AnglicAn EpiscopAl HousE of studiEs Perspectives DUKE DIVINITY SCHOOL 2008-09 insidE 2 Director’s Message 3 Lambeth Reflections 6 Perilous Joy of Friendship 7 Open House, Open Heart From the angLican EPiscOPaL HOusE OF stuDiEs Director Phone: 919.660.3588 Fax: 919.660.3473 Email: [email protected] web: www.divinity.duke.edu/programs/aehs ROOts DOwn, waLLs DOwn. This fear the federation of theological sums up what we’re about at the institutions representing other Anglican Episcopal House of Studies. denominations—not to mention Roots down: growing roots down into other Anglicans, who are some- our rich tradition and the broader times more threatening. The Christian tradition, so that future distinctive gifts and graces of leaders may be securely grounded in one church group—the “Anglo- and continually excited by the his- catholics” or the “evangelicals”— toric resources of faith. Walls down: surely may be shared without then, out of the profound yet invisible being lost, if these gifts and anchor that sustains our identity and graces are of God. purpose, seeking to re-view our world Roots down, walls down. Psalm and re-think our ways. This relates to 1 uses tree imagery for the faith- church life, to pastoral practice and ful. “They are like trees planted to mission, as well as the barriers that by streams of water, which yield School, we are feeding the roots. What undermine them. their fruit in its season, whose leaves happens to our walls then follows Roots down, walls down. I first heard do not wither. In all that they do, they less predictably. We re-examine the this phrase and came to appreciate its prosper.” As director of the AEHS, implications and practices of faith— value in the Church of England. It was I long to grow leaders whose leaves in the fields of ethics, liturgy and coined by Bishop Graham Cray while will not wither, whose branches have spirituality—and relate to one another he served as principal of Ridley Hall the capacity for summers of fruitful- (a diverse set of branches for sure!) in Cambridge, UK. It challenged stu- ness and winters of frost. Preparing at school and church. dents of an evangelical seminary not to for all the seasons, by addressing the As director I have witnessed situ- roots first and foremost, is what I ations where some walls are hurdled p H understand we are doing in the work joyfully for the adventure beyond, oto oto of spiritual formation. while others are dismantled painstak- B y Ch Roots down, walls down. This work ingly stone by stone. Most, perhaps, ris Hildr is not easy. While roots are hard to are unlikely to move. Again and again E discern, walls are often painfully and I rejoice to see them no longer serving t H / d publicly evident. We construct them for defense and security but for map- uk E pH precisely because contemporary ping out territory that is shared—not otogr challenges would seem to attack least because the roots below ground A p or undermine our roots, as well as are intertwined. H y the branches. In fostering investment and enthusiasm for the classic Jo Bailey wells is the director of the “catholic” disciplines of Bible, theology Anglican Episcopal House of Studies. and church history at Duke Divinity director Jo Bailey Wells greets local clergy at a worship service in goodson chapel at duke divinity school. 2 A n g l i c A n E p i s c o p A l H o u s E o f s t u d i E s angLican EPiscOPaL HOusE OF stuDiEs Lambeth Phone: 919.660.3588 Reflections Fax: 919.660.3473 Email: [email protected] web: www.divinity.duke.edu/programs/aehs By sArAH kERR Good A few nights later at a Korean choir concert, we watched a video about the work of Anglicans in Korea to S tEwardsHiP bring forgiveness and healing between North and South Korea, and heard stunning songs asking God to make On JuLy 23, I arrived at Canterbury along with two other them a bridge of reconciliation. One night, we celebrated Duke Divinity School students to serve as stewards at the evening prayer in Portuguese with the Church of Brazil, Lambeth Conference. and the next night the Church of Jerusalem and the The stewards were a group of 50 young adults who Middle East took its turn. Being at Lambeth as a steward had come from across the Anglican Communion to the made me proud of our Anglican Communion and more University of Kent, the host campus for the decennial invested in seeing it flourish and grow in its various minis- assembly of bishops tries around the world. of the Anglican As stewards, we wore Communion