On Thursday afternoon, the Academy heard from Gary Haugen, President of International Justice Mission, who was present at Osprey Point with IJM's country directors for their annual retreat. Gary recounted his story and fielded Fellows’ prepared questions. He explained how important it is for IJM and organizations like his to take some time away from their grueling work for vacation and relaxation. "You can't just immerse yourself in the darkness; you need to seek out and spend some intentional time in the light." Gary compared joy to the oxygen that sustains obedience; because joy is one of the fruits of the spirit, we need to be intentional about seeking it out.

Readings:

Body Broken (Drew).
 

Gary Haugen, President, International Justice Mission

Readings:

Selections from The Great Experiment (Guinness)
 

Readings:

Body Broken (Drew) preface, intro, ch. 1-3.
 

Readings:

The Experience Economy, chs. 1&2, 1&9, Epilog (Gilmore & Pine)

Bob Kramer

Jim Gilmore

Readings:
“Curse or Consecrate” (Sande)
“Polemic Theology” (Nicole)
“Make Every Effort” (Bettler)
“Resolving Conflict Christ’s Way” (Jones)
“Getting to the Heart of Conflict, Part 3” (Powlison)
The Experience Economy Previews 1&2, chs 1&9, Epilog (Gilmore)
“Modern Spiritual Gifts as Analogous to Apostolic Gifts” Poythress

Selected Scriptures on conflict and peacemaking

My reaction to the NYT op-ed by Greg Smith was, unfortunately, a slow head-nod of understanding, though coupled with the kind of disappointment you feel when a good friend, who is full of good intentions, inevitably lets you down. From 2006 to 2009, I worked in Goldman’s private wealth management group on a team that had $2bn under management for about 80 individuals and families. In my three years with the firm, I can honestly say they never discouraged us from speaking up if the client’s best interests were not first in mind. As Goldman noted in a memo following the editorial, there are absolutely channels in place designed for those with legitimate concerns to “keep short accounts.” Late in my career, I hesitantly availed myself of one of these channels, and though I was quickly labeled the team boy scout, the benefit to the client was noted, team behavior changed, and I didn’t lose my job. I would not be at all surprised if Greg’s observations were entirely valid, but perhaps he could have chosen a bit more graceful method of effecting change.

Unfortunately, what we see in Greg’s story is the broader tendency of the financial community to objectify clients as more institutional and less “human” in nature; looking at them as purely a source of profit. When asked, I still say that my favorite part of the job was always the close relationships our team had with our clients – they were human beings, families, and friends – not just sources of profit. I believe this is where Greg’s team (and perhaps Goldman as a whole) has lost footing. Of course, the depth and breadth of this issue within the firm, as Greg points out, is the responsibility of the Goldman board to minimize. However, as long as humans are humans and quarterly earnings are the yard stick by which US companies are measured, I presume corporations will always be in the business of minimizing reputational risk, regardless of how stringent are their internal controls.

Readings:

The Enemy Within (Lundegaard)

“Psalm 51: Repenter’s Guide” (Covington).
 

The Fellows were busily preparing all week for Alumni Weekend, which the Academy hosted this past weekend at Osprey Point. Alums came in from all over the US - and the world - to enjoy a rejuvinating time of fellowship and hilarity with one another. On Saturday morning, the Staff delivered a State of the Academy update to the Alums, where Senior Faculty member Bill Edgar concluded the morning by calling Alums back to the Academy’s unique call of shaping and redeeming culture through living out the love of Christ in all areas of society. Saturday evening was the annual Alumni talent show, featuring multiple musical performances and skits by Alums and Staff. The weekend closed out on Sunday morning with a final worship service together before everyone departed.
 

Readings:

The Enemy Within (Lundegaard)

Adrian teaching his Fellows Class on grafting.

Fellows, Staff, and Board at board member Ann Holladay's home for matins and breakfast.

Alumni Weekend attendees at beautiful Osprey Point.

Bob Kramer arrived later in the week to press the Fellows to answer three political conundra, all driving one point: politics is not open to simplistic answers; all issues need to be approached on a case-by-case basis. He pushed for nothing short of a Trinitarian approach to politics, saying Christians should appropriately consider the normative, situational and existential perspectives of each issue. Bob mentioned that no truly amoral issues exist, because all issues involve real people in some respect. Over dinner, Bob expanded on his experiences and convictions as a political official. 

Readings:

The Enemy Within (Lundegaard)

On Wednesday, Grady used Living Speech to propel the Fellows into considering how all language falls on a spectrum between rote, dead language comprised of cliches, unexamined metaphors, and soundbytes, and language that is rich with meaning and alive, language that reflects our true humanity and our own thoughts and beliefs. Grady explained some of the pitfalls we succumb to when we're overly passive in our language and walked through several examples that White uses to illustrate dead and alive language.

David Norman, the Academy's Executive Director from 2006 - 09, visited Osprey Point this week with his wife, KD and their three young boys. David met with the Fellows on Thursday and reflected on his experience at the Academy, fielding their questions about his time as Executive Director and how his Academy experience has influenced his role as the President at Erskine College.

Readings:

Living Speech ch 2 (James Boyd White)

A Journey Worth Taking excerpts (Charles Drew)

Download the full PDF version

View Conference photos

Trinity Forum Academy hosted over sixty guests at Osprey Point Retreat & Conference Center for a collaborative weekend focused on understanding the Christian call to civic responsibility in the context of American foreign policy. The keynote speakers, themselves longtime friends and colleagues, brought world-class expertise in policy-making, foreign affairs, and religious liberty with perspective from critical on-the-ground experience at the National Security Council at the White House. In breakout sessions guests were invited to assume the real-time role of a high-ranking government advisor confronting the United States’ greatest external threat: Iran. Guests broke off into small groups to discuss Iran’s nuclear ambitions, suppression of religious liberty, and human rights violations, proposing and evaluating the pros and cons of alternate decisions. The weekend included rich meals, jazz music, and extended conversation among new and old friends.

DR. WILL INBODEN   |   Friday 7:15pm

Readings:

A Journey Worth Taking; excerpts (Charlie Drew)

 Readings:

Babbette’s Feast (Isak Dinesen,TTF)

Fred Harburg’s Leadership Coaching booklet.

On Thursday afternoon the Fellows received a special visit from Os Guinness, who drove down to Osprey Point to try out on the Fellows a new talk on consumerism: “The Good Life, or Life with Goods? Recognizing and resisting the global culture of consumerism.” Os traced the rise of the West's consumer culture mentality, largely beginning in 18th century with the Industrial Revolution, and how that mentality has seeped into and impacted our everyday life - including our worship. The following discussion ranged long and widely, addressing such questions as, "Is it ever just to make money off of the gospel?", "What is the Fellows' generation's views on consumerism? Are they cynical or do they embrace it readily and without question?", and "When we see advertisements, do we ask ourselves, 'What motive is this company promoting? Does that motive correspond with the product being sold?'"

The Fellows were busily running the Academy's Annual Conference: A Christian Perspective on America's Role in the World, all weekend. Their months-long preperation culminated in a three-day long endeavor where they orchestrated everything from the preparation of the Conference materials, cooking and cleaning to socializing with Fellowship applicants for next year's class. The whole weekend went off without a hitch!

Readings:

Revolutions in Worldview (Hoffecker) ch. 8

Christian Apologetics (Van Til) Introduction

View photos from the Conference.

