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Spring 2007
Volume 14, Number 1
o f L o u i s v i L L e s e m i n a r y
the intersection of art aNd theology

Moments in Time
The Intersection of Art and Theology at LPTS
By Angela G. Morris
eminaries by their nature are a natural habitat for
theology; the same setting isn’t always the best
habitat for art. When art and theology do intersect,
the results can be unpredictable. When these two disparate
topics meld successfully, the outcome is often a marriage
that celebrates the best of both elements and creates something
new.
Louisville Seminary is fortunate to be home to many
examples of the flourishing fusion of art and theology. The
artwork of two women in particular, whose spouses were
also members of the LPTS faculty, are shining examples of
this phenomenon.
Drawings by Esther Horner are
one of the many gems in the Seminary
archives. Esther’s husband
Norman was a member of the
faculty from 1949-1968; he taught
missions and evangelism and also
served as Seminary Dean. His years
of service place him among the
small group of professors who
taught at both the Seminary’s
downtown and Alta Vista campuses. During their tenure at
LPTS, Esther drew a series of images inspired by the downtown
campus: replicas of intricate wall art, the organ in
Harbison Chapel, the library fireplace and other architectural
elements that still grace the 109 Broadway campus
buildings, which are now a part of Jefferson Technical
and Community College.
Esther and Norman also traveled extensively as missionaries
and kept in touch with the many people they
met. One of the lasting records of this connection includes
the annual Christmas cards they sent between
1957 and 1984. Esther drew the artwork each year,
which often reflected where they were living
or visiting at the time: Louisville, New
Jersey, Rome, and the Middle East.
Another faculty spouse, Jenelyn
Wessler, was a formally trained
artist, who was able to combine her
artwork with her husband’s work
as professor of homiletics, worship,
2 Mosaic • Spring 2007
and communications at LPTS.
She and Daniel co-wrote The
Gifts of Silence, a book based on
their work in leading contemplative-celebrative
workshops.
Jenelyn provided the artwork.
Their work in this area led
to their developing and teaching
a seminary class with the
same name. The arts were an
important component of the course, which focused on faith
development by exploring the content and methods of classic
and contemporary spiritual formation.
An additional effort by Mrs. Wessler resulted in a pamphlet
describing the symbolic artwork in Caldwell Chapel.
Her drawings paired with explanatory text continue to
provide visitors today with a blueprint for fully appreciating
the meaning behind the images in the stained glass, wood
carvings, and mosaic in the chapel.
The work of Esther Horner and Jenelyn Wessler are just
two examples of how the expression of art and theology,
when paired well, has resulted in lasting and meaningful
ways that continue to enrich life and learning at Louisville
Seminary.
1 Daniel B. and M. Jenlyn Wessler, The Gifts of
Silence (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1976).
2 From the course description for “The Gifts of
Silence: Developing Faith for Ministry” in Louisville
Presbyterian Theological Seminary 1981-82
Catalog, 58.
Article prepared by Angela Morris, head of public services at the Ernest Miller White
Library. Artwork of Jenelyn Wessler taken from The Gifts of Silence published in 1976
by John Knox Press. Pencil drawings of Esther Horner taken from Christmas cards circa
1975 from the Louisville Seminary archives.
Spring 2007
Volume 14, Number 1
The Intersection of Art and Theology
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5
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d e p a r t m e n t s
Sign of the Times
President’s Letter: Art in Service of Worship
LPTS Updates
Getting Connected through the Body of Knowledge, p. 5
Getting to know our Board of Trustees, p. 10
Anonymous donor initiates challenge, p. 11
Visually Speaking
The beauty of art around campus
Creativity takes courage.
~ Henri Matisse
f e a t u r e s
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18
21
22
23
26
A Broken Beauty
Amy Plantinga Pauw reflects theologically on an exhibit of contemporary art
entitled A Broken Beauty. She finds that Karl Barth’s understanding of the
beauty of the incarnate Christ can lead us beyond the air-brushed images of
beauty that dominate contemporary western popular culture.
Liturgical Performances: A Foretaste of God’s Glory
Claudio Carvalhaes uses “performance” as a key word for understanding liturgy. It
is through liturgical performances that the Christian community tries to figure out
what faith in God through Jesus means in this world.
The Cross that Connects Us in Service
At Flushing Presbyterian Church in Michigan, everyone who helps lead worship—in
any way—receives a cross in recognition for their service to God and to God’s people.
Alum Karen Francis (MDiv ‘06) received a cross and shares the powerful message
behind it.
Meet the Artist: Alice Gatewood-Waddell
The artwork of this Kentucky artist enhances the atmosphere of the
Seminary’s Winn Center.
Commissioning Art: A Statement of My Faith
LPTS Alum David Allen Sharp (MDiv ’66) attributes the roots of his massive
art collection to his LPTS professors, who planted the
seed of critical theological thinking.
Bring Many Gifts
As the student worship coordinator,
aaron guldenschuh gatten brings his gift
for caring about the visual details of the
worship space.
LPTS Faculty
Helping teens bring the Bible to life
Faculty in the field
LPTS Alums
Celebrating artistic gifts in the church, p. 27
Frozen In Time, a photo exhibit, p. 18
Artful giving from the Class of 1956, p. 33
Classnotes
Calendar
Cover photo of LPTS alum Karen Francis (MDiv ‘06) holding her service cross, a gift from her church, by Jonathan Roberts.
12
27
32
35
Spring 2007 Mosaic

s i g n o f t h e t i m e s
a message from the president
art in service of Worship
In worship, the words we shape, the songs we sing, the
verses we read, the instruments we play, and the movements
we make are sometimes artful sacrifices, which
have been sensitively prepared for the service of God’s
glory.
As a parish pastor for three decades, my regard for
artistic sensitivity in worship was shaped especially by Paul
Waitman Hoon’s The Integrity of Worship. The posture
that art should assume in the liturgy, says Hoon, is that of servant. “Art is first the servant
of the Word in its living dialogue with the human soul, and it is next servant of the
worshiping community, the Church. This is to say, liturgical art by definition is kerygmatic,
sacramental, sacrificial and communal.” At its best, art is a self-effacing meaning-bearer
that points to, and gives glory to God.
Hoon’s excellent work underlines important affinities between worship and art. Both
depend on symbol, have the power to touch and renew human life, and view physical matter
as having revelatory potential. Both regard our human relation with nature as a source
of grace and as basically good. Both strive for an experience of engagement, immediacy,
communion. Both are creative or genitive. That is, “they have the power to beget” and
testify to the hope of birth and resurrection.
Both worship and art speak with vitality and power to the inner life of the worshiper.
This principle of vitality is prophetic, redemptive, and transformational. Art and liturgy
touch the heart and conscience of the community of faith with riveting engagement and
healing power. These experiences bring forth fresh hope, new orientation, and a desire to
follow Christ in unselfish obedience. Artistically sensitive worship also embodies movement
and rhythm, which move worshipers. Liturgical language, music, dance, and other expressions
dynamically convey God’s past, present, and future action in human history.
Artistic sensitivity is the servant of the various words we speak in worship and of the
various places we meet for worship. The great arched beams of Louisville Seminary’s Frank
H. and Fannie W. Caldwell Chapel, which soar upward toward the heavens and outward in
an inclusive embrace, are not simply wood beams. Rather they are foundational supports
that have been shaped artistically to the glory of God. The multi-hued glass windows are
not simply glass and lead. They are glass and lead that have been crafted to testify to the
past, present and future of God’s glory. When I worship in this space with the Seminary
community — students, faculty, coworkers, and friends — I sometimes experience a vision
of unity and potential wholeness in the midst of our creative and wounded lives.
Art in the liturgical context is not an end in itself. It is instead a servant of our chief
end, which is the praise and glory of God. Liturgical art does not need to fly in the face of
our intense Reformed regard for the second commandment. Artistic sensitivity does not
suggest that worship should be confused with or by art. Art in service of the liturgy is a
winsome vessel for our celebration and understanding of God’s self-disclosure as the One
who comes to us in Jesus Christ. There are times and there are seasons when Christmas
and Easter are so indescribably holy and mysterious that they must be sung in order to be
understood!
Faithfully,
Dean Thompson, President
Mosaic Spring 2007
on the road
Look for the President coming to a
congregation near you!
; www.lpts.edu/About_Us
Spring 2007
Volume 14, Number 1
The Mosaic of Louisville Seminary
is published three times a year by
the Louisville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary Office of
Communications, 1044 Alta Vista
Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40205.
This magazine has a circulation
of approximately 25,000, and is
printed by R.R. Donnelley,
Greenfield, Ohio.
Third-class postage is paid at
Greenfield, Ohio.
All extensions listed in The Mosaic
of Louisville Seminary can be
reached by calling the main phone
number at 502.895.3411 or
toll-free 800.264.1839,
FAX 502.895.1096.
Contact us by email:
lpts@lpts.edu
Visit our web site at www.lpts.edu
© Copyright 2007
by Louisville Presbyterian
Theological Seminary.
Editor
Michelle E. Melton
Director of Communications
Graphic Designer
Bridget Couch
Publication & Design Coordinator
Classnotes
Lisa Kolb
Office of Alum Relations
Mosaic Advisory Board
Mark Baridon
Bridget Couch
Carol Davies
Cathy Dawson
Garnett Foster
Jorge Gonzalez
Lynette Keeling
Michelle Melton
Kristin Moore
Dianne Reistroffer
Kerry Rice
Dorothy S. Ridings
Jonathan Roberts
Sheilah Robinson
The mosaic representation of
the Louisville Seminary seal
is located in the entrance of
Caldwell Chapel. It’s many
symbols care summed up
in the motto: “Many Lamps,
One Light.”
Getting Connected through the
By Michelle E. Melton
At the close of the January study term, the
LPTS community gathered for an evening
worship service led by 16 members of the
theology class, “The Body of Knowledge.”
This three-credit course focused on examinations
of the relationship between the
physical world and personal physicality and
the integration of three kinds of knowledge:
kinetic, special, and verbal. Supported financially
by the Women’s Center at LPTS, “The
Body of Knowledge” was part of the first
January Artist-in-Residence program, led
by modern dancer, choreographer, actress,
writer, and teacher Dr. Judith Rock.
The worship service, entitled “The
Soul Loves the Body,” incorporated elements
learned in the course and an original
movement piece prepared and performed by
the students—the “company of movers.” It
began with a “call to worship” that was more
a “call to movement.” The full congregation
was invited to participate, hands joined
and bodies moving in coordinated rhythm.
A few choreographed movements were
taught, rehearsed, and then “performed”
by all. Once completed—heart rates slightly
elevated, a light flush on the cheeks—a
sense of anticipation and delight filled the
sanctuary as the Psalm was
read. It seemed that those
The first January Artist-in-Residence program offers students
a perspective rarely considered in theological education:
learning, interpreting, and practicing theology kinesthetically.
present listened to the Word in a new way
and were fully engaged for worship and
with each other.
“Our kinesthetic identification connects
us so strongly with each other that
we cannot but sense or feel when another
in the Body is falling,” said Rock, as she
described how some individuals with a
heightened development of kinetic knowledge
can actually feel in their own bodies
an adrenaline rush when someone close is
about to fall. By developing and practicing
this kind of knowledge, the intensity of
the Incarnation and the connectivity of the
Body of Christ can be understood more
deeply, more personally. But as Christians,
the body is somehow left out of theological
inquiry. “One would think Christians shun
the flesh and celebrate ‘God’s Word made
book,’” she said.
In the course, Rock drew upon Howard
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory, in
which he identifies nine ways of
knowing,
utilized with different intensities. “Each of
the intelligences takes us where the other
cannot,” said Rock, who led her class to
understand more deeply the making of
theological meaning through movement
and artistic expression, in other words, to
think and feel at the same
time.
“As I participated in
the Body of Knowledge
class, I found that the
space between me and
my classmates was encompassed
with energy
and familiarity,” stated
Adams
first-year Master of Divinity student Darvin
Adams, pastor of Saint James Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church in Paducah, Ky.
“In the class exercises, the space between
each class member became a relationship
between the class members. The
more time we spent together, talking,
rehearsing, bumping into one another, and
learning specific things about
each other, the more we
continued on page 30
Spring 2007 Mosaic

