Eastern Mennonite University Podcast

Brian Gumm, Wringing Out Saturated Selves: Christian Education in a SecularAge Aaron Kauffman, Anabaptist Missional Project: In But Not of the (Mennonite) Empire? Brian and Aaron are part of the Anabaptist Missional Project. AMP is a “network of emerging leaders who love Jesus, care about the church, and seek to be part of God’s mission in the world,” They are planning an upcoming conference that will also explore themes related to their capstone projects.  Visit the conference website to learn more. Students in the seminary’s Master of Divinity program complete Capstone Integration Projects across the two semesters of their senior year. During the fall semester, they negotiate with the professors in the Formation in Missional Leadership class the design of their projects. They then complete their projects in the spring, producing a final paper and making a public presentation. These podcasts are of students’ public presentations. **Note: Each presentation is followed by a Question & Answer time, for which the questions were not miked, so the inaudible sections have been removed from the podcast.  Therefore, the second part of each presentation may seem a bit disjointed

David F. Evans, Ph.D., candidate for EMS faculty position in Mission, Intercultural and Interfaith Studies, preaches from Mark 1:9-15 Professor Evans is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the History of Christianity at The Drew Theological School. He has academic degrees from Spring Arbor College in Michigan, Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and Drew University in New Jersey. Professor Evans is interested in how white Protestant American forms of Christianity have been perceived through the eyes/experiences of people who live in the national, religious, and racial margins of the United States. He is currently working on a project exploring Methodist missionaries’ perception of Italian immigrants in early twentieth-century America as racial others. In addition to his appointment at Drew University Theological School, Dr. Evans serves as a pastor for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. In a personal statement offered to the search committee, Dr. Evans describes growing up in fragmented settings that led to attending Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran churches. As a teenager lost in various destructive circumstances, he drew strength from biblical teaching he remembered hearing as a boy in a revivalist camp. He then moved into new life as he cried out to Jesus, “Help me.” At Spring Arbor College he learned the importance of community to the Christian walk. After college he attended Washington (D.C.) Community Fellowship, where he learned of the Anabaptist emphasis on discipleship. Several years of serving with Mennonite Central Committee deepened his understanding that to follow Christ is to promote justice and serve others. The entire campus community is invited to every chapel worship service on campus. Eastern Mennonite Seminary hosts chapel gatherings in Martin Chapel every Tuesday and Thursday; EMU Campus Ministries hosts chapel gatherings every Wednesday and Friday in Lehman Auditorium. Specifics and occasional changes are noted in individual chapel listings.

Dorca Kisare Ressler, International Student Services, and the International Student Organization lead in this chapel to recognize International Women’s Day with scripture and reflections on ordinary women as agents of social change.  Dorca Kisare Ressler serves as Director of International Student Services at EMU.

In this week’s “Inside Athletics” podcast, Sports Information Director James De Boer again runs solo, recording on location from the ODAC Basketball Tournaments in Salem.  He gives a recap of the women’s Quarterfinals and sets up the men’s Quarterfinals, and also touches on the busy schedule for all of the sports. Inside Athletics is a weekly podcast hosted by Director of Athletics, Dave King. The podcast offers a synopsis of what is happening in EMU athletics, but also delves deeper into how athletics at EMU shapes lives and enhances college educations by positively impacting an athlete’s understanding of self, others, and God. Sports Information Director James De Boer is a regular guest with EMU coaches and athletes making appearances as well.

Join Esther Nizer, president of the Harrisonburg area chapter of the NAACP, to consider “Inspiring the Future” and moving forward. This is the second chapel planned by Black Student Union as part of Black History Month.

In this week’s “Inside Athletics,” James runs the show as Dave is out of town for work.  With the men’s and women’s basketball seasons coming to a close this weekend, James talks about some the seeding possibilities and scenarios for both teams.  He also talks about a busy day in Yoder Arena on Saturday and closes with a couple of exciting bits of news concerning golf. Inside Athletics is a weekly podcast hosted by Director of Athletics, Dave King. The podcast offers a synopsis of what is happening in EMU athletics, but also delves deeper into how athletics at EMU shapes lives and enhances college educations by positively impacting an athlete’s understanding of self, others, and God. Sports Information Director James De Boer is a regular guest with EMU coaches and athletes making appearances as well.

The good news of the Bible is not only about what we have been saved from, but also what we have been saved for – something to do with God’s plan to provide for the poor. This plan can be traced from an obscure law about bread in the biblical book of Exodus. Listen to explore and test this text. Shaun Groves is a communicator who’s known by a lot of titles: Singer/songwriter. Speaker. Blogger. Husband. Daddy. Friend. He feels and thinks deeply and laughs easily. And he’s helping Christians discover what they were saved for, and being a voice for children around the world, desperate to be saved from poverty.

The good news of the Bible is not only about what we have been saved from, but also what we have been saved for – something to do with God’s plan to provide for the poor. Shaun Groves is a singer/songwriter, speaker, blogger, husband, daddy and friend. He feels and thinks deeply and laughs easily and he’s helping Christians discover what they were saved for, and being a voice for children around the world who are desperate to  be saved from poverty.

