What if I don’t conform to your beliefs or expectations?” “If the way I live or the experience I’ve had is contrary to your teachings, what then?” Even when the sign on our campus ministry centers says, “Come On In!” a visitor may still wonder if it is a safe place or not. 7
Lutheran Campus Ministry offers these seekers genuine hospitality in the way of Jesus – a community of belonging with room for all, welcome that has no hidden agenda, attentiveness to the shy one, balm for the wounded, safety for the fearful or damaged, a haven for the foreigner, willingness to learn from those who are different from ourselves, and practice in listening to one another so we really hear and understand. Jesus surprised the powerful and positioned by associating with those who did not belong. In a dramatic moment of conviction, Francis of Assisi came to literally embrace and serve the leper he despised – even kissing the leper’s wounds. While much of our work is neither as dramatic nor memorable as these examples, Lutheran Campus Ministry provides welcome and inclusion in ways many have never known. Additionally, as a mark of Christian hospitality, we regularly ask, “Who’s missing from our company that should be welcomed and included?” When experienced and practiced, these are traits that transfer to public life and church communities our students are part of. The artistic work of Mark Dukes graces the sanctuary of Saint Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco (http://www.saintgregorys.org). Here we find depictions of people of many times and places, differing races and traditions, old and young, women and men. Most never met each other. Yet, here they are depicted as holding hands, dancing together for the joy of a shared universe and a common hope. Lutheran Campus Ministry invites those in academic settings to the dance of welcome. The invitation is offered to as many as want to be part of the music and movement. Jesus reminds us, “Truly, I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). Do we need more motivation or encouragement to make room for others than from Jesus himself? Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live, a place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive. Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace; here the love of Christ shall end divisions: All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place (ELW 641). 8
Embracing the Questions But who do you say that I am? (Mark 8:29) Jesus said to his disciples, “…you know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:4). Thomas replied with a question. “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5). His question – and many others – frames the narrative of faith: • Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46) • What must I do to inherit eternal life? (Mark 10:17) • My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1) • Where were you when I laid the foundation of the world? (Job 38:4) • What is truth? (John 18:38) • Are you the one to come or shall we look for another? (Matthew 11:3) • But who do you say that I am? (Mark 8:29) If higher education had a patron saint, perhaps it would be St. Thomas. Often called “the doubter,” he may better be titled, “the questioner” or “the skeptic.” His is a quest to know, to understand, to validate information he’s been given. Much like higher education itself, Thomas is predisposed to question all things. Questions and questioning are crucial to a vibrant education. So also, they are vital to an active faith. Thomas’s example can guide us, encourage us, and teach us the art and necessity of asking questions so that we can understand ourselves better, see the world for what it is with all its goodness and terror, and acknowledge how what is may not be how or what it ought to be. The physicist, Albert Einstein, is reported to have said, "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when [one] contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” Author David Dark (The Sacredness of Questioning Everything) writes, “Religion is born out of questions, not answers” (p. 22). He also writes, “The call to worship is a call to complete candor and radical questioning – questioning the way things are, the way we are, and the way things ought to be” (p. 18). In support of his claim he also quotes Flannery O’Connor who said, “…cultivation of skepticism is a sacred obligation because skepticism keeps us asking questions” (p. 31). This is a fitting reminder and daily challenge to never give up the inquisitive spirit, to always ask questions. Gladly for us, the college years come precisely when maturing men and women are most likely to ask questions – about everything. 9
What kinds of questions do they ask? Who am I? What’s my purpose? How can I live a fulfilled and happy life? Who can I trust? What will give my life meaning? What priorities ought I to live by? How do I measure success? What does it mean to be a friend? They also ask: How was the world made and why? Does faith – or God – matter? Will anything I do change the future? Can one have hope? What is just and merciful and good? How shall I live? “There are the years that ask questions and years that answer,” said Nora Neale Huston (Their Eyes were Watching God). Lutheran Campus Ministry is poised to embrace big questions precisely at the time those who are asking them want to know. Seizing the opportunity to engage them honors the questioners and models the benefit of doing so both for church and society. Asking questions is – or should be – an article of faith for Christians. Today what is needed is a culture of questioning and an appreciation of the sacred practice of asking them. Our asking is not for the sake of the questions themselves, but that those questions lead us to a deeper encounter with the holy, a greater love for the neighbor and stranger, a more robust faith, and a conviction to live a more authentic, sacred life. In her blog (in-­‐physics.blogspot.com), Katrina Hay, Professor of Physics, Pacific Lutheran University, seeks to encourage those who are discerning whether a career in physics is for them. She writes: We ask questions. “How do we get energy from the sun, a material or the ocean? Can we predict the direction that a hurricane will spin? Or a Frisbee will glide? Or a comet will orbit? What is the strange and wondrous link between electricity, magnetism and light? How can a spacecraft travel through space when there is nothing to push off of? How is it that our bodies are made of remnants of exploding stars? How do we know what the stars are made of anyway? What is a black hole? Do you want to investigate these questions and ask deep questions of your own? Do you enjoy the language of mathematics? 10