L p t s u p d a t e s
memoir about racially motivated murder
earns grawemeyer award in religion
North Carolina
scholar Timothy
Tyson earned
the 2007
Louisville
Grawemeyer
Award in
Religion for his
memoir analyz-
ing the social
and spiritual
effects of a ra-
cially motivated murder in his hometown.
In 1970, Tyson was 11 years old and
living in Oxford, N.C., when two white
men murdered a young black man,
Henry Marrow, in cold blood. Marrow’s
killers were unjustly acquitted, provok-
ing riots and social upheaval. In his
Grawemeyer-winning book, Blood Done
Sign My Name, Tyson examines the killing
and its aftermath from many angles, and
intersperses narration of the historical
events with recent interviews of principle
players in the real-life drama, including
BriefLy speaking
Johnny B. Hill was installed as
assistant professor of theology at the
opening convocation of the spring
semester, February 15. His address,
“Reclaiming the Prophetic: Toward
a Theology of Hope and Justice in a
Fragmented World,” which focused
on the deep roots of prophetic
Christian heritage, from which one
can learn the language of hope and
justice, is available online at the new
Chapel Sermons Blog: ; www.lpts.edu.
Dr. Dana L. Robert, a leading historian of Christian mission at
Boston University School of Theology, inaugurated the new endowed
Presler lectureship in honor of the lifetime missionary service
of Henry H. and Marion A. Presler. The annual event is now part of
the Edwards-Presler Lectures on Justice and Mission to be held on
the campus each fall.
Mosaic Spring 2007
one of the alleged murderers. Tyson also
recounts the personal impact of the events,
which included the forced resignation of
his father, a progressive white Methodist
minister, from his pastorate.
“The book explores issues of sin,
loss, redemption, conscience, and human
decency, and has the gripping, convicting
effect of a truthful story. Tyson reminds
us that changes in race relations have not
come about peacefully or quickly, and provokes
us to see how much remains to be
done,” said Dr. Susan R. Garrett, professor
of New Testament at LPTS and director of
the religion award.
Tyson, a senior scholar of documentary
studies at Duke University, also holds
appointments at Duke’s divinity school
and history department and is adjunct
professor of American studies at the University
of North Carolina. Winner of the
16th Grawemeyer religion prize, his work
was selected from among 57 nominations
from six countries.
The Grawemeyer Award in Religion, a
$200,000 prize, is given jointly by LPTS
and the University of Louisville. The
award is one of five, totaling $1 million.
grawemeyer Winner
at Lpts april 18
Timothy Tyson
will speak on
his award-
winning book,
Blood Done
Sign My Name,
at a free lecture,
April 18, in
Caldwell Chapel,
LPTS, 7 p.m.
To learn more
about Timothy Tyson and other
Grawemeyer Awards, visit:
; www.grawemeyer.org.
LPTS student
scholarship
recipients
and scholarship
sponsors met for a
brunch in December.
In addition
to meeting some
of the donors,
students shared
why they chose LPTS and their future goals for ministry.
30 Doctor of Ministry candidates met at dinner during their
January on-campus seminars with LPTS faculty. Individuals in the
DMin program work in one
of three tracks—advanced
practice of ministry; interim
ministry; or pastoral care
and counseling. All three
programs are now offered
under a new flat fee payment
structure.
Charmayne Davis, Christine Hooper-Davis, Benita Livingston
sheldon sorge is new associate director
of the Louisville institute
The Rev. Dr.
Sheldon W.
Sorge, was
named
Associate
Director
of the
Louisville
Institute,
January
1, 2007.
An ordained minister in the
Presbyterian Church (USA), Sorge
has served since 2000 as Associate
for Theology and Worship in the
denomination’s headquarters. In that
position, he directed the Company
of New Pastors, a national mentored
peer-group program for ministerial
candidates and first-call pastors funded by
Lilly Endowment. Sorge has also served
churches in North Carolina, Virginia, and
West Virginia and taught at Duke Divinity
students move into newly constructed
studio apartments
Amid lightly falling snow and record low
temperatures 19 students were moved into
the much-anticipated studio apartments.
With an additional hired crew of 15,
the Facilities Department carefully loaded
boxes, furniture, and large items from the
first-, second-, and third-floor rooms of the
Schlegel Hall dorm rooms, located
adjacent to other residence halls, into three
moving trucks and distributed the parcels
to each assigned apartment in less than
five hours.
It was clockwork maneuvering, and
by early afternoon, students were welcomed
into their warm, shining dwellings.
The move was the first major accomplishment
in a two-year project to provide
better studio housing for the students
School, King College, Elim Bible
Institute, the University of Dubuque
Theological Seminary, and the
Evangelical Theological Seminary
of Croatia. As Associate Director,
Sorge will administer the
Institute’s Sabbatical Grants for
Pastoral Leaders program and
have principal responsibility for
its convening work with pastors.
He will also work with
other Louisville Institute grantmaking
and convening efforts to
bring together pastoral leaders and
scholar-educators in religion and
theology for the good of the church and
North American society, including the
Institute’s new research grant program
focusing on pastoral leadership.
To learn more about The Louisville
Institute and its variety of grant options:
; www.louisville-institute.org.
and renovate the under-utilized
Schlegel Hall.
“Our plans call for the
addition of four classrooms to
Schlegel Hall and the conversion
of the remainder of the building
to faculty office space, break out
rooms, and a dedicated student
lounge,” said Patrick Cecil, Chief
Financial Officer for the Seminary.
“This renovation project allows us to
move faculty members from temporary
offices created four years ago. It also allows
us to build classrooms with individual
HVAC controls, modern technology
components, and better acoustics. Our
current plans call for the building to be
complete and ready for occupancy by
STRATEGIC
VISIONING
LPTS hosts consultation to build more
effective pastoral leadership
LPTS hosted representatives from ten
neighboring Presbyteries and the Leadership
and Vocation Office of the Presbyterian
Church (USA) for a consultation on how LPTS
and its graduates can effectively meet the
pastoral leadership needs of the Presbyteries
in the region.
This groundbreaking collaboration emerges
directly from one of the ten major vision
statements of the LPTS Strategic Plan (2006-
2010), which states that LPTS “will (continue
to) play a significant role in hearing and
responding to the urgent need for small
church pastors.”
The consultation, which also included LPTS
faculty and administration, explored issues
of pastoral supply and demand and issues
of pastoral effectiveness in light of current
leadership trends found in experiences
across the Presbyterian Church (USA), in the
constituent Presbyteries and at the Seminary.
During the three-day meeting, Presbytery
representatives were provided time to meet
with LPTS students from their Presbyteries.
Learn more: Dr. William G. McAtee (BD
’59; ThM ’65), 1.888.271.8942 or email:
billmcatee@unidial.com.
Learn more about the renovation and view the
“moving day” photos at: ; www.lpts.edu.
November 30, 2007,” said Cecil.
Eric Wright, arrived on campus
from Iowa just in time to spend his
first night in the new studio apartment.
“They’re very nice,” he said during new
student orientation, “I’m going to like it
here a lot.”
Spring 2007 Mosaic 7

v i s u a L L y s p e a k i n g
1
Visually Speaking Around the Campus in Images
1 The Burning Bush Sculpture, designed by
Charlotte Price, is the focal point of the Fulton
Meditation Garden near Gardencourt, a gift
from The Rev. and Mrs. Perry Biddle of Nashville,
in memory of her parents Edward and Helen
Sherman. Professor Emeritus Gene March
encouraged to artist to embed deep within the
branches the Hebrew letters for the personal
name of God, Yahweh, I am who am.
2 As one leaves the front doors of Caldwell Chapel,
the Rooster Sculpture can be found to the right
on the lower level. This gift forged by the famous
Kentucky artist Barney Bright symbolizes Peter’s
denial of Christ. President Emeritus C. Ellis Nelson
(1974-1981) wrote a reflection on “The Role of
the Rooster,” which can be read online at www.
lpts.edu.
Mosaic Spring 2007
6
7
3 LPTS students infuse the arts into worship
experiences in the Chapel. Here, MDiv students
Jorge Gonzalas (guitar) and Suellen Skinner (flute)
share their artistic talents through music.
4 LPTS commissioned Kentucky artist Susan Gorsen
to create a piece for the newly renovated
Winn Center, one that would celebrate the
work of the Center for Congregations and Family
Ministries. To create her pieces, Gorsen involves
community. Students, employees, and family
members were invited to add their part over a
five-week period, then Gorsen applied her artistic
creativity to achieve this final work.
5 Anyone entering the Frank H. and Fannie W.
Caldwell Chapel will encounter a huge mosaic in
the floor of the narthex. The original design,
painted on the wall of the John J. Harbison
2
5
4
13
Chapel at the Seminary’s previous campus on
109 East Broadway, was borrowed from one that
had been used by the Alliance of the Reformed
Churches Throughout the World, which held the
Presbyterian system since 1880. It was altered
to use a Greek cross and this addition has been
reflected by LPTS since 1945. The President of
LPTS wears the seal on a medallion, which is
inscribed with the Latin words, “Lampades Multae
Una Lux,” meaning “Many Lamps, One light.”
6 In 1985, the Roger Wood Puckett Organ was
constructed for Caldwell Chapel by the Louisville
firm, Steiner-Reck, Inc., through the generosity of
local businessman Roger Wood Puckett. Designed
in the historical tracker fashion, the organ has a
mechanical connection between the keyboard and
its more than 2000 pipes. The organ has 34 stops.
Mr. Puckett’s gift remains a lasting contribution to
worship through music at LPTS.
3 8
12
7 The beautiful grounds of the 100-year-old
Gardencourt Mansion lure artists from all
around the city, who come to capture its beauty in
pencil, paint, and photography.
8 This untitled painting on tar by Kentucky
artist Monique Motiff was selected during the
renovations of the Winn Center.
9 Under the direction of Dr. Thomas E. Goetz,
students, employees, faculty, and friends of
the community form the Seminary Choir. The
choir assists with Friday chapel services and the
annual Lessons and Carols Service. At least once
each year, the choir presents a major work for
the community, such as Vivaldi’s Gloria, Faure’s
Requiem, and selections from Handel’s Messiah.
10 Art and symbol are all around. Modern culture
is filled with self-expression, and LPTS students
are no different. Here the Presbyterian Church
(USA) logo is cherished as a permanent tattoo on
one student’s leg.
4
11
11 See number 4.
12 The stained glass windows in Caldwell Chapel
are very symbolic. Facing the front of the chapel,
the windows on the right tell about the people
to whom the renewing love of Jesus is spread:
different cultural and racial groups in both rural
and urban areas. On the left, the windows depict
how it is spread: by the Holy Spirit, through
the written word, Christian education, the
sacraments, and pastoral care. The windows
were created by William Schickel of Loveland,
Ohio. Learn more about the windows at www.
lpts.edu/Support-Involvement/CaldwellChapelArt.
pdf
13 Historical artifacts, like the Palestinian pottery
displayed in the Ernest Miller White Library, are
particularly captivating. The Lemon Collection,
which dates from pre-Abrahamic to early
Christian times, was purchased for LPTS in 1929
by Brainerd Lemon, who served as a Trustee at
that time.
9
14
10
15
14 The majestic bronze falcon graces the Benn
Garden of Tranquility, the lily pond and lower
gardens of Gardencourt. The falcon, created
by Lexington, Ky., artist Jeff Underwood, was
given to Mr. and Mrs. Louis M. Benn by their
five children, in honor of their parents’ 80th
birthdays. The family home was down the street
from Gardencourt, and their generous gift in the
late 1980s helped LPTS restore the garden to its
peaceful state.
15 Just inside the main gates of the campus is the
Louisville Seminary Labyrinth on the open
lawn. The brick lined pattern is modeled after
the Chartres Labyrinth in France, built during the
Middle Ages. It was a gift from alum Rebecca
Smith Ritchey (MDiv ’92) in memory of her
spouse, James Ritchey.
Photos by Christina Freitag, Edie G. Luther,
Michelle Melton, John Nation, Jonathan Roberts,
and Jonathan Watson (MDiv ‘96)
Spring 2007 Mosaic

getting to know our Board of trustees
Meet the newest members
tyler n. allen is co-founder of USA Image
Technologies, Inc., a national
supplier of super-large format
printing including billboards,
bus wraps, trade show graphics,
and gigantic banners that hang
on downtown buildings. A Louisville,
Ky., native, Allen attends
Second Presbyterian Church.
Prior to joining the Board of Trustees, he served
on the President’s Roundtable at LPTS. He is a
member of the Louisville Downtown Rotary Club
and Chair of the Mayor’s Public Art Committee.
elaine W. Barnett is a consultant for church
planning and leadership development, who
retired from Presbytery staff
work in 2003. A member of First
Presbyterian Church in Sarasota,
Fla., Barnett served as Moderator
of the Peace River Presbytery
in 2006. She is an elder in her
church and chairs the personnel
committee. Last year the Association
of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE)
recognized her as Educator of the Year.
Lant B. davis is pastor of Central Presbyterian
Church in Terre Haute, Ind. After earning his
Master of Divinity at LPTS (2001),
he served as Assistant to the
Seminary President for four years
and also taught as an adjunct
professor in Greek preparation.
Davis was a second-career
student, who enrolled at LPTS
after 19 years as a lawyer with
Bradley, Arant, Rose & White LLP in Birmingham,
Ala., where he specialized in healthcare, real
estate and business law.
daniel h. ellinor is Senior Executive Vice President
of BOK Financial Corporation, where he
has served since 2003, following
executive positions with Bank
of America and Compass Bank
in North Texas. BOK Financial
includes commercial, energy,
healthcare, agribusiness, and
dealer banking internationally
and in Oklahoma, Arkansas,
and Kansas City. In his home community, Ellinor
serves as a director for the Tulsa Area United
Way, the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, and
the Community Action Project of Tulsa, which
seeks to improve prospects for the long-term
economic success of very young, low-income
children, their families, and the communities in
which they live.
10 Mosaic Spring 2007
anna James is a member of Independent
Presbyterian Church, in
Birmingham, Ala., where she
currently serves on the church’s
Session. Since joining the church
in 1980, she has also taught
adults and children in Sunday
school and served on committees
for Christian education,
worship, and Focus on Faith. After earning her
BA in Secondary Education from the University
of Alabama, James was a schoolteacher in
Florida, Indiana, and Virginia. Since 2005, she
has served as Executive Director of STAIR (Start
The Adventure In Reading) of Birmingham, Inc.,
a non-profit organization, that utilizes volunteers
to tutor underserved children.
Larry palmer occupies the Endowed Chair
in Urban Health Policy in the
University of Louisville’s Institute
of Bioethics, Health Policy, and
Law and Family and Geriatric
Medicine. Palmer received his
BA from Harvard University
and LLB from Yale Law School
and was a professor of law
at Cornell University Law School for 27 years.
Specializing in racial and ethnic health disparities,
Palmer is working to help develop policies
that remove barriers to all areas of health care
access and, therefore, improve the overall health
of society. He is the author of numerous articles
dealing with law, medicine, and health policy,
including the book, Endings and Beginnings:
Law, Medicine and Society in Assisted Life and
Death (2000), and the executive producer and
author of the study guide for the prize-winning
educational video Susceptible to Kindness: Miss
Evers’ Boys and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
a. paul schaap, from Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.,
is president and CEO of Lumigen,
Inc., a company for the research,
development, manufacturing,
and marketing of chemiluminescent
compounds used in
lifescience research and medical
diagnosis. Lumigen, which
Schaap founded in 1987, helps
provide a safer, nonradioactive alternative to
X-rays in the detection of substances in medical
diagnosis. Schaap was a professor of chemistry
at Wayne State University in Indiana for 30
years. Before his retirement in 2000, he received
the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
in 1999. His father, Rev. Arnold O. Schaap,
graduated from LPTS (BD ‘46) and was a church
pastor for 17 years in Indiana and on the staff at
the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles, Mich.
Relying upon a personal copy of
the Book of Order and the Book of
Confessions...
About $50
Preparing for classes and the
Ordination Exams...
About $500 for one
semester of books
Feeling confident and prepared for
ministry, knowing that these books
and resources will soon become the
ministerial library that will sustain a
strong call to serve in the Church...
PRICELESS!!!
Your priceless contribution to the
Bookends Fund provides a foundation
for our students, your future
ministers, teachers and
counselors, and the ministries
they each have been called to serve.
Gifts to the Bookends Fund go
directly to support students in the
purchase of much-needed textbooks
for each academic year and
beyond.
Ministerial libraries formed now
last a lifetime. Please give the gift
that will, indeed, last a lifetime in
ministry!
Gifts received by May 31st
count toward this year’s
goal of $25,200.
Excellence Made Accessible for All
contribute online:
www.lpts.edu/mygift
anonymous donor initiates challenge
to support excellent leaders for the church
LPTS has received a gift of $40,000 to the
Annual Fund, which supports scholar-
ships, student aid, and the daily opera-
tions of the institution. Along with the
gift, the donor, who wishes to remain
anonymous, initiated a challenge to
other friends of the institution to match
or surpass his gift amount with new or
increased gifts to the Seminary before the
end of the fiscal year, May 31.
The donor’s gift was a result of the
Pension Protection Act recently passed
by Congress, which allows a person of
age 70½ years or older to transfer up to
$100,000 per year during 2006 and 2007
from their traditional or Roth
IRA to a qualified charity
without including the
gift in income for tax
purposes. This provision
is particularly helpful
to fulfilling charitable
giving objectives if an
individual must take a
mandated distribution
from their IRA but they do
not need it to cover living
expenses and they
do not want to pay income tax on it. It
is also helpful to individuals who have
reached the 50% of adjusted gross income
limit on their charitable gift deductions.
“News of the Protection Act has
generated interest among Seminary
constituents as they have chosen this
time-limited method to make substantial
gifts to LPTS,” said Don Ragsdale, associ-
ate vice president for Seminary Relations,
who helped the donor process a gift under
the temporary plan. “This situation is a
good example of how the plan provides
opportunities for individuals to support
the work of LPTS, particularly scholar-
ships and student aid.”
“I have a sense of calling to support
the Seminary,” said the donor. “While I
also support my Alma Mater, only the
seminaries are doing the important work
that will help sustain Christian work and
service into the future.”
Though the donor is not a graduate
of Louisville Seminary, a connection was
nurtured through a local Louisville par-
ish, and a deep affection for the institution
was developed through the influence of
the school’s professors.
“During
the sixteen years
I lived in Louisville,
my home church hosted lay
academies at which LPTS
professors would come to
teach. I was impressed with the
quality of their teaching and grateful
for the relationships I developed with
them and with the students who served
their field education there.”
“I believe in the Great Commission in
the Gospel of Matthew,” the donor contin-
ued, “but I feel ill-equipped to carry it out
myself. Who is better to work with than
individuals who have been prepared by
the Seminary for this ministry? I believe
that all I have belongs to God, and I have
been called to share it.”
Through the gift, the donor hopes to
contribute directly to preparing quality
leaders for the church and challenge
others to do the same.
Annual challenges such as this one
have encouraged friends of LPTS to give
more than $290,000 since 2003. Over the
past three years, 1,305 individuals have
participated in the challenges, and 221 of
them have been first time supporters.
Helping to nurture excellent leaders
for the church is made possible through
the generous support of churches, founda-
tions, and institutions seeking to ensure
the future of the church for generations to
come.
Join the ChaLLenge
To participate in the challenge or to learn
more about the provisions of the Pension
Protection Act, contact Don Ragsdale,
Cathy Dawson, vice president for Seminary
Relations, or visit: ; www.lpts.edu/mygift.
Office for Seminary Relations:
502.895.3411 or toll free 800.264.1839
Spring 2007 Mosaic 11