convened neon orange, high visi- by the archbishop of bility vests with the title Canterbury. The uni- “Steward” emblazoned versity sits on a hill across the back so that overlooking Canterbury the conference delegates Cathedral and the could see us all the way surrounding town. across campus and ask Archbishop rowan Williams gathers with other bishops at the lambeth conference. As we went about for assistance. our stewarding duties of ushering, answering questions But we were not the only ones at Lambeth who and maintaining security, we had front row seats to the deserved the title of steward. The bishops too were stew- richness of the Anglican Communion. When we checked ards, albeit with fancier uniforms that came in purple delegates’ passes as they went into Bible study, we were rather than orange. They had gathered there to become reminded of all the different parts of the world where the better equipped for their ministry as stewards and shep- Anglican Church is present. When we served as ushers herds of their dioceses and churches. Indeed all of us, at the daily worship services, we welcomed bishops and whether present at Lambeth or connected to Lambeth their spouses from every language, nation and tribe who through prayer, e-mails and news reports, were made had gathered to worship God together. stewards of a gloriously diverse communion that had deep gifts of faith, hope and love—gifts that were on display throughout the conference. When Lambeth came to a close, I prayed that we would be good stewards of the communion that God had given us. sarah Kerr, M.Div. ’08, is the assistant rector of Christian formation and youth at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in St. Petersburg, Fla. She served the Lambeth Conference with sam Keyes, M.Div. ’09, an aspirant in the Diocese of Fort Worth, and Ross Kane, M.Div. ’09, a postulant in the Diocese of Virginia. s t u d E n t p E r s p E c t i v E s 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 3 Clinical Pastoral Education it’s tHREE O’clocK on a damp Wednesday afternoon when For me, it’s simple. At the Eucharist, Jesus gives us his I unlock the last wooden door into Ward 531—twelve whole self; we are gathered into his living, broken body. cinder-block bedrooms and a common room tucked This means that my body somehow becomes part of his. away in the back of a psychiatric hospital in Butner, N.C. God’s humility transforms my haywire muscles into a Precisely two and a half seconds later, a gleefully shrieking means of grace. So I go—wheelchair, service dog and all— blur of a boy—blond and sit quietly with people whose brains are haywire. hair, translucent skin, This is the best way I know to say thank you. I listen to willa’s way eyes bright as birth- stories. Sometimes I tell a story in return. When words By CLAIRE WiMBUSH day candles—swarms mean nothing, I offer my presence and my dog. onto my lap and Willa’s most important role at the hospital is also the p H oto oto clamps his sticky one she likes best: official conversation starter and soaker- B y fr fingers around my up-of-affection. Before we begin our weekly spirituality A nklin gold neck. “It’s a doggie?” group for acutely ill adults, she prances from patient to he asks uncertainly patient. She nudges hands, snuffles pockets, whacks knees E after his eyes slide with her tail. Occasionally, she decides that more drastic n down the side of measures are required. Then she shoves her entire head my wheelchair. into someone’s lap and sighs theatrically until her patient “Yes,” I tell my cracks a smile. newest patient firmly. Willa reminds people of home. That’s the simplest way “It’s a nice doggie.” to explain what she does at John Umstead. My job, as a Willa the chaplain, is to stay with my patients wherever they are; Astonishingly I try to keep them company within their shattered reali- Wonderful Service ties. Willa’s job, as a chaplain’s dog, is simply to be real. Dog steps languidly She is a living, nudging, shedding, thoroughly insistent claire Wimbush and Willa, a 5-year-old labrador retriever, prepare for work with psychiatric patients to the front of my reminder that life outside the hospital exists. Beyond at John umstead Hospital. wheelchair and John Umstead’s maze of locked doors, beyond the maze nudges her slim head under his arm. The boy scrambles of mental illness, there’s a wide, clear world. With dogs off my lap and curls up on the linoleum, burrowing his in it. Trees. Squirrels. People. Homes.