The Wesley Journal

Over the course of November, I attended two events put on by Wesley student organizations, a worship service with the Association of Black Seminarians and the international student lunch. Both were lovely events that I am thankful for attending and it is with great pleasure that I provide a glimpse about them. The Association of Black Seminarians worship service on November 12, 2018 where the service was truly delightful.  The key passage for the service was Numbers 27, which tells the story of the Daughters of Zelophehad. As I listened to the word read and proclaimed, it spoke to me about the right, the privilege, and the responsibility that we have to stand up against injustice for ourselves and for those that will come after. Jaleesa Hall, who delivered the sermon, was an electrifying speaker and an honor to hear preach. “We Shall Overcome” and “Ain’t Gon’ Let Nobody” accompanied the sermon. The songs were moving and emotional, a perfect compliment to the sermon. I encourage e...

This issue of the Wesley Journal used a slew of visual art pieces depicting the baby Jesus and his family, some of which were painted or drawn long enough ago to be in the public domain and some of which have been painted in recent years. Below is a listing of the pieces, with short comments as needed, and links to support the artists; work where available. Cover art, Editor's Note, and end page: The Stalingrad Madonna The Stalingrad Madonna was drawn by Kurt Rueber on Christmas Eve 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad. A copy of the Madonna is housed in Coventry Cathedral in the United Kingdom and they offer this description of how the icon came to be : On Christmas Eve 1942, while working round the clock in a field operating theatre somewhere in Stalingrad, he gathered a group of soldiers to hold a Christmas service in an underground bunker: no cross, no tree, no candles. But on the back of a captured Soviet military map he had drawn an icon, the picture of a Russian Mo...

I sometimes think that seminarians get the shortest end of every stick. Advent is one of the busiest times in the church calendar and many of us are active members of the faith community we attend or serve, caught up in the hustle and bustle of helping our congregations prepare their hearts for the wonder we'll celebrate on Christmas. We'll rewrite the script for the Christmas pageant, organize the advent devotion, and help the pastor go on a search for the good ornaments for the Chrismon tree, buried somewhere in the church basement. All the while, of course, finals are looming over us. The semester is rushing toward its end and we are at the mercy of papers and projects and in-class exams. We're exhausted and spent and if one more person tells us to breathe and "practice self-care," we're going to lose it. We're being pulled in all directions and it is overwhelming. But at least we're not alone in this. Not alone at all. For this edition of t...

The Holy Family by Janet McKenzie This is the season of Advent, as believers with great anticipation; Waiting for the light and the preacher mounting the pulpit with emphasis of salvation As they’ve studied their lectionary notes Of The Lord’s annunciation and bold within the margins of the Euangelion As the choir stands and with their angelic proclamation and sings a song: “O come o come Emmanuel ransom captive Israel” However, this advent season with great anticipation Those who are captive are sitting in the congregation Wrestling with this invitation to salvation These thoughts are occupying their attention: Systematic oppression Holy indignation Societal frustration Authority casting lots thriving off separation They are ready to remove spiritual stents   Like a doctor ready for operation! With the instruments used to cut flesh They too cut flesh Piercing the heart of kinship with a IV Diluting the arteries Stopping the f...

Wesley Theological Seminary has a 60 year ministry in the city of Washington, D.C. This ministry was birthed through a vision to shape persons for ministry using the context of the city. Over these 60 years, theological education as a subset of higher education has gone through a great many changes. Wesley is no stranger to those changes and it is change to which I now seek to address. Wesley has entered into a relationship with a commercial developer to explore a land lease development of a portion of our land for a new student dormitory. This dormitory would house a combination of our student families and American University students. This market-rate student housing would sit on land that currently encompasses Carroll and Straughn dormitories as well as the parking lot. We would not sell our land but rather lease the land the building would sit on. The size and scope of this building has not been fully determined, but its presence on our campus would reshape our campus and shared ...

Hello Wesley Community, I pray that you all have had a wonderful and transformative semester no matter where you are in your seminary journey. As you reflect back on this semester, my hope is that it was one of academic learning and productivity and also one in which you discovered new or deepened passions, connected with a community that is meaningful to you, or learned something about yourself. As finals approach, and have maybe already started for some, it can be easy to feel weighed down by stress. Thinking through everything that needs to get done can feel overwhelming. During this season of finals, please remember to tackle what needs to be done in the way that is most effective for you. Remember that you have a community surrounding you. Remember that you are capable and need care, too. Student Council’s Student Care Committee, in partnership with others, is spending these last weeks of the semester encouraging us to focus on our minds, bodies, and souls during finals and...

The incarnation, God becoming human in the form of Jesus, has fascinated people for centuries. There is so much artwork on the incarnation, lots of stories, and many different interpretations of the incarnation, even within the Gospels. The incarnation means many different things to many different people. The incarnation is the basis for Christianity, but for me, it means so much more than just that. It is amazing to me that God would take the time to take on a human nature. I feel as though it is possible that God remembered many things from viewing the world from the perspectives of humans. As the old saying goes, if you want to understand a person, walk a mile in their shoes. Whether or not God actually learned, or if God just remembered what it is like for the humans that God created, or if God came down to earth simply for our salvation, the important part is that God spent time among humans. One of the most important parts of the incarnation is that Jesus sets a pretty goo...

The miraculous event of the incarnation, which is celebrated each year at Christmas, pierces through the darkness of the world with the radiance of its truth.  It would do followers of Jesus Christ well to imagine the nativity scene unfolding before us and watch for ourselves the fullest revelation of what it means to be human and divine become embodied again through the birth of Christ.  The nativity should not be regarded merely as some distant, historical moment, nor should it be reduced in a seasonal way to something that is put on display as “authentic” Christmas décor.  Instead, the nativity can and should come alive in our hearts and minds each time we reimagine it on any day of the year.  This is vitally important; the incarnation matters for Christian witness and discipleship.  Followers of Christ must take the incarnation seriously for the living of these days. The words from the Christmas hymn, “O Holy Night,” offer moral insight into the incarnatio...