Thursday evening Fellows hosted one of the best attended and exciting Friends’ Events of the year. At the Academy's request, Jenny Guinness showed us the world through the eyes of a young seeker who became a Vogue model, and then a Christian. While she spoke, the Osprey Point club room faded and we saw her, her world, her struggles and growth, and Jesus through it all.

Readings:

“The Journey”, Os Guinness (excerpts)

Revolutions in Worldview, W. Andrew Hoffecker (ch. 8)

“Nanking” (documentary)

Readings:

Christian Apologetics, Van Til (excerpts)

The Journey, Os Guinness (excerpts)

"A Man For All Seasons"

"The Mission"

"Psalm 51: A Repenters Guide" Covington

Greg Wolfe teaching on "A Man for All Seasons"

 Greg Wolfe with the Fellows in class.

From the review:

"Advertising campaigns are part of our modern cultural memory. The phrase "Can you hear me now?" is no longer a question, but a subconscious trigger to check your cell phone connection. Despite the pervasiveness of such slogans, most people would struggle to identify a national advertising agency, much less any of the copywriters, designers, or directors that produce our daily intake of commercials and billboards—with the possible exception of the fictional characters in Mad Men. The more advertising becomes central to our society, the more we take for granted its power to shape the way we think. Advertisers, like op-ed columnists, are trying to change your mind. Shouldn't you know who they are?"

On Sunday, 12/4 the Fellows and Staff were treated by John Bishop to an afternoon performace of Handel's Messiah at the United States Naval Academy Main Chapel. The performance featured the USNA Glee Club, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and soloists from the Metropolitan Opera Company. Prior to the performance the Fellows and Staff attended the worship service in the Main Chapel where they heard LTCR Brian Wiegelt deliver a moving sermon on receiving comfort this Christmas season, not trying to "achieve" comfort. The entire day was a wonderful celebration of the loving God we serve each day and a moving reminder for the meaning of Christmas.

On Thursday evening Van and Jerry Canada hosted the annual Academy Friends Christmas Party at their house. Every year the Academy coordinates an annual Christmas party to celebrate with and honor the Friends of the Academy. The Friends are a group of local supporters, host families, and mentors who invest their care, time, and money into making the Academy such a rich community. The event was, as it always is, one of the highlights of the year. The fellowship was a blessing and the Fellows standard performance was both meaningful and hysterical. 

Readings:

Reason for God Tim Keller chs. 1, 2, 4

Revolutions in Worldview Andrew Hoffecker chs. 6-9

The Fellows and Staff at the Naval Academy before experiencing Handel's Messiah.

The USNA Glee Club and Annapolis Symphony Orchestra performing Handel's Messiah at the Main Chapel.

 The Fellows and Covs performing at the Academy Friends Christmas Party.

On Wednesday night the Friends of the Academy were invited to Osprey Point to hear a special concert from Ordinary Time. Their Americana worship style provided a fresh arrangement on hymns of old, including many songs they have written and composed themselves. Afterwards, Ordinary Time joined the Fellows in Windrush House for a jam session, where Ben hastily assembled the Fellows into a gospel choir and led them in some rousing three-part harmonies, and closing with a reprise of “Come, Thou Fount.” What a night! The next night, Thursday, Board Members John & Karen Mathis invited the Fellows to the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra in Easton where they enjoyed a festive Christmas concert ringing in the advent season.

Readings:

The Servant Leader James Autry pp 1-35

Selected Scriptures on aesthetics

The Reason for God Tim Keller, chs. 1-2

Ordinary Time warming up before their Friends Event concert at Osprey Point.

Haley, Krista and Patrick at the Friends Event with Ordinary Time.

Grady getting ready to introduce Ordinary Time.

Delicious pumpkin pie made by Haley and Meredith (with tasteful inspiration from Marty Sikes and Karen Mathis!)

The conversation was then turned over to the conference guests to consider how, when placed in a unique position of influence, they would take creative risks in hopes of having a greater and more faithful impact. The group broke into three groups to discuss individual case studies. The case studies were written by Academy Fellows and focused on three areas. In business, the case dealt with legal suits filed against eHarmony for not offering a same-gender dating service. In justice, the case dealt with how International Justice Mission might serve the very perpetrators they put in prison. And in academic ministry, the case focused on how Manna Fellowship responded to the appointment of Peter Singer at Princeton University. 

After each group developed their own approach to the issues, they gathered to present their decisions to one another. We encourage you to take a look at the case studies below and consider the questions posed. In our upcoming conference A Christian Perspective on America's Role in the World we will engage in a similar discussion about how we can responsibly respond to the national secturity situation in Iran. 

Case Studies (PDF)

• Neil Clark Warren’s eHarmony
• International Justice Mission
• Peter Singer at Princeton U.

Afterwards, Ordinary Time joined the Fellows in Windrush House for a jam session, where Ben hastily assembled the Fellows into a gospel choir (with David Covington on stand-up bass!) and led them in some rousing three-part harmonies, and closing with a reprise of “Come, Thou Fount.” What a night!

Wendell Kimbrough (Class of 2007)

Education: B.A. from Furman University
Experience: Folk singer/songwriter; Director of Worship Arts, Church of the Advent, Washington, D.C.

Academy Thesis: "Heart for the Poor: The Christian's Role in Poverty Alleviation"
Mentor: Bill Edgar, Academy Senior Faculty and Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

View Wendell's website

In May 2007 Wendell stood at a vocational fork that would lead in two different directions. One path was more stable, the other more risky. On the heels of his Academy thesis he could pursue urban ministry and pair local church outreach with social justice initiatives, or he could pursue music as a full-time career. Though both paths were in line with his passions and giftings, Wendell chose the former and headed up to DC shortly after graduation to come on staff at Church of the Advent with the intention of pursuing a masters in sociology. From the outset Wendell was focused on using his presence at Church of the Advent to organize and administer outreach efforts to Washington, D.C.’s disadvantaged population. He had a genuine concern for the local church's role in bringing about social justice, especially in urban areas; yet, after three years of urban ministry he came to realize that he wasn't receiving the gratification and fulfillment he expected.

He recalls one year-long initiative where he and a group of men from his church went once every week to bring coffee and donuts donated by local businesses to a homeless shelter. Wendell was purposeful from the very beginning: he and his group of guys would make a marked difference in the lives of these men and women. “I was constantly seeking to draw people out of their addictions; I wanted to see results”, he remembers. Yet over the course of the year he realized that, considering the population to which they were ministering and the resources with which they were provided, the only thing they were in fact called to do was to show Christ’s love and to declare that God hadn’t given up on them, not to quantify their impact through the number of “success stories” they fostered. “It was exhausting. It was frustrating. I never felt like we were making much progress – but I came to see that as ok.” After an entire year of going to the shelter every Wednesday to serve the homeless, the city shut down the shelter and bulldozed the building to clear the way for a private developer to make use of the land. This moment caused Wendell to step back and reflect on the past three years and his pursuit of social justice and racial reconciliation in D.C. He realized that with nearly every outreach effort in which he participated he was almost always in an administrative role, a role which he felt didn’t play to his strengths. This was a profound awareness because it caused him to rethink whether social justice was really the career he should be pursuing. During this time Wendell began questioning whether there was another career that more adequately suited his giftings. The closing of the shelter felt like the end of a season of his life…and the beginning of the next.