f a C u L t y u p d a t e s
heLping teens
bring the Bible to life
By Michelle E. Melton
Vincent Van Gogh said the only time he
felt alive was when he was painting. Art
has a way of bringing people to life—the
people who are painted, the artist, and the
viewer. Perhaps LPTS Professors Carol J.
Cook and J. Bradley Wigger understood
this when they set out to lead their Sunday
school class to bring the Bible to life
through art.
For three years, Cook and Wigger
have co-taught the Sunday
morning Bible study
for youth at Louisville’s
Crescent Hill Presbyterian
Church. A wellmatched
team, the two
professors bring to their
teaching the expertise of
their fields. At LPTS, Cook teaches pastoral
care and counseling, and Wigger teaches
Christian education.
Partly to encourage the youth to claim
the physical space that is their classroom,
and partly to find a creative way in which
youth might immerse themselves into Bible
study, Cook and Wigger invited their
students to paint the Bible onto the walls
of their space.
The project began in the fall of 2005.
Each youth was given a hardbound sketchbook,
the serious black, cloth-covered kind
that hints at really important contents on
the pages. The students personalized the
outside of their books with drawings and
other graffiti, as the inside pages became
personal diaries on how God’s word spoke
to them.
Cook and Wigger began with the Hebrew
Scriptures. Sunday after Sunday a
lesson was taught, followed by quiet time
for each student to fill a page or two with
illustrations, words, symbols, colors, or
texture that best captured the story. This
process consumed an entire year, until it
was time to collaborate, en masse, on an
“Old Testament” wall.
12 Mosaic Spring 2007
Not seeing ourselves as artists, we were
apprehensive in how to begin,” said Wigger.
“What medium should we use? How
do we select which stories to portray?”
“The sheer size of the project was overwhelming,
too,” added Cook. “We were
unsure how to handle the issue of scale.”
For several weeks, the teachers led their
students to identify the stories and images
for the wall. “A piece from one sketchbook
...I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking
the time to look at it–I will make even busy New Yorkers
take time to see what I see of flowers. ~ Georgia O’Keeffe
was combined with an idea from another
sketchbook, until we gradually developed
a plan,” said Cook. Transposing the ideas
onto large rolls of butcher paper solved the
challenge of scale.
In January 2006, actual painting began—nearly
18 months after the first lesson.
Each week, the youth arrived ready
for work [on the wall] and conversation
about what to paint. The teachers guided
them to remember the context of the story
they painted, and the teaching continued as
they stood side by side with the youth, facing
the artwork.
“I’m impressed how [the youth] dive
in. Their ability to bring imaginative life to
the story opens up the story in new ways
for me. Most of these teens have grown up
hearing the stories, but have not always understood
the connection between them. The
more obscure stories of the Bible have new
meaning for them,”
said Cook.
“It’s helped me
see the overall picture
of God’s word. I get a
sense of chronology,”
remarked Cora Wigger,
a senior student in
the youth group.
“When you draw, you think about
it more than when it’s just stuck in your
head,” added Natalie Rich.
The youth have infused personal interpretation
into the mural. Water streams
through every scene—“a symbol of life,”
said Natalie. Rainbows and the colors of
rainbows are also a repeated motif. Cora
said they incorporated them because they
were uplifting. “They seem to appear at
The rainbows “seem to appear at places [on the wall] where hope is needed most,” said Cora Wigger.
places [on the wall] where hope is needed most,” she said.
When the wall is complete, the class will begin on the “New Testament”
wall, the life and ministry of Jesus. A third wall will be devoted
to the work of the Church, and the fourth wall will become the testimonial
wall, where youth can leave a message to those who will follow
behind them.
Georgia O’Keeffe brought to life the often-overlooked details of
desert beauty by painting her subjects in large-scale proportions. Of her
gigantic flowers she said, “I’ll paint it big and they will be surprised into
taking the time to look at it. I will make even busy New Yorkers take
time to see what I see of flowers.”
At the end of the youth Bible study class, a mother and her young
son made their weekly trek to the empty classroom to “see what the
youth see” of the Bible.
Photos by Michelle Melton
Professors Carol J. Cook (right) and J. Bradley Wigger co-teach a youth-aged Sunday
school class in their church.
FaCULTY in the Field
Frances S. Adeney helped to publish the
out-of-print autobiography of African American
missionary William H. Sheppard, Pioneers
in Congo. Adeney wrote the introduction
and worked with Wood Hill Books, www.
woodhillbooks.com to reprint the 1921
publication, which she has used for her signature
course, Understanding Christian Mission
Through Biography.
Johanna Bos will attend the conference,
“Feminism, Sexuality and the Return of Religion,”
in Syracuse, April 26-28. She is also the
guest speaker for the annual William E. Phipps
Religion and Philosophy Interdisciplinary Lecture
Program at Davis and Elkins College, earlier
in April
In January, Doug Gragg, made a Sunday
morning presentation on the Dead Sea Scrolls
to the “Issues Class” at Harvey Browne Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Ky.
neW Books
by LPTS faculty
patriCia tuLL
In November, Johnny B. Hill co-chaired the
Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr. Consultation
at American Academy of Religion, held in
Washington, DC. He also presented a review of
Bonhoeffer and King: Speaking Truth to Power
(2005) by J. Deotis Roberts at the Dallas meeting
of the Society of Christian Ethics.
March 9-11, Kathryn Johnson, along with
colleague and LPTS Dean David Hester,
presented a workshop for the Association
of Theological Schools (ATS) on Louisville
Seminary’s commitment to becoming an antiracist
institution.
Dianne Reistroffer will facilitate a discussion
on March 25 among United Methodist
Church leaders on the disposition of large gifts
to congregations. She will preside at Easter
Communion Service in April with First Presbyterian
Church in Eminence, Ky., and attend a
Board of Overseers meeting at her alma mater,
Boston University School of Theology, in May.
as those Who are taught
the interpretation of isaiah
from the LXX to the sBL
An indispensable resource for scholars
and students working in the field of biblical
studies, hermeneutics, and the history
of interpretation, this volume will
appeal to anyone with an interest in the
book of Isaiah and its interpretation.
interpretation
BiBLe studies
esther and ruth
Patricia K. Tull leads the reader
through a ten-session study of the
book of Esther, with its stories of
faithfulness, courage, and survival,
and the ethical questions
posed by its ending, and the
book of Ruth, with its themes
of community, loyalty, and
relationship.
Using case studies from his new book, David
Sawyer led a one-day conference on “Hope
in Conflict: Finding Wisdom in Congregational
Turmoil,” March 1, at the United Methodist
Conference Center in Birmingham, Ala. With
his spouse, Deborah Fortel, he will lead a threeday
event for pastoral leaders on “The Care and
Maintenance of Flourishing Congregations,” at
LPTS, May 1-3.
In January, Marion “Marty” Soards participated
in the Dallas Highland Park Presbyterian
Church Conference, “Called to Love,” where he
preached and taught on 1 Corinthians 13 and
1 John 3 as the conference keynoter.
Dean K. Thompson spoke at a congregational
dinner, taught the middle and high
school youth on the subject of vocation, and
preached Sunday morning services at the annual
“Days of Spiritual Renewal” at First Presbyterian
Church of Columbia, Tenn., in February.
Elizabeth Johnson Walker will present a
case study on “An African American Women in
Psychotherapy” at the American Association of
Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) annual conference,
April 25-28, Portland, Ore.
Spring 2007 Mosaic 1

A Broken BeAuty
Cultural Trajectories in Barth’s Theology of Divine Beauty
Professor Amy Plantinga Pauw reflects theologically on an exhibit of contemporary art
entitled A Broken Beauty. She finds that Karl Barth’s understanding of the beauty of the
incarnate Christ can lead us beyond the air-brushed images of beauty that dominate contemporary
western popular culture.
By Amy Plantinga Pauw
“I am a frayed and nibbled survivor in a
fallen world,” writes the novelist Annie
Dillard, “and I am getting along…. I am
not washed and beautiful, in control of a
shining world in which everything fits,
but instead am wandering awed about on
a splintered wreck I’ve come to care for,
whose gnawed trees breathe a delicate air,
whose bloodied and scarred creatures are
my dearest companions, and whose beauty
beats and shines not in its imperfections but
overwhelmingly in spite of them, under the
wind-rent clouds, upstream and down.” 1
Annie Dillard may seem like a strange
entrée point to Karl Barth’s theology of
divine beauty. But the point of Barth’s
1 Mosaic Spring 2007
dramatic recasting of divine attributes in
Church Dogmatics II/1 2 is that the doctrine
of God cannot be considered in abstraction
from God’s revelation to us and our response
to it. This means that the contours of divine
beauty receive their shape from God’s work
of redemption: we contemplate divine
beauty in light of God’s concrete claim on
this “splintered wreck” of a world.
Barth roots divine beauty in the Trini-
tarian glory of God that finds visible form
in the incarnate Christ. So any account of
God’s beauty must wrestle with Christ’s
human physicality in all its glory and
brokenness. Moreover, beauty is the radiant
form of God’s glory that elicits human joy
and delight. The beautiful God “acts,” Barth
says, “as the One who gives pleasure, creates
desire and rewards with enjoyment” (CD
II/1, 651). So human affective responses
are integral to Barth’s understanding of
divine beauty, and in his theology of God’s
trinitarian beauty we can chart a path to
understanding beauty in other forms of
human existence and artistic production.
Barth cautions, however, that in “all
other questions in the doctrine of God
we must be careful not to start from any
preconceived ideas, especially in this case a
preconceived idea of the beautiful…. On the
contrary, …[God] is the basis and standard
of everything that is beautiful and of all
ideas of the beautiful…. Our creaturely
conceptions of the beautiful, formed from
what has been created, may rediscover or
fail to rediscover themselves in the divine
being.” (CD II/1, 656).
On one hand, we can take this as a
salutary warning not to expect our
cultural understandings of beauty to
fit comfortably within the framework
of God’s revelation in Christ. Under-
standings of beauty in contemporary
western culture have been deformed
by sexist, racist, and commercial
interests, and we should be wary
of importing these understandings
uncritically into theologies of divine
beauty. On the other hand, it is futile
and self-deceiving to attempt to banish
from theology all cultural understand-
ings of beauty. Even theologians like
Barth who claim to make God “the
basis and standard of everything that
is beautiful and of all ideas of the
beautiful” still rely on cultural un-
derstandings of beauty. In fact, Barth’s
cultural assumptions have all the
more weight in his theology because
there is so little methodological room
for acknowledging them.
An example of these cultural
assumptions is found in Barth’s theol-
ogy of male-female relationality. He
assumes classical understandings of
beauty that revolve around harmony
and peaceful equilibrium. Barth takes
for granted that stable order and
unchanging complementarity are
beautiful and that these notions define
what it is to be a man or a woman. In
particular, he asserts that beauty in
human relationships requires that
“man is the head of woman and not vice
versa” (CD III/2, 287). For Barth, woman’s
subordination to man is a non-negotiable
element in the beautiful harmony of human
existence that forms an analogy to God’s ra-
diant beauty. Clearly, there are some cultural
assumptions about men and women at work
in Barth’s theology of beauty!
While maintaining Barth’s insistence
on staying close to Christian narratives of
God’s creative and redemptive presence in
the world, I chart an alternative trajectory
that centers on the beauty of the triune
embrace of a broken creation. The world is
created out of God’s freedom and delight
to reflect divine beauty and goodness, to
be a “theater of divine glory.” In the context
of creaturely sin and brokenness, God
enters into the ugliness and deprivation of
human existence, making it God’s own in
Jesus Christ. In “the glory of the mediator”
(CD IV/3) we see what divine beauty looks
like within the limits and vulnerabilities of
creaturely existence. The life and death of
the incarnate Christ reveal a broken beauty,
through which the glory of God’s grace
shines. The risen Christ sends the Spirit to
oppose all that is distorted and in bondage,
and to restore to us the freedom and joy of
God’s beloved creatures. Human creatures
are called to image God not as representa-
tives of an essentialized group (e.g. women
or men), but as agents who, in all their
cultural particularity, create parables of
God’s beauty that do not flinch from the
material and social realities of human
existence.
Artists exhibit in an intensified
way the gratuitous element in all hu-
man creativity, the deliberate choice
of material forms for the purpose of
making meaning. Artistic choices
are enacted in particular cultural
and communal contexts as fitting,
imaginative responses to what has been
both divinely and humanly given. The
integral role of cultural understandings
in artistic production means that art is
not simply the untrammeled expres-
sion of an inner selfhood. Yet inherited
cultural understandings of beauty do
not dictate artistic content; artists retain
freedom to resist and negotiate with
their cultural legacy.
In the contemporary art exhibit
A Broken Beauty, fifteen post-modern
North American artists reflect, resist,
and negotiate with western under-
standings of beauty, including female
beauty. By adopting figurative modes of
art they are also able to engage Chris-
tian traditions of religious devotion,
martyrdom, and discipleship in explicit
and provocative ways. The name of the
exhibit is borrowed from the theologian
Simone Weil, and reflects her convic-
tion that beauty and affliction coexist
in human life, and her confidence that the
image and presence of God are mysteri-
ously found in this nexus. In their deliberate
evocations of the realities of human violence,
disability, and pain, the artists in this exhibit
refuse to distance themselves from the suf-
fering and ambiguities of embodied life. Yet
even here they find images of beauty that,
in Simone Weil’s words, “anticipate grace”
even as “they struggle with gravity.” 3 Like
Spring 2007 Mosaic 1

