The Seminary Explores

Gerald Christianson celebrates his 40th year as a host of the “Seminary Explores” with this interview of Amanda Garner. She maintains that literacy is not only a scandal, it’s an epidemic. About 800 million persons world-wide and 93 million Americans are functionally illiterate; that is, they read below a fourth-grade level, leading to job loss, poverty, unproductivity. With a limited budget, she depends on trained volunteers who can relate to persons and work with their needs.

After almost 500 years since the Reformation, Donald McCoid, Bishop Emeritus, Southwest Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA, and staff member on the “Declaration” Commission discusses, Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry, Eucharist offers an unprecedented series of 32 “statements of agreement” between Roman Catholics and Lutherans. The culmination of 50 years of dialogues, they signal that Catholics and Lutherans are “on the way” to full, visible unity. Approved 931-9 by the ELCA Church-wide Assembly, the full document is available free on-line. A study guide for congregations will soon be released.

“They won the battle, but lost the war” summarizes Mr. Hutchinson’s approach to the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the route of Custer’s troops. The U.S. persisted in a relentless military campaign to drive the natives into reservations under their control, while the remnant under Sitting Bull found that the Canadian “Mounties” who were both policemen and magistrates stressed cooperation, provided they observe Canadian law.

Dr. Christopher M. Bellitto, Professor of History at Kean University and author of Ageless Wisdom: Lifetime Lessons from the Bible asks what lessons we can learn about wisdom and growing older from the Bible. He draws lessons from famous, and not so famous, Biblical stories to learn how we can gather wisdom and appreciate its gifts: blessings and burdens, patience and laughter, and reaping and sowing.

A singer-songwriter from Ohio and a photographer-videographer from Alaska come to Gettysburg via Seattle. Michela Miller-Ferree and George Ferree, the latest artists-in-residence at the Gettysburg National Military Park, have covered lots of territory. They bring a shared sense of adventure and respect for Gettysburg’s history to their month-long residency. They stopped by the Seminary campus for a conversation with Katy Giebenhain from Seminary Ridge Review. Hear Michela perform in a fireside concert at the Visitor Center Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 1:00pm in the Refreshment Saloon. The event is free and open to the public.

Ferreedom Adventure Vlogs

https://ferreedom.wordpress.com/

Father Recla, then a pastor in New York, took on the role of chaplain in one of the morgues where remains were sent during recovery operations after 9/11, often accompanying body bags to their final destination--sometimes with police or fire escorts. Little was said during these sad journeys, but Recla sensed there was both laughing and crying in the silence.

Ed W. Clark, Superintendent, Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site talks with Dr. Christianson about the business of running a national park.  As the National Park Service celebrates its centenary with the theme “Find Your Park” to encourage us to visit these treasurers of our heritage whether near or far, it prepares to face new challenges. They include maintaining the Gettysburg Battlefield’s 1863 appearance, a maintenance backlog, new land acquisitions, and raising questions of interpretation beyond the battle itself, such as slavery the impact on civilians.  

Photographer Robert Beech discusses the process, challengesand rewards of wet plate photography. During his tenure as Artist in Residence at the Gettysburg NationalMilitary Park, Robert recreated some of the most famous photographs of thebattle using the same technology used by the photographers of the time.

Read Robert Beech's Blog