Though he had been writing and performing music for most of his life, he had previously been reluctant to pursue a career in music. It had taken a while for Wendell to come around to the idea of being a fulltime musician. “I had been operating out of fear,” Wendell recalls. This fear kept him from venturing headlong into a career as a singer/songwriter until the Winter of 2010 when he had a pivotal get-together with four Academy alumni: Beth Chapman (’03), Amin Aminfar (’03), Josh Britton (’08) and Lauren Gasque (’08). “It’s funny how much TFA’s involved in this whole process,” he says. At the meeting Wendell confessed his desire to make another album to follow his debut album he released earlier that year. This latent desire was ignited into a clarion call through the steadfast support and encouragement of this small group of alums spanning several classes. This brainstorming session was to pave the way for Wendell’s foray into life as a full-time musician. 

The Fall just prior to his meeting with Beth, Amin, Josh and Lauren, Wendell was in the studio working with a friend of his recording the tracks for Things That Can’t Be Taught. Yet after just a few months he and his friend parted ways from the recording process and Wendell was left to produce the album alone. Come February 2011 he was struggling to stay motivated and realized he wasn’t enjoying himself in the studio. In early March he came to Alumni Weekend and began talking with singer/songwriter Daniel Levi Goans (’11), who was also in the midst of recording his sophomore album (but in this case it was in the Old Library at Osprey Point). Seeing Daniel’s passion and joy for his music – writing, recording, producing and playing – spoke straight into Wendell’s darkness and his deary time of life. “Daniel’s energy and enthusiasm for what he was doing helped me realize I had worked myself into a rut. That’s when it dawned on me how depressed and discouraged I was and it was mostly because I was working on my album alone, something I had vowed not to do.” Immediately after Alumni Weekend Wendell took a short break from recording and producing his album to recharge. In the Spring, Wendell picked up an idea he heard about from Daniel a few months previous: begin a Kickstarter project. In one month he had to raise his goal of $5,000; otherwise he wouldn't receive any of the committed funds. The project was launched...48 hours later it reached his mark. “It was the Lord reaching down and saying, ‘I’m behind you, I want you to do this project, people are behind you.’” This was all the motivation Wendell needed. By the Fall the album was finished and on November 15, Things That Can't Be Taught was released to the public, commencing with an album release show in D.C. in which over 250 people heard the entire album for the first time.

While Wendell is not working full-time as a singer/songwriter, he works part-time at his church as the Director of Worship Arts. There, he is responsible for organizing worship music to be played each Sunday, overseeing approximately 30 volunteers involved in performing, setup and technical support. Wendell enjoys the opportunity to exercise his musical talents in a church setting and appreciates his church’s support in giving him creative freedom to arrange and compose his own music. It was at Church of the Advent where Wendell reunited with Hahna Fridirici, one of his fellow Fellows from the Class of 2007. After pursuing her for some months they began dating, and as of this past July are engaged to be married this coming February. Hahna currently works for the World Faiths Development Dialogue at Georgetown University doing HIV-AIDS intervention research.

Wendell loves DC and the church in which he and Hahna are serving; as he says, “I don’t see myself outgrowing DC or needing to leave DC in the near future.” However, with a budding musical career he recognizes his music could take him just about anywhere, and he is open to the Lord’s direction as to where that might be. Wendell is thrilled to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter for this season of life and intends to do so for as long as he is able. Though he knows that the career path for an independent singer/songwriter can be an uncertain one, Wendell is committed to giving his music career a few years of dedicated hard work. Despite the significant amount of time Wendell invests into his vocation as a singer/songwriter, he continues to thrive in the local church music scene. He hopes to “always keep one foot in the church music world” and intends to one day teach and train other church musicians in worship music. With the new adventure of marriage and family ahead, Wendell plans to revisit his career ambitions in a few years, but for now he is confident the Lord has him exactly where he is supposed to be.

Visit Wendell's website

Check out Wendell's facebook music page

Readings:

"Imperfect Instrument" Tim Stafford

"Translating Belief into Practice" Dave Blanchard

"Keeping Religion in its Place" Total Truth Nancy Pearcy

"What Can We Know?" Foolishness to the Greeks Leslie Newbigin

Windrush Thanksgiving feast

The Fellows in class with Doug Forrester.

On Friday morning before heading on their annual Fall Retreat to Harpers Ferry the Fellows headed into Easton at 6:30am to particpate in the Easton Mayor's Prayer Breakfast at the Tidewater Inn. The Fellows heard longtime Academy supporter Tom Hutchison give the keynote address on his coming to faith amidst a life of affluence and loss. Early in the afternoon the Fellows headed to Zan and Deborah Fleming's house in Harpers Ferry, WV for a weekend of relaxation and fellowship. They enjoyed a weekend of hiking, playing games - and building snowmen as it snowed several inches all day on Saturday! The power went out at the Fleming household for most of the day on Saturday but was luckily restored by evening. On Sunday morning the Fellows coordinated and participated in the worship service at the Fleming's church, after which a potluck luncheon was held at the Fleming household.

Reading:

"The Attestation of Scripture " John Murray

The NT Documents, F.F. Bruce 

The Fellows atop an overlook at Harpers Ferry, WV

Snowpeople: David & Sharon Covington!

Jill McFadden (Class of 2004)

Education: BA from Furman University; MCS from Regent College; ThM from Regent College (expected 2012)

Experience: Director of Worship Arts; Central Presbyterian Church (Baltimore, MD); Musician/vocalist with Ordinary Time; Developer and instructor for "Engage the Arts" with Restoration Gardens

Academy Thesis: Theology & the Arts

Mentor: Doug Holladay

________________________________________________________________________________

You might say Jill has come full circle (geographically speaking, anyway) since arriving at Osprey Point. After graduating from the Academy in 2004, she pursued her Masters of Christian Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C., recolated to Baton Rouge, LA with her husband, Ian, for two years to pursue arts ministry at a local church, and is now is back on the east coast joining her husband on staff at Central Presbyterian Church in Baltimore. She may be "settled" back in Maryland but her travels are far from over: Jill continues to tour around the country with Ordinary Time, performing at numerous venues and promoting their three albums.

It was her Academy experience that ignited this journey over the past eight years. Jill recalls how January's curriculum at the Academy was devoted to study of the arts and the impact that Doug Forrester had on her conception of art as an epistomological tool for understanding the Trinity. "Art," he said, "doesn't run around the intellect." Rather, exercising our aesthetic sense contributes vitally to our knowledge of God and our understanding of the good, the true and the beautiful. The Academy curriculum deeply informed the crafting of her Fellowship thesis on the integration of arts and theology, an exploration that ultimately led to her attending Regent College the following Fall. 

"Music shaped my faith in ways I couldn't even have articulated prior to coming to the Academy." says Jill. She continued her pursuit of music in Vancouver, where she met Peter and Ben, two men holding similar passions for the ancient liturgical style worship of the Church fathers. The three of them would eventually form Ordinary Time, a band committed to bringing new life to the hymns of long ago. Jill concedes that the Academy's committment to a daily rhythm of worship, prayer and fellowship following the Benedictine Order and her regular use of the Book of Common Prayer at Matins and Evensong had a strong influence on the music she and her bandmates write and perform. "We try to emphasize through music the importance of the saints from long ago." she says.

In addition to the impact that the Academy had on her thinking as an artist, it was at Osprey Point that she began to develop a disposition of intentionality in all of life, recognizing the theological significance of the routine and seemingly small events in life, such as sharing a meal together. This recognition gave her an enhanced desire to live a life rooted in hospitality and in creating a welcoming atmosphere across a variety of mediums, from enjoying a delicious meal in the company of others to composing a fresh arrangement on a traditional hymn.

Aside from her position as the Director of Worship Arts at her church and her role with Ordinary Time, Jill has recently had the priveledge of developing an arts engagement program at a permanent facility located in a high-risk neighborhood in Baltimore for homeless youths (ages 18-24). The pilot program, "Engage the Arts," is a monthly evening event that features instruction in a particular art form and also provides an open space for discussion around important life issues, such as hope, disappointment, anger and love. "It's a priveledge to work with these young adults," she says, "to be one voice in their lives that tells them that their stories are important, that their voice has value, and to help them find a voice and tap into their own creativity through the arts."

Jill says that her fellow classmates are still some of her closest friends and regularly keeps up with them despite living far away from most of them. As a testament to the relationships formed through the broader Academy community, she warmly recalls the year she spent at Yale while Ian was finishing up his M.Div. Alums Scott and Lindsay Cleveland would regularly host dinners for Academy Alums living in New Haven (yes, there was a time when half a dozen Alums were pusuing a degree at Yale in some form or another!). She remembers how close each of them were to one another at the outset despite being from different Academy classes. The community they had in New Haven was one of unparalelled love and support, possessing a relational depth that could only be had after living in close Christian community for a nine-month season of their life.

Jill sees herself staying involved with her church in the future, organizing and leading worship with an intentional focus of drawing people towards a deeper understanding of God through music as Ian continues to pastor. While she thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to use her gifts in organizing and performing music, she hopes someday to use them for teaching as well, training local church leaders and pastors in the theology of worship. Jill continues to pursue songwriting/recording with Ordinary Time and intends to do so for as long as she is able.

Week 8: Pastor Charlie Drew led the Fellows throughout the week, introducing them to a Jesus-centered reading of the Old Testament, and warned them against other approaches. He spoke on the New Testament’s view of the Old Testament in the light of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and read Genesis 1-3 in the light of that view. The Fellows wrote and shared with one another prayers shaped by this reading. The week's discussion was imbued with how to read the Bible rightly, which should always be done in light of the life, death and resurrection of Christ.

Thursday morning the Fellows woke up to a most unusual sight: Osprey Point flooded to a degree that hasn't been seen since Hurricane Isabel in 2005 - and this absent any rain! The chapel, as expected, was flooded though all other buildings remained untouched.

Saturday afternoon Bille and Bette Webb organized and sponsored a concert at St John’s Chapel on Tilghman’s Island featuring Daniel Levi Goans (TFA Alum ’11) and a stand-up comedy routine by Becky Groves (TFA Alum ’11) . Prior to the concert the Webbs hosted a small "oyster feed" gathering at their house with freshly caught oysters from the Chesapeake Bay.

Reading:

Charlie Drew, Ancient Love Song

William Hendrickson, Survey of the Bible

Reading:

C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock (ch.12 (“Man or Rabbit”, ch. 15 (“The Founding of the Oxford Socratic Club”)

Charlie Drew, Ancient Love Song 

Greg Jesson, “Remembering Dr. Vernon Grounds”
 

Reading:

Systematic Theology, Grudem ch. 36, 42

1 John

“Christianity the Truth” Warfield

“Christianity and Culture” Machen

Reading:

Os Guinness, Do What You Are

Reading:

Augustine, Confessions (Books VII-X)

Keller, King’s Cross (review from Summer Reading)

On September 17, 2011 alum Daniel Goans ('11) launched his new album BrotherStranger with a dynamic live performance at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC. Over 200 people attended the show and witnessed Daniel perform the BrotherStranger album in its entirety onstage, bookended by two covers, one from Bob Dylan (With God on Our Side) and one of Pete Seeger (We Shall Overcome). Daniel had 12 other musicians onstage playing over 25 different musical instruments; a truly remarkable sight and sound! In lieu of an opening act, he and his band organized a completely vegan meal to be served to all attendees, consisting of butternut squash soup and beer bread. Dozens of people were touched by his performance that evening and God was surely glorified.

Daniel completed the album as part of his nine-month stay at Osprey Point, recorded and produced almost entirely out of the Old Library overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. The album was Daniel's Academy Fellowship project.

 Watch more videos from the concert:

BrotherStranger promo video:

Visit Daniel's website here! 

Order Daniel's new album or download it on iTunes!

Monday the Fellows travelled to DC to attend the Trinity Forum Gala, celebrating the Forum's 20th Anniversary. The gala included a discussion with Os Guinness and Ross Douthat on civility, followed by a reception for Trinity Forum Europe and the Academy. The evening culminated with a dinner at the Corcoran Gallery at which Al McDonald and Os Guinness spoke as the founders of Trinity Forum, and Cherie Harder, president of the Forum, shared a vision for the future. Tuesday morning, after a late night on the town, Fellows heard personally from Al McDonald, fomer CEO of McKinsey and Co. and founder of The Trinity Forum. Learn more about the Gala and the Fellows' time with Al
 

To wrap up the week the Fellows engaged in their first day of Silence and Solitude. Once a month during the program, Fellows take a day to be alone, to detach from all technology, and remain silent between our morning and evening devotions. They dedicate this time to prayer, reading, and reflection. 

Reading:

Augustine, Confessions, Books I-X , 

Bonhoeffer, Life Together, Ch. 1, 3

Movie: "The Better Hour" on the life of William W

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Lind Photography

The Trinity Forum's 20th Anniversary Founders' Gala

Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

On Monday, September 19th the Fellows and Staff headed up to Washington, D.C. to help prep for and attend The Trinity Forum's 20th Anniversary celebration. The Fellows began the afternoon assembling gift bags at the gallery before heading over to the James Monroe House to hear Academy Senior Faculty and Trinity Forum founder Os Guinness and New York Times opinion editor Ross Douthat discuss civility in the public square. Following the event the audience heard presentations from Jonathan Aitken, the Director of Trinity Forum Europe, and Grady Powell, TFA's Executive Director, on the work that each organization is doing. Grady asked a couple current Fellows as well as an alum to share a little bit about their backgrounds and how they are currently pursuing God's call on their lives.

The Gala itself took place Monday evening, with a cocktail hour beginning at 6:30pm and dinner at 7:30pm. Over two hundred people attended the festivities, including Trinity Forum founders Os Guinness and Al McDonald, who delivered the keynote addresses. Al gave a brief account of how he came to found The Trinity Forum and the work it has faithfully performed over the last twenty years. Os delivered a stirring address looking at the next twenty years, describing how many of the most pertinent and pressing issues our world has yet seen will need to be addressed by the current generation of young leaders, a generation he appropriately terms the "crunch generation." The three hour celebration concluded with a stellar performance by Isaac Slade, lead vocalist of The Fray.

Special thanks to Paul & Terry Klaassen, Doug & Ann Holladay and Bob & Diane Kramer for making this trip possible.

Discussion with Al McDonald

The Case Foundation, Washington, D.C.

The following morning the Fellows headed over to the Case Foundation to meet with Al McDonald and receive a more candid account of his life and work. Al rendered a truly unbelievable story about how he met his lovely wife, Susie, through a series of seemingly coincidental events, in addition to how he worked his way up to be the Chairman of McKinsey & Company. He also elaborated on his current pursuits, which primarily involve chairing the McDonald Agape Foundation and spending time with Susie, his children and grandchildren. Pervading Al's life story was the maxim, "decry mediocrity; insist on excellence.", a belief he has held firmly onto from his time at McKinsey & Company to overseeing the preparation of The Trinity Forum reading materials to running his foundation. He believes Christians need to be known for their work ethic and exhibiting and demanding excellence in all they do as a testament to being good stewards of the gifts and abilities they and others have been given. He fielded several questions from the Fellows, of which there was no shortage!

Reading:

James Boyd White, Living Speech  (Intro and Ch. 1,

David Powlsion, “Do You See?”; “To Take the Soul to Task”; “Worshiping Creatures”

Brad Beevers, “Watch Your Language”

Corcorran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

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Al MacDonald

Case Foundation, Washington, D.C.

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Jordan Lukianuk (Class of 2009)

Education: B.A. in Marketing and Communications from James Madison University
Experience: Photographer, JordanQuinn Photo

Academy Thesis: “Art as Tension: A Curriculum”
Mentor: Jerry Eisley, Founder of the Washington Arts Group

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View Jordan's Photography Website

Read Jordan's Blog

Jordarn served as an Academy Fellow from 2009-2010 during which time she struggled with the question of whether she should pursue a professional career on the heels of her undergraduate degree in marketing or whether she should become a full-time artist. She was passionate about art, but unsure of the medium in which God was calling her to exercise her gifts. This lack of clarity led her to pursue two different jobs in marketing in Chicago; yet all the while God was carefully preparing Jordan for the career he had in store for her, slowly revealing his call on her life.

While she was enmeshed in corporate marketing life in Chicago, Jordan distinctly remembers a day when she was behind the lens of a camera saying to herself, "I was made for this." What began with the realization experienced that day was increasingly confirmed in her heart as she became intentional about pursuing photography as a business. Photography resonates with her passions and gifts in a way no other pursuit has done before. As Jordan says, "Photography forces me into a physical, sense-oriented, relational, communal, personal, ideological posture that arches God-ward." As an artist, she seeks to inspire others through her craft while sharing what inspires her with others, all with the intention of pointing them towards the One who is the source of all creativity: the Triune God.

Jordan is deeply thankful: “The pursuit of art comes with glimpses of an achingly beautiful way of living where something deep inside is at peace. When I pursue that in God's name, I am fulfilled. Photography has allowed me to do so much, to meet beautiful people, to travel to new places, as well as see a familiar place with a new set of eyes. I find myself so overjoyed and excited for what each day brings, and I hope that I can always live in a way that honors this wonderful path God has set me on. He is so generous. His love is extravagant and I always want to remain a tool and willing to do what He puts on my heart, to advance his kingdom. I know I was made to pull out the best in people, make them shine, and create works of art that speak with real human beings as my muse."

If it wasn't for her experience at the Academy, Jordan sees that she would likely be in a marketing job in the professional world, half-heartedly working her way up the corporate ladder. Her Academy experience gave her a clear understanding of what it means to trust in Christ, allowing him to lead no matter how uncertain or risky the path may be. In the spring of 2010 Jordan took a step of faith and launched her own photography company, JordanQuinn Photography. Her Academy thesis laid the foundation for such a venture, providing the inspiration to create a ministry that uses the power of beauty and aesthetic to point to our Creator. She specializes in lifestyle portraiture and her ideal subjects are people who are in love with each other and in love with life.

Jordan resides in Chicago and currently pursues her photography full-time. She has established strong community in the area and is continually seeking to deepen her relationships with those around her just as she learned to do during her time at the Academy. Though the Windy City may be "one town that won't let you down" (as Frank Sinatra so prominantly sings), she hopes for the day when God will call her once again to live where the mountains are.

• For a flavor of Monty's music check out this video or visit his website at montyalexander.com.
• For more on saxophone phenom Grace Kelly visit her website at gracekellymusic.com.
• For more on the Monty Alexander Jazz Festival check out Chesapeake Chamber Music.

Reading:

Ed Clowney "Preaching Christ from all the Scriptures"

Jonathan O’Connor
Education: B.A. in Economics from Southeastern University
Experience: Co-founder and current director for LifeNet International in Burundi, formerly an investment Analyst for CNL Real Estate
Academy Project: “Placemaking”
Mentor: Hartwell Gardner, former Mobil Oil executive and current Academy Board member

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After graduating from the Academy in 2005, Jonathan joined CNL Real Estate Advisors as an investment analyst. During his time with CNL, he helped originate real estate funds for syndication to the retail equity markets. His path at CNL also took him through two CNL affiliate companies: CNL Retirement Properties, the country’s third largest healthcare REIT, and CNL’s privately held land-development company.

In the fall of 2008, Jonathan helped to start LifeNet International, a social enterprise formed to serve the healthcare needs of the poor through a home-nurse micro-franchise model. The organization was launched through the network of partner organization HOPE International, led by Academy Mentor Peter Greer who currently serves on LifeNet’s board. Jonathan established the organization’s US base before moving to Burundi in the fall of 2009 to serve as country director and launch LifeNet’s pilot program.

According to Jonathan, “I never imagined living in one of the world’s poorest countries to launch a healthcare services company. To be honest, I never really wanted to be the guy living in Africa; Starbuck is just fine, thanks. But a conversation that started with Fellows and Mentors at the Academy reminded me that one’s calling follows a meandering path at times. In his own words, “I’ve come to understand calling as bringing to bear God-given talents and passions to God’s redemptive work in the world. I see the connection in the work I do on Monday morning with the expansion of God’s kingdom, healing the sick here in Burundi. It’s a deeply meaningful connection.”

Jonathan was impacted by the community aspect of the Academy just as deeply. While the messiness of intentional community can cause one to doubt its worth, he is convinced that if one perseveres, God can use that community to shape a person in powerful ways. He remarks that though “distance separates most of the Fellows these days, I’ve committed to seeking out authentic, local relationships in my post-Academy life because I understand how important those relationships are for faithful living amidst the grit and grime of everyday life.”

After his time in Burundi, Jonathan intends to relocate in close proximity to a Chik-fil-A, download more unread books to his Kindle, and fondly recount his days spent of the Eastern shores of both the Chesapeake Bay and Lake Tanganyika.

Back: Mike Phillip, Daniel Allen, Daniel Goans,
John Porter, James Jordan, Parker Hancock

Front: Rebeckah Groves, Julia Thompson, Anna Paden,
Sarah Coffin, Lauren Farrar, Mary Grace Hager

On May 19 the Class of 2011 graduated, bringing the total number of Academy Alumni to 112. 

Fellowship Thesis Projects

Daniel Allen | A Faithful Evangelical Response to the Conflict in Israel-Palestine
Drawing from his experience studying abroad in the Middle East, Daniel developed a biblically-based framework by which Christians should approach the crisis in the Middle East. His thesis delved into a brief history of the conflict, examined Biblical bases for engagement following the way of Jesus, and posited constructive ways forward to foster reconciliation.

Sarah Coffin  |  The Sense Event and Pottery Set
Sarah created a sensory experience centered around a dinner, incorporating a full set of dinner plates that she threw on her pottery wheel. Everything from the centerpieces containing fresh herbs to the textured Nepalese papyrus paper used for the cover of the DVD event invitation was carefully implemented to enhance the guest’s sensory experience and to experience afresh our Lord’s magnificent creation.

Lauren Farrar  |  The Implications of Biblical Hospitality in a Digital Age
Hospitality is not a trait reserved for one industry (hotels); it is a way of life. Christ calls us to serve others, inviting others into our homes and our lives that we may be a blessing to them. Lauren explored how the Trinity provides the basis for exhibiting hospitality in our own lives, pairing her Biblical study with extensive outside research to develop a practical way forward in which to practice hospitality in the 21st century.

Daniel Goans  |  Original Album BrotherStranger
Daniel wrote, recorded and produced his sophmore album as his fellowship thesis. The concept album BrotherStranger is in the folk tradition, exploring the common bonds among humans and the parallel truth that no man knows another man’s sorrow. Visit www.daniellevigoans.com to hear his music and receive more information on his upcoming album release!

Rebeckah Groves  |   Comedy: A Serious Pursuit
God created us to laugh! Yet never has the business of laughter been more of a moral compromise than today, when it seems as though the only thing people want to hear is degrading and vulgar humor. Becky spent her fellowship year exploring what a redemptive approach to comedy looks like, culminating in a 45 minute standup routine based in creative observational humor. It was an event unlike any the Academy had previously experienced!

Mary Grace Hager  |  The Demon in the Machine
Are we shaping technology in our image or is technology shaping us in its image? Mary Grace explored the way in which technology is rapidly affecting our lives, especially concerning how we read, communicate and interact with others. She incorporated her thesis into a series of blog posts in order to make it accessible to her intended audience. Visit her blog here!

Parker Hancock  |  GivingLink Software Programming
Parker spent a portion of his fellowship year learning numerous programming languages in an effort to develop the preliminary GivingLink algorithm (see Mike Phillip’s fellowship thesis description). He eventually used Ruby on Rails to develop the Phrased-based Statistical Analysis of Text for Automatic Categorization (PhraS-ATAC), which served as the foundation to the GivingLink matching algorithm.

James Jordan  | Seeking Integration in a Fragmented World
We live in a world where the relational wholeness found in the Garden of Eden has all but vanished; our lives are fragmented into countless different and often distinct spheres, ranging from family to church to work to social gatherings. JJ explored the contours of fragmentation in our world today as a means to develop an effective strategy for response.

Anna Paden  |  From Transactional to Transformational: An Exploration of Love and Sexual Relationships in the Present Era
We seem to be living in a culture that idolizes eros (sensual love) and cannot conceive of love outside this limited definition. Anna drew from her education and experience in public and sexual health to convey how this idolization of eros has caused sex to be a transactional activity instead of an intimate physical and spiritual union with another soul. Returning to the Biblical texts, she applied the wisdom found in the scriptures to developing effective strategies for restoring a real and true expression of love in society.

Mike Phillip  |  GivingLink Entrepreneurial Business Plan
GivingLink, a start-up technology initiative, is designed to provide an online platform for matching individuals with non-profits through a question-based survey. The concept works much like a dating website, except instead of eligible singles you have individuals and non-profits: as users answer questions, their responses are evaluated via a proprietary computer algorithm and applied to a database of non-profit organizations.

John Porter  |  The Merchant’s Occasion to Die: Restoring Faith in American Enterprise
Can we really say that the increased regulation and “return” to strict ethical standards following recent financial scandals has restored faith in American enterprise? John explored the current state of American business and our culture’s view of work, noting that we are living at a time where the social contract that businesses once held with society has disintegrated.

Julia Thompson  |  Three Windows
The freedom endemic to American culture has brought with it a renewed bondage to self-destructive behaviors. Julia researched how Genesis 1, 2 and 3 can confer freedom to those suffering in self-destructive prisons of addictions, eating disorders, depression and anxiety.

Fellow Host Families

Daryl and Karena Dixon, Dan and Sandy Frantz, Carolyn and Lenwood Hayman, Al and Marty Sikes, Bill and Bette Webb

Undergraduate / Graduate Institutions Represented

Dartmouth, USC, Georgetown, Grove City, Furman, Rice, Georgia Tech, Indiana University, Olivet Nazarene, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Texas, University of Maryland, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Undergraduate / Graduate Majors

Film and animation, philosophy, public health, art, communications, English, engineering, mathematics, accounting, political science, finance

Professional Experience

Event planning, operations management, marketing/copywriting, women's public health, pottery, education, videography, sociology research, corporate accounting, singing/songwriting, gubernatorial advance staff, missions

Alumni Panelists and Essay Topics

Intrduction from Dr. William Edgar on Freedom

The central concern which brings us together is the concept of freedom, which each of the panelists will be interacting with in some way. A number of factors contributed to highlighting this issue for us. The first is the thoughtful book, New Threats to Freedom. Each of the authors within this edited volume argues that while we easily recognize deadly threats such as terrorism, despotism, religious violence, etc., new, more subtle threats have gone under the radar, such forces as transnationalism, the regulatory state, global technology, and so forth. The second factor is the general sense that many of us live in a paradox. While we are in a globalizing world, and have more opportunities and choices than ever before in the history of mankind, at the same time those great institutions which shape our society seem less and less capable of giving us guidance on how and why we should make those choices.

One reason for this inability is that in their zeal to make things work, whether scientifically, politically or economically, they have forgotten a fundamental reality. We are uniquely meaning-seeking beings. Even the concept of universal human rights is not enough to guide us. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks reminds us, at least twice in recent history did we place our faith in such a universal code, at the French Revolution and at the end of World War II. Both are crucially important, but yet they represent only half the picture. The other half is meaningful diversity. No one civilization encompasses all the spiritual, ethical and artistic expressions of mankind. We dare not reduce them to an abstract ideal of human rights. Sn how will we live with our deepest differences, while yet preserving the freedom to disagree, and to argue for true and lasting freedom from a biblical standpoint?

While this gathering will surely not provide all the answers to this most urgent question, we hope to make significant headway. Each panelist is a graduate of the Trinity Forum Academy, and is now engaged in an important sector of the emerging world. They are on the front lines. Each will deal with a particular issue, based on their expertise, present a diagnosis, then a possible remedy. Please find enclosed six essays which wrestle with the question of freedom. And please do interact with them in ways appropriate to your own interests.

Welcome from Executive Director, Grady Powell

Keynote Speakers

DR. D. MICHAEL LINDSAY | Friday 7:30pm

Drawing from interviews conducted for his book Faith in the Halls of Power and his most recent research on the prestigious White House Fellows, Lindsay presented a framework of ten approaches for understanding what people do with power. What do people do with power? They flaunt, covet or fall into it. They can hoard it, be owned by it, squander it or in the best sense, venture upon it. Lindsay used anecdotes of notable leaders such as Colin Powell and Stephen Colbert to illustrate each instance. In conclusion he focused on Christ’s use of power as a model for our own: it is most effective when put to use for those who have none.

ANDY CROUCH | Saturday 9:45am

Sex. Money. Power. The three ethical dilemmas of our modern society. Crouch argued that misuse of power is perhaps the most pervasive dilemma we face, but it is the very issue that the church fails to deal with in a meaningful fashion. He first challenged the commonly held cynical perspective against power, instead recasting it as a gift from God that is correlate to freedom and fundamental to human flourishing. We need power to know God and to be agents of his shalom, and it is in Christ alone that we have such power. He demonstrated that power is at the heart of our relationship with God, and our abuse of such power leads to idolatry and injustice. The compelling call of Crouch’s message was to consider how to use our own power not to provide privilege for ourselves – which requires no risk – but to risk our power in order to serve others. How can we appropriately deal with power? Only through true worship of God. It is within the church that Crouch hopes to see more effective education about what power is and how we can steward it well.
 

Group Case Studies
Case 1: Business >> How should eHarmony, a company led by a Christian who is committed to establishing strong marriages, respond to a lawsuit claiming equal services should be offered to homosexual singles looking for relationships?
 

Case 2: Academia / Ministry >> When Dr. Peter Singer, a highly controversial philosopher, was appointed to a professorship at Princeton, Manna Christian Fellowship had to decide whether to affirm or condemn his appointment. Should they join with the other campus ministries or risk taking an independent stance?

Case 3: International Justice >> How could a reputable justice ministry think creatively about serving the victims of human trafficking as well as the perpetrators?

Saturday afternoon conference guests gathered in small groups led by Academy Fellows and Keynote Speakers. The Case Studies were designed to challenge guests to put their new ideas of how to faithfully steward power into immediate action. By working through real-time decision-making scenarios in a community setting, group members developed proposals for how they would tackle a range of issues.

Panel Discussion / Q&A
Dr. Bill Edgar moderated a panel that included guests David Kim, Director of the Gotham Fellows Program at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, and A.B. Puckett, Founder of Global Connections. The panel addressed topics including Puckett’s recent trip to an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince and the challenges Kim faces with students struggling to pursue their calling in light of worldly fame and profit. One of the most compelling interchanges regarded how to understand the difference between “high-profile” and “low-profile” leaders. If I am not a “high-profile” leader, what responsibility do I have? Crouch and Lindsay collectively challenged the group to consider that while the world can measure this limited type of success, God makes no such distinctions, rather he often chooses faithful people of no worldly significance to accomplish his work.

Jazz Concert
On Saturday evening following dinner, Academy Fellow and professional jazz trombonist, James Hall, partnered with Academy Senior Faculty Member and Conference Moderator Dr. Bill Edgar, to provide guests with a reflective end to a day of thought and discussion. The concert included classics from the blues and spiritual idioms, as well as original compositions by James. "Solzhenitsyn," James' instrumental reflection on the nature of calling, received its world-premiere.
 

Exquisite Cuisine
The menu for the weekend was designed and prepared by Fellows who, while at the Academy, receive professional training from Osprey Point’s distinguished Chef Dawn McLaughlin.

Menu Items Included:
~ Baked Eggs with Spinach and Sun Dried Tomatoes
~ Challah French Toast with Sugared Raspberries
~ Basil Grilled Cheese on Ciabatta
~ Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup
~ Rosemary Pork Loin with Roasted Fennel
~ Red Velvet Cake, Honey Ice Cream, Chocolate Crackle

Worship
The weekend culminated in a Fellow-led worship service. Bill Edgar offered a message and opened the floor for a time of sharing which gave guests the opportunity to express ways that God was working through the conference. The poignant comment was made that lyrics to the closing hymn “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” were timely as everyone gazed out the library window onto eight inches of freshly fallen snow: O precious is the flow, the makes me white as snow, no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Guest & Speaker Comments

Michael Lindsay
“This was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had speaking in several years. The conversations were smart and wide-ranging, the food and facilities were superb, and you did everything imaginable to make me feel welcome….”

Anna Carrington
“THANK YOU for the fantastic weekend….a great example of "exercising authority" to provide a beautiful space for creative and candid conversations.”

David Kim
“The weekend was one of the most thought provoking conferences we've been to, and that's saying a lot from semi-professional Christian conference goers.”

Jim Riordian
“We were inspired and encouraged by the people and wisdom we encountered and are blessed to have been included….as the hours have passed we have recalled and discussed even more of the wisdom and insightful prompts that Andy and Michael shared. As important as the quality of information shared, however, is the degree to which the sharing soul is submitted to and in awe of Jesus. For me, this activates the information.”

Reading:

"The improv was very fun, I got to see a side of people that I don't see every
day from watching them come out of their shells.

"I loved when Sarah was talking about God, and how she said God molds us,
just like she molds her pots and bowls."

"This was a wonderful experience that I will never forget."

Readings: "And Justice for All" Gary Haugen and Victor Boutros (Foreign Affairs, 2010); Movie: The Redemption of General Butt Naked; Acts 4, 7, 10, 13-17

Throughout the week Fellows worked to complete their Fellowship Theses.

Tuesday: Fellow Julia Thompson led the class through a discussion on the relation of justice and freedom, both personally and internationally; she reviewed the article written by Gary Haugen and Victor Boutros, on IJM’s cooperative casework model for working for justice internationally, and compiled a list of Fellows’ questions for Gary on Thursday.

Wednesday: Os led two sessions on a careful assessment of evil, its various sources, explanations and demands, together with the missteps of weakening any horn of the trilemma of evil’s horrible reality, God’s goodness and His power. Christianity alone has a God with wounds [proving all three in His person]. “Work this out for yourselves,” he urged the Fellows; don’t leap to the Christian answer, but press questioners to explore the alternative explanations of evil all the way to their ends.

Thursday: Gary Haugen led a high octane discussion of the IJM mission in various spheres based on a series of questions submitted by Fellows. This talk came in the context of IJM hosting their annual international prayer retreat at Osprey Point which provides for rich opportunities to build relationships between Fellows and IJM field workers.

Reading:

1. TFA alumni panelists Brooks Lumpkin (2004), Katie Roland (2003), Amin Aminfar (2003), Matthew McGowen (2005), Laura Ruth Venable (2010), and Adam Lockridge (2006).
2. Alumni panelists with Dr. John Templeton and Dr. William Edgar.
3. Board member Harty Gardner, Ed Meese, and Ursula Meese with Sarah Coffin (2011) before the main event.
4. Julia Thompson (2011) meets alumnus Matthew McGowen (2005).
5. TFA Director Grady Powell addresses the assembly to kick off the dinner and panel discussion.
6. Dr. William Edgar.
7. Dr. Templeton addresses the panelists.
8. Panelists and attendees.
9. Dr. Templeton.
10. Alumnus Brooks Lumpkin (2004) speaks about current notions of "the American dream."

Week 26

Reading: Amos 9, Hab 3, Zech 12, Mal 3

Between keynote addresses, attendees enjoyed lively discussion over gourmet cooking, and Bill Edgar offered a jazz piano concert with other musical guests.

Readings

Selections from Psalms and Proverbs

Realize Leadership Workbook, writing and reading assignment for Fred Harburg

TFA's Academic Coordinator David Covington accompanies Hanneke on guitar in this video.

Watch clips from the concert and learn more about James's music at: 

http://www.jameshallmusic.com/ssmedia.html
 

Readings

Selections from the Psalms

New Threats to Freedom (Templeton Press, 2010)

• An eternal view of history
• The role of monasticism through the Reformation
• The making of the Reformation, the English Act of Supremacy, and the inception and evolution of the Anabaptist movement

Readings for the week included:

• Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity (Mark Noll, 2000)
• Selection of Pslams

To those of us hailing from the world’s cultural capitals, Osprey Point can truly seem to be, as the Germans put it, am Ende der Welt (that is, the End of the World). Though each of us will be steeped in literature and culture this year through ambitious reading assignments, opportunities to experience performing arts of an equally high caliber will be few and far between. Hence our excitement in discovering that Monty Alexander, the world-renowned Jamaican jazz pianist and professing believer, would be performing at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, just a half-hour drive from our new home. Thanks to the generosity of a Friend of the Academy, the Fellows of the class of 2010 were able to attend.

The Avalon Theatre, a one-time cinema that still bears the Art Deco facelift it received in 1934, seats only 380. Jazz music is meant for an intimacy which cannot be experienced in the cavernous halls and sprawling amphitheaters defining much of the summer music festival experience. Fortunately, The Avalon possesses the right mixture of size and acoustical warmth to keep the listening experience authentic.

I heard Alexander perform in 2006 at Vienna’s Porgy & Bess with the German HR Big Band—a barely memorable performance that tried too hard to compose around Alexander’s improvisations. Consequently, my hopes for the concert at the Avalon were modest. Given these expectations, it is no exaggeration when I say that Alexander’s trio blew me away. Alexander expressed himself in a fluent blend of stride, blues, and bebop languages, quoting themes from the jazz canon with the frequency and conviction that characterizes the most experienced giants of the idiom. The highlight of the concert, however, was not the virtuosity of any one musician, nor the group’s seamless interaction, but the overwhelming sense of shalom emanating from Alexander’s presence on stage. One couldn’t help but feel empathy for the emotion displayed on his face and the passion that he coaxed, pushed, and sometimes pounded out of the piano.

As Alexander progressed through the program of jazz standards and original compositions, I realized that this was probably the most Christian jazz concert I had ever attended. The further he got into the program, the more deeply the influence of Gospel seeped into his playing. By the end of the concert, Alexander was throwing in renditions of such songs as Duke Ellington’s Come Sunday and Julia Ward Howe’s The Battle Hymn of the Republic. The centerpiece of the event was Alexander’s original composition, Hope, a ballad of surprising harmonic crunch that makes a gradual thematic shift from despair to hope over 10 minutes of composed and improvised material.

The nature of Christian leadership in this type of music is thought provoking; by moving fluidly in and out of Gospel styles, Alexander included his trio members, who are likely not religiously inclined, in creating hymns of praise and thanksgiving. Imagine setting a Bible before an unbeliever and not only hearing him read with fluency, but with deep conviction and love for the language. This is one of the joys of the Christian jazz band leader: to set a stylistic trajectory that moves collaborator and audience member alike toward the beauty of the Gospel.

For those of us grappling with the incorporation of seemingly disparate elements of theology, philosophy, and applied disciplines, there is much to be learned from Monty Alexander. Throughout the night at the Avalon, he deftly blended jazz languages, unified the diverse voices of fellow musicians into cohesive musical statements, and displayed a palpable joy, effortlessness, and gratitude. At the end of the concert, the question on many audience members’ minds was, “How much of that was improvised?” Indeed, Alexander’s passion seemed too genuine to be premeditated, yet too excellent and structured to be improvised. This spontaneous, exuberant precision is a posture to which any Christian leader can aspire.

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James Hall joins the Academy following a stint in Austria, where he taught at the Institute for European Studies. While in Europe, he performed as a freelance trombonist, playing genres as diverse as hip-hop and opera in venues as varied as prisons and ballrooms. James composes his own pieces that blend his faith and music, including a recent opus based on C.S. Lewis's writings on self pity. He has also been involved with Renovatio, an evangelical think tank in Austria. James graduated from Lawrence University in 2007 with a degree in Trombone Performance and Religious Studies. He anticipates attending graduate school or returning to the life of a freelancer when he completes his time at the Academy.

I was squeezed into Integrity Weekend at the last minute. It was kind of like calling home to say I’d show up for Thanksgiving after all, and finding out all the couches had already been claimed, so I would have to sleep under the kitchen table. It’s my own fault for deciding to attend at the last minute. I live in Boston. After being swept away by the celebratory spirit of December, the sugar plums dissipated, and I realized it wasn’t dried fruit dancing above my head, it was icicles. What I needed was a trip south. Anyhow, in true Academy form, a nice bed was conjured up, squeezing was accomplished, and I jumped on a flight out of town, only to be greeted by a record amount of Maryland snow.

Despite the New England-worthy weather, my January doldrums began to dissipate from the very first meal. I get paid to cook every day, and I work alone. Working alone means falling into ruts; it is quite difficult to drag oneself out of ruts. Fellow Laura Ruth Venable was in charge of culinary operations for the weekend, and I jumped in the kitchen that first meal to lend my moderate knife skills. The ruts were all smoothed over in one fell swoop. “I’m making an upscale chicken pot pie,” she explained. It involved an assortment of fresh-looking veggies and an elaborately presented puff pastry. Elizabeth LeRoy was busy working on ‘seven minute frosting’ which took a heck of a lot longer than seven minutes and turned out to be the most deliciously light frosting I’ve ever tasted. My gastronomically attuned neurons were firing faster than a third-grader with a rubber band gun.

After lingering at dinner for a while, we moved in to hear the first session by Michael Lindsay. He discussed ten ways which people use power. Power is a terribly abstract word, but he grounded every point with a concrete example, which lent an incredible amount of clarity. (Dr. Lindsay uses enough concrete examples to build a military base.) All of his stories were incredibly helpful as they gave us very practical ways of viewing our lives and interactions with others in view of the implicit power we all have.

I don’t think I truly appreciated the way Integrity Weekend is set up while I was a Fellow. As a participant, you sit through some very thought-provoking sessions and then you have a break in which you inevitably begin talking about the thoughts that were provoked with whatever random stranger has the misfortune to be standing next to you. It’s small enough that no one is really random and there are few strangers left after the day. Most places when thrown into a group like this, you aren’t also thrown fodder for conversation.

The next morning we heard the keynote session from Andy Crouch. He discussed our discomfort with discussions of power – we tend to refer to it with more positive names such as “leadership” and “influence,” but in the end, we all have power and we all must find a way to manage it. You cannot possess power without it possessing you, to a certain extent. But power is not inherently evil. God has the power to create, power to be fruitful – the world starts off with power that is thoroughly positive, the power to be fruitful is shared with all of creation. We can confront the problems of power by allowing it to be transparent, surrounding ourselves with others who will speak truth, and through worship. As Andy reminded us, we do not have the power to raise the dead.

We broke into discussion groups that afternoon, and a panel discussion in the evening gave us additional time to work through questions of power. But they are too big for one weekend – I’m still mulling them over. I suppose we all will be in various states of mulling for the rest of our lives, as power continues to appear in new forms.

The power of conversation and community was both the form and content of the weekend. In all of our discussions lay the implicit belief that power, and knowledge of power, are neither implicitly good nor evil. We can imagine a world where power is not flaunted, hoarded or otherwise abused, a world where power is used only creatively and never destructively. But we can only maintain a balanced, constructive power when surrounded by others. And that, for me is what the Trinity Forum Academy is all about – re-imagining the world through the power of community.

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Miriam Moser is the Office Manager for the Veritas Forum and on the side cooks for a house of international graduate students in Boston’s Back Bay. She studied English Literature and History at Gordon College before attending Trinity Forum Academy where she wrote an extensive paper on the ways Christians have perceived their bodies through the centuries.