Annie Dillard, the artists find that beauty
does beat and shine in the bloodied and
scarred creatures around them. And they
press her understanding about beauty a bit
further, suggesting that it is not just in spite
of the imperfections of their artistic subjects,
but mysteriously in their imperfections that
beauty can be found.
I see in this artwork a parable of both
1 Mosaic Spring 2007
the joyful freedom of God the Creator and
the glory of the incarnate Christ. Faithful
response to God’s beautiful presence is
not so much a conformity to certain pre-
scribed patterns as what Rowan Williams
has called a “refusal to make easy or tidy
up the data of a recognizable world.” 4 By
their unsentimental attention to both the
realities of their world and the integrity
In a current exhibit of contemporary art
entitled A Broken Beauty and Theodore
Prescott’s (editor) book, A Broken Beauty:
Figuration, Narrative and the Transcendent
in North American Art (Eerdmans, 2005),
Dr. Amy Plantinga Pauw finds a fitting analogy
to the beauty of the incarnate Christ
as it is mediated through contemporary
cultural understandings of the pathos and
contingency of earthly beauty. Pauw offers
her interpretation 5 of two pieces from
the exhibit to help us appreciate how the
artists’ complex appropriation of cultural
understandings of beauty shapes their vision
of God’s redemptive presence. There
are many more works of art in this exhibit
that invite careful study at:
; www.abrokenbeauty.com.
Elegy for Bonhoeffer by Bruce Herman,
from the series Elegy for Witness (2001)
This painting portrays the death of Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, who on April 9, 1945, was
stripped of his prison clothes and hanged
at Flossenburg concentration camp, along
with five other members of his resistance
group. In the upper part of the painting
you see the glories of Germany’s architectural
tradition lying in ruins. The bottom
part of the painting is covered in gold leaf
to symbolize the realm of God. Herman’s
painting draws on the Christian tradition
of memorializing the suffering of martyrs
(witnesses) to the faith. This tradition has
lent itself to heroic and romanticized understandings
of martyrdom. Bonhoeffer, as
a young martyr with attractive, well-recog-
of their artistic production, these artists
exhibit a confidence in the capacity of
the material world to show forth the
Spirit’s presence. The artists challenge
the classical understanding of beauty as
harmony or stable proportion. They resist as
well the air-brushed images of beauty that
dominate contemporary western popular
culture, uncovering their propensity to lie,
seduce, and distort. The artists use Christian
narrative traditions to gain leverage on these
classical and contemporary understandings
of beauty. But they also show how Christian
nized facial features, has not wholly escaped
this romantic heroizing, especially in Protestant
circles. But Herman has literally turned this
tradition upside down: Bonhoeffer descends,
rather than ascends, into God’s presence. The
streams of paint at the bottom show his life
pouring out as his head and shoulders enter
a transcendent realm, obscuring his identifying
features. For the theologian who finally
“abandoned the attempt to make something
of himself,” and who found life “too great
and too precious…to romanticize death,”
this descent into the arms of divine grace is
only fitting.
notions of divine beauty are “rediscovered”
in conversation with contemporary culture.
In their hands, both theological traditions
and artistic traditions are transmuted.
Endnotes
1 Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (New York:
Harper’s Magazine Press, 1974), 242.
2 Church Dogmatics, II/1, eds. G.W. Bromiley and T.F.
Torrance (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1957). References to
volumes in the Church Dogmatics will be to this standard
English translation.
3 Simone Weil, Gravity and Grace, trans. Arthur Wills
(New York: Putnam, 1952).
4 “Flannery O’Connor: Proper Names.” The 2005 Clark
Children of the Apple Tree (2000)
by Mary McCleary
McCleary’s meticulously crafted collage is
made out of the refuse of consumer culture:
brokenness reconfigured into beauty. Yet the
collage also depicts the brokenness of the heirs
of Adam and Eve, living in a world of violence
and scapegoating. McCleary is interested in
the theories of René Girard and has explored
them in her artistic work. The children in this
artwork are in a garden that has been carefully
laid out and manicured according to the
aesthetic standards of western landscaping.
But despite its conventional beauty the garden
Lectures, Trinity College, Cambridge: “Grace, Necessity
and Imagination: Catholic Philosophy and the 20thcentury
Artist.”
5 The commentary on these slides is indebted to Gordon
Fuglie’s essay, “A Broken Beauty and Its Artists,” in A
Broken Beauty, ed. Theodore L. Prescott (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2005), 77-124.
Amy Plantinga Pauw is the Henry P. Mobley
Professor of Doctrinal Theology at Louisville
Seminary, where she has served since 1990.
This article is an adaptation of a longer presentation,
“A Broken Beauty” Cultural Trajectories
in Barth’s Theology of Divine Beauty,”
is clearly not a place of peace or safety, and
the “eyes” dotted throughout the work are
like security cameras capturing every human
misdeed. The small but hopeful counterpoint
in the work is a brass Christmas ornament that
McCleary scavenged and stuck in the tree on
the right. The ornament depicts a Christmas
tree with children dancing around it. So in the
midst of the warring, fearful children of the
apple tree is a symbol of human joy and the
promise of a lasting “peace on earth.”
presented at the annual meeting of the
Association of American Religion, November
2005. The full presentation is available online:
; www.lpts.edu/faculty.
Spring 2007 Mosaic 17

LiturgicaL
Performances:
A Foretaste of God’s Glory
erformance is usually associated
with entertainment and theatrical
plays rather than with religious
rituals or ritual efficacy. Yet,
Victor Turner, in trying to understand
how cultures express themselves, said,
“By their performances ye shall know
them.” 1 Along with Turner, theorists like
Richard Schechner, Erving Goffman, Tom
Driver, and Herbert Blau have implied that
all human activity is under the rubric of
performance. In the field of performance
studies, every ritual, be it dramatic, liturgi-
cal, theatrical, or artistic, works within the
broad spectrum of performance. In the
context of the Christian community, I call
this liturgical performance.
Christian rituals have always been
understood as serious and proper ritual
enactments. 2 They are meant to hold God’s
glory and not serve as entertainment. They
1 Mosaic Spring 2007
are authoritative forms of religious practices
associated with truth, authenticity, and effi-
cacy. However, we should recover the notion
of entertainment: to entertain also means
“maintenance…to receive…to show hospi-
tality as in to entertain guests…to keep, hold,
or maintain in the mind…to receive and
take into consideration.” 3 As entertainment,
liturgical performances try to receive, or to
take into consideration—not only ourselves
and known neighbors, but especially strang-
ers, unnamed travelers, unexpected guests
and undocumented immigrants—as we try
endlessly, without ever fully accomplishing,
to hold God in our midst. Moreover, since
we are all guests at Jesus’ table, we are also
entertained by our host, who holds us into its
strange familiarity.
According to the work of Tom Driver,
“the verb, to perform—like its shorter but
not simpler cousin, to act—is two-faced. On
By Claudio Carvalhes
the one side these words mean to do, while
on the other, they mean to pretend. This
ambiguity tells us much about the kind of
actors human beings are.” 4
Driver says that human behavior goes
deeper than animal behavior because of
its capacity to pretend. “In human beings,
this communicative function (ritualiza-
tion) is not only made more efficient but
it is also deepened by the human capacity
to pretend—that is, to create and project
imaginary structures.” 5 In other words,
through performance.
Liturgical performances link this
double-sided aspect of performance—that
is, to do and to pretend—to its understand-
ing of religion. How? We construct our
reality with the (un)conscious blurring of
imaginary and real structures. By perform-
ing imaginary/real structures, liturgical
performances rely on actions in which one
Photo by Dan Dry
guesses about the sacred or pretends any
knowledge about God. In other words,
liturgical performances pretend that there
is an adequatio—that is, a truthful correla-
tion between liturgical acts and theological
thoughts, or a truthful relation between
what one says and what they say
means regarding God.
Thus, liturgical performances
—actions and pretensions—are
precarious and impermanent ways
into God’s ways, into our necessary
ethical decisions, into knowledge
of God. This always-contingent as-
pect of our liturgical performances
keeps sending us back and forth to
our provisory theologies to check
them out, to do them again, to
improve, to get them better. Thus,
liturgical performances are endless
movements toward God. Liturgical
performances are our attempt to
sense where the wind of God is
blowing. And yet, they are like
vanishing acts.
Our liturgical performances/
movements are always defected,
tainted. There is no original act,
no unpretentious movement, no
disinterested turn, or non-ideo-
logical deed. We are always already
worshiping God within the polis
(the city and its politics), among
documented fellow citizens and
undocumented aliens, poor and
excluded, even if they are not
beside us. Thus our worship ex-
periences emerge from God’s love
tainted within historical construc-
tions, ideological points of view,
theological antecedents, personal
experiences, global structures, and
from the debris of the real.
Gesturing the Impossible
Liturgical performances work within the
scope of human actions understood as
performance in relation to each other and
to God. They are made of repeated gestures
that in some way are never the same. Since
liturgies deal with the sacred, they repeat an
attempt to nail down the unknown.
The crafting of these movements and
human gestures within the liturgical space
is challenging, difficult, frightening, and
exhausting. Sometimes it might sound like
an opera rehearsal without sheet music;
Hip Hop without a rapper; a musical score
scattered in pieces, its finale continually
Performance can be a key word for
understanding liturgy, even though
it does not have a good reputation
within liturgical studies. However,
it is through liturgical performanc-
es that the christian community
tries to figure out what faith in God
through Jesus means in this world.
changing; or it may feel like the loss of a
beloved one; the premiere of a play yet to
be written; a ship taking us away from our
homeland; waiting admittance into the hos-
pital without insurance; like being checked
into Hospice by mistake, like crossing the
desert from Mexico to the U.S., like living
without a salary and trying desperately to
make it, or living in a house without a roof
because there is/was/will be no money to
finish it up. In one word, the crafting of our
liturgical performances has to do constantly
with the unspeakable, as Don Saliers, a
liturgical theologian, said about living in a
foreign world.
Broader Perspectives
Liturgical performances are never
autonomous, existing apart from the
social-political-cultural-sexual-reli-
gious environments and their complex
structures. Liturgy is not an isolated
event, a thing unto itself, an action done
within a certain safe religious vacuum.
Liturgical actions are always integrated
and ingrained within cultural threads,
social structures, and political choices.
Thus, liturgical performances
must be seen as cultural performanc-
es—intertwined ways of changing,
re-creating, re-making, criticizing, and
deconstructing ourselves and the world
through cultural, political, economic,
and theological events. Liturgical
performances are moving signifiers that
hold the possibility to change and move
ideas, behavior, understandings, and
emotions, annoying the established,
and transgressing what is normative.
They have the power to transform and
crack down monolithic performances
of colonial and empire religious domin-
ions, helping us to wrestle with power
structures that keep shifting, sustain-
ing, and dictating our grounds.
Catherine Bell, a leading voice in
ritual studies says “…the notion of ritual
has effectively relativized the internal
authority of long-standing liturgical
traditions and emerged as the basis
for revising canons and fostering new
styles of ritualization—notably styles
that emphasize the communal, the
performative, and the symbolic”. 6
From this perspective our constant
question regarding worship services should
be: “To what extent ought the church as a
liturgical community make moral and ethi-
cal transformation of persons and society
the purpose of worship?” 7
continued next page

Correlations, Affections and
the Ethical
Liturgical performances include the encoun-
ter with the texture of aliveness/deadness
that we find in the world, in our lives,
and the ways in which the fluidity and
(in)tangibility of God’s Spirit moves and
performs God’s work—in our bodies and
subjectivities as well as within the social,
political, sexual, and economic structures of
our world. Liturgical performances not only
go after and/or wait for these (in)tangible,
(un)decidable and (un)perceived forces of
God, but they also offer a public space for
these things to be performed, marked off,
related with our faith, felt in our bodies,
cried out loud, and even, perhaps,
figured out.
Liturgical performances follow through
the liturgical tradition as well as alter
the sequence of its ordo/order by adding
perspectives: inviting those who are not on
our official guest list; challenging beliefs;
disrupting comfortable meaning; opening
spaces for our bodies and emotions; foster-
20 Mosaic Spring 2007
ing the performance of a faith that stutters,
that faults, that limps, that gets horrified
with the absurdities of life. It will pay atten-
tion to any painful scream as it deals with
both the horrible and the unacceptable. It
will always offer a radical hospitality and
in this way will try endlessly to place our
life in the presence of God and be faithful
to God in our journey of faith.
In the end, liturgical performances
meet an ethical imperative. Through liturgi-
cal performances the Christian community
tries to figure out what faith in God through
Jesus means in this world.
“Questions concerning Christian eth-
ics and the shape of moral life cannot be
adequately understood apart from thinking
about how Christians worship. Communal
praise, thanksgiving, remembrance, confes-
sion and intercession are part of the matrix
which forms intention and actions…,” says
Saliers. 8
Carrying faithfully the wisdom of
so many who have come before us (tradi-
tion), using a variety of artistic tools and
performing endless practices of God’s love,
our liturgical actions and rituals should try
endlessly to “foretaste God’s glory” (Saliers)
and make changes in the world. How do we
do that? Following the incarnation of Jesus…
“The world can only be changed by those
who practice change.” 9 Jesus made the glory
of God smell, taste, touch, listen, and see. In
Jesus, the glory of God became real, crude,
and almost devastatingly all too human.
Almost, but not quite. The same should hold
true for the Glory of God
among us: we can only
foretaste the glory of God as
we perform and liturgize in
our communities the practi-
cal, concrete, and almost too
human glory of God in our
lives and in the world.
Endnotes
1 Victor Turner, cited in By Means
of Performance: Intercultural
Studies of Theater and Ritual,
Richard Schechner and Willa Appel
(eds.), (Cambridge and New York:
Cambridge Univ. Press, 1990), 1.
2 According to the dictionary,
to enact is “to establish by legal
and authoritative act; specifically:
to make (as a bill) into law” in
Merrian-Webster’s 11th Collegiate
Dictionary.
3 Merrian-Webster’s 11th Collegiate
Dictionary.
4 Tom Driver, Liberating Rites.
Understanding the Transformative
Power of Ritual. (Colorado:
Westview Press, 1998), 80.
5 Ibid., 81.
6 Catherine Bell, “Performance.” In
Critical Terms for Religious Studies,
Op. Cit., 220.
7 Don Saliers, Worship as Theology:
Foretaste of Glory Divine (Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 1996), 28.
8 Don Saliers, “Liturgy and Ethics;
Some New Beginnings” in Liturgy and the Moral Self.
Humanity at Full Stretch Before God. E. Byron Aderson,
Bruce T. Morrill, (Editors) (Collegeville, Minnesota, The
Liturgical Press, 1998), 16.
9 Editorial of the newspaper of The World Social Forum,
(2005), 5.
Cláudio Carvalhaes will join the LPTS faculty as
assistant professor of worship and preaching
in June 2007. A theologian and artist, he was
born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, where he
also earned his degree from
the Independent Presbyterian
Theological Seminary. Currently
he is completing his doctoral
degree at Union Theological
Seminary in New York City.
By Michelle E. Melton
At Flushing Presbyterian Church in
Flushing, Mich., everyone who helps
lead worship—in any way—receives a
cross in recognition for their service to
God and to God’s people.
“Everyone,” said recent
LPTS graduate Karen Francis
(MDiv ’06), who received a
cross from the church when
she was an inquirer there.
“Everyone in the entire
congregation that helped
to lead worship in any way
received a cross just like it.
Everyone in the choir, every-
one in the bell choir, the chil-
dren who were acolytes, the
worship committee members,
the members who helped to
decorate the sanctuary, and
the group that prepared the
Lord’s Supper.”
Francis said she received
her cross at a Sunday service
in the summer of 2001. One
by one, each name was called, and each
person was recognized. “Imagine our
amazement when more than thirty people
were standing together at the front of the
sanctuary wearing these crosses, in a con-
gregation with a little over one hundred
members. That’s easily one quarter of the
members who were in some way involved
with leading worship and helping to pro-
claim the Good News!”
The cross is crafted out of real nails
that have been soldered together in the
configuration of the Jerusalem Cross. The
crosses all came from Montreat, a retreat
and conference center of the Presbyterian
Church (USA).
Everyone who helps to lead worship
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim
the mighty acts of the one who called you out of darkness
into God’s marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
wears the cross when they serve.
“I still wear mine whenever I lead
worship, because it helps me remember
my connection to the congregation that
nurtured and sustained me throughout the
inquiry stage, through being a candidate,
up to the time I was ordained as a Minister
of Word and Sacrament.
“Last May, I wore it when I graduated
from LPTS as a visible symbol of grati-
tude, not only for the work of the Spirit in
bringing me to seminary, but for the work
of Flushing Presbyterian Church, which
helped me financially, sent me letters
and Christmas cards, talked to me on the
phone when I was tired and wondering
why exactly I was at seminary in the first
place, and who prayed for me without
ceasing,” she said.
Francis had moved to the United
States of America from England when she
found the Flushing, Mich., congregation in
1999. “They welcomed me as a stranger,
and to our mutual amazement, the Spirit
called us [the congregation and me] to
become companions on a journey of faith
together.”
Francis said the small
church had never produced
an inquirer, candidate, or
minister, and they didn’t
think they ever would. And
she had long since given up
on her own sense of calling.
“When God brought
us together, the impossible
became possible. We became
friends, not only of each oth-
er, but sisters and brothers
in Christ as well. The church
knows now that every per-
son whose life I touch in my
ministry is touched because
of the church’s willingness
to embrace a stranger and
take a risk in supporting me.
I know that I would not be a
chaplain and pastor today without them
by my side. To me, the cross I was given
symbolizes being a part of God’s people,
a member of the body of Christ in the
world today. It is a reminder of the call
to every Christian to proclaim the Good
News to the entire world.”
From her experience at Flushing
Presbyterian Church, Francis has learned
the importance of recognizing every call
to ministry in whatever forms it takes.
“It’s not just up to Ministers of Word
and Sacrament, or Elders or Deacons,
to lead worship, but for all of us to play
our part in proclaiming the Good News,
and not only in worship on Sunday, but
continued on page 30
Spring 2007 Mosaic 21

“I
cannot ever remember not being into art,” says
Bowling Green, Ky., artist Alice Gatewood-
Waddell, 53. “My sister says she gave me my start
in art since she bought my first box of crayons.”
When she was in elementary school, Alice loved her art
teacher. In high school, she took all of the art classes avail-
able. “During my senior year, I was given the Outstanding
Student Art Award, which confirmed to me that I might be
pretty good at art since I had won the award,” she says.
Alice went on to Western Kentucky University where
she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Later, she
married and lived in Louisville, where she was a part-time
artist, a substitute teacher for the Jefferson County Public
Schools, and worked with the elderly at one of the senior
citizen residential complexes. For eight years, Alice was the
director of Senior Citizens East for active and homebound
residents.
22 Mosaic • Spring 2007
Meet the Artist
Alice Gatewood-Waddell
As part of the renovation of the Albert and Grace Winn Center in 1999, Louisville Seminary conducted a search
for artwork to hang on the newly remodeled walls. The search among Kentucky artists yielded paintings of all
subjects and textures, including two pieces by African American artist Alice Gatewood-Waddell. We invite you
to meet this artist, who prefers to capture people in everyday situations using vibrant color and unusual medium.
“I always put art into everything, any kind of class I had
for the residents,” she says with a laugh. “I enjoyed being
with them. They acted like I was their grandchild. Oh, I could
write many stories [about my time there].”
After Alice’s last child was born, she became a full-time
artist, staying home to care for her three children and work-
ing on her art in the evenings. In 1992 when Alice and her
husband divorced, she moved back to Bowling Green to be
near her family so they would be able to help care for her
children when she had to travel. Her three children, now
grown, have pursued interesting careers: singing in New
York, design and fashion, and a criminal justice.
Like her sparkling personality, Alice’s paintings are
vibrant and alive, and they draw the viewer into familiar
life experiences.
By Mary Jo Harrod
“I work at night when there are no phones ringing or
people dropping by,” Alice says. “I used to
work on my paintings outside in the sum-
mertime. My favorite subjects are fathers
and sons, mothers and sons, mother and
baby, fathers and daughters––subjects to
show positive family relationships. I want
to make a positive impact when people view
the painting.”
Alice says she used to do a piece in a
few days, but pursuing the natural process
may take a week. “I use acrylics on paper
and oils on canvas and do a lot of collage
and mixed media.” Some of her pieces
incorporate found paper or objects, like
coffee filters. She also travels to New York
and Chicago to buy the types of paper that
she prefers for her work.
“I don’t use fabric, but I paint my paper
to look like fabric. Sometimes I use things
to change the paint. The paints may look
like sand. I have used dried lemons, limes,
and flowers in my paintings as well. In
“The Lemonade Lady,” there was a big jar
of lemonade and I put real dried lemons in
the jar.”
Where does she get her ideas for her
paintings?
“A lot of them are subconscious, but I
visualize everyday people working—using
washboards, hanging clothes out on a line,”
Alice says. “I like to paint what people do as
opposed to abstracts, still life, or landscapes.
People can relate to my work.
“I grew up in a
Baptist church
and saw the
ways people ex-
press themselves
i n c hu rc h,” she
continues.
In ‘Muh Dear,’ the artist captures childhood memories of
her mother and their home life.
“‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Steppin’ express the emo-
tions that people show by dancing in church.
My mother’s church is the Church of God in
Christ where there are drums and upbeat
music. So in one painting, I used some humor
and put women with their skirts flying off as
they dance to the music.”
Two of Alice’s works hang in the Winn
Center at Louisville Seminary. “Muh’ Dear”
was inspired by childhood memories of her
mother and their home life. Alice used acryl-
ics on rice paper for the painting.
“My mother had six children, but there
were always at least twelve kids in the house,”
she explains. “‘Muh’ Dear’ is a reflection
of how I grew
up in the 1950s
and 60s when
a woman could
be a mother to
lots of neighbor-
hood children.
She had an aura
or magnet that
drew children
there.”
“The Pot-
ter” hangs in
the lounge of
the Winn Center
and features a brightly colored, ethnic potter
as its subject. “I painted ‘The Potter’ after
looking at a book of black-and-white photos
that told the story of pot making,” she says.
With “The Potter,” she handpainted rice
paper for the clothing and used a terra cotta
paint to give the pots their grainy texture.
This painting evokes happiness and joy in
fulfilling work.
Alice’s paintings also hang at
Western Kentucky University and
have been featured on television
shows and movie sets, such as the
HBO movie Disappearing Act.
The famous E & S Gallery in
downtown Louisville serves
as the main agent for Alice’s
work, and Alice prefers to
personally attend art shows
and national conventions all
over the country with her
agent.
Alice also conducts art workshops and
makes jewelry or wearable art with stones
and beads. As she says, “I like bright colors
and no gray.”
Besides her art, Alice has been involved
with the citywide Martin Luther King Jr.
planning committee in Bowling Green
for six years. There are guest speakers, a
breakfast, a march, and youth receptions
during the two-day celebration. She also
works with the Housing Authority, teach-
ing adults and children with disabilities
reading and math skills through art and
cooking. Each group has 4–12 adults or
25–30 children.
‘The Potter’ by Kentucky artist Alice Gatewood-Waddell hangs in the Winn Center at LPTS.
“In cooking, you have to read and learn
to measure ingredients,” she explains. “In
this class, it is the first time some of the
students have been exposed to art. Some of
them have even bought supplies to paint at
home. Their art will be sold to raise money
for the program.”
Mary Jo Harrod is a freelance writer from
Clarksville, Ind.
Alice Gatewood-Waddell’s original work and
reproductions can be seen at the E & S Gallery
in downtown Louisville or at:
; www.eandsgallery.com/waddellpage.htm.
E&S specializes in original art by today’s bestselling
contemporary artists, as well as fine art
prints and sculpture by African American Old
Master artists from the Harlem Renaissance era.
The collection includes works by Muhammad
Ali, Charles Bibbs of Moreno Valley, Calif., and
Jerry & Terry Lynn (Twin) of Memphis, Tenn., just
to name a few.
Spring 2007 Mosaic 2

Art
Commissioning
A Statement
of my Faith
By David Allen Sharp (MDiv ’66)
If beauty is in the “eyes of the beholder,”
then surely, Judeo/Christian art is in the
“eye” of the theology of the person who
commissions artists to paint and sculpt.
became my passion. My sermons became filled with current
illustrations taken from radio, television, film, and print.
When I taught classes in Bible, I instructed students, “Don’t
leave your brains at home.” Probing, inquiring, searching,
Fun Loving Jesus by Bill Barnes
investigating, researching, analyzing, studying, interpreting,
became my modus operandi. And this approach to
H
ow is it possible for a non-art major—someone who
has never even taken an art appreciation course,
whose only skills at drawing are stick figures—to
discipleship progressively saturated my Christian life.
In the early 1960s, I had begun a relationship with Diamantis
Cassis, a Greek iconographer. One day, I casually raised an innocent
travel far and wide, seeking artists to paint his ideas? The answer question, “What would your face look like if I had just hammered
lies in the molding influence and reshaping transformation that long, sharp, iron spikes into your wrists and ankles?” Diamantis
I experienced from the faculty of the Louisville Presbyterian did not give a verbal answer, rather he twisted his face into such
Theological Seminary.
agony that I immediately cried out, “That’s it, paint me a picture
As a child, growing up in Wilmington, Del., where I attended of Christ’s face looking like that.” My first commission had been
the West Presbyterian Church, the same picture of Christ hung in offered. When the painting was complete, Jesus’ face was distorted,
each Sunday school room. This same “face” was printed on cards surrealistic, eyes bulging, bent out of reality—horrible. I proudly
and passed out to members of the congregation, and many carried it hung this painting behind my desk, to which nearly everyone
in their wallets like proud parents do with children. The particular who entered my study would exclaim, “That’s ugly.” And I would
painting was by Warner Sallman, and to date more than 500 million routinely reply, “Now you’re catching on to the meaning of the
copies and reproductions have been sold. Ironically, in 1933, one crucifixion.”
Presbyterian seminary president described this work as the “most That first commissioned art became the seed out of which grew
accurate face of Jesus he had ever seen.” I hated that picture! My extensive travel and endless conversations with artists to capture
thoughts were, “If this blue-eyed Jesus had a crew cut and a football authentic depictions of the Christ and other sacred moments in faith.
in his arms, he could have been a halfback playing for UCLA.” I had become worn out with viewing just-picked-up-from-the-clean-
At Louisville Seminary, misconceptions were exposed; new ers white robes of Jesus. I resisted the aura of a halo that typically
ideas implanted. The Christ of history took a new shape in my circled his head. Scrubbed clean children sitting on his unruffled
thinking, and “preaching an ancient Gospel to a modern world” lap made me rebel. So, I sought to have stories and images in the
2 Mosaic Spring 2007
Bible portrayed in a way that the viewer
would have to think and probe and dig for
an in-depth understanding of the lesson.
In some of the works in my collection,
the face of Jesus is completely obscured,
Wrapped In A Serape by Patti Smith
Eyes to See by Glenn Ayers
thus allowing the viewing individual to fill
in the blanks, apart from a predetermined
image of what Jesus’ face looks like. Works
of art must be intriguingly broad enough
to prompt questions, thoughts, and wonder
from the viewer. In most of
my art, the answers are not
obvious; the theological mind
must be activated. Of course,
this is not true in a typical
nativity scene. But, have you
ever gazed upon this scene in
which all of the animals were
smiling? What about dozens
of children flying in hot air
balloons and sliding down the
beams of the guiding star and
riding donkeys and hiking
through dense jungle to come
and see the new born babe?
Unusual concepts, no doubt;
discussion starters for sure.
Judeo/Christian art is a
statement of belief, a projec-
tion of faith, a recitative of
ideas collected over many
years. No one art form can
capture all these nuances. Oils
are needed, as are acrylics and
charcoal, pencil and pen, and
ink. Collage, with all of its
variations adds interpretive
spice. One such painting has
as its underlying base objects
picked up from the streets of
Houston, Texas. Sculptures
include glass and barbed wire
as well as wood and paper and
ceramics.
For years I searched for a
glass-blown crucifix. Several
glass blowers and I had dis-
cussions about this project.
All rejected the idea almost
immediately. I learned that
many, who come from Mexico
and worship as Roman Catho-
lics, hold the superstition that
to break or crack a crucifix
would bring serious conse-
quences and a dark future of
bad luck.
In 1968, I attended the World’s Fair—
Hemisphere in San Antonio, Texas, and
came upon a glass blowing display. I
explained what I was looking for. One by
one—in Spanish—the translator offered
the commission to each glass blower. Some
declined gracefully, while others simply
exclaimed, “No!” The translator apologized
profusely, when from the back of the tent
came an old, wrinkled, unkempt, and bent-
over woman. There was fast talk between
them and the translator came to me and
said, “This woman is a great grandmother.
Her name is Marta Sanchez. She told me
she would do it because she is so old (in her
80’s) that she has no fear of ‘bad luck for
years to come.’”
The Rev. David Allen Sharp (MDiv ’66) recently
retired from his call as Stated Supply at Crossroads
Presbyterian Church in Blue Ridge, Texas, where
he served since 1996. He is pictured here with
Crucifixion Horror by Diamantis Cassis.
A Gift of Art
continued on page 30
In appreciation for his LPTS professors, who
planted the seeds of critical theological
thinking, Rev. David Sharp (MDiv ’66) has
bequeathed his art collection to Louisville
Seminary in the hope that it will inspire others
to pursue ideas “outside of the early Sunday
school teacher’s box.” The collection of more
than 50 pieces—paintings and sculptures—is
Sharp’s personal testimony of faith and a
legacy of his calling as an effective interpreter
of the Gospel.
Spring 2007 Mosaic 2

Bring Many Gifts
By Michelle E. Melton
For the 2006-07 academic year, second-
year student aaron guldenschuh gatten*
is serving as Worship Coordinator at LPTS.
As an opportunity in his Master of Arts in
Religion degree program, the field educa-
tion position is supervised by
a member of the faculty and
reports to the Christian Life
Committee in the Seminary’s
governance structure. Under
this guidance, the coordina-
tor’s role in the worship life
of the community includes
organizing and promoting the
chapel schedule and prepar-
ing the chapel for the variety
of worship styles offered
there.
Over the years, wor-
ship coordinators have also
brought unique gifts that
have directly enhanced
the worship experience in
Caldwell Chapel. As previ-
ous coordinators have added
their personal touches, many
practices have remained long
after graduation. For example,
Nancy Ross Zimmerman (MDiv
’01) established the first
handbell choir, which involved
working with Seminary Rela-
tions and an individual who
wanted to make such a gift.
The musical background of
Marie Y. Hanselman (MDiv
’03) led her to incorporate
varied styles of worship, in-
cluding Taize and Gospel, the
latter supported by the Gospel
Choir under the direction
of Bessie Hooten (MDiv ’02). Some have
developed mid-week prayer services, chapel
newsletters with articles and commentary
on worship styles, and helped the commu-
nity to understand worship as directed by
the Book of Order. This year a new gift has
2 Mosaic Spring 2007
been initiated as aaron has infused his visu-
ally artistic talents into creating a welcoming
and dynamic worship space.
With experience in theatre arts and the
influence of his interior designer mother,
aaron is comfortable working
in large scale. As a student at
St. Andrews Presbyterian Col-
lege, he helped with worship
and developed a passion for
interpreting what one believes
in the elements of the worship
space. He loves the natural,
dark wood and graceful lines
of Caldwell Chapel, which he
describes as “ahead of its time
as many of the images and
symbols speak to the roots
of Judaism and Christianity.”
But aaron felt that the “hard,
ultra masculine” edges needed
texture and softening in order
to be more inviting to all.
“The details matter,” he
said. “I think details speak to
God.”
With this in mind, aaron
takes great care in commu-
nicating through image and
symbol. “The cup and plate
on the Communion table says
what the table is for. The font
is open and filled with water to
remind us—each time we en-
ter—that we are a covenantal
community,” he said.
Because of his consistent
attention to detail, worshipers
enter Caldwell Chapel an-
ticipating the beauty they will
find there—brightly colored
cloth, ethnic fabrics, lame, netting, baskets,
candles—and take in the setting like a visual
call to worship. Sometimes aaron uses the
liturgical colors of the season, sometimes his
choices express the theme of the service.
“The sacred can be spoken with more
than words. I want to say something that is
radical, that will cause people to notice what
others generally miss.”
As worship coordinator, aaron has fol-
lowed four commitments:
• Practice better hospitality with expansive
language that interprets scripture and
hymns in a way that is neither masculine
nor feminine, but balanced with the
other.
• Seek to be more persistent vocally about
taking issues seriously
• Avoid taking critique too personally,
people always have something to say
about change
• Find more teachable moments in order to
talk about the “why” behind a change
“The sacred is what people put into worship.
I want to help people notice the details
and create a place where people question
the status quo, a place that calls us to action,”
he said.
*aaron guldenschuh gatten chooses to spell his name
using all lower case letters as a statement against
oppressive patriarchy. And the use of his full name gives
testimony to his Jewish heritage, which for aaron “has
had increasingly greater significance through recent
years”
Photos by Michelle E. Melton
As an artist aaron guldenschuh gatten has
worked with the Women’s Center at LPTS to
create interpretive pieces for their events. Last
spring, he painted large panels for the Wind
and Flame Conference, which celebrated the
anniversaries of the ordination of women as
elders, deacons, and pastors in the Presbyterian
Church (USA). His favorite, The Burning Bush,
illustrates how God can break through into
one’s life as God had done in aaron’s life at St.
Andrews. The image is of God’s unconsumed
presence that speaks for the liberation of the
oppressed.
L p t s a L u m s
Celebrating Artistic Gifts in the Church
LPTS alum Judith (Judi) McMillan, a minister who has found deep fulfillment in and
calling to the liturgical arts, encourages congregations to place greater value on artistic
expression in worship and in the life of the church.
By Michelle E. Melton and Judith McMillan (MDiv ‘98)
Liturgical artists are finding ways to
express their faith and talent in the church.
Banners, bulletin covers, stained glass,
renovated sanctuaries, classes on fine art,
and lectures on the history of art, are but
a few ways in which you can discover
artistic talent within your congregation.
There are rich expressions of faith waiting
to be shared. Have you invited an artist to
participate in your church lately?
LPTS alum Judi McMillan (MDiv
’98) helped churchgoers of all ages learn
the value of art in the life of the church
through her art workshop at the Worship
and Music Conference, held last year. The
weeklong event was held at MO Ranch, lo-
cated on the banks of the Guadalupe River,
in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.
“We celebrated the artistic gifts of
all people, children through adults, with
a printmaking class,” said McMillan, as-
sociate minister at First Congregational
Church in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“At MO Ranch, some students had
never learned how to carve out designs
using linoleum blocks.” This process dates
back to woodblock printing. The artist cuts
away the wood to reveal a raised design.
It is then rolled with ink and pressed onto
a surface to reveal the final picture. The
more modern linoleum allows for faster
cutting, and smoother printing surfaces.
After carving, McMillan helped her
students print several of the designs onto
stars—“a reference to Epiphany and
one of the sermons that week,” she said.
“Throughout the week we included our
art in the worship space to add depth to
the themes. One long walkway of prints
led to the communion table. These prints
represented individuals’ fears, expressing
the idea that as we come to Communion,
sometimes we have fears we are releas-
ing and overcoming. We are met with the
light of Christ, and though our fears might
remain, they do not overpower us when
we experience the love and forgiveness of
Christ at the table.”
McMillan says there are many ways to
incorporate similar experiences in worship
and in the life of the church. “Consider a
Photos by Judith McMillan
banner-making group or starting an art
gallery within your church. If you are in a
college town, invite students to showcase
their work in your hallways. Encourage
members to show their work and talk
about the process of creating it. Encour-
age those gifted in teaching to share their
knowledge with a special art class and
then have some meditation time centered
on the works produced.
“If you want to encourage spiritual
growth through the arts,” she adds, “send
church members to Ghost Ranch or MO
Ranch. They will come back rejuvenated
with new ideas for worship and ministry.”
For resources McMillan suggests
searching the Internet for “liturgical art-
ists” to see how the different seasons of
the church year are being interpreted by
others. (Try: www.liturgicalartists.com).
Local art teachers can answer questions
about how to begin a class or how to select
age appropriate materials and projects.
“The youngest participants at MO
Ranch, a first grader, was able to carve
a design into a linoleum block and learn
how to use a sharp tool with supervision.
Children love to learn new things and we
adults can learn from their willingness to
be creative and share their stories,”
she said.
“May you be blessed by these works
and continue to encourage the arts in the
church.”
Spring 2007 Mosaic 27

Frozen in Time
Hope Unfolded Anew
A photo exhibit by LPTS alum Mary Sue Barnett (MAR ’02)
It was the winter I was being stalked by a man I did not know.
And then the Iraq war began. I picked up a camera and began
taking landscape photographs—to capture glimpses of myself.
At the time I tried to answer the question, “What is beauti-
ful?” I drove my car; I walked roadsides; I stepped through
meadows; I waded through streams; and I leaned over fences as
my eye was sharp to catch that which was truly beautiful.
The starkness and isolation of winter appeared in my earliest
photographs. The affliction of masculine aggression was cap-
tured, immobilized and silenced.
I froze it in time and space.
Photographs that depicted pain I often examined later and
interpreted through biblical texts about Daughter Zion and
Hokhmah/Sophia (Wisdom). After translating the Hebrew I
would then bring together the image and text with my own
words in what I call a ‘poetics of hope.’ Sometimes two or three
years would pass before words surfaced for particular images.
With each new photograph and with each new word, the horizon
of hope unfolded anew.
Doing the photography, whether walking through gardens
or hiking forest trails, is always joyous, deeply and completely.
The little children I often photograph are so involved in the very
flowers of those gardens or the trees along the trails they need
not pay attention to my love and enjoyment. At other moments
they turn, just as they are, and momentarily look into my eyes.
To see all as beautiful and beauty in all is an angle of vision,
paradoxically, where injustices are illumined with a terrible
clarity.
It was the winter I was being
stalked by a man I did not know.
And then the Iraq war began.
Two particularly stark winter scenes I photographed are that
of a barren tree with a gaping hole in its trunk and a desolate
basement window guarded with wrought iron bars. These I
titled “Lament’s Echo.”
She weeps, yes weeps in the night
tears upon her cheek.
(Hebrew poet on behalf of Daughter Zion) Lamentations 1:2a
2 Mosaic Spring 2007
Solidarity
I wrote the accompanying words: “Lament is a bold cry from the
depths of a human being. Often it is a most basic question, ‘How?’
‘Why?’ It is a protest, a potent invective voiced for anyone with
heart to hear. Some are so stripped of personhood by injustice
that the cry is trapped within. With reverberating power the
mouths of the strong can announce across oceans and continents
the pleas of the little ones. Such a word makes beautiful again the
human person.”
Close in time to these lament images is a photograph of a lantern
atop a small stone pillar. The glass of the lantern is partially
broken and rising up behind it is a large, budding star magnolia
tree. I titled this photograph “Solidarity” and wrote the accompanying
words: “That which has been shattered will find wholeness
beyond itself. The commitment to see into the eyes of the vulnerable
and to be seen in return yields a broad connectedness, a tree
of life that reaches outward in view of the sun.”
I have taken many photographs. I photograph
only as I feel drawn. My camera
often sits in my office for weeks or even
months at a time. Then a moment or a
season arrives and again I am out walking,
experiencing the joy of an eye sharp to
catch that which is truly beautiful. Each
time my photographs are developed I keep
them near to me in an intimate circle of
friends, waiting for the words to surface.
Each time image and word reach completion,
I find teaching and exhibit opportunities
so that I may share what has unfolded
before my eyes—all that is beautiful and
beauty in all.
Mary Sue Barnett (below) taught religious
studies as a Roman Catholic before enrolling
at LPTS and earning the Masters of Arts
in Religion in 2002. Returning to LPTS, she
is enrolled in the Master of Arts in Theology
degree program and recently held an
exhibit of her photography and writing in
the Women’s Center at LPTS.
The Coastline
The palm tree is first base in a backyard
game of whiffle ball with his brother and
cousins. He chews on a piece of grass while
waiting for the pitch
Set A Whirling
The beginning of wisdom is
reverence for the Holy One
and knowledge of the Holy
One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
Voice in Motion is Woman Wisdom.
The park bench gets her boot.
People are called to their feet.
Justice is the instruction—
Love is the perspective.
And the Holy One waits to be known.
Belle de Jour
In her exhibit, Mary Sue Barnett often pairs two contrasting images to
communicate a complete thought about the subject. Photographs of
girls are often accompanied by a specific type of flower.
2 nd Annual
Katie
Geneva
Cannon
Lecture
March 25-26, 2007
lifting
voices,
sharing
wisdom
A gathering for lecture,
worship, and celebration.
Lecture by dr. Wil gafney
associate professor of hebrew and old testament,
the Lutheran theological seminary at philadelphia
silent auction
During the event, a silent auction will be held to raise
funds for the lectureship as an ongoing program
of The Women’s Center. Donate items by March
23, 2007. Items may include crafts, pieces of art
— homemade or acquired — liturgical tools, pottery,
stoles, etc., decorative household items, and others.
If you are interested in donating an item, contact the
Women’s Center student coordinator Sarah Bishop:
sbishop@lpts.edu or Johanna Bos: jbos@lpts.edu.
REGISTER ONLINE: www.lpts.edu
The Women’s Center
Spring 2007 Mosaic 2

L p t s a L u m s
Commissioning Art– A Statement
of My Faith
continued from page 25
This beautifully and unusually
framed glass blown crucifix was done out
of one piece of glass by an elderly fragile
women who had no fear of the future.
When I picked the art piece up, the trans-
lator called her and thanked her again and
again. “It’s okay,” she told me, “God will
take care of me, and I’m no longer afraid of
anything—even death.” Good for you,
Senora Sanchez.
The art I have collected has one
purpose—to cause people to pause and
reflect and ponder, just like Mary did in
that cave behind the inn. There is no one
absolute theme to be received—my collec-
tion is not static; it flows in the minds of
the viewers, each of whom sees something
unique. Hearing, “This painting made me
think of …,” is an encouraging response.
So is, “I have a clearer idea after studying
this piece.”
Over the years I have observed that
my art collection has encouraged dialogue,
revolutionary thinking, meditative reflec-
tion, personal intensity, and a new insight
into the Judeo/Christian tradition.
This quest of mine began when my
professors at LPTS pushed and pulled,
jerked and jammed, opened and closed,
shed light and removed darkness from
a naïve, innocent, theologically ignorant
student. Without their dedication this
collection would never have once been an
embryo that has developed into a full-
blown statement of my faith.
Monastery of Gracanica by Joe Ann McCullough
0 Mosaic Spring 2007
continued from page 5
were able to relate to each other within the
Body. And as we were able to relate to one
another, we found God working in the learn-
ing process. Just as in life, we found that
developing relationships meant developing
trust in one another. …this allowed me to
understand the process of God building up
the Body of Christ.”
First-year student
Clemet te Hask i ns
echoed a similar view
about building trust
and unity. She found
that the course “im-
mediately broke down
barriers.”
“Sharing space
with one another helped us shed personal is-
sues—within ourselves or about others—re-
garding body type, gender, race, touch, body
movement, things that often hold the Body
of Christ back,” she said, adding that every
student should be required to take a course
like this to help break down the barriers of
racism and other injustices. “The value of
a class like this is that it is a meeting place
where we can know and be known.”
The Cross that Connects us in Service
continued from page 21
in all the other areas of service. We are
called to be a priesthood of all believers.
We are called to be priests to each other as
Christians.
“We don’t serve God and others to be
recognized, but that kind of recognition
certainly helps to recharge the batteries
now and again! This kind of encourage-
ment helps to create a memory that will
be cherished and may well be the founda-
tion for other kinds of service, as well as a
concrete symbol of our connection to God
and one another.”
Haskins
Four students took the class as part of
the Master of Arts in Spirituality classes
offered by LPTS through Bellarmine Uni-
versity, including Alice Wissing, a retreat
leader in the Episcopal Church. She found
richness in learning with other people of
differing faiths that “can be taught to others
in her ministry.”
Francis also wears her cross when-
ever she visits the congregation, her roots.
“There is a feeling of solidarity and shared
memories that strengthens all of us in our
faith.” And almost six years later,
the acolytes, who were ten years old when
they received their crosses with joy and
surprise, are still active in the congrega-
tion.
From a theological
perspective, Master of
Divinity student Gail
Monsma identified with
the value of develop-
ing a personal theology
alongside the formally
academic theological
pursuit.
“Too often people flounder from one
view or practice to another and never
develop a disciplined way of knowing God
that allows them to truly experience God’s
all encompassing love and to draw strength
from this knowledge in challenging times…
My kinetic experience with others, in light
of my faith and God’s word, enlarged my
personal theology in ways that mere words
have not done….In a world where people are
looking for personal experiences to justify
their belief systems (not to be confused with
emotionalism), a primary approach to faith
through verbal and linguistic intelligence
is not enough.”
“I learned that theology is a strenuous
inquiry, a daunting process of seeking,
contending, wrestling—like Jacob with the
angel until dawn, wanting to be blessed and
Karen Francis (MDiv ’06) was ordained as a Minis-
ter of Word and Sacrament on February 18, 2007,
at Flushing Presbyterian Church. She is serving
as a chaplain at Norton Healthcare in Louisville,
Ky., and is seeking to help a congregation with
pastoral care and preaching.
Monsma
limping away from the struggle (Genesis
32:34). …What I love about doing this kind
of theology is that it is not expressed in
spoken words, written documents, or bibli-
cal doctrines. Rather it is expressed through
motion, energy, movements, awareness,
poses, body languages, and dance,” added
Adams.
From our ancient and usual knots, Good Lord, deliver us.
Incorporating this kind of theology in
the worship service, the company of movers
interpreted the time of corporate confession
through the visual image of knots. Holding
hands in a circle, individual members ran-
domly moved in and out, under and over the
joined hands, twisting and tightening until
the group formed a chaotic, knotted mess.
The congregation was invited to pray aloud,
“From our ancient and usual knots, Good
Lord, deliver us.” Slowly and silently, using
only their bodily communication, the knot-
ted mass untangled.
A sense of relief filled
the congregation—the
relief of God’s forgive-
ness and the power to
renew the forgiven to
wholeness.
The service was an
encounter of the meet-
ing of theology and art,
where as Judith Rock
stated, “We can walk
in and be changed—or
not. In this meeting place we focus on
making meaning. In whatever we make,
we will never tell the whole truth; we are
only a momentary flare at the meeting place
between us and the place from where we
came.” Therefore, meet often, again and
again, building up the body of Christ.
Dr. Judith Rock is a modern dancer, choreogra-
pher, actress, writer and teacher who has helped
to shape the field of art and theology since her first
commissioned dance concert in 1977. Following
an eighteen-year dance career, her current theol-
ogy and artwork take the
form of teaching, creating
movement pieces for non-
dancers, leading physicality
and theology workshops,
lecturing, and writing.
Join the Middle East Blogspot
http://lptsmiddleeast.blogspot.com/index.html
Read the en route posts of students and friends of Louisville Seminary who took the
Middle East Study Tour, January 14-30, 2007.
Become part of their experience as you read their reflections and view images taken on the trip.
“This was truly a remarkable experience. It was all the more remarkable to see Israel and Palestine
through the participants’ eyes, not only by listening to their comments as we traveled, but by reading
the meditations, poems, photojournals, and stories inspired by our encounters,” said Dr. Patricia
K. Tull, A.B. Rhodes Professor of Old Testament and coordinator of the tour.
___________________________________________________________________________________
The next Middle East Study Tour will be held in January 2009.
Consider enrolling for the next trip or helping to support a student’s experience
with a financial contribution to Louisville Seminary: www.lpts.edu/mygift.
;
Rock
Photos by Jonathan Roberts
Spring 2007 Mosaic 1

C L a s s n o t e s
CLassnotes
The following CLassnotes reflect information received by the Seminary
between September 1, 2006 and February 13, 2007. Classnotes
are compiled from information received by the Seminary’s database
assistant, Steffanie Brown, sbrown@lpts.edu, and the Office of Alum
Relations: Lisa Kolb, coordinator of alum relations, lkolb@lpts.edu.
on the WeB: Submit classnotes and change of address or ministry
location: ; www.lptsalums.org.
1958
Dr. James M. EFIRD (BD) retired
from the faculty of the Duke
Divinity School where he taught
for more than 48 years as Professor
of Biblical Interpretation. To
honor his tenure, a classroom in
the new Divinity School addition
has been named for him. He
is still active in Lay Academy
courses in churches of different
denominations, and a video
series of his teaching the entire
Bible will be produced.
1967
The Rev. Arthur J. DEYOUNG
(BD; DMin) retired from Presbyterian
Church (USA) General Assembly
Staff, December 31, 2006.
He is now serving as interim
pastor of United Presbyterian
Church in Harrodsburg, Ky.
LouisviLLe seminary ornaments
Each year, an ornament is
created to commemorate
some aspect of Louisville
Seminary campus. These
one of a kind ornaments are
handcrafted by a nationally
known artist and also double
as magnets. Limited
numbers of past
ornaments are also
available.
2 Mosaic Spring 2007
Ornaments are $5
each and are
available in the
Louisville Seminary
Bookstore,
or email
lpts@lpts.edu.
800.264.1839, ext. 289
1968
Dr. Robert M. CLOSE (MDiv)
is pastor of Naomi Makemie
Presbyterian Church in
Onancock, Va.
Rev. John B. PIERCE (MDiv) is
the author of Giving Jonah a Sign:
Journeying into Faith, Dreams and
Spirituality in a Scientific Age,
published by Trafford Publishing
and available online at www.trafford.com/06-1196.
The book is about
one man’s journey of weaving
together faith and science as
depictions of the same Reality.
“God still speaks in our lives
when we listen and discern.”
1969
Rev. R. Craig COUNTISS
(MDiv) retired August 31, 2006.
He served as pastor of Holy
Trinity Presbyterian Church
in North Fort Myers, Fla., for
32 years, and has been named
pastor emeritus. He
served two threeyear
terms on the
Advisory Committee
on the Constitution
(1997-2003) and
continues to serve as
Stated Clerk of Peace
River Presbytery.
1971
Rev. Dr. James S.
(Jim) CLIFFORD II
(MDiv) completed
more than 23
years at Valley Christian
Church. He now
serves as Bereavement
Coordinator for
Amedisys Hospice in
Birmingham, Ala.
Rev. Dr. Paul STRAWN (MDiv)
celebrated his 25th anniversary at
North Creek Presbyterian Church
in North Puget Sound Presbytery
on October 29, 2006. When he
arrived in 1981, the congregation
numbered 100 and worshiped in
a community center. Membership
is now 700 and the church occupies
a wooded, seven- acre site
in Mill Creek, Wash.
1972
Rev. Richard L. HILLS (MDiv)
retired in February 2006, after
serving 25 years as pastor of Port
Orange Presbyterian Church in
Port Orange, Fla. He is now parish
associate at Westminster by
the Sea Presbyterian Church in
Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., and
says that the new interim pastor
at Port Orange is LPTS classmate
Radford L. RADER (MDiv ‘72).
1975
The Rev. Arthur J. DEYOUNG
(DMin; BD). See 1967.
1976
Rev. Robert J. GARMENT
(MDiv) is pastor of Hope
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
in Tallahassee, Fla. Previously
he served Trinity EPC in Fort
Pierce, Fla.
1977
Rev. Douglas G. CHASE (MDiv)
celebrated the 30th anniversary
of his ordination September 30
at Brick Presbyterian Church in
New York City.
1980
Dr. Helen Hammon JONES
(MDiv; DMin) received the 2005-
06 Distinguished Alumna/us
Award from Louisville Collegiate
School.
Rev. John PEHRSON (MDiv) is
the interim stated clerk for the
Presbytery of Northern Kansas
and pastor at Sunrise Presbyterian
Church in Salina, Kans. He
has also had a Guest Viewpoint
published in the October 23, 2006
Presbyterian Outlook called “Local
Option, Ordination Standards,
and Those Who Want It All!”
1983
The Rev. Gary BROSE (MDiv)
became the first full-time pastor
of Christ Presbyterian Church
in Day Heights, Ohio. Since his
arrival in the summer of 2006, he
has formed a team of members
representing all age groups to
assess where the congregation is
and where it needs to be going
and to minister to the congregation
and better serve the community.
The church saw about a
20-percent membership increase
in 2006 and is excited at all the
new and expanded ministry
opportunities possible with the
leadership of a full-time pastor.
Rev. Jeffrey V. LIGHT (MDiv)
is stated supply at First
Presbyterian Church in
Oskaloosa, Kans.
1989
Rev. Dr. Joel ALVIS Jr. (MDiv)
is interim pastor at Alpharetta
Presbyterian Church in
Alpharetta, Ga. Previously
he served as interim pastor of
Covenant Presbyterian Church
in Atlanta, Ga.
1990
Rev. Tony ROBERTS (MDiv) is
pastor of First Presbyterian
Church in Greenlawn, New York.
Rev. Betty Sue SHERROD
(MDiv) is Lead Minister of First
Congregational Church, United
Church of Christ, in Santa Barbara,
Calif.
1991
Rev. Kerry BEAN (MDiv) is now
the interim pastor of Pinckneyville
and Murphysboro
Presbyterian Churches.
Rev. Cindy BEAN (MDiv) is the
Stated Clerk for the Presbytery
of Southeastern Illinois and an
interim pastor for Saint Paul
United Church of Christ of
Pinckneyville, Ill.
1992
Rev. Charles S. GOODMAN
(MDiv) is Associate Pastor
for Youth at Mount Pleasant
Presbyterian Church in Mount
Pleasant, S.C.
1994
Rev. Cindy CUSHMAN (MDiv)
is program manager for
Project THRIVE at Bellewood
Presbyterian Home for Children
in Louisville, Ky.
Dr. Helen Hammon JONES
(DMin; MDiv). See 1980.
1995
Rev. Stephen B. BOUTELL
(MDiv) is pastor of Pleasure
Ridge Park United Methodist
Church in Louisville, Ky.
1996
Rev. Heather Howland BOB-
BITT (MDiv) is associate pastor
of Saint John’s United Church
of Christ in Catonsville, Md.
She writes: “Besides that, I am
mostly into being a Mom and
decent wife and best friend to
Patrick.”
Rev. Toby E. MUELLER (MDiv)
is interim pastor at Providence
Presbyterian Church in
Mobile, Ala.
Revs. Sue and Mitch TRIGGER
(MDiv) are the co-pastors of
First Presbyterian Church,
Rockaway, N.J.
artful giving
A gift from the Class of 1956
To commemorate their 50th class year anniversary,
the Louisville Seminary Class of 1956
commissioned a new Presbyterian Church (USA)
processional banner for the Frank H. and Fannie
W. Caldwell Chapel. The banner, crafted by LPTS
employee Tina Medley, who works in the Office
of Admissions, was presented to the Seminary
last year at the Alum Association Lunch, held during
the 2006 Festival of Theology and Reunion.
(Left to right) 1956 graduates John Bare,
Robert Lucas, and Ron Walthall represented their
classmates as they expressed appreciation for
LPTS and explained how they wanted to support
a gift to which all of the Class of 1956 could
contribute. Remaining funds were donated to the
Bookends Fund, which provides financial
1998
Rev. Carol J. MAHER (MDiv) is
interim minister at Faith United
Church of Christ in Slinger, Wisc.
1999
Mr. Dale COOK (MAR), his
wife, and family have welcomed
new family member Caroline Olivia
Cook, born August 4, 2006.
Rev. Steven THALER (MAMFT)
is pastor of First Christian
Church (Disciples) in
Savannah, Mo.
Rev. G. Todd WILLIAMS
(MDiv) will rotate out of new
church development for the
Disciples Church to become a
staff chaplain at Memorial
Hermann Southwest Hospital
in Houston.
2000
Rev. Charles “Chip” ANDRUS
(MDiv) has been called as pastor
of First Presbyterian Church,
Harrison, Ark. He was formerly
Associate for Worship at the
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Center in Louisville, Ky.
2001
Rev. Charmayne DAVIS
(MACE) has been called as pastor
of the Minor Chapel AME
Church in Taylorsville, Ky., and
continues to serve as executive
director of Clothe-a-Child.
Rev. Cheryl P. GARBE (MDiv) is
pastor of First United Methodist
Church in Richmond, Ind.
Rev. Beth GARROD-
LOGSDON (MDiv) has been
called as pastor of Wilmore
Presbyterian Church in Wilmore,
Ky. She began serving there on
February 1.
Mr. Douglas J. HOFFMAN
(MACE) is Program Associate for
Camping with the Presbytery of
South Dakota.
2002
Rev. Dr. Bryan CHAMPION
(DMin) and his spouse, Annette,
welcomed a daughter, Bryanna
Rose Champion, born January
29, 2007.
Rev. Bessie O. HOOTEN (MDiv)
became associated with Christ
Tabernacle Apostolic Faith
Church in Richmond, Ind.,
in July. She is teaching new
assistance to students in purchasing their textbooks.
The new processional banner compliments
the Seminary’s “Christ Window” banner that was
commissioned for the institution’s 150th anniversary
celebration, in 2003. These banners are used
at all formal events held in Caldwell Chapel, and
particularly at the opening Convocation services
of the fall and spring semesters and at Commencement
exercises each May.
ministers’ classes, preaching,
and teaching at the monthly
ministers’ meetings. She is also
conducting seminars, is a part of
the worldwide Prayer Requests
Team. She hopes to be a part of
C.T.C.’s teaching staff at its proposed
Bible College, and will be
assisting with the administrative
duties of its schools in Africa.
2003
Ms. Meredith WHITE-ZEAGER
(MDiv) is employed by the
Presbytery of the Western
Reserve to explore and develop
a new church in the Greater
Cleveland area. The Church
Development committee has
agreed to work with and support
her in implementing the vision of
the Phoenix Project, an emerging
church model that seeks to
minister to young adults who are
unchurched or antichurched. The
website for Phoenix Project is
www.codenamephoenix.org.
2004
Rev. John H. GOODWIN
(MDiv) was installed as pastor
of Hunter Memorial First
Presbyterian Church in Sikeston,
Mo., November 19, 2006.
Rev. John KENNEDY (MDiv)
and his wife Karen welcomed
John-Matthew Linwood
Kennedy, born November 11,
2006.
2005
Rev. Lewis BROGDON (MDiv
‘05) has been called as pastor of
the Bethesda Baptist Church in
Louisville, Ky., and will continue
as associate director of admissions
at LPTS.
Ms. Audra D. CAIN (MDiv) is
a case manager at The House
of Ruth in Louisville, Ky. The
House of Ruth is a non-profit
agency that provides services for
people infected and affected by
HIV and AIDS.
Rev. John C. ERICKSON (MDiv)
is pastor of First Presbyterian
Church of Cadmus, Mich.
Rev. Rhonda LEE (MDiv) is
serving as vicar of St. Joseph’s
Spring 2007 Mosaic

N.C., through June 2007. She is also writing
her PhD dissertation, “A Study of the Louisville
Fellowship of Reconciliation” in the
history department at Duke University.
Rev. Angela D. MADDEN (MDiv) is pastor
of Pratt Presbyterian Church in Pratt, Kans.
2006
Mr. Evan ROWE (MDiv & MAMFT) is
a therapist with the Kentucky United
Methodist Homes for Children and Youth
in Versailles, Ky.
Mr. Kevin L. JOHNSON (MDiv) is director
of children’s ministry at Saint John United
Methodist Church in Prospect, Ky.
Ms. Jessica WEINHOLD (MDiv) is serving
as the director/associate pastor for Christian
Education and Congregational Fellowship at
Pasadena Presbyterian Church. This is initially
an interim position with the potential of
becoming a settled call.
2007
Ms. Cindy GUERTIN (MAMFT) is employed
as a Clinical Specialist at Maryhurst in Fern
Creek, Ky.
deaths
Rev. Woodward D. (Woody)
MORRISS Jr. (BD ‘54; ThM ‘69) died January
13, 2007, at age 77 in the Augusta Medical
Center, Fishersville, Va. He served churches
in Louisiana, Virginia, and Japan. He was
the pastor of Third Presbyterian Church
of Staunton, Va., from 1969 until 1992 and
served as interim pastor at churches in
Shenandoah Presbytery. He was preceded
in death by a son, Andrew Morriss; and a
daughter, Ellen Morriss. He is survived by
his wife of 54 years, Mary Ann Sibley Morris
and two daughters, Amy Peregoy of Waldorf,
Md., and Beverly Mackey of Springfield, Va.
Rev. G. Sherman OTT (BD ’57) died
November 9, 2006, at age 76. He was pastor
of several churches in Indiana, Ohio, and
Pennsylvania, most notably Mount Vernon
Community Presbyterian Church,
McKeesport, Pa., and Canonsburg United
Presbyterian Church, Canonsburg, Pa.
Dr. Ralph E. HOFFMAN (Associate Alum
’58) died April 1, 2006, in Inverness, Fla., at
age 81. Dr. Hoffman was a special student at
LPTS, where he attended during the 1957-
1958 academic year.
Mosaic Spring 2007
Rev. Norman E. AUSTIN (MDiv ‘59) died
July 4, 2006, at age 74, two days before his
75th birthday.
Dr. Kerry E. SPIERS (BD ‘62) died Friday,
January 12, 2007, at his home with his loving
family. An avid traveler, Kerry spent much
time studying at the Vatican and leading
student groups to Italy and Greece. Kerry is
survived by his wife of 43 years, the former
Barbara Ramey; his daughter, Laura Harrell;
and granddaughter, Hannah; sons, Kelly and
Patrick; his father and stepmother, Tally and
Dolores Spiers of Mobile; and his brother
Dennis.
Dr. Leroy (Lee) R. LINDSAY
(BD ’63) died September 3, 2006,
at age 67.
Rev. Dr. Efiong Samuel UTUK (MAR ’82)
passed away August 28, 2006. He was born
in Nigeria and was an ordained Pastor in
the Presbyterian Church in Nigeria. He is
survived by his wife Affiong; his children
Idiongo, Utenge, Ediomi and Mekeme Utuk;
his siblings Akpanyin, Emmanuel, Okon,
mary BeasLey White
1914-2007
Kubiat, Oku and Eno Utuk; and his mother
Mbodie Utuk.
Rev. Barbara E. AUSTIN-McCOMBS (MDiv
‘86) died January 31, 2007, at age 74. She was
a graduate of the University of Miami and
Louisville Seminary. She had been the associate
pastor of the Blacksburg Presbyterian
Church.
Ms. Beverlee Ann CHENEY
(MDiv ’90) October 31, 2006, at Barnes Jewish
Hospital in St. Louis. She retired from the
U.S. Navy in 1996. Surviving her are three
brothers, North and Larry Cheney, both of
Springfield, and David Cheney of Brazil; sister,
Lauralee Schmid of Belmond, Iowa; and
several nieces and nephews.
Mary Beasley White of Lewisburg, Tenn., died January
9 at the Oakwood Health Care, where she was a
resident.
White was a lifetime member of the Board of Trustees,
an honor bestowed by Louisville Seminary in recognition
for her service from 1969 to 1981.
A native of Columbia, Tenn., she attended Agnes Scott College and was a graduate
of the University of Tennessee, where she was a member of Phi Mu Sorority.
She worked as a bacteriologist for the Tennessee Department of Health and
Columbia Dairy Products. She was active in the life of the church including
serving as a Sunday school teacher, president of the jail ministry program, and as
a Deacon at The First Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg. Including her service
with LPTS, she served in numerous positions in the Presbyterian Women of the
Church including President of the Presbytery and as a member of Synod Council.
For many years she served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a Salvation Army
Volunteer.
Survivors include three sons, George Waldense White of Franklin, Robert Beasley
White of Brentwood, and David Halliburton White of Petersburg, eight grandchildren,
and four great-grandchildren.
m a r C h
March 25-26
second annual katie geneva Cannon Lecture,
Workshop and Celebration
Dr. Wil Gafney, assistant professor of Hebrew scripture
and homiletics at Lutheran Theological Seminary in
Philadelphia, will pay homage to the accomplishments
of Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon. Register online for dinner
and workshops: www.lpts.edu
a p r i L
April 25-May 23
the parables, spring Bible study
A series of 5 presentations, led by Rev. Janice Catron.
Wednesday mornings, 10:30 a.m.–noon.
Louisville Seminary, Laws Lodge. Tuition $40.
April 18
grawemeyer award in religion Lecture
Timothy Tyson, winner of the $200,000 Grawemeyer
Award in Religion, will speak on his award-winning
book, Blood Done Sign My Name, his memoir analyzing
the social and spiritual effects of a racially motivated
murder in his hometown. Caldwell Chapel. Free.
www.grawemeyer.org.
The free table tent calendars feature scenes from the Seminary
campus and a message from President Dean K. Thompson printed
on the inside. In addition, the liturgical seasons of the church year
are marked on the appropriate Sundays.
Send us your letters. Let us know what you think about Mosaic
or the articles that are published in the magazine. Send to Mosaic
Editor, Louisville Semimary, 1044 Alta Vista Rd, Louisville, KY 40205,
or email the editor at mmelton@lpts.edu. Published letters may be
edited for length.
On the back cover: Gardencourt’s reflection captured in the lily pond by John Nation.
C a L E N da R
of Events
m ay
May 1-3
the Care and maintenance of flourishing Congregations
An advanced course for pastors, interim pastors, judicatory
staff and church business administrators, with
facilitators David Sawyer and Deborah Fortel. Louisville
Seminary, Laws Lodge. Tuition: $195. Register online:
www.lpts.edu/lifelong-learning
May 20
the 154th Commencement exercises
Baccalaureate service, Louisville Seminary 10:30 a.m.
Professors Johanna W. H. Bos and Amy Plantinga Pauw,
preaching. Commencement, Second Presbyterian Church,
3:30 p.m. Rev. Dr. J. Deotis Roberts, author, professor,
and a pioneer of black theology and modern American
theology, speaking.
J u n e
June 6–17
doctor of ministry seminars
Offering excellence in advanced studies in three areas:
Advanced Practice of Ministry; Pastoral Care and Counseling;
and Interim Ministry. Now offering the DMin degree
for one flat fee. New learning groups form each January.
Deadline for application is October 1.
LouisviLLe seminary
Liturgical
tent CaLendars
Available while supplies last.
Please contact Communications,
toll free 800.264.1839, ext. 362
or email: lpts@lpts.edu.
visit www.lpts.edu, for registration and information unless indicated differently
29
Dr. Wil Gafney is the Katie Geneva
Cannon Lecturer for 2007. March 25.
6
Timothy Tyson, author of Blood Done
Sign My Name and 2007 winner of the
Grawemeyer Award in Religion. April 18.
The 154th Commencement Excercises
will be held May 20.

C L a s s n o t e s
in this issue:
We speak, think, feel, hear, see, and pray, and art emerges.
We paint, dance, make music, sculpt, form, weave, and act, and
theology emerges. In this issue, explore the varied intersections of
art and theology—crossroads for action and response.
My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.
~ Claude Monet
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