Referencing Hebrews 11:1-16, Eastern Mennonite Seminary Dean Dr. Michael King reflects and expands on some comments made by Dr. Walter Brueggeman, plenary speaker for this year’s School for Leadership Training in January. In “Preaching as Re-imagination,” Brueggemann writes, “It is my conviction that neither old liberal ideologies nor old conservative certitudes nor critical claims made for the Bible will now do.  Our circumstance permits and requires the preacher to do something we have not been permitted or required to do before.  Ours is an awesome opportunity: to see whether this text, with all of our interpretive inclinations, can voice and offer reality in a re-described way that is credible and evocative of a new humanness, rooted in holiness and practiced in neighborliness.”

Shaun Groves has partnered with child development organization Compassion International for the purpose of spreading Compassion’s mission of releasing children from poverty across the world. Shaun shares an evening of songs and stories inspired by his travels with Compassion. Shaun is a singer/songwriter, speaker, blogger, husband, daddy and friend. He feels and thinks deeply and laughs easily and he’s helping Christians discover what they were saved for, and being a voice for children around the world who are desperate to  be saved from poverty.

This week, Dave is joined by Sue Kolb, women’s soccer coach and Assistant Athletic Director for Student Athlete Well-being, who reviews her work during the first semester with class attendance and academic progress of EMU athletes.  Sue’s position is being funded by a grant through the NCAA as part of the Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship Grant Program.  It is part of our efforts to increase retention rates among athletes, as well as the general student population.  The early reports are quite positive and provide us with data that will be helpful in continuing to improve the relationship between athletics and academics. Inside Athletics is a weekly podcast hosted by Director of Athletics, Dave King. The podcast offers a synopsis of what is happening in EMU athletics, but also delves deeper into how athletics at EMU shapes lives and enhances college educations by positively impacting an athlete’s understanding of self, others, and God. Sports Information Director James De Boer is a regular guest with EMU coaches and athletes making appearances as well.

Who are and what is the quiet in the land? David Kline offers his perspective. David Kline is an Amish farmer, naturalist, and writer. He and his family farm 120 acres and operate a 45-cow organic dairy near Mt. Hope, Ohio, that blends older traditional methods with newer technologies in a manner that is environmentally friendly and profitable. This lifestyle supports not only families and caring communities, but also a people comfortable with themselves. David is the author of three books, Great Possessions (1990), Scratching the Woodchuck (1997) and Letters from Larksong (2010), and is an editor for Farming Magazine, a quarterly publication supporting small-scale and profitable family farming. Farming Magazine sprung from a desire to give a voice of hope to small-scale farmers across the nation and foster a strong connection between farm families and urban-dwelling families who desire delicious wholesome food. The magazine also celebrates the joys of farming well and living well on an ecologically conscious scale. The magazine is created in the spirit of stewardship for the earth and regard for its inhabitants. In this chapel address, he discusses Norman Rockwell’s “County Agent” painting.  Chapel concludes with an announcement about the Student Life department’s Screen-free Sabbath initiative, including a humorous video featuring a discussion between all of EMU’s Presidents.

Rev. D. Dennis Perry grew up in Harrisonburg.  He graduated from JMU, received his MDiv from Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and then his DMin from Wesley Theological seminary.  He has served churches in Page County, Rockingham County, and in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.  He is currently Lead Pastor at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, VA. Rev. Perry is joined  by Naeem Baig, VP for Public Affairs at the Islamic Circle of North America.  Established in 1968, the ICNA  was a response to the growing need for a supportive Muslim community in North America.  ICNA has worked to establish connections between Islam and the public, collaborating with numerous Muslim organizations to reach this end.  ICNA also works closely with many national interfaith organizations for the betterment of society. The two became friends when Rev. Perry’s church opened its doors to their Muslim neighbors.  They have been featured on “The Daily Show with John Stewart.”

Sometimes in a suicidal situation we ask Where is God? Pam Comer, Director of the Counseling Center, and leaders of CoachLink, help us explore answers to this question through reflection, ritual and an original song performed by EMU student, Grace Engle.  Listen for announcements about the February 23 workshop on Suicide Awareness: What to do when you are concerned about someone you know and the March 31 four-campus event Walk for Hope: colleges unite for depression and suicide awareness

In this week’s “Inside Athletics” podcast, Dave and James talk about the busy stretch of home games EMU had earlier this week, and what all the wins in those games mean.  Dave also digs into the experience of student-athletes from the 1980s and 90s, and solicits thoughts from that era. Inside Athletics is a weekly podcast hosted by Director of Athletics, Dave King. The podcast offers a synopsis of what is happening in EMU athletics, but also delves deeper into how athletics at EMU shapes lives and enhances college educations by positively impacting an athlete’s understanding of self, others, and God. Sports Information Director James De Boer is a regular guest with EMU coaches and athletes making appearances as well.