People choose to study physics for many reasons. For me, I was seeking answers to questions. Big questions. I wanted to know more about the cosmos. Investigating questions led me deeper into more questions. Physics tells the story of mathematical elegance, the surprising simplicity of the laws of nature and the rich beauty of the universe. The mission of Lutheran Campus Ministry requires an active mind and a curious spirit, open to the questions of our day and engaged in seeking answers. Modeling the importance of questioning as a practice of faith forms students and others for vocation. Who are we, that you would love us? Who are we, that you would hold is in your hand? Who are we, that you would make us for each other, to love and hold and try to understand? (Psalm 8, adapted, Ray Makeever) Sharing the Gifts, Bearing the Burdens You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God… (Romans 8:19). With witnesses gathered around the font and paschal candle, a small candle is lit. Then it‘s given to the newly-­‐baptized with these or similar words: “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven.” This declaration does not call attention to the good deeds themselves, though of course when deeds are good they do have value; rather, the declaration calls attention to the light that is given, the Light of Life that has power to illumine the darkness and dispel fear. Letting one’s light shine signifies the cause and effect of the Christ Light – first as it shines in one’s own life, then as it shines through that one life for the sake of the world. In the world of ideas, at the intersection of knowledge and truth, in campus settings where darkness often dwells and too-­‐often squelches the light, how can the Light of Life shine through Christ’s disciples? What are the particular ways Lutherans let their lights shine in the academy? Here we’ve outlined gifts of Lutheran Campus Ministry to those who teach and those who learn. These gifts include: celebrating life as God’s gift, re-­‐discovering the wonder of God’s presence in and through the natural world, setting and serving tables of hospitality, making room for all people, and asking questions as a sacred practice. How else do we let the Light of Christ shine? 11
We do this by offering: • Community that supersedes individualism • Grace instead of achievement • Scripture that’s read seriously but not literally • Certainty that’s tentative, not absolute (humility) • Paradox that’s a friend, not an enemy • Earthiness in which the finite bears the infinite • Discernment that leads to knowing and fulfilling God’s call Answering the call to follow Christ means engagement with heartbreak and hope – heartbreak for all that’s fractured (relationships with God, oneself, other people, the whole world); hope for resurrection life made possible through Christ. For Lutheran Campus Ministry, empathy, compassion, and action are signs of this engagement. They become opportunities to share our gifts. As light and leaven, we are called to expose brokenness, practice repentance, do justice that subverts powers and principalities, and get our hands dirty in service to others. In the words of Jesus’ admonition, with a towel in his hands and a basin to wash his disciples’ feet, we are called to “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:2). When the liturgy ends, we are sent to those in need on campus, in our communities, and around the world. “Go in peace,” we say. “Serve in Jesus’ name.” Through the burden of caring, the opportunity to do justice, and the responsibility of discipleship, brokenness becomes wholeness and despair becomes hope. Lutheran Campus Ministry provides countless opportunities where students and others can put faith into practice and let their lights shine. For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; The mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12). Conclusion I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth (I Corinthians 3:6). Lutheran Campus Ministry in the ELCA and its predecessor church bodies is more than 100 years old. Alumni include bishops, pastors, camp directors and counselors, teaching theologians, professors, physicians, administrators, government workers, engineers, ambassadors, researchers, farmers, technicians, teachers, and countless others who serve the common good through their daily work. Throughout its history, Lutheran Campus Ministry has served campuses big and small, in many different contexts. Of necessity, it has adapted to changing circumstances and social or cultural shifts. Often 12
it’s been on the forefront of liturgical change, social justice movements, international affairs, ecumenical and interfaith engagement, and more. It’s supported individuals and communities through times of transition, turmoil, and testing. Each new generation has brought new opportunities. Yet, faithful in it mission, it serves a vital role as it “invites those in academic settings more deeply into Jesus Christ and the community that bears his name so that they may discover and fulfill their calling as Christ’s disciples.” God has entrusted us with this ministry. We are wise to tend it well. Go forth into the world in peace. Be of good courage. Hold fast that which is good. Return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-­‐hearted. Support the weak. Make common cause with the poor and the oppressed. Help the afflicted. Honor all people. Love your life and the One who bestowed it upon you. And the blessing of God – world-­‐maker, pain-­‐bearer, love-­‐giver – be upon you and remain with you always. Amen. 13
Credits All scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Bible. Page 1 – Chambered Nautilus, photographer unknown. Page 2 – “Tree of Life,” source unknown. Page 3 – Kyungmo Park planting sedge, Green Island, Oregon, Luther House photo. Page 4 – Hubble Telescope photo, photographer unknown. Page 5 – Holy Trinity icon, Andrei Rublev, photographic reproduction, source unknown. Page 7 – Students at table, American Dream Pizza, Oregon, Luther House photo. Page 8 – Dancing Saints and worshipers, St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, San Francisco, http://www.saintgregorys.org/worship/liturgy. Page 10 – “The Thinker,” Auguste Rodin, photographer unknown. Page 11 – Prayer in the Church of Reconciliation at Taizé, photographer unknown. Author’s Note This paper reflects some of the key theological ideas and priorities for ministry that have informed my work for nearly 19 years serving students, faculty, and university staff at Oregon State University. I write it as a tool to clarify my own commitments and convictions so I can better articulate what I believe Lutheran Campus Ministry has to offer to campus communities across the country, mine included. Please note carefully, this paper is not endorsed by the ELCA. It is not intended as a position paper to represent the whole of our Lutheran Campus Ministry community. It may or may not be helpful or useful to the reader. If it is, I rejoice: if it’s not, that’s okay. Most likely, another campus minister would have written it differently to capture other theological emphases or underscore other important purposes of this ministry we love. This is simply offered as a personal reflection, a conversation starter, an example of how a campus minister can find his or her voice, a desire to more effectively connect the faith we bear to those we serve, and a tribute to God who “…who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine…” (Ephesians 3:2). I welcome your feedback. Jim 14