Friends:

The Friends Reception this past Tuesday was a very enjoyable event.

We honored Rev. Martha Horne Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary with the first Consortium Service Award. Dr. Horne has always been a quiet and helpful presence in the Consortium deliberations. She shares her considerable wisdom--she offers practical help as well. She is retiring this year after 13 years as Dean. It was wonderful to be able to honor her. We will miss her wise counsel!

Dr. Lucy Hogan of Wesley Seminary offered reflections for the assembled friends on Worship in the 21st Century. In a concise address, she offered much to reflect on: The necessity of balance-emphasizing both Word and Sacrament in our public worship; the rise of the megachurches with their strengths and weaknesses; and the importance of historic Christian symbols for faith.

The Friends Reception took place in the beautiful John Paul II Cultural Center. We were in a beautiful building-- surrounded by artwork.

The annual reception was, as usual, a premier event!

Peace,
John

Thank You for a Lovely Evening!

Last evening the Consortium's Development Committee sponsored the Sixth Annual Reception for the Friends of the Washington Theological Consortium, an auxiliary group of regional supporters who commit themselves to our mission of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and education.

Rev. Clark Lobenstine, Executive Director of the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, and David Yount, author and syndicated columnist.

Essay Contest Paper Reading

Yesterday at lunchtime I attended the Student Board's Paper Reading at Catholic University. Shannon McAlister, the 2006-2007 Student Board Chair, arranged for the room, publicity and catering, and coordinated the scheduling with the presenters and the MC.

Brother Ignatius Schweitzer, Student Board Representative from the Dominican House of Studies and a former winner of the Essay Contest, servas Master of Ceremonies. He introduced the winners and kept track of time, so the event ran smoothly.

The first speaker was Janel Baker, who presented her essay, Visible Unity: The Public Mission of the Church (PDF full text here).

The second speaker was Laurie Mellinger, whose essay was A Distinctively Evangelical Spirituality? (Full text here).

Each winner spoke for 15 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of Q & A. Faculty and students of Catholic University's School of Theology and Religious Studies, as well as friends of the presenters, visited before and after the event, sharing lunch and fellowship.

Here is a current grad student with two CUA-STRS professors, Fr. Wiseman and Fr. Granfield. As it happens, I was a research assistant for both of these professors during my own days at CUA, so it was very nice to see them, as well as Fr. Ford, who contributes to this blog and also chairs the Consortium's Ecumenism Committee, which sponsors the Essay Contest.

Thanks to everyone involved in this event!