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Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne July 2010, Volume Fourteen, Number Two The Seminary Library: A Servant of Christ and His People By Dr. Dean O. Wenthe Forming Servants into the Future By Rev. Brian M. Mosemann Reaching Out Via Technology By Rev. William S. Johnson Fo r th eLife of theWorld 4 For the Life of the World F E A T U R E S PUBLISHED BY Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana PRESIDENT Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rev. Timothy R. Puls Jayne E. Sheafer ASSISTANT EDITOR ART DIRECTOR Colleen M. Bartzsch Steve J. Blakey COPY EDITORS Trudy E. Behning @ Adriane A. Dorr For the Life of the World is published by Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the editor of For the Life of the World. Copyright 2010. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at Huntington, Indiana. For the Life of the World is mailed to all pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the United States and Canada and to anyone interested in the work of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. CONTENTS 6 The Seminary Library– A Servant of Christ and His People By Dr. Dean O. Wenthe One need not reflect very long to embrace and to support the treasure of good, even God-given blessings that a seminary library generously provides for its students and also for the entire Church. From commentaries on Sacred Scripture to exposition of the creeds and confessions to the most practical and concrete guides for the Christian life, the seminary library is a priceless source of knowledge. 12 Forming Servants into the Future By Rev. Brian M. Mosemann Hands-on experience is a key part of forming servants at CTS. During formation students have access to a diverse range of practical placements, evangelistic opportunities and church settings to develop new skills and sharpen old ones. The residential context is an environment where collaborative service and teamwork are encouraged. As adult disciples learning together, we seek to share our experiences, skills and insights with each other, all the while speaking words of our Lord of peace, comfort and joy to one another. 14 Reaching Out Via Technology By Rev. William S. Johnson The rapid cultural change that comes with the dynamic nature of technology can present significant challenges to the Church, but it can offer us exciting opportunities as well. The message of the Cross is as relevant today as it has always been. By faithfully using new technologies to communicate our timeless message to address eternal needs, we can continue to reflect the light of Christ to a world in search of hope. Also in this issue: What Does This Mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 9 Teaching Chapel Dedicated . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 21 CTS Faculty Teach in South Africa . . . . . . . .p. 21 Reaching Out to the Sudan . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 22 CTS Celebrates Wyneken’s 200th Birthday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 24 Bringing the Mercy of Christ to the War Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 26 Bible Study–Your New Pastor . . . . . . . . . . .p. 30 For the Life of the World Volume Fourteen, Number Two For the Life of the World12 Formation for being a servant in Jesus Christ is about who the student is in Christ rather than what the student knows or can do. What the student knows or can do—fruitful service—flows from being in Jesus, learning from Him and growing in Him. Forming Servants Into theFuture By Rev. Brian M. Mosemann Concordia Theological Seminary exists to form servants in Jesus Christ who teach the faithful, reach the lost and care for all. How are these servants formed? Formation certainly includes academics, but it is more than sitting in a classroom learning from a lecture. In addition, formation includes major events in life, but it is more than marriage, the birth of a child, the death of a child or a spouse, or a serious car accident. Such events are formational, and they certainly affect our whole community in many and various ways. into t July 2010 13 What is often overlooked in formation are the so- called little things in life such as attending class on time, being organized, completing assignments, responding to e-mails and phone calls, saying “thank you” for gifts, being charitable and helping the neighbor in his or her daily needs. In other words, formation involves every aspect of a student’s life. It involves not only a student’s intellect but also his or her character and behavior. As we learn from the liturgy and catechism, it involves everything in “thought, word and deed.” Good behavior or “thought, word and deed” is rooted in sound learning, so at CTS we are diligent at integrating practice with sound teaching that flows from Scripture. But formation for being a servant in Jesus Christ is about who the student is in Christ rather than what the student knows or can do. What the student knows or can do— fruitful service—flows from being in Jesus, learning from Him and growing in Him. It began in Baptism and continues every day in the lives of the students as they confess their sins and live in forgiveness. Being baptized into Christ, we are one body in Him so when the toe is stubbed, it is the eye that sheds the tear and the finger that wipes it away. This formation draws the students out of themselves and teaches them to live in the Lord by faith and in their neighbor by love. Thus, students are encouraged to reflect upon how their learning impacts them as men and women living in the grace of our Lord. At CTS, students are encouraged to grow as disciples, seeking and learning to love God with all their heart and soul in a community of faith. This begins by receiving the Lord’s gift of grace through the Gospel and the Sacraments. The students are filled with the words of our Lord. His words have their way with them through the Law that drowns the old Adam and the Gospel that raises up the new person in Christ. Hence, daily chapel is at the center of forming servants in Jesus Christ. From the chapel, the students attend class whereby the gifts of the Lord are expounded and then from the classroom out into their daily lives where they die to self and serve the Lord by loving their neighbor. This rhythm of being filled with the Lord’s grace and living in that grace toward others forms servants in Jesus Christ who @ are strengthened in the Lord’s forgiveness and daily prayer, @ daily meditate on Scripture, @ grow in charitable ways in character and behavior, @ learn to live by the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, which will sustain them in their service and @ develop a healthy balance among all aspects of life: prayer, worship, study, service, family and relaxation. Students are also assisted in developing these characteristics and behaviors through the normal, day-to- day interactions with their peers and others on an informal basis. Faculty guidance, feedback from peers and self- reflection based on the Word of the Lord assist the students in gaining insight into their character and behavior and encourage them in growth. Hands-on experience is a key part of forming servants at CTS. During formation, students have access to a diverse range of practical placements, evangelistic opportunities and church settings to develop new skills and sharpen old ones. The residential context is an environment where collaborative service and teamwork are encouraged. As adult disciples learning together, we seek to share our experiences, skills and insights with each other, all the while speaking words of our Lord of peace, comfort and joy to one another. Our aim is to prepare students for service that is integrated with their personal identity and daily walk with Jesus. Then they have the knowledge and skills to handle conflict, personal stress and other pressures that will impact their service to the Lord and their neighbor. We want everyone to leave the seminary as “a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed” (1 Timothy 4:6 ESV). At CTS, we seek to develop within each pastoral ministry student a compassionate heart as a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ coupled with the knowledge and skills to teach and preach well, to celebrate the Sacraments both properly and prayerfully and to respond to people’s needs. This prepares the students to teach the faithful, reach the lost and care for all. Formation is not simply an academic exercise but aims at an integration of theology and life and at the development of a Christian life that bears the fruit of the Spirit. All subject areas are taught confessionally, so that whatever we are doing—studying the Bible, examining an aspect of Christian apologetics or facing a controversial issue in ethics—strong connections are made between the Christian faith and the way we live. As Christian leaders and servants, we lead out of who we are in Christ. This leading or formation combines teaching, group work and one-to-one mentoring and enables students to grow in faith and love. Our prayer for our students is that “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6–7 ESV). Rev. Brian Mosemann serves as the Dean of Students at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. At CTS, we seek to develop within each pastoral ministry student a compassionate heart as a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ coupled with the knowledge and skills to teach and preach well, to celebrate the Sacraments both properly and prayerfully and to respond to people’s needs. This prepares the students to teach the faithful, reach the lost